Now normally I get most people at " well, instead of disco ball, there is a huge disco cowboy boot." Â Not hooked yet? You will be.
This is a staple for almost any Highland Lake goers or Burnet/Marble Falls locals. I find it vey hard to resist the call of the random assortment of country to rap to electric slide back to rap to country-- You get the idea. Not that I go there to dance, mind you. Â I go to watch the amazing moves that I will no doubt try to mimic later in the night. People are friendly, drinks are strong and the music keeps your foot tapping. Could you ask for more? Grab a group and find out for yourself!
Usually a small cover on weekends ( I think $3 for girls)
This place is a gem. A gem of a smokin drinkin two steppin line dancin wooden floored all kindsa country bar. It's called "Pardners" for chrissake and it was as glorious as I thought it would be. The minute I clapped eyes on the warning "No Spurs or Knives", my review started to write itself.
The people watching alone is worth the $3 price of admission. And then there's the fact that you drink out of mason jars. That the bartendresses have worked there for 24 years. That a man was wearing a denim hawaiian shirt with the sleeves cut off. That I saw rocky mountain jeans. That there was an ancient lady with red lipstick and a perfectly coiffed halo of gray hair puffin on what had to be pall malls or mistys. That between country songs they play top 40s and people try desperately to dance to. That they still have a plug in spuds mckenzie that i wanted to steal. And that apparently, they still accept checks. And for all you crazy check writers... "Hot Checks Are NOT Cool" according to the sign.
If you're in the neighborhood, definitely stop by pardners and take in the sights. And then head next door for a cream cheese filled jalapeno wrapped in brisket wrapped in bacon. Thats right. Cheese, two meets and a pepper to even it all out.
I really want to say that this is the first country bar I've ever been to and the location of the place I first learned how to 2-step and just leave it at that, but I can't. I haven't been everywhere in central Texas, but I am so convinced that Pardners is considered one of the most prime people-watching hot spots. And by people, I mean white country boys (or hicks) dancing terribly out of beat to hip hop from the late 90s, women scantily clad in tacky cow girl attire that seem to only garner attention by dancing and/or making out with each other and old people. Nevertheless, people-watching of this sort is nothing but fun for me.
Given the nature of the people-watching, this dance hall/dive bar has no dress code and there's nothing pretentious about this place. As a native Californian accustomed to LA-prices, I found the cover ($4) and bar prices to be extremely cheap. It's also really hard to find at night along Highway 29, so I advise that if you come out, come with someone that knows the area. If your ethnic background does not consist of Caucasian or Hispanic or a mixture of both, you are guaranteed to stand out....which I like. I also hear the place has live music Wednesdays and Fridays. If you're into new experiences and seedy, dive-y places on steroids, Pardners is for you.
Ah, if only it were closer to me.