Being the first of my friends to turn 21 was a little overwhelming. My first experience at the bars was quite different than a dark frat party. No longer were all my shots free and getting free drives back to my place a thing. For me figuring out which bars were my favorite was quite difficult, I slowly learned the specials, atmosphere, and what other patrons of the bar were like. So after of semester of research, I have ranked all the bars at Purdue (with slight help from my friends):
6. Where Else?
The first time I went to Where Else was on my birthday during the summer. Since it was before school started a lot of the bars were pretty dead but Where Else was empty. You’d think we would have had great service being the only customers in there, but you would be wrong. The bartender and shot girl were both extremely rude and so my entourage and I all took a shot then left. Since then I have gone back multiple times but it has not redeemed itself. During my bar crawls I always skip this bar because I would honestly rather be someWhere Else.
5. Jake’s
I do not have anything against Jake’s, it just has not wowed me. A lot of my friends like going there because they can get cheap beer or like playing the trivia games. Someday I will play the trivia games but I am more into socializing while drinking, which Jake’s gives off the vibe to sit down in a booth. The service here is completely opposite of Where Else, the bartenders are fast and the doormen are super friendly. The only thing I really dislike about this bar is the bathroom, always so gross but I can look past that.
4. Neon Cactus
People always judge me when I do not name the Neon Cactus as my favorite bar, I just feel like it is more hyped up than it deserves. First off that dumb cover charge, I would much rather use that five dollars to buy Famous Franks at the end of the night. My favorite part of the cactus is Bruce the Piano Man, but once you a seat in there you have to stay there, which is an issue if you have to use the restroom. While on the topic of restrooms, the Cactus should have another restroom because I hate waiting ten minutes in line to pee. Also this bar attracts a lot of people who do not attend Purdue and who are at least double my age….creepy.
3. 308 on State
Originally this would have been way lower but after their add on I really started to like this bar. 308 now has four bars, the basement, two on main floor, and top floor. The basement is more of a club vibe, dark with lots of lights and not a lot of seating, this part of the bar is fun but can be sketchy. The main floor bars are more of your traditional campus bars, the old bar you can play Mario Cart at which is pretty fun and they also give away free stuff like candy or alcohol merchandise. The upstairs bar is different, when I went up there a band was playing life and they were serving a lot of wine. I feel like this bar will continue to get better and better.
2. Brothers
Wing Wednesday every Wednesday! I love this bar and all their drinks. The atmosphere is by far one of my favorites and the doormen are some of the most friendly people ever. There are not any frills or extras at Brothers, it feels like the type of college bars you see on tv. Its a great place to chill with old friends and meet new people. This is the type of bar you could start or end your night and I often find myself just going here.
1. Harry’s
I am a sucker for traditions, I love the story behind Harry’s and how it was a speakeasy. It also reminds me of when my parents moved me in freshman year and my dad wanted to go in to buy some chocolate turtles, not knowing it was a bar. This is always the lat stop of my bar crawls and always so rewarding with the super buttery popcorn. The drinks may be pricey but you are in a historic piece of Purdue History.