When Betty’s Battalion shuttered in 2023, it was the tip of an period — each for the namesake proprietor of the 37-year-old Authorities Hill fixture and for a metropolis grappling with the vanishing third place. Two years later, the group behind the Lonesome Rose has breathed new life into the East Facet constructing with a brand new idea, Gradual Experience.
Bucking in opposition to San Antonio’s present vogue for splashy bar openings, Gradual Experience opened with little fanfare on June 29. Although the army memorabilia and powerful lights went out with the earlier proprietor, the brand new bar isn’t a left flip from Betty’s Battalion. The loos could also be clear, however it’s decidedly a dive.
Anchored by a wood-paneled bar on one aspect and pea-soup Naugahyde banquettes on the opposite, Gradual Experience has the air of a ‘70s rec room. Classic kitsch dots the partitions, together with a latch hook rug, a wood Garfield clock, and a watchful owl. A battered Spuds MacKenzie lamp watches over the rumpus, a nod to the previous occupants.
The remainder of the environment follows swimsuit. The lengthy area is crammed with the clack of pool balls and the occasional tune popping out of the jukebox. Save for the occasional disc from The Smiths or Depeche Mode (this can be a San Antonio bar, in any case), the latter is stocked with stars from the “Me” Decade — Bruce Springsteen, David Allan Coe, and The Conflict.
Although a number of top-shelf bottles line the cabinets, Gradual Experience doesn’t make any makes an attempt at a fancified drink program. No cocktail menu is posted, though the bar employees is adept on the fundamentals and might combine up a imply shot. In any other case, the choices embody home and Mexican beers and a trio of wines.
The 1524 E. Grayson bar is at present in its tender opening part, so no official hours have been made public but. On a latest go to, the bar was hopping previous 1 am. Comply with Gradual Experience’s Instagram account for additional particulars.
