Garden & Gun magazine recently named The Houndstooth one of the 50 Best Southern Bars.
Originally opened in 1988, The Houndstooth provides the the Strip with a spacious sports bar that shows all major sporting events for its bar goers. The bar’s appeal has not only caught the eye of students, but the Charleston-based magazine.
“The criteria for choosing these bars was by asking a group of our writers from the southeastern region to tell us about our favorite bars,” said Sterling Eason of Garden and Gun. “The Houndstooth was one of them.”
The magazine described the bar as a “no-frills drinking shrine” that offers great views of Bryant-Denny Stadium and features more than enough televisions for the large crowds on Alabama football game days.
Jon Alford, general manager of The Houndstooth, said that this is not the first award The Houndstooth has received.
“We’ve been named the Number One College Sports Bar by Sports Illustrated and the Best College Sports Bar by Playboy,” Alford said.
The bar’s renovation in 2008 included a complete demolition of the old building and the creation of a much larger space that now boasts over 40 high-definition flat screen televisions that flank the walls of the bar and are even found in the restrooms.
The Houndstooth kept a similar floor plan to the former space, but now has a more spacious covered outdoor patio for nice weather events and fall football games.
“Since this renovation we have definitely had more people come here,” Alford said. “Business has almost doubled.”
In addition to the new curb appeal and proximity to the stadium, Alford said their good service and drink specials set them apart from other bars in the area.
“I like the Houndstooth because they aren’t overly packed, have a lot of TVs and good drinks,” said Meagan Miller, a senior majoring in nursing.
The Houndstooth also features live music and participates in trivia night along with other bars such as Brown’s Corner and Innisfree.
“My favorite part is that it has music, but its not too loud, so it has an atmosphere where you can actually talk to people,” said Casey Johnson, a senior majoring in secondary education. “It’s less of a ‘see and be seen’ place like Gallette’s and more of a meet up with friends for a pitcher after class kind of place. It may not have the social prestige of other bars, but that’s why it’s more comfortable and friendly.”
Garden & Gun searched for bars that were “old or new, grungy or grand, the South’s choicest places to order up a round and unwind,” and it appears one need not look farther than University Boulevard.
