University of Delaware - Nightlife

Deer Park has a relaxed atmosphere, so people go here to hang out and chat with friends. It features two floors, each boasting its own bar. The building itself is a historic landmark in Delaware and is rumored to have housed such reputable guests as Edgar Allen Poe.

Grotto’s is much smaller than the other bars on Main Street and offers a more of a relaxed good time. It is in a small space and the attire is casual. The restaurant is open until 1:00 a.m. and features pool tables and other fun games in the back room. There’s cheap food to go with you drinks.

Iron Hill is a little more upscale and tends to be the choice of older students. The drinks and food are a bit more expensive, but also a lot tastier than its cheaper counter parts. The unique thing about this bar is that they brew their own beers, such as Pig Iron Porter and Raspberry Wheat. While it is classier, it still has its fair share of drunken rowdiness on weekends!

Kate’s is considered one of the coolest places for students to go. Most students dress up in their cutest outfits, girls in their tightest clothes, and prepare for a night of drinking and dancing. This bar has its own dance floor upstairs and features an ‘80s night every Saturday. It is usually very crowded on weekend nights, but is generally a good time. Monday nights feature a weekly Quizzo game where groups of friends form teams and answer trivia questions.

La Tolteca is the place for margaritas. Students flock here for these beverages, offered on ice or frozen, for a night of Mexican partying. This restaurant is often the site for HOLA parties where you can learn Spanish dances and drink as many margaritas as you like. Be careful—they mix them strong!

The Stone Balloon is an extremely popular bar for UD students. It is very crowded and sticky with spilled beer, but students don’t mind. They fight the crowd just to get a beer. Thursday, “Mug Night,” is the most popular night. Buy a Stone Balloon Mug and hold onto it; this cup entitles you to as many $2 Natural Ice beers on Thursdays as you can possibly drink. In a town that has banned drink specials, this is what keeps the students pouring in. Another main feature of the Stone Balloon is its music scene. It generally has a local band playing each weekend, and occasionally hosts such big names as Third Eye Blind.

This bar is the hang out for every unique and out-there person in town. You will see many piercings and crazy haircuts, but you don’t have to be punked-out to go there. The atmosphere is very casual and relaxed and features some of the only good local music in town. Even if being different isn’t your thing, check this bar out at least once.

Timothy’s is one of the few bars not on Main Street that manages to draw a large crowd. It is less crowded than the Main Street bars, but offers all the same tasty drinks. It is an ideal place to go if you prefer to actually sit down and have a conversation with your friends. The food offered is also unique because you can order buffalo meat burgers. It’s a pioneering menu item and one that has actually been judged a tasty meal by students.

This coffee shop is the most popular one for students. It offers a variety of coffee drinks and tasty sandwiches. Brew HaHa provides a nice alternative location for studying when you can stand the silence of the library no longer and really need a caffeine-fix to wake you up. They have a large outside deck where students can read or converse when it is nice out.