By BRYNNA WILLIAMSON/Vice Editor in Chief
This story was originally written for our Patriot Pulse magazine. To read more like it, pick up a copy of your own at any orange newsstand on campus.
It’s Friday night. You’ve turned in all your homework, and you want to spend some time with that special person in your life. Try one of these amazing date spots in Tyler!
Javi’s (7212 Old Jacksonville Hwy., Tyler)
This exquisite restaurant located in a newer district of Tyler is known for its amazing Mexican food and drinks. Beautiful, romantic and on the waterfront, it’s hard to beat this iconic double-decker restaurant! You can choose to sit outside by the small lake or, on those East Texas days where the weather is unpredictable, you can book a more temperature-regulated nook inside. Be aware, the experience doesn’t come without its dollar signs here!
New York Pizza and Pasta (1621 S. Broadway Ave., Tyler)
On the lower side of the price scale, New York Pizza and Pasta is a great choice for anyone trying to save away a few bucks. This adorable
Italian restaurant in the heart of Tyler features a huge variety of menu options, from ginormous slices of fair-sized pizza to calamari, chicken wings or salad. It’s quiet, the food is delicious, and when you can get a slice of pizza and six buttery, warm garlic rolls for under six bucks, it’s hard to beat!
Green Acres Bowling (2311 E SE Loop 323, Tyler)
Ok, so you know that awkward moment on a first date where you’ve already run out of all your small talk and now you’re just staring at the table and waiting for the food to come? Green Acres Bowling gets rid of that moment.
Open from 10 a.m. until midnight (see their website for specific hours), Green Acres Bowling is the perfect first date. It’s loud enough to prohibit unnecessary and awkward conversation, but quiet enough to talk if it’s desired. It doesn’t require athletic skill, but you’re moving around enough to keep your mind on something other than nerves!
The Village at Cumberland Park (8926 S. Broadway Ave., Tyler)
It may seem like just a shopping mall during the day, but in the evening, the lighting becomes just right for “The Cumberland Mall” to become a quiet and romantic venue for walking, talking or just chilling out. If you’re wanting to sit and talk, there are benches scattered throughout the area, or a playground in the middle provides a nice change of scenery. Although most stores are closed by 9 p.m., you can always window shop or enjoy the evening by the pergola and beautiful fountain toward the front. The mall also features a dine-in movie theater, multiple restaurants and a frozen yogurt place.
The East Texas State Fair (2112 W. Front St., Tyler)
It’s loud. It’s expensive. It has greasy food. And… it’s perfect. Tyler locals annually look forward to the arrival of the East Texas State Fair, which
in 2023 will be open from Sept. 22 until Oct. 1. Going on a date or even just on a friendly outing to the East Texas State Fair
is like a scene in an iconic movie (do we hear Grease?), with its crowds of friendly people, tons of games, and variety of rides. The fair is a great place to get to know someone – after all, you’re both out of your element! – and in the evening it becomes a very romantic place to win prizes or enjoy the wind on your face under the lights.
