1998

First date to forever

My favorite (out of many): In the summer of 1998, I met a woman in Austin, who lived in Houston, who agreed to come up to College Station to meet me for an official first date. We went to the movies (Armageddon), to Shadow Canyon (Shiner Park today), and then to our last stop at my favorite bar, The Chicken.

We sat down, grabbed a pitcher of Shiner, and started getting to know each other. I carved my fraternity/her sorority letters into the table. While chatting, listening to the playlist that probably hadn’t changed since 1985, and constantly introducing her to people I knew, we fell for each other. Maybe it was the music, the hardwood floor, or the unique ambience, but we’ve now had 24 years together, a wedding, and 3 kids. None of that would’ve happened without that date at The Dixie Chicken.

I still remember it every time I hear Rose Colored Glasses on the radio.

– Ryan Taylor

2017

Carved our names in the wood

When my girlfriend and I first started talking, I was telling her all about Northgate and The Chicken and how famous it is. When I told her about the tradition of carving your name in the wood she didn’t believe me. So I invited her to a baseball game back in 2015 (the Regional game against Wake Forrest that ended 22-1 A&M). Well after the game I asked her if she wanted to go anywhere and she told me to choose somewhere. So I decided to take her to The Chicken to show her how awesome the place was. She loved it and was really surprised that people actually carved their names into the wood and how old some of them where. And since that day we go to The Chicken as much as possible always talking about carving our names in the wood and never doing it. Fast forward to our 1 year Anniversary on October 31, 2017 and we are in College Station to celebrate where it all started. We went to The Chicken and I decided to finally carve our names in the wood. It may not have looked really good but it didn’t matter, she loved that we finally carved our names and that it’ll be there every time we come back. And that we will try to sit next to it every time. Thanks for having so many awesome memories at y’all’s establishment and I hope to make many more.

– Josh Williamson

2012

Late to class…

The first story that comes to my mind as one of my favorites is the first day of my senior year at TAMU. I had a class before that ended around 1PM. My next class wasn’t until 4PM, so like any 21 year old college student on their first day of class, you might as well go to Northgate for a beer or two and let the time pass. My friend and I chose the Chicken to have some burgers and Shiner Bock. We got there, reminisced our time in College Station and how we were amazed the time has already flown by. After a few beers, it was time to head to our 4PM class. We ended up getting to class late, which sucked because we had to sit in the front row. As class went by, we realized this was going to be the most difficult class that semester and there wasn’t going to be much time to drink between classes like we had that day. At the end of the class, our professor made the day a little bit better. Thanks to having a few beers at the Chicken, being late to class, and having to sit in the front row, we ended up getting 100 bonus points for sitting in the front row. I ended up getting an A in that class that semester and I’d like to thank the Chicken for being part of that reason.

The Dixie Chicken will always have a place in my heart and is always going to be one of my favorite places to go to whenever I’m in College Station. Thanks for the “nights I can’t remember with the friends I’ll never forget”.

Gig ‘Em

Marissa Tamble, Fightin’ Texas Aggie class of 2013

2016

It’s where I met my fiance

I am a recent Aggie grad and The Chicken is one of my favorite memories. Mainly because that’s where I met my fiancé. We met in June of 2016 and we are getting married in April 2018. We’ve had great times there ever since and always talk about going back to visit for some cold beer and cheese fries. Unfortunately, he’s not an Aggie but, thanks to me and his time visiting me in college, he has great things to say about Aggieland, especially The Dixie Chicken. The night we met is my all time favorite memory of college and I owe it you guys for making The Chicken such a fun atmosphere.

Claire Williams, ’17 and Kyle Dalton

2015

Intro to the Dixie Chicken

Most memories I can’t remember or repeat, however, my wife (’01) and I (’98) had the privilege of taking our daughter (’31) to the chicken, and the next day, after asking if TAMU had a 1st grade, my daughter said she wanted to go back to the Chicken and play some bones

– Ryan ’98

1976

Met my husband over 40 years ago!

It was JULY 5, 1976, when I met my husband at the DIXIE CHICKEN:

After losing my first husband in a car crash, I was at the Dixie Chicken wearing a pink tank top that read “I’m Single” and blue jean shorts. I had one beer: Schlitz in a bottle. (I don’t, and didn’t drink much.)

Then… there he was wearing a V-neck white t-shirt, Wrangler blue jeans, boots, and had blonde hair: “Are you alone, or are you waiting for someone?”

I hesitated only a second, “I’m alone.”

He invited me to his table, where he was playing pool.

We’re now married, our three children are grown, and we have seven grandchildren. It all started at a random meeting – at the Dixie Chicken.

Thank you, folks – for the love of my life.

– Sheri Bockelman

1975

When we reached 35 cents each…

My last semester at A&M I lived in Leggett Hall. Many Friday and Saturday nights would find my roommate and I diving in the fish pond looking for coins, anything at the value of a nickel or more. When we reached 35 cents each, we would change into dry clothes and head to the Chicken for a Lone Star. When we finished that, it was back to the fish pond.

Old Army ’75

Bill Leidner

1989

Trying not to spill a pitcher of beer…

Friday, February 3, 1989, my husband, Dennis looked up from playing a game of pool to see me (a 5’2 blonde, blue eyed girl) walking through the crowd carrying and trying not to spill a pitcher of beer. My girlfriend and I had gone out to dinner and then headed over to the Chicken that evening. She knew one of the guys playing pool with Dennis, and we hung out with them and drank way too much! We were married almost 15 months later (April 28, 1990) and are inseparable! We have the pleasure of coming back to visit the Chicken through the years (especially when our son was going to school class of ’14) and enjoy how welcoming young Ags are when we older Ags come in!

Gig ’em and God Bless,

Dennis ’88, ’92 and Peggy Hill

1976

Painting Uncovered

Upgraded the keg cooler and in the process of switching them out, we found this gem. On the wall behind where the cooler was there’s a painting on the wall from the bar that was there before it was the Chicken. Back in the days of 65 cent Lone Stars…

2003

My first paid gig

The Dixie Chicken is where I had my first paid gig. It took 6 months of playing there for free and then I got a raise, 4 hours of music for $100. I have so many great memories of The Chicken and it will always have a place in my big maroon heart.

– Rich O’Toole, Texas Country artist

1997

A little white lie and a ring dunk

As I did not get the opportunity to celebrate the day, I made the executive decision to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the day. An honest school teacher, I lied to my then department chair (he went to that other school in Austin and I knew he would not understand) that my sister (’94) was sick and I would be missing two days of school during the last week of the six weeks because I needed to go see her, I drove 8 hours through rain and hail to meet her, I dunked my ring in style, I drove 8 hours home the next day, and taught my classes the following day with a smile. To this day, when my head hits the pillow, I do not have any trouble falling asleep! WHOOP!

My sister Betsy ‘94 (left) and me celebrating the above mentioned 10th anniversary of my ring day.

-SG Cranford ’88