The Swamp

The first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions The Swamp during football season is that dreaded orange stadium that no one ever wants to play in because it's so hard to leave a winner. Every time I heard Nic mention going to The Swamp to get something to drink and munch on while we watched my Tigers play Arkansas, I thought she meant that we were going to be going inside the stadium and because they love Auburn so much, they would be playing the game on the jumbotron. Little did I know there were two "Swamps".

The second Swamp isn't very much like the first. There aren't any lines on the ground or even grass for said lines. There are no orange walls intended to blind guests and invoke fear in the hearts of visiting teams. There weren't even any football players but I think I may have spotted a cheerleader or two. I guess there could be a third swamp with cypress trees but I didn't see any of those either so there's nothing to compare it to there.

This place is apparently a restaurant/bar about a block away from the stadium, across the street from campus. Nicole later explained to me that it was once a professor's house but for years has been the typical "greek bar" you find at most SEC schools...obviously getting it's name from the proximity to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

As we walked in, I saw people wearing Auburn shirts and I thought that this was probably my kind of place (later learning that The Swamp's logo is a Gator-ized Tiger Eyes logo). The place was filled with people wearing orange and blue with the exception of the contingent of Miss State fans gathered around the bar trying to be as loud as cowbells without actually having said cowbells.

I pushed on with Nic in tow and we made it to the bar to grab something that would make the Bulldogs a little more bearable for both of us (they were cheering for Arkansas and not for my Tigers). I ordered a Swamp Head "Wild Night" and Nic opted for one of the signature game day drinks, "Swamp Juice". We eased over and took our place next to a table with a mixed couple (she was a Miss State Fan and he was Gator) seated at it and gave them the eye until they left and we could take their place in front of the TV.

We stuck it out as long as we could before heading to the real Swamp to grab our seats for the game but as we got up the manager noticed how fixated I was on the Auburn game. He could apparently tell I was an Auburn man despite the orange 'F' on my blue hat (how did she get me to wear that hat anyway?). He sat down with us and we shared with him what "War Eagle" means and all about the Auburn traditions.

Three things I took away from The Swamp Restaurant:

1) There's a local brew most places (outside of Alabama) and I want to try more of the Swamp Head beers. The Wild Night was a great beer with a good balance of sweetness and hops. I can imagine the others are just as good.

2) Most college towns have this place. You know the one... It's close to everything, you can grab a quick draft, the game is on more than one TV and the people there feel like family. I think that The Swamp could rank near the top of that list.

3) There are good people that love what they do and those people can rub off on you making your day instantly better. The manager really stood out -- he really cared about the patrons. He went out of his way to talk to everyone in the restaurant and was genuinely interested in listening to some other schools traditions. I'm not sure he realized what he was doing and that's why he did it so well.

So often our good experiences come from that one person we encounter that brightens things up just by loving what they do. The manager obviously rubbed off on his staff because the people are what made me want to go back to The Swamp the most (except for those Mississippi State fans).

Beer Score: 6(out of 10) - There was only one craft on tap...
Atmosphere: 8(out of 10)
Food: 6(out of 10)
Local Commitment: 7(out of 10)
1642 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32603

-Todd