Lubbock or Leave It: Having a Good Time in the Hub City

Hi all! I’m Tessie’s older sister, Lilly. I’m a Texas Tech graduate and Lubbock enthusiast, so this week of football in our family is like religion and politics - best if left out of family discussions. Our mom changes the UT flag on her front porch to a UT/Tech house divided one (that’s right – my colors get one weekend a year), and we all try to watch the game and play nice. One of my favorite memories of the Tech/UT game was when Tessie visited me Halloween weekend from Austin and we sistered it up around Lubbock. If you’re headed out west this weekend, I’m arming you with some of my favorite Hub City hot spots.

Consider this your guide to Lubbock outside of the Jones stadium designated tailgate area!

First of all, when you are driving in to Lubbock make sure to admire the world’s largest windpower farm in Sweetwater, Texas. The big windmills against the plateaus and big sky are one of my favorite things and I think they make the drive so peaceful! All you Austinites who love outside and keeping it weird should agree. While we talk about the drive, do not go one mile over the speed limit in Scurry. I’m so serious! They’re worse than that guy arresting celebrities by the border. It’s a trap.

When you exit 19^th Street to go into town, you’ll see the Buddy Holly Museum. Stretch your legs and make sure to get a picture in front of the fun statue of his glasses. If you go inside you will see the pair that was found at the plane crash scene where he died. R.I.P. Buddy Holly, the original hipster heartthrob.

Nightlife

My advice is when in Lubbock, do as the cowboys do. There will likely be some big parties, but my favorite spots for Friday night in Lubbock have a country feel. The Blue Light is in the Depot District and always features great country songwriter sets on Friday night. One of my favorite college memories is a Randy Rogers set here where he played acoustic three feet in front of my chair while sporting a Dr. Dre t-shirt.

Food

Everyone knows the cure for too much booze or football is something fried. At Spanky’s in Lubbock, they fry everything from huge chunks of cheese to zucchini. It’s on University right across from Jones stadium so make sure to stop by for dinner after the game! If you’re not including breakfast at your tailgate or need to fuel up more than your car on the way out of town, check out the Pancake House on Ave Q. The sweet potato pancakes are amazing and are even a little burnt orange looking.

Booze

The biggest change in Lubbock since I went to school is that you can buy alcohol in town. Beer and whiskey for sale on almost every corner is a revolutionary idea for a drinking town with a football problem. Since trips out to see the bright lights of the strip are off the itinerary, if you have time I highly recommend a venture to Llano Estacado Winery. They’re just a little drive out of the city and open at 10am so you can take a tour and tasting and grab a few bottles for your tailgate!