A Very Texas Saturday

Last Saturday, I rediscovered college football, but better still, I rediscovered cheap beer. I was starting to lose hope. I was starting to forget.

A friend of mine moved to Boston for a new job a couple weeks ago (we are slowly changing the landscape, one non-New Englander at a time). He found the UT alumni bar. I found the USC alumni bar. It wasn't really planned that we'd both go to both bars, but you know...what else are we going to do here? Sail? Go to the Cape? Lol.

The Greatest Bar. No joke. That's the name of the UT alumni bar. It's also the gameday bar for Penn State, Michigan and some other shitty school I can't remember. That doesn't matter, because it was basically all Texas that day. And here's the really weird part. When we walked in and I saw a sea of orange (burnt orange, specifically) I got all emotional. Well, that just means I felt at home, like I walked into my favorite Dallas sports bar. Which is the most unsporty sports bar for Dallas, I know you're thinking douchebags and Mark Cuban and cowboy boots and bedazzled jerseys and obnoxious Cowboys fans - or is that just me? - but this one is great and they make the best food ever and it's all average people and families and nondouche. Fuck, I just saw they won Best Dallas Sports Bar in D Magazine. Now it's ruined. Forget every nice thing I just said about it.

Anyhow, I liked TGB. Yes, I still remember who won the 2005 Rose Bowl. Nonetheless, UT was playing UCLA and while I generally think you cheer for your conference before non-conference, I was not cheering for UCLA. Five years in Texas and you start to get brainwashed. Plus, everyone west of the Mississippi will soon be in the pac-12 so what does it matter.

Here's how great of a find TGB was: Our Saturday started out with lunch at a really good Mexican food place. My carne tacos, while Boston-priced, were pretty legit. But we found something that overshadowed the finding of tacos. I've discussed with multiple non-natives how Massachusetts doesn't have happy hour. Ever. And how this makes me cry into my expensive beer. Well. The Greatest Bar had an offer we could not refuse. And we didn't refused it like, five times. A bucket of beer (only four, but that'll do) and a small cheese pizza: $10. I am so easily impressed is what you're thinking, right?

Four Lone Stars and a small cheese pizza. Ten bucks. Yes. I know you can get Lone Stars in real states for $2.50 and four for $10 is not extraordinary for a watered down beer, but this is a backwards place we live in now. Five of us enjoyed beer and pizza until we lost count, and the bill was $53. So yea, 5 rounds. Best deal in all of the northeastern U.S.

We trekked to the USC bar after the UT game. There were no drink specials. I didn't think there would be. But, there were free apps. We mentioned TGB's deal and the alumni group leader looked at me like he was just introduced to this great concept. Oh, USC! I'd almost forgotten about you. Then I heard the So-Cal spellout and I finally found some school spirit. Or a solid buzz. Fight on...but I'm still loyal to TGB until further notice.