Special to El Rrun-Rrun
The renter of a piece of history that went up in flames October 28, 2018 vows it ill reopen in downtown Brownsville...soon.
The Brownsville Fire Dept. responded to a call of a fire that morning that gutted the popular blue-collar bar named The Barrel House (El Barril).
Bar manager George Gavito – a former Cameron County Sheriff and D.A. investigator – said then that he suspected that the fire had been the work of an arsonist, a theory that was confirmed by the BPD fire marshal's investigation.
"Some people have told us that a guy had been kicked out of the bar for rowdy behavior and that he vowed to get even," he said. "We have a pretty good idea who it was."
Gavito and firefighters say that the arsonist(s) had worked loose aboard covering a window on the alley and had thrown and accelerant and ignited the fire through there.
Photos posted on his Facebook site show the extensive damage done to the establishment by the flames.
The building at one time housed the original Feldman's Liquor Store and some people remember driving through the alley to a drive-through window. Later, the original Barril nightclub extended past the current bar area in the graphic and to an adjoining area up to the wall separating it and the downtown Oyster Bar.
For those who remember El Barril, it was one of the downtown fixtures for dancing to local conjuntos and musica regional. The babes would get all charoleadas and the guys would put on their Sunday best to sweep them across the dance floor.
They might be laboring in manual jobs during the week, but come the weekend, the Stetsons and George Strait western shirts would come out of the closet and the couples would make their way to the Barril on 417 E. 11th Street behind the downtown Oyster Bar.
Bar manager George Gavito – a former Cameron County Sheriff and D.A. investigator – said then that he suspected that the fire had been the work of an arsonist, a theory that was confirmed by the BPD fire marshal's investigation.
"Some people have told us that a guy had been kicked out of the bar for rowdy behavior and that he vowed to get even," he said. "We have a pretty good idea who it was."
Gavito and firefighters say that the arsonist(s) had worked loose aboard covering a window on the alley and had thrown and accelerant and ignited the fire through there.
Photos posted on his Facebook site show the extensive damage done to the establishment by the flames.
The building at one time housed the original Feldman's Liquor Store and some people remember driving through the alley to a drive-through window. Later, the original Barril nightclub extended past the current bar area in the graphic and to an adjoining area up to the wall separating it and the downtown Oyster Bar.
For those who remember El Barril, it was one of the downtown fixtures for dancing to local conjuntos and musica regional. The babes would get all charoleadas and the guys would put on their Sunday best to sweep them across the dance floor.
They might be laboring in manual jobs during the week, but come the weekend, the Stetsons and George Strait western shirts would come out of the closet and the couples would make their way to the Barril on 417 E. 11th Street behind the downtown Oyster Bar.
ll that is left for the reopening will be the final settlement between the property owner and the insurance company. The Oyster Bar has since opened for business and Gavito hopes the owner and the insurance company will reach an agreement...soon.
6 comments:
Arson? We all know who did it, huh George? LOL
Dale gas gavito we need another cantina downtown its getting crowded. Get one of those "gimme some lana to open a cantina down town loan non payable" tell em its gonna be an austin style cantina.
Good idea George.... open the bar up. Porque para political consultant nomas no! Pierdes todas...
Like MH said: "Nada Mas"
There's no money in Brownsville but it's great to open a other stupid bar in Brownsville. Brownsville is so stupid but number one in the state. LOL
Was Gavito the bag man in the GBIC land buy?
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