Country Dance Venues

Among other things, Texas boasts something no other place can: Country Dancing. I am a California transplant in Texas, and as such, I never listened to country music growing up, let alone danced country. In my home town of San Diego, there is only one country dance venue, and they ONLY line dance. In fact, the more people I meet from other states, even those midwestern cowboy-type regions, I have found that they don't 2-step or partner dance either. Just line dance. Here in Texas, specifically San Antonio, we don't line dance. We do the real thing. And as a Texan now, I am proud that we not only country dance, but we have both country bars as well as family friendly dance halls. The bars in town are great, but I personally think the historic Texas Dance Halls are our pride and joy. In addition to the dance venues within San Antonio proper, I am including the hill country and outlying areas because there are some places worth driving to. Most places are 18+ but all the old Texas Dance Halls are all ages.

11th Street Cowboy Bar, Bandera

Address:

307 11th Street
Bandera, TX 78003

https://11thstreetcowboybar.com/

https://www.facebook.com/11thstreetcowboybar

Live music Wed-Sat (outside huge patio)

151 Saloon

Rating:***

Address:

10169 Westover Hills Blvd

San Antonio, TX 78251
https://www.facebook.com/151saloon/

http://www.livemusicsanantonio.com/

Fri and Sat 9pm Live country and pop music

COVER: $5, 21+

This is a good venue. The medium sized dance floor is concrete. NW side of SA.

Albert Ice House/Dance Hall

Address:

RR 1623

Albert, TX 78671 (Just South of Stonewall)

https://www.facebook.com/alberttexas/

http://www.alberttexas.com/

Live music Wed-Sun, early music usually 6-9pm,

Anhalt Dance Hall

Rating:*****

Address:

2390 Anhalt Road
Spring Branch, TX

http://www.anhalthall.com

COVER: $15 adults, 12 and under free.

Anhalt is a huge dance hall off the beaten trail. It is a ton of fun and lots of people come, meetup groups, singles, couples, families. $15 adults, 12 and under free.

Bracken Ice House

Address:

18415 Bracken Drive

San Antonio, TX 78266

https://www.facebook.com/BrackenTexasIceHouse

Live music outdoor, Music 3-7pm Sundays.

Coupland Dance Hall

Address:

101 Hoxie St

Coupland, TX 78615

(east of Round Rock)

https://www.facebook.com/couplanddancehall

https://www.couplanddancehall.com/

Every Fri/Sat 8:30/9pm $10-20

Cowboys Dance Hall

Rating: ****

Address:

3030 NE Loop 410 @ I-35, 78218

http://www.cowboysdancehall.com/san-antonio/

https://www.facebook.com/CowboysDancehallSanAntonio/

Open Wed, Fri, Sat,

Dan teaches lessons Wed 7p-8:30 Fri 7-8:30p

COVER: $

Cowboys is the most well-known and biggest dance venue in San Antonio. It's huge. The floor itself is not very well taken care of and they allow drinks on the floor so there are spills. They have a house band. See schedule because Saturdays and random Fridays, they host concerts and they don't have lessons on those nights. The crowd has a good mix of young to middle-age people until about 10:30 or 11pm when the 18-mid 20's spill in and the older ones retire. People are friendly and strangers will dance with strangers, so no need to bring a partner. NE side of SA.

Floores Country Store

Rating ****

Address:

14492 Old Bandera Rd, Helotes, TX 78023

http://www.liveatfloores.com/

Open for dancing 1st and 3rd Sundays Family Dance 4-8pm

COVER: none

It is actually one of the Old Texas Dance Halls, opened in 1942 with a concrete dance floor and café. With all the tables, the dance floor is pretty small, and you have to maneuver around a couple of poles, and people that don’t understand the flow of traffic. But I love that it is family friendly. My kids don’t dance, but they love to go out back and run around. They host concerts on Fridays and Saturdays…but Sunday evenings are family night with a live band. From 6-10pm, bring your family for food and dancing, all ages welcome. Best if you bring your own dance partner(s). Be aware they don't play DJed music between sets. NW side of SA.

Gruene Hall

Rating: *****
Address:

1281 Gruene Rd
New Braunfels, Texas, TX 78130

https://www.facebook.com/gruenehalltx/

http://gruenehall.com/

Live band throughout the week. Check schedule.

COVER: 0-$ Varies. Often free events.

One of the old dance halls, this is a place you need to see. Lots of fun and friendly atmostphere. But beware, there's no air conditioning so it gets really hot in the summer. Tuesdays in the summer, they host swing dance lessons prior to Two Tons rockabilly band, free dance (lessons cost $8). Usually all ages, check schedule. Far NE side, north of SA.

Hangin' Tree Saloon

Address:

18424 2nd Street

Bracken, Texas 78266

Just outside San Antonio: located 2 miles north of Rolling Oaks Mall off FM 2252

http://www.hangintree.com/

Friday and Saturday: Love music and dancing 8pm-midnight

NW side of SA

COVER: None

The Lonesome Rose

Address:

2114 N. St. Mary's St.

San Antonio, TX 78212

https://www.thelonesomerose.com

Live music 9pm Fri and Sat

Lone Star Bar and Grill

Address:

4174 Hwy 290

Fredericksburg, TX 78624

https://www.facebook.com/lonestarbarandgrill1/

live music 6-9 Wed and Sun, 6-10 Fri and Sat

Luckenbach Dance Hall

Address:

412 Luckenbach Town Loop

Fredericksburg, TX 78624

https://www.facebook.com/LuckenbachTexas

https://www.luckenbachtexas.com/

Live Music 4th Saturdays $10-20

Max’s Roadhouse

Address:

5375 US Highway 281 N

Spring Branch, TX 78070

https://www.facebook.com/maxsroadhouseTX

Live music Fri-Sat 9pm

Mavericks in Buda

Address:

257 Old San Antonio Rd

Buda, TX 78610

https://buda.mavericksdancehall.com/

Dance lessons on Thurs, Fri, and Sat 7:30pm

Martinez Dance Hall

Rating: *****
Address:

7791 FM 1346
San Antonio, TX 78220

https://www.facebook.com/MartinezDancehall/

http://martinezsocialclubdancehall.webs.com/dance-schedule

Sun 3:00 - 6:30pm

COVER: $10-$15 for 13+, all ages welcome

This old Texas dance hall is large and beautiful and the floor is kept in pristine shape. Like most of the dance halls, they host bands that play traditional country music good for 2-step. They also play a lot of waltzes here. The crowd is senior citizens, but don't let that stop you if you love to dance. The place gets pretty busy, especially on a Sunday afternoon! East San Antonio

Mercer Street Dance Hall

Address:

23490 Ranch Road 12

Driftwood, TX 78619

https://www.facebook.com/MercerDanceHall

https://www.mercerdancehall.com/

Friday 8-11pm

Saturdays 8-11:30pm

Sundays 3-6pm

They have redone the paneling and put in a wood-ish floor. Strong AC but still feels like a classic country dance hall.

Pardners, Kingsland/Highland Lakes (Buchanan Dam)

Rating *****

Address:

15615 E. Hwy 29
Buchanan Dam, Texas, TX 78609

https://www.facebook.com/pardnersnc/

https://pardnersnightclub.com/

Open: Wed-Sat

Cover: $15

If you are visiting Inks Lake, Longhorn Caverns, or happen to be in the Highland Lakes Area, stop by this bar. It has a nice new medium sized dance floor, smooth and well-kept. It feels like a real country honky tonk.

Quihi Dance Hall

Rating: *****
Address:

Co Rd 4517

Quihi, TX 78861

http://www.quihidancehall.com/

Open: 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month, live bands, 9pm-1am.

COVER: $10 cash, all ages

This beautiful old Texas dance hall is out in Hondo but worth the drive from San Antonio. It is large and air conditioned and very well-attended. They host traditional country bands good for 2-step, swing, and waltz. It can get pretty crowded, but it has an amazing wholesome atmosphere, made up of families and friends for a good time. Far west from SA.

Stetson Bar

Rating ****

Address:

7350 Tezel Rd
San Antonio, TX 78250

(next door to Billy Bob's Beds)

https://www.facebook.com/thestetsonbarsa/

http://www.thestetsonbar.com/events

Bands on Wed, Fri and Sat Cover. 21+

No Cover

It is a neighborhood bar with a small dance floor. But be aware that they only have music on Friday and Saturday night. The new owners recently upgraded a few things about the place, including a new juke box that you can now hear from the dance floor. The people who frequent the place on Fri and Sat are local regulars. They crowd is older and the dancers are self-taught couples that do not know about dance floor etiquette and flow of dance traffic. Stetsons is not really the place to ask strangers to dance, but it has a nice cozy, welcoming atmosphere. For the people on the far west side of town, it’s a nice place to go as a couple or a group. Like Thirsty Horse and some other places, most strangers will think you are weird if you ask them to dance. This happens to be one of my favorite little hole-in-the-wall gems for its music, character, and location. NW side of SA.

Stetson Helotes

Rating: **

Address:

1181 Bandera Rd

Helotes, TX

https://www.facebook.com/stetsondancehall/

(where the old Cooter Browns used to be). They have live bands Th/Fri/Sat. Big polished concrete floor for dancing.

Tejas Rodeo

Address:

401 Obst Road
Bulverde, Texas 78163
(830) 980-2226

http://tejasrodeo.com/hours-admission/

Saturdays 9pm Live Music for dancing

COVER: $12 adults, $6 kids 6-12, 5 and under free

Texas Pride BBQ

Address:

2980 East Loop 1604 South

Adkins, TX 78101

https://www.facebook.com/TexasPrideBBQ

https://www.texaspridebbq.net/

Free Live Music outdoor concrete covered pavilion Fri and Sat

Thirsty Horse

Rating: ****

Address:

2335 NW Military Hwy., 78231

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=thirsty%20horse%20saloon

http://www.thirstyhorse.net/

Open Wed-Sun 8pm-2am, DJ music

Sun line dance lessons by Shellie 7pm

Wed lessons by Chris & Sarah (Red Dirt) 7pm

Thurs lessons by Shellie 7pm

Fri & Sat lessons by Ray & Tina Santee 7pm

COVER: $5, unless otherwise specified, 21+

Centrally located, Thirsty Horse has a pretty large floor, nicely maintained. They have live bands that usually start around 9:30 or 10. The crowd ranges from 18 to 60. Central side of SA.

Twin Sisters Dance Hall

Rating: *****
Address:

6720 Hwy 281 South
Blanco, Texas 78606

https://www.facebook.com/TwinSistersDanceHall/

http://www.twinsistersdancehall.com/

Open: 1st Saturdays of the month, and special occasions, 8pm

COVER: $15 cash/card), 11 and under $5

This old Texas dance hall is out in Blanco but worth the drive from San Antonio. It is large and air conditioned. They host traditional country bands good for 2-step, swing, and waltz. It has a nice wholesome atmosphere, made up of families and friends for a good time. It's just once a month, so mark your calendars. North from SA.

Watering Hole

Rating ***

Address:

1390 McQueeney Rd
New Braunfels, Texas, TX 78130

https://www.facebook.com/theholenb/

http://www.wateringholesaloon.com/

Open: Live music for dancing Thurs, Fri and Sat nights

Cover: None

They have a medium size concrete floor, nice for dancing. Live bands, bring your own partner. Sew Braunfels is North East of SA

Watterson Dance Hall

Rating: **

Address: