Electric Cowboy

Very few things have changed it seems since the review posted by Sierra S in 2007.  The Electric Cowboy is still one of the few places in Tyler to go out.  The lines in the bathrooms are not long.  And the DJ still plays plenty of line dance songs, but that's okay...it lets the girls who are there with duds (not dudes) that don't dance have a little fun.  The big change is smoking.  Cowboys, cowgirls and wanna-be's can no longer smoke inside.  There is a now a designated outdoor smoking area.

My dude (definitely not a dud) and I enjoy dancing and we found plenty of good two-stepping music and waltzes to keep us busy.  And, when we wanted to sit one out, there were plenty of other couples on the dance floor to watch...some great dancers, some not so much...but all having a good time it seemed.  The younger music sets the DJ plays brings out the "girls gone wild" dancers, but that seems to be pretty typical these days.

Overall, the crowd was fairly young, but not teeny-boppers, and even the young-at-heart country western dancer wouldn't feel out of place here.  

A couple of things to note:  Fat Catz restaurant is right next door.  You can have dinner before drinking (if you plan to drink) and the Ramada Inn is next door to Fat Catz and Hampton Inn on the far side of the parking lot.  No reason for anyone to drink and drive.

Now, having lived and experienced the night life of San Francisco for 4+ years, moving to Tyler, Tx for a summer was a bit of a culture shock to say the least. It is definitely not the location of up and coming ultra hip/swank night clubs, and the venues there definitely have a unique vibe. Electric Cowboy is, in fact, one of the few places to go out on the weekends (the others being the Pub and Clicks).

Everytime I've gone to Electric Cowboy, I've had a blast. This is mostly because I've always been with a large group of friends, consumed a large amount of alcohol, and enjoy seeing large (10 gallon) cowboy hats moving in time to music. I was also rasied on country music (thanks Dad), so I'm always slightly nostalgic when I walk through the doors).

For every 10 country songs the DJ will play, he'll throw in about 3-5 hip hop/dance songs, and you can always count on some standards such as "Pussy Control", a personal favorite. A fun dance floor that's elevated, a bathroom where the line usually isn't very long, and cocktail waitresses add to the greatness.

Why only three stars? Country music, let's all admit, has a limited audience. Smoking in bars and restaurants is still legal in Texas, so there's that whole pesky second hand smoke/lingering smell issue to deal with. You also occaisionally have to contend with those pesky stalker women who insist their "genuine" cowboy friend wants to dance with you, and hands you his beer, telling you to hold it for him until he gets finished dancing with his current lady at which point he'll come find you (it's true, happened last time I went).

But still, there's no better place to two step up a storm, and they play five million electric slide songs a night (cha cha slide, holla!). Word of advice if it's not a long neck or a shot, you're gonna stick out like a sore thumb.