The phrase “Chicken Shit Bingo” is legally required to appear in the first sentence of any discussion of Austin’s Little Longhorn Saloon, a city institution that has been conducting its signature Sunday late afternoon event for decades. But Little Longhorn Saloon has been a classic Austin dive bar well before the inauguration of chicken-based gambling, opening in 1963 in a building that some sources suggest dates back to the early 1900s.

After serving as farmhouse, gas station and restaurant, what is today Little Longhorn Saloon was first converted into a bar during the 1940s. Original owner Dick Setliff christened the space Little Longhorn Saloon in 1963 before passing away in 1982 and leaving the bar to then-bartender Ginny Kalmback in his will. Ginny and husband Don, in partnership with country musician Dale Waston, served as the leadership group for the bar during the period when Chicken Shit Bingo was first conceived.

Multiple variations of the story exist, one claiming that Don Kalmback originated the idea and asked Dale Watson to play music for the first such event. Another version credits the idea to Watson, who was familiar with cow shit bingo from his time in California and elsewhere. No matter the true origin, some combination of Dale Watson and the Kalmbacks introduced what would become a weekly 4 PM parking lot staple, supported by countless performances by Watson. So associated with the event is Watson that he continues to tour throughout Texas with a combination chicken bingo and live music show.

When Ginny Kalmback retired from the bar in 2013, she passed ownership to Terry & David Genoa, who have since expanded chicken bingo to include multiple prize tiers. The premise is simple. Purchase a numbered ticket chosen at random and if the chicken in question happens to do a bit of business atop a square with your number, you win. Depending on the price of your ticket ($2, $5 or $10), the associated cash prize adjusts accordingly. While the game sounds ridiculous, and it is, it’s a unique, community-building event that draws large crowds.

The most visually striking element of Little Longhorn Saloon is no doubt its church-like steeple, a rare bit of classic Austin flair on a road that has seen fresh condos and chain restaurants sweep through. Every surface inside Little Longhorn Saloon is covered in some kind of decoration, adding to the slightly claustrophobic nature of the structure. Beer signs, framed photos, retired license plates and posters hang from nearly every surface, including the ceiling. Be sure to seek out the sign behind the bar that dates to Ginny Kalmback’s tenure that reads, “Ginny Says. No Fussin. No Cussin. No Hasselin. No Wresslin.”

Little Longhorn Saloon bills itself as “the honkiest tonkiest beer joint in town” and manages a live music schedule that runs six nights a week (the bar is closed on Monday) with anywhere from two to three bands each evening crammed onto a tiny stage in the corner of the space. The ancient Little Longhorn Saloon structure is small, meaning live music nights call for cramped quarters and an even more cramped makeshift dance floor. During any of Little Longhorn Saloon’s events, parking can be a challenge, the surrounding neighborhood a good alternative to the limited spaces in the parking area that circles the building.