Winter Park Saloon

I was so excited about the opening of this little saloon that I actually showed up before the Grand Opening. Being that soft openings are not the visits to base a review off of,  I'll fast forward to the Grand Opening Event ... AWESOME!

The saloon was packed full of people just as excited as I was to check things out; literally standing room only. Luckily the weather was beautiful so the patio seating was a great option for getting away from the crowd. Speaking of the patio, there is a huge grill out back with a friendly "grill master" selling $1 burgers on Friday and Saturday nights ... nothing too fancy, but Mmmmm, what a deal (and so much better than cooking).

Inside, the venue is SO cute. It's decorated with old bangoes, wagon wheels and vintage "country" décor. There is a cute seating area near the DJ stand with a couple of small sofas (referred to as the "VIP sofas") that are a great spot for a front-row seat for the boot scootin' patrons. The dance floor was pretty full once the DJ started his playlist and many of the locals (NOT ME, lol) showed off their line dance skills ... I didn't realize there were soooo many darn line dances & it amazes me that so many people know them too! - Side note: Just found out that they are starting free line dance lessons on Friday nights from 8-9:30!!!  Next time I won't be sitting out the dances, lol - I'm trying the dance class tomorrow night with some friends.

The staff was friendly; everyone from the doorman to the bartenders to the Management! The drinks were good too; there were some "old school" things that you don't often see anymore, like "Coors"; yes Coors, not Coors Light. Being that I am a huge cider fan I am thrilled that they have Angry Orchard on tap; my favorite! They also have Woodchuck in a bottle as well as lots of other bottled specialty drinks ranging from Smirnoffs to Jack & Colas to various malts, PBR in a can (true country) and lots of stuff on tap. They do not have a liquor license currently but did make some tasty cocktails with wine based liquors (or maybe liquor flavored wines - whatever!) - anyway I had a Rum & Coke on my first visit and it was pretty "spot on"!

All in All, I had a great time with a group of friends and we plan to go again. I'm looking forward to the line dance lessons and getting more familiar with those so I don't have to just watch. I saw a post tonight regarding a Wednesday Night thing that is starting up called "Classic Country" ... I love the new country but I'm old enough to remember the old, I mean "classic" stuff too so I may just check that out!

PROS:  Clean, Fun, Friendly Staff, Cider, Outdoor Patio, Smoke-free inside, Dance floor, Darts, Pool, Cozy, straight-up Country, Country Music videos on the TVs

CONS: No liquor (yet), really loud, no food (burgers on the w/e though & 4R is next door or Paco's is just up the street)

** Climb on the saddle and get your pic while you are there!