Eight years ago, a group of upperclassmen invited now-graduate student Merrick Irvin to a certain hangout spot in College Station. He quickly became fond of the site accompanied by pool tables and a variety of games. Students were laughing together, chowing down on what looked like delicious food, and it seemed like there wasn’t a stranger in the room. Everyone welcomed each other and were enjoying themselves. From this first impression, Irvin knew that he was going to have a great time.
Ever since, Irvin has become a regular at the Dixie Chicken, the oldest bar on Northgate.
The iconic Aggieland restaurant and bar has had its doors swinging open for 51 years. The Dixie Chicken, or “The Chicken” has played a significant role in Aggie culture since its opening on June 15, 1974.
“I think it’s quite the staple because it’s just iconic,” Irvin said. “People are like ‘We’re going to go to The Chicken,’ and they’re going to have a pitcher, go play pool, go play dominoes, and they all enjoy it. It just seems like it’s always been the hangout.”
As the years have passed, the Dixie Chicken has kept its charm. The spot is decorated with wooden tables and walls which contain sketches of Aggies’ names along with their class year. The bar is notorious for its Bottle Cap Alley — a side street next to the bar overflowing with used beer bottle caps that were served there.
“The Chicken” also houses a rattlesnake, Sneaky Snake, that is kept behind thick glass on display next to an aged cow skull. The spot’s design has hardly changed over the years, allowing former students to relive their college memories all again.
“It’s like stepping back in time,” Craig Pfeiffer ‘94 said. “It really hasn’t changed.”
Going to “The Chicken” was a mostly every weekend event during his undergrad years, Pfeiffer said. Whenever he and his wife visit Aggieland, they always return to the beloved site.
“For me, it has a lot of good memories, and we established a lot of friendships here,” Pfeiffer said. “Usually we always had at least a couple of tables, and if you didn’t come over with anybody, you’d always see somebody you knew here.”
Whenever he has time in between studying, Irvin said he likes to come to “The Chicken” at least once a week. He enjoys the variety of entertainment at the spot including pool tables and dominoes while listening to good Western music.
“You got all the options you could want,” Irvin said. “It depends on what day it is, how many friends you got with you, and what you want to do.”
Irvin says “The Chicken” is the embodiment of the phrase “good times.”
“The Chicken is an iconic staple,” Irvin said. “It’s been here for a long time, and it’s always a good place where you can introduce new Ags, meet the old Ags, and all the Ags that are here currently.”
Irvin’s favorite memory at the Dixie Chicken was dunking his Aggie ring at the establishment. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from dunking moments after receiving the ring, so he waited until he could celebrate with his loved ones where the ring dunk tradition began.
“I put my ring in a pitcher and over the next hour, I drank it all and just had a good time playing dominoes with them, enjoying myself here at the chicken, and having that classic Aggie ring dunk,” Irvin said.
The restaurant proved to be not just a bar, but a place where people can come together.
“I’ve enjoyed all the people that I’ve met, the friends I’ve made here and the lifelong friendships and relationships that I’ve built up and fostered,” Irvin said. “It’s a great place to come and enjoy with your friends and family.”
