Watch Me! Sports Bar in Long Beach
California's 1st Women's Sports Bar
Long Beach has a well-earned reputation as a great bar town. Not only are there great watering holes throughout the city but many of those bars are of historic distinction, from Joe Jost’s–oldest tavern west of the Mississippi–to Legends, the world’s first sports bar. Now, adding to that honor roll is Watch Me! Sports Bar, California’s first sports bar dedicated to the appreciation and celebration of women’s sports.
Opened in the summer of 2024, Watch Me! Sports Bar (6527 E Pacific Coast Hwy) is located at Marketplace Long Beach. Its concept was borne of the vision of married couple Jackie Diener (known as Jax) and Megan Eddy (Emme), who aspired to create a space that welcomed everyone but showcased women's sports. Today, the more than 25 HD TVs at Watch Me! show a constant stream of women’s athletic events–as well as the occasional Dodger or football game.
Inhabiting the former space of Playa Amor Mexican Cocina, Watch Me! serves elevated gastropub cuisine with fresh, seasonal ingredients that are locally sourced. The menu caters to a wide variety of dietary preferences, so you can get your wings bone-in or cauliflower. Complementing the food is a drink menu of craft cocktails, including the popular Penalty Kicks (Tina’s Vodka, yellow chartreuse, cucumber, pear, lemon) and Angel City Girl (Kikori Whiskey, Sake High!, lychee, coconut, orange bitters). There’s also craft beer, many produced by women-owned breweries, and wine, as well as artisanal coffees and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages.
Jax and Emme are quick to credit women-focused sports bars in Portland and Seattle as inspirations for Watch Me! Still, there are few, if any, cities in which a bar that celebrates the female athlete seems a better fit than Long Beach. It is, afterall, the hometown of America’s most significant woman athlete, Billie Jean King. It was also a launching pad for volleyball icon Misty May-Treanor (three Olympic gold medals) and diving legend Pat McCormick (four Olympic gold medals).
Its walls are adorned with memorabilia and photos of legendary athletes who’ve set standards and broken barriers, including Cal State Long Beach basketball legend Penny Toler who showed up for the Watch Me! grand opening. Each athlete serves as an inspiration to the athletes and non-athletes alike and Watch Me! aims to be the place where their stories are told and their achievements revered, while building a sense of camaraderie and pride.
The bar’s inclusive nature is crucial to the vision of Watch Me! Jax and Emme are adamant that while their creation celebrates women, they want everyone to feel at home there. Emme has said that ultimate goal is to provide a platform for all fans, regardless of gender, to “come together, enjoy a great meal, and be part of something bigger—a community that supports women athletes and encourages young girls to chase their dreams.”
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