With the spring semester upon us, many students are eager to get back into the swing of things — specifically by binge drinking in Tigerland.
Though some may hit every bar in Baton Rouge during syllabus week, students will soon settle back into the routine of attending a few specific bars of their choice.
Bars in Tigerland advertise a slew of specials through social media to gain patrons each semester, but does it really work?
Although free drinks and specials are appealing, they’re everywhere, leaving no incentive for students to leave their go-to watering holes. The spring semester will see no changes.
First and foremost, the MVP is Bogie’s Bar. Sure, it’s a far walk from Tigerland, but get real — the place is more clutch than Robert Horry for the 1995 Houston Rockets.
Right next door is Shady’s Bar, and when I hear that name I think of one thing: shady.
Something I don’t want to happen to me while I am ordering a beer:
Me: “I’ll have a Bud Light.”
Bartender: “No problem. Hey, turn around real quick, and brace yourself as we have our bar raided.”
Does Shady’s Bar have some redeeming factors? Yeah, I’m sure it does somewhere, but unless The Shoobies are playing there, I’m out.
A trademark of Tigerland is the infamous Reggie’s Bar, a place where the putrid shame and filth can be smelled right under the bar — the spot every freshman must experience (multiple times). The best part about Reggie’s Bar is that the owners realize it’s grungy and fully embrace that.
I stayed a few days after winter break to watch my hometown team play the New England Patriots. Reggie’s was the only bar open in time for the game. One quarter in, I began to drown myself in 50-cent shots, wishing I could drown Matt Schaub as well.
At that moment, I realized Reggie’s was exactly the bar where I needed to be. If you say you can’t throw on a T-shirt and take shots for quarters every now and then, you’re full of shit — or incapable of capitalizing on the quarters you’ll never use.
Next door, you have Fred’s Bar and Grill. That’s all I know about Fred’s.
On the other side of the street is Mike’s Daiquiris & Grill. One thing you cannot beat is a Mike’s 190 daiquiri. A bar that is a staple for Greek exchanges, you can always count on there to be a large crowd, good music and plenty of ladies.
Next door JL’s Place, the apparent comeback player of the year in Tigerland. Pre-wine night, I never saw a line outside of the door. But talk about a resurgence — who wouldn’t have thought dollar wine night would bring out so many women?
JL’s Place was able to bounce back like Adrian Peterson and become one of the best bars in Tigerland. If dollar wine doesn’t get you there Tuesday or Wednesday, you had better be there for penny pitchers on Thursday. If none of those gets you, maybe you shouldn’t be going at all.
Last but not least is The House. For the longest time, The House was like the Saints defense without Sean Payton — essentially soul searching for some way to become relevant without turning to a bounty system.
In the time it has spent on the corner of Tigerland, however, it has done things to prove me wrong and is slowly but surely establishing itself.
Whether it’s Bogie’s Bar or the mysterious Fred’s Bar and Grill, students will continue to frequent their favorite bars. It’s been three years and the only thing that’s changed was the name of The House, so keep the drinks strong and the ice low wherever you may be.
This is Southern Louisiana, after all.
information compiled by Kaci Yoder, Entertainment Writer
