A billboard featuring two bright green elephants with drinks in hand comes into sight just before one of SMU’s classic nighttime haunts. Students know it by its nickname Homebar, given for the bar’s hometown feel. A line of SMU students flows onto the sidewalk on any given Thursday night at The Green Elephant. Music blares from the AUX DJ booth to keep the students in line entertained. Cheers and sounds from the Treble Hook Band escape from inside, foreshadowing the night ahead. Ubers flash their lights, starting the constant cycle of pick-ups and drop-offs that characterizes Homebar Thursday.

This Thursday night tradition is one that SMU upperclassmen know well. Every Thursday, students over the age of 21 gather to enjoy live music, grab a drink and kick back. It holds over 30 years of SMU history, providing students with some of their fondest memories of their time on the Hilltop. The bar has become more than just an establishment for students. It has become an important milestone for upperclassmen, a reason to finish homework early, but above all else, a gathering spot for students to connect outside of class and campus.

The Green Elephant is also where seniors celebrate their last nights at SMU. Senior Eliza Schumacher, who will graduate in May with a degree in vocal performance, was recently awarded a spot at NYU Steinhardt, a top-tier graduate school known for its competitive admission. She celebrated with her friends at The Green Elephant. Calling it “a standout,” Schumacher complimented the bar for its walkable distance from campus, live music and most of all the hot dog stand that sits outside.

“[My favorite memory is] experiencing a Homebar hotdog for the first time and eating it on my way back to my apartment and feeling so fulfilled afterwards,” Schumacher said.

SMU alumni and founders of The Green Elephant Brady Wood and Bob Cummins found their love for entertainment and event hosting during their time as students on the Hilltop, buying the bar during Wood’s junior year. Wood was honored as the alumnus speaker for the December 2025 commencement ceremony.

When The Rhythm Room closed in 1993, Wood and Cummins bought and opened The Green Elephant at the location that now holds Barley House. After a transfer of ownership and an issue with the landlord, The Green Elephant was forced to move in 2005 to the location students know today. During The Green Elephant’s time in the Barley House spot, its current location was briefly named Homebar before going back to The Green Elephant. The name Homebar originally came from SMU students themselves and continued to stick around despite the official title change.

“We named it Homebar because SMU people called it their home bar. It was their comfort zone,” co-owner and bartender Brad Carney said.

Carney has worked at the bar since Texas-OU weekend in 1990, when he walked in with a fake ID, got kicked out and was offered a job working the beer tub all in the span of a few minutes. After earning $365, 10 phone numbers and free drinks for his friends in his first shift, Carney fell in love with the business. He joined The Green Elephant family and never left.

Many employees who make The Green Elephant unique have stayed since the beginning, watching generations of Mustangs grow up from behind the bar for over 30 years.

“If I sit out there three days a week, I bet you I get 15 to 20 people coming by and taking pictures of The Green Elephant building. Just because it’s part of their history and memories,” Carney said.

From the outside, The Green Elephant already stands out. Workers chat by the bar’s picnic table while the owner’s dog, Lily, sits on the same table top she has sat on every Thursday for the last nine years. The venture inside includes a narrow hallway before opening to a blur of rainbow lights and the sounds of a busy bar.

The walls that surround the bar’s dance floor are lined with vintage art and photographs such as old Dos Equis advertising, Dallas sports memorabilia and even a bench covered in stickers; SMU sorority stickers from throughout the years dominate the wood. Framed articles near the door praise the bar in publications like D Magazine and even Playboy Magazine.

Although it is full of pieces from the past, The Green Elephant works to stay ahead of the trends to cater to student needs. Amenities like live music, the AUX booth and the “Homebar hotdog” are all additions with students in mind. The Green Elephant staff prides themselves on their accommodating attitude and encourages students to bring them new ideas.

“We try to keep up with what y’all want, like when they call and say, ‘Hey, listen, we want to have a sorority party up here, like, with a petting zoo, you know?’ And we were like, ‘Sure, you can have a petting zoo, ‘Hey, we want a mechanical bull,’” Carney said. “I don’t know any other bar that’s gonna do that.”

Several students said it is their favorite SMU bar, providing them with community, new memories and fun. For students like SMU senior Tess Stanford, The Green Elephant has become a weekly ritual.

“Homebar is my favorite [bar] because of the social environment,” Stanford said. “You end up having conversations with people you never would have in a different setting and I love meeting new people.”

With a walkable distance from campus, top-notch customer service and a decades-long relationship, Homebar Thursday remains a beloved tradition bringing together students from across campus. The Green Elephant holds the spirit of the student community and will continue to serve drinks, memories and a sense of togetherness to anyone with a valid ID.

“It’s like a big Jimmy Buffett concert in here, you know,” Carney said. “If you look around at 1,000 people at night at 1:00 [a.m.], every single person will have a smile on their face.