Lalo's Sportsman's Club

On a brisk, 49-degree June morning in Duluth, MN, you can stand on the shores of Lake Superior and gaze upon the churning, twisting waters borne of ancient glaciers, the same way James Gantz did as he began his transformation into the Great Gatsby. And you can then get into your car, drive 1,500 miles due south down I-35, and arrive in the border town of Laredo on a scorching, 98-degree day. It doesn't even seem possible that a person could do such a thing, but alas, it is.

Laredo can feel like a different world. The air gets notably warmer as you drive toward it and it looks more like Mexico than Texas. With 250,000 residents, it's the third-largest city on the US-Mexico border and the people are 95% Hispanic, making it one of the least ethnically diverse cities in the US. As you walk the streets on a Saturday night, the air fills with the sounds of Tejano music and the smells of bistec as families grill in their yards, coolers full of cold beer.

But if you've already made the long trek to Laredo, I advise you to keep going just a bit longer until you arrive at Lalo's Sportsman's Club, the finest establishment in town.

Also known as El Pozo, Lalo's has been operating since 1944 and is named after former owner Eduardo “Lalo” Cavazos, who passed in 2020. Lalo also founded the Laredo-based Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame. Baseball legends like Orlando Cepeda and Minnie Miñoso have swung by this storied establishment.

Inside, sports memorabilia covers the walls and the sounds of impassioned singing and low-stakes pool games add to the upbeat atmosphere. The concrete floor helps keep the place cool, especially for those perspiring under their large cowboy hats. Duct tape is used to patch holes in bar stools and keep electrical wiring attached to the walls, signifying that this is a function-over-form kinda establishment. Longnecks clink and boots shuffle as the bartender fetches more ice and women rope men into one more dance.

But most importantly, everyone here is sporting a big, wide grin, as if having a good time is a requirement. It just may be. I think the Great Gatsby would've liked the place.