It was the first establishment to sell alcoholic drinks on Northgate. At one point, it sold more beer per square foot than any other place in America. And, according to Aggies, it’s the best bar in all of Bryan-College Station.
The Dixie Chicken is synonymous with Aggieland culture, from the Texas A&M themed license plates that line the walls to the Bonfire memorabilia hung around the bar. All of the tables in the Dixie Chicken are carved with the names of past patrons, hoping to leave their mark on the bar’s.
The Chicken was first established in 1974 by Don Ganter and Don Anz with the Ganter family still owning and operating the bar to this day. According to the Dixie Chicken’s Marketing Director Adam Drake, they opened the Chicken with hopes of being the premier country bar in town.
Originally, the Dixie Chicken was only half the size it is today. It expanded to its full size in 1982 when the Ganters bought the establishment nextdoor, Miranda’s. Drake said what really makes the bar special is all of the history it holds.
“The Chicken was the first real bar on Northgate,” Drake said. “We are very lucky, very blessed to be here for 43 years with kids still coming in and parents bringing in their kids.”
Over the years, current and former students alike visit the Chicken on a daily basis, whether it’s to shoot a round of pool or reminisce.
“I love the Dixie Chicken because so many Aggies have walked through those doors and etched their names on those walls,” construction science senior Kyle Heimbach said.
“Everyone has a story about being at the Chicken from their time at A&M. My fondest memories are just the good times I’ve had with my
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friends and the conversations I’ve had with friendly strangers.”
University studies senior Jen Nickell grew up in an Aggie household and heard her parents recount stories from their college years that happened inside of the walls of the Dixie Chicken.
“I love it because it’s where new and old collide,” Nickell said. “For example, my mom, Class of 1989, used to hang here with her friends, playing 42, just catching up, getting ready to dance the night away. The years have passed, but the Dixie Chicken hasn’t changed.”
The Dixie Chicken also infuses itself with student groups, especially Student Bonfire. Members of the organization can be seen walking the grounds of A&M with Dixie Chicken branded hats, an item most students do not have access to.
Nickell, head crew chief of Student Bonfire’s Off Campus Hoggs crew, said the Dixie Chicken is a second home for her and her crewmates.
“We meet there every Friday night at 8:18 p.m.,” Nickell said. “We hang out, play 42 and just catch up and relax after a long week of school. As our favorite spot in Aggieland, we exchange stories about our time spent here. It has an atmosphere unlike any other hang out spot in College Station. I love that it brings people together and I love the stories everyone so eagerly begins to tell.”
Despite only serving beer in the early years, the Dixie Chicken has expanded to serving liquor and mixed drinks. However, Drake said their most popular drinks are the local draughts.
“Our bread and butter will always be the just the domestics and the Texas beers,” Drake said. “When someone comes in from New York, California or Tennessee and hear about the Dixie Chicken, they want to drink a Shiner Bock or Lone Star like they hear Texans do.”
When it comes to the best drink offered at the Chicken, Heimbach, Nickell and Drake all came to the same consensus: Shiner Bock.
AN AGGIE
INSTITUTION
Best Bar
The Dixie Chichen
The iconic bar brings unique atmosphere to Aggieland
By Josh McCormack
@_joshmccormack