Adair's Saloon or just simply Adair's, as it is known around Texas, has had a loyal following since its beginning. The beer joint was opened by S.L. and Ann Adair in February 1963 on Cedar Springs....
Adair's Saloon or just simply Adair's, as it is known around Texas, has had a loyal following since its beginning. The beer joint was opened by S.L. and Ann Adair in February 1963 on Cedar Springs. Their clientele consisted mostly of college students from nearby schools, among them SMU, TCU, NTSU and others. The now famous burgers got started because Ann would make the 1/2 lb. cheeseburgers to satisfy S.L.'s large appetite. The kids decided the burgers looked good and began to request them. Another Adair's trademark, the graffiti on the walls, began as kids would leave their "mark".
Lois and R.L. Adair worked for Ann and S.L. from January 1, 1967 until December 31, 1969. In 1977 they bought the business when Ann and S.L. retired. When S.L. decided to sell the building in August of 1982, Lois and R.L. had a farewell party at the Cedar Springs location and reopened Adair's on Commerce Street in January of 1983. At the grand opening party, Lois handed out black markers and the old traditions began anew. Not much has changed since the early days. The attitude around Adair's has always been, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
When R.L. passed away in 1987, Lois was alone in managing the business. She adopted a more progressive attitude and made some changes which enhanced the Adair's tradition. The classics were still in place on the jukebox, along with some carefully selected additions.
In 2006, Lois decided that she would no longer run the bar and sold Adair's to a couple of carefully selected "regulars" that she knew would carry on the traditions. Marty Monroe and Joel Morales now own and manage the bar serving ½ lb hamburgers and encouraging writing on the wall.
Adair's has become home to live music and can boast that musicians such as Jack Ingram, Deryl Dodd and members of The Dixie Chicks have graced the stage. Hit song writer Tony Lane was once an Adair's regular performer. A few artists have come to record LIVE CDs and a couple of groups have had their cover photography done at Adair's. Adair's has been shown in print ads in several magazines and has been the setting for everything from beer commercials to a Don Henley music video. While there have been imitators, not one of them has been able to duplicate the success of the original. Maybe there's something to R.L.'s saying, "Dance with the one who brung ya or no damn dancin'."
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