It’s the place they’ve hyped up since your humble beginnings at CI. The place no student under 21 dare venture, infamous for it’s happy hour specials. I’m talking, of course, about McFadden’s.
Just a couple blocks from campus on 24th and Penn, if you’re a 21-year-old senior who’s never been to McFadden’s on a Tuesday, think about adding it to your bucket list. At this point, it’s practically tradition on this campus and a must before you graduate.
Speaking as a GDI (God Damn Independent) and self-proclaimed club rat, I have to be honest—I absolutely loved the McFadden’s experience. It sort of felt like an extension of class, just at a bar.
From the door to your bed (or someone else’s), here’s what you need to know about Tuesday at McFadden’s:
–At the door: make sure to give them the name of someone with a happy hour. That way you get in for free and you reap the benefits of the drink specials at the bar. If you’re someone like me who wouldn’t know anyone with a happy hour, make sure you go with someone who does. In my case, some of my roommate’s sorority sisters had a happy hour, so I was set.
–At the bar: order a mixed drink for 2 dollars. You can also order a beer, but lets be honest ladies, if you’re trying to watch your caloric intake while optimizing your buzz, I recommend a whiskey diet coke. Also, hold off on buying any shots. Exactly when you feel like you need one, that LMFAO song “Shots” will go on and free shots will literally fly into your mouth.
-On the dance floor: you’ll find yourself dancing to those awesome guilty pleasure songs you should be ashamed to like: Black eyed peas, Miley Cyrus, that new Avicii song Levels, and then some of your classic throw backs from Biggy and R. Kelly. Don’t be afraid to get low. No one is judging you, nobody cares, at this point everyone’s feeling the buzz and you should be too. Who knows, you might even end up dancing with your crush from freshman year!
–In the bathroom: be prepared to be a little grossed out. I’m sure it’s not that bad at the beginning of the night but after 11pm things really deteriorate in there. If you’re in dire need of mints, gum, cigarettes, or tampons you can purchase them from the lady working inside. You will overpay but in the event of an emergency, it’s comforting to know she’s in there.
–After halftime in the bathroom: you’ll feel more confident and relatively fresh (now that you are no longer drenched in sweat). You will also walk directly into what appears to be the “chill” room. No one’s really dancing in there like in the SHOTS room, but everyone is smiling, drinking, and socializing. This is the beginning of the second half of your night and your opportunity to meet some new people! Make sure you make your way through the beer pong game in the center room, back to the dance floor, and around to the photo booth for some McFadden’s memorabilia.
So when exactly does your night at McFadden’s end? Simple, it ends the moment you’re ready to leave. I must caution you to not over stay your welcome. Sometimes we want to keep the night going in hopes that it will get better, but if you’ve had a good time and you’re no longer feeling it, grab your girlfriend or the cutie you met on the dance floor and ride out.
As my roommate Bia and I stumbled out of McFadden’s around 1pm, we decided to keep the party going at the nightclub Heist (BIG MISTAKE). All in all, McFadden’s was definitely the better portion of the night. There’s absolutely nothing redeeming to say about Heist except that…no actually I have nothing.
After my night at McFadden’s I definitely feel like I need to be more of a Bar Bear than a Club Rat. Cheers to a new year and new experiences—and marking Tuesday at McFadden’s off my Bucket List.
XOXO DC.