It’s a Tuesday night in West Campus and students begin to line up down 24th for dollar beer night at Cain and Abel’s, a quintessential UT tradition. As the bar fills up, the music blares and chatter blends into unison, gathering a tight-knit community of strangers and friends alike.
With a large, diverse population, UT can begin to lose its sense of community. Every day we pass strangers without saying a word, but in campus bars like Cabel’s, Victory Lap, Dirty Martins, Moody’s Kitchen and Bar, Hole In The Wall, The Cauldron and more, we’re all connected as one.
“It’s fun because even if you go with a couple of friends, you’re gonna see all your friends there from different friend groups,” advertising senior Savan Shah said. “I’ve seen people bring board games and cards too.”
You’re always bound to run into someone you know or meet someone new at these bars, but that’s what makes them essential to the UT social culture. As a bartender at Cabel’s myself, every shift is a night out with my friends because they all come and visit, and I’ve begun to build camaraderie with the regulars.
If you struggle to make friends, bar crawl West Campus — even if you’re not a drinker.
“Big state schools like UT have the college bar,” Shah said. “I feel like that’s how I would describe Cabel’s. It’s our West Campus community college bar where you go.”
Drink deals at Cabel’s and Victory Lap attract students like Shah and keep them coming back.
“If it’s your 21st birthday, we’ll give you a $1 bill to sign, and we’ll put it on the (ceiling),” said Colm Flynn, a bartender at Victory Lap. “You also get a Polaroid and a beer boot. We try to look after people like that. UT has had a big impression on the bar.”
While the infamous Sixth Street offers a larger bar scene, campus bars with cheap prices and within walking distance of a vast number of student apartments cater specifically to the convenience of students.
They’re also perfect spots for friends to get together and watch Texas football games. Hole In The Wall also offers karaoke, so there’s something for everyone. Unfortunately, the fan favorite, Moody’s, just announced its hopefully temporary closure today. RIP Moody’s.
“The first time (UT) played Georgia was absolutely insane, like the busiest day we’ve ever had, and it was so much fun to work with such a great team,” Flynn said. “There were people out the door, a queue around the block. It was just a really good atmosphere, even though we lost, everyone still had a great time.”
Bring your friends, enjoy the atmosphere and tip your bartenders.
Harrison is a journalism senior from Dallas, Texas.