Texas Rose Saloon

You might not have heard, but Texas Rose Saloon is home to a little cover band called Shadow Creek (2008 Best Of country band). They take the tiny triangular stage in the corner every Thursday. The rest of the week, this quaint little place known around these parts as the Rose is the place to catch mullets and ZZ Top beards. Sign me up, right? At the Rose, the country tunes howl out of the speakers, peeling the walls as they scrub your soul bare. And think about it: When you combine the love triangles, the forlorn lovers, the melodic fiddles, and the whiskey references—country is some deep shit.

As for the Rose, the old wood on the bar outlines a square, U-shaped hub where Maker's Mark and Budweiser rule and where Davie's hardest-working folks soak their troubles. It's also the place where they occasionally line up for a dance. The two pool tables are always in use and are often grounds for the loser to buy a round. While here, be sure to indulge in a little Texas Red Ale; it's a tad bitter and it slides down hard, but man, it gets the job done. Cattle skulls stare you down from high on the wall, while decorative miniature steeds run wild. They know their literature: a New Times stand feeds the Rose crowd's hunger for knowledge. Their appetite for gambling is appeased on Tuesdays when the card sharks show up for the Texas Hold 'Em action. Or if you're in the mood for something else, come in on Fridays and Saturdays for live music and dancing.