Egan’s Bar in Tuscaloosa Named One of the 33 Best College Bars

Bars around Tuscaloosa might come and go with nearly as much frequency as the University of Alabama's graduating classes, but there are a handful of drinking landmarks around town that have survived the ups and downs of a college town. 

Entrenched on the corner of University Blvd and Red Drew Avenue is one of those Tuscaloosa institutions: Egan's Bar. Established in 1979, the gray exterior has been a fixture on The Strip since Bear Bryant roamed the sidelines. The dive bar, which doesn't even have a website, prides itself in being super-local. From its core of regulars to its emphasis on regional music, Egan's doesn't spend a lot of time marketing itself. It doesn't have to.

Sorry to tell the Egan's fans, but the secret is out. Thrillist, a popular food and drink website, has named the Tuscaloosa establishment as one of its 33 best college bars.

Here's how Thrillist describes the venue:

Located on "The Strip" right off campus, Egan's is a dive bar that pretty straightforwardly advertises the fact that it's filled with "thick smoke, dim lights, loud music", as well as huge crowds of college kids (along with local folks and eccentrics) who flock to the bar for its super-cheap drinks, pool tables, dart boards, and the opportunity to booze with their professors. Yeah, that's right -- this place is such a Tuscaloosa institution that nobody can avoid its gravitational pull. The Strip around it may change year after year, but Egan's will always be that place where you can get a shot of top-shelf vodka for $4.

 

It's a pretty big honor for Egan's. Not only did it beat out a number of great bars in town, but it was only one of four bars at a SEC school that made the list. For a conference that prides itself in nightlife nearly as much as football, that's high praise. The other three bars are:

• The Max Canada (University of Georgia)
• The Dixie Chicken (Texas A&M)
• Pavlov's of Columbia (South Carolina)

The Alabama campus and surrounding areas have started clearing out for the summer, but one more bar will be on everyone's radar when the new semester begins in three months. Well done, Egan's.