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In the summer of 2001, I made my initial foray into the bar biz at a New Orleans-themed “tavern and daiquiri bar” or, if you prefer (and I do), “a daiquiria.” For about six months, I worked the door, a thankless task in which I had to put up with arrogant, underage TCU football players and petulant, underage TCU sorority girls. Fat Harry’s signature beverage was a jet-fueled daiquiri called the Orange Blitz.


BuffBrosTwo of these alcoholic slurpies were enough to get you hammered, and at $4 a pop, nobody bought fewer than three. Needless to say, I mopped up a lot of orange puke. In January of 2002, I got promoted to bartender, and we added Bud Ice to the draft selection, $3 by the pitcher. The other bartenders and I had a lot of fun there. For that whole spring semester and on through the summer, everybody involved got bargain-hammered, and we all made a lot of money. The fall rolled around, and I got fired.

I won’t go into the details, but my termination boiled down to giving away a pitcher of Bud Ice. I never went back, not even when the owner sold the place and it became a Texadelphia. For whatever reason, Texadelphia bombed, and the “space for lease” sign went up again. Then came Buffalo Bros.

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As you have probably guessed or heard, Buffalo Bros. serves buffalo wings as well as subs and pizzas. The place also serves beer and liquor. I’m not a huge fan of wings, but I certainly like alcohol, so I’ve popped in a few times for a beer and some fries. A couple of weeks ago, I went up there around 11 p.m. to hang out with some friends, and as I perused the shelf-booze, the beer taps, and the row of margarita machines, it occurred to me that Buffalo Bros. is at least as good a bar as it is a wing spot. (And according to a wing connoisseur I know, Buffalo Bros.’ wings are among the best in town.)

As a bar, Buffalo Bros. obviously caters to the college crowd, and its bank of flat-screens perpetually tuned to ESPN qualifies the place as a sports bar. But I still really like it. The staff is among the friendliest in town, which goes a lot further with me than anything else. Every time I’ve been there, I’ve had a lot of fun. In fact, Buffalo Bros.’ inaugural Wingstock event was a pretty rad afternoon. Held in the spring, long before the triple-digit misery of the past three months, Wingstock featured cheap beer, cheap wings, and a roster of Fort Worth musicians playing on the patio. Since Wingstock, Buffalo Bros. has had a steady stream of local talent performing indoors, including Dave Matsler (Quaker City Nighthawks), Taylor Craig Mills, and Keepin’ It Real’s Ben Napier. Is Buffalo Bros. a full-on venue? Not quite, but it does a great job of exposing TCU kids to local music. And of course, more importantly, Buffalo Bros. has great specials. During happy hour, domestic pints are $1.50, wells are $3, and wings are 50 cents, and on Thursdays frozen drinks are half-priced.

Fat Harry’s had a certain wheels-off appeal that I usually appreciate, but it’s nice to see that its descendant is more than just a place for overdressed college kids to get plowed and surly. Buffalo Bros.’ prices, ambience, and employees combine to form a neighborhood bar that welcomes everyone. I don’t know if everyone knows your name there, but I can bet they’ll do their best to learn it the next time you come in. — Steve Steward

Contact Last Call at lastcall@fwweekly.com.

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