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Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse

6823 E. Cave Creek Rd.

Cave Creek, Az 85331

RATING:  4.5 out of 5 stars

INSIDE AND OUT:

This venue is surprisingly very large.  As you enter, the dance floor is to your left and tables/sitting areas are around it and the bar is towards the back. The kitchen is to the right beyond another large area.  Next, out back they have a very large outside seating area for their BBQ and LIVE BULL riding arena (across from the BBQ). This is one happening place when all areas are being used!  Nice western décor. Wild West Days are being celebrated this weekend, Nov.9- 11, 2018.  Lots going on!  See Buffalo Chip website for specifics.

Cover Charge:

Age range:  All Ages

Dress Code:        For ideas on Country Western Dance Apparel and Accessories see Products tab.

Dance Floor:  Medium Size dance floor inside, and outside, very large area that people dance in                    spontaneously

Dance Mix:  80% two-Stepping and couple dancing with 20% line-dancing

Live Music:  LIVE Music every Tuesday-Friday and Sundays at 8pm and Saturdays at 9pm

Dance Music:  95% Danceable Country Western Music played all night.

Dancing:  Dances are not called, and the dance floor gets very crowded after about 8pm, so it’s very                            difficult to dance around the edge of the dance floor two-steppin’.  This means you end                                    up dancing in one spot on a very crowded dance floor.

Dance Lessons:  FREE on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 7pm.  The instructor was very    good and we had fun taking the lesson.            We love Country Western dance!

Food:  We had a salad and sweet potatoes fries that were good!

Beverages:  Iced Tea (with free refills since we bought it with dinner.  Also beer, soda, wine, spirits

Restrooms:  Very clean

Security:  Understated if so, not noticeable

ATMOSPHERE:   Staff was very friendly and kept very busy with all the customers.  Lots of locals and tourists as well.  Met people from other states as well as people that come on a weekly basis.

NEWBIES:  Go early to dance as it gets very crowded later. There are plenty of experienced dancers to follow.  Definitely take the lessons if you really want to learn how to dance.

Specifics:

Lots of jeans, boots and hats worn.  Definitely all western and FUN activities! It is a very positive and upbeat venue.  Just loved the atmosphere and all the activities.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  Try to go there during one of their event days. There are activities for all ages. Their Mutton Bustin’ on Friday Nights reminds me of the Fiesta Day Rodeo in San Antonio Texas (where I lived). The kids riding are amazing and they hang on for dear life like champs!

Overall, we thought this was a terrific and historical cowboy dancing saloon.  We loved the feel of the inside and the corrals and the bull riding out back.  The crowd was very enthusiastic and the dance floor packed for most every dance.  People were very nice and there was a loud and animated crowd.  We loved the whole night and all the fun we had dancing and socializing.  We did feel that what was missing though, was an occasional dance being called by the DJ or the band.  Many venues we have visited, that have big crowds, at least call an occasional dance.  For example, calling a two step would limit the floor to only two- step dancing, moving around the dance floor instead of being stuck in one spot.  At crowded venues, this made dancing a little more fun for all levels of dancers.

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These are pictures of our favorite place to dance, The Ranch.

See below for the Review of “The Ranch”.

BOOT SCOOTIN’ REVIEW

The Ranch

1025 E. Ball Rd #101A

Anaheim, CA 92805

RATING: ***** Five stars (out of 5)

 

INSIDE:

This is one classy place! When you enter and exit, you will be greeted by their very courteous and friendly staff.  The dance floor is a very good size and well maintained with the added bonus of an excellent sound system.  Mr. Andrew Edwards, owner, has paid attention to every detail of his patron’s entertainment experience. And, don’t be camera shy, just smile and your picture may be taken and seen on The Ranch website.  It’s a great way to remember your special night.  It is hard not to be impressed.  This venue is definitely a treat, especially if you have never been here. The teaching staff, Dev, Shelley, Kerri and Kimberly are excellent in their instruction and encouragement for all level of dancers to participate and learn new dances which includes couple dancing, two stepping and line dancing with occasional contra-dance lessons. Leo is their DJ who plays the most danceable music around with Mark heading up the great sound production.  If you are looking for some dancing duds, look no further this link,  Country Western Apparel.

Cover Charge: $15.00 ages 18-20, $5.00 ages 21 & up

Age range:  Usually, 40 and up at opening, 5:30- 7:00pm, and then the 21 and up start arriving

Dress Code: Yes, see “Etiquette and Dress Code” listed on the website.

Dance Floor:  Beautifully maintained, large dance area with rules enforced for the safety and enjoyment of the dancers

Dance Mix:   Mostly Country Western music that’s very danceable music with occasional pop/rock for free dance

Dance Music:  DJ music is all danceable and Leo will take requests, LIVE BANDS begin at 8pm

Live Music:  We like Rob Staley, Kelly Huff, Chris Lozano, Brad Johnson, and Arnie Neuman

Dancing:  Friday or Saturday night 40% Two-Stepping, 40% line-dancing, 20% couple, swing and other types of couple dancing like the waltz or contra dancing (dancing in opposing lines facing a partner) & free dance

Dance Lessons:  There is always a couple lesson (usually 2-step) followed by a line-dance lesson. We are particularly enthusiastic when we learn a new one, especially when we really like the song or the dance steps or both!  For us it is all about fun, getting those synapses and neurons moving, keeping those brain cells sharp. In addition to the healthy exercise that we get from our dancing😊

Food:  EXCELLENT!  The Ranch has a separate full-service five-star restaurant right next door to the Saloon and that food can be ordered as well.  In the saloon, there are booths and tables overlooking the dance floor, that can be reserved for meals and drinks as well.  The food is amazing high-end gourmet on the high end and a treat to eat while dancing there.  There are appetizers, entrees and desserts available also in the Saloon.  We’ve attended many celebrations and what a perfect place to celebrate a special occasion!

Beverages:  Iced Tea (our favorite), beer, wine and liquor

Restrooms:  Unbelievably impeccable!

Security:  At the door and in the venue

 

ATMOSPHERE:  Definitely new/modern Country Western look with lots of beginners to experienced dancers who dance with lots of energy and enthusiasm.  Everyone we have met here is nice and willing to help out newbies on the dance floor.  That’s how Carol and I learned to dance!  There is a variety of terraced seating areas, 2 bars, all with great views of the dance floor. This is in addition to lots of experienced dancers you can watch and/or get next to on the dance floor.

NEWBIES:  There’s a slow dancing zone in the center of the dance floor to practice in and you can also take the basic two-step lesson to help you get started or just polish up your 2-step.  If you would like to learn a beginners line dance before you go to The Ranch, you can click this link to MY Maria line dance video lesson

Specifics:  As you may have guessed, this venue is our home base for country western dancing. It has easy access, being just off the 5 freeway in Anaheim.  Y’all will find a Country Western home base too, if you really get into dancing, like we are.  Wherever that may be, we wish you a lot of happy times and memorable dancing!

 

FINAL THOUGHTS:  What we love about the ranch…  We usually arrive at The Ranch about 5:30PM as the door opens. We say hello to Anthony and Frank (security staff) as we walk in and greet the girls at the check-in.  We look down at the dance floor and check to see if our regular seats are open and head down to the rail seats.  On the way, we bump into Heather (the entertainment director) and Vince (the operations manager) and chat with them for a few minutes, they are so nice.  The waitress stops by and soon after Vincente’ arrives with some iced tea. He is always smiling, and usually gives us the scoop on what’s happening (last week it was a party of 60 people due to arrive).

We also chat with our friends for a few minutes, but we’re always itching to dance.  Leo, the DJ, puts on a nice slow two step and that is perfect tempo for us to use as a warm up.  We step out on the dance floor and we’re off.  The place begins to fill and we see Carol and Richard come in and, oh there’s Theresa And Ray.  We give them a wave and they smile and wave back.  We’re already having fun and getting warmed up too.  Leo puts on a slow line dance now, Rock Me, that is perfect line-dance to get us started.

As we line dance, we see Sandy, Dean, Larry, Marsha, Art, Jeff & Mary and Mark smiling and waving as they come in.  The Ranch has become one big family to us.  We dance for another hour and it’s time for the first lesson.  Tonight, it is intermediate two-step.  We know its going to be fun because Dev and Shelly (who both taught us how to dance) are in the house and that means all dancers in the lesson will get lots of help.  We dance for another hour and it’s 8pm and time for live music from an OC local band.  Heather comes out on stage and announces the band (Rob Staley) and gives us a treat as she announces the owner of The Ranch,  Andrew Edwards is going to sing in the first set.  He does a rousing set, finishing with Electric Slide singing Achy Breaky Heart. There is a loud cheer for the beloved owner. We dance our last dance about 9pm and say goodnight to our friends and the staff at The Ranch.  You can see why we love the ranch so much and why we love to dance…

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This is a historic site with a history in Hollywood Films and a flamboyant owner.

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BOOT SCOOTIN’ REVIEW

Sundance Steakhouse and Saloon- (rating: 4 ½  stars out of 5)

2716 E. Mulberry St.

Fort Collins, CO 80524

 

INSIDE:                

I’d say this is the most covered wagons or parts of wagons that we’ve seen in one place. There are two of them up on the balcony entrance and one hanging off the ceiling plus various hardware. Lots of western décor, with paintings/boots on the wall, and a bull ride. There is plenty of seating and a nice size dance floor. We were there on a Friday night and heard Lendon James & the Highway 34 Band. We met him and his group. They were real friendly and played all songs that we could dance to. They were just great! We  thought they were the featured band and found out he was filling in for the featured band which was going to be late. Lendon James & the Highway 34 Band have only been together for a year, but from what we heard, they will be a success! WooHoo Lendon!

Cover Charge:    $2 on Wed.

Age range:         

18+ all day Wed, Thurs. Bucket of Beers special and special on steak, Dance lessons beginning at 5:15pm, Fun bucket Fri. (beers), Sat. Ladies Drink Free 9-11pm /$2.50 Jim Beam all day long, Sun. Family Night (specials not valid during special events, check website for upcoming events).

Dress Code:       

Wear comfortable leather sole shoes, no flip flops, extreme high heels, tennis shoes or backless shoes

Dance Floor:     

Good size, dance floor etiquette is no drinks or standing on the dance floor, line and swing dancers in the center and traveling dancers on the outside (clockwise).

**IMPORTANT for all dance venues- See “Standard Dance Etiquette” and “The Cowboy’s Guide to Dance Etiquette” from Sundance Steakhouse and Saloon copied below. This etiquette is followed and appreciated at all country western venues you may visit.

Dance Mix:         Good mix of age ranges, as well as male and female patrons

Dance Music:     90% western songs, Lendon James & the Highway 34 Band played great songs at a dance-able tempo

Live Music:         Yes, on Fri and Sat. nights. See website for specifics.

Dancing:              60% two-Step, 30% line-dance, 10% other

Dance Lessons: On Thursday Nights 7:15-8:15 p.m., $5.00 per person, all levels. Lessons in Two-Step, West Coast Swing, Waltz, Cha-Cha, Night Club two Step, Pola, Cowboy Cha Cha and the Triple Two

Food:     

Good selection of meat meals, no vegetarian

Beverages:

Tea, water, soda, beer and liquor

Restrooms:        

Medium size, average cleanliness in men’s and clean in the women’s

Security:

Low keyed, sufficient parking that is lighted, located in an industrial area

 

ATMOSPHERE:

Night club, festive for the holidays, enthusiastic dancers, and CW dance music all night. We also spoke to lots of nice people sitting around us and all staff was very friendly too.

NEWBIES:

Good size dance floor and, if you come early, there is plenty of room to dance and learn. Look for someone to follow and dance and learn. Later on the dance floor gets crowded and you are on your own.

Specifics:

We loved dancing here, but felt that having some of the dances called would have made it more fun for all levels of dancers from newbies to veterans.  We felt that it was a little chaotic on the dance floor with people going in different directions and dancing different dances, especially when it was crowded.

 

**SUNDANCE STEAKHOUSE AND SALOON

STANDARD DANCE ETIQUETTE

Leaders watch where they’re going. Gentleman watch where their partner is going

Dance in your space, not someone else’s. As the floor gets more crowded, make your steps smaller and be polite. This applies to every dancer, no matter how experienced.

 If you bump into someone else on the dance floor, assume it is your fault and apologize immediately. If the dance floor is too crowded, wait until the next song.

Wear appropriate clothes and shoes. Extremely high heel shoes or heavy boots are injuries waiting to happen.

On the social dance floor, do not teach, offer suggestions or critique your partner’s dancing inless they ask you to or they give you permission.

Dance in a manner and at a distance with which your partner is comfortable.

 

THE COWBOY’S GUIDE TO DANCE ETIQUETTE

Dance with the one that brung ya: Save your first and last dance for the person who brought you. It is common western courtesy.

Dance with your friends: Dance with other people besides the person you/who brought you. It’s a great way to make new friends and leaves you smellin’ like a rose.

Unless it’s your ex who’s askin’, be up for the task: If you’re too tired, make sure yiu sit out the whole song before dancing again.

A cowboy always keeps his promise: If you promise someone a dance, especially the “next song,” keep your promise. Don’t make them come find you, be polite and find them.

Teach a cowboy to fish. Dance with beginners and children if they want to try dancing. It is the only way they’ll ever learn to dance.

Eat, drink and share: The barn is open for the dance. If the dance keeps the barn open! Buy a drink at the bar (even if it is only a soda) or order food from the kitchen.

Pay your respects: If you asked for a song, tip the band or the DJ.  You just might be the only cowboy in the place that wanted to hear that dumb song.

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Montana’s

657 Arrow Hwy.

San Dimas, CA 91773

Take a climb to the second story from the parking lot and you enter Montana’s country western nightclub.  From the outside you wouldn’t guess what’s in it!  First of all, you are welcomed by the friendly security and staff. You’ll see there’s lots of seating. We arrived after 6:30 pm on a Friday.  The crowd grew bigger as the evening wore on.  A few wore hats but there were a whole lot that wore cowboy boots!  Lots of jeans worn, men and women and cute tops, skirts and dresses for the gals.

It was an easy place to find. It’s straight up the North 57 fwy. At Arrow Hwy.

INSIDE:

Cover Charge:    $10.00

Age range:          21+ with a valid government ID

Dress Code:        No cut off sleeves for men and no flip flops.

Dance Floor:       Large size, well maintained and had plenty of room for center and around the edge dancing

Dance Mix:         Mostly 2 stepping and line dancing and we also loved the 3 waltzes that they played

Dance Music:     90% Country western with a dance tempo, 10% Other, DJ Rick will also take requests with a smile😊

Live Music:          Not live music on the night we were there.   It was an all DJ night but he was terrific!

Dancing:               Dances are “called” both for the center and around the edges of the dance floor.

Dance Lessons:FREE lessons every Friday and Saturday

Food:                    No food is sold, we thought we saw people bring in food, so call if you need to

Beverages:          No tea, bottled water, soda, beer, wine and cocktails were available

Restrooms:         Well used with an attendant present in the men’s and women’s restrooms

Security:              At the door

ATMOSPHERE:  Country western motif with flags, pictures and neon signs

NEWBIES:            This is a good place for newbies, with the large dance floor.  You can jump in right behind an experienced dancer and learn the steps.  You can also learn the steps by taking a lesson. You can mix right in on the edges and center, then joined in.

Final Thoughts: We just loved the way the staff here made us feel so welcome. From the person at the

entrance to the bartenders, the waiter, the DJ and the dancers too. Very friendly. We also liked that we learned some new 2 step moves from taking the dance lesson.

But the best was having DJ Rick play our favorite linedances and couples dances that we requested.  We also loved that 90% of the music was country western and featured a good dance beat. We even got a couple of Shout Outs from our DJ as he played one of our favorite line dances, “Lonely Drum.”

The only thing we saw to be careful about is the 2 flights of cement stairs at the entrance/exit because it is not very well lighted.

Overall, we give Montana’s 5 stars!  See ya there soon!

Jeff and Carol

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Grizzly Rose

5450 N Valley Hwy.

Denver, CO 80216

Wow! This venue is like a little western town. There’s a huge dance floor with shops around it, a pool hall, a place to eat and dueling bulls plus lessons can be had in a separate dance studio! Did I mention live music, events and easy access via Hwy 25?  It was a quick find for us.

A funny thing happened to us there. The week that we went, the dance lesson was Cowboy Cha Cha. There was a basic lesson and then there was the advanced lesson. Since we were from out of state, she asked us if we knew the Cowboy Cha Cha and we said, “Yes we did.” Then, she asked if our Cowboy Cha Cha moved around the dance floor and we said, Yes.” She said, “That’s not it, ours stay in a stationary spot.”  So, we took the basic lesson, and guess what?  We have a dance in California we call the Denver Cha Cha, and it is the dance that you all call the Cowboy Cha Cha!  So, we already knew it.  We love the dance and we had a great time learning it from Miss Rosalie in Denver😊

I wonder if they know our Cowboy Cha Cha because our Cowboy Cha Cha is not the California Cha Cha (that’s a whole different dance)! We had a great chuckle. No matter what, we enjoy our travels whether it’s learning a dance we know by a different name or a new dance. It’s the FUN and laughter that we have along the way that makes these adventures so memorable.

INSIDE:

Cover Charge:    See the website

Age range:          18 + on Tues, Weds, Thurs, Fri. 18 if there is a concert otherwise 21+, Sat. 21 + Sun. Family Night

Dress Code:        Yes, no motorcycle club colors or representation allowed. There were lots of people wearing cowboy boots and hats. Typical wear is jeans and leather sole boots/shoes to easily dance country western dance steps.

Dance Floor:       Large, approximately 50’x 35’and floor condition was excellent

Dance Mix:         Line dancing 10%, Two-Step 70%, Swing 10%, Waltz 10%

Dance Music:     Country western 90%, Pop/Rock 10%

Live Music:          The band was good (we felt most of the DJ music was too fast or too slow for the Two-Step)

Dancing:               Dances are not necessarily called

Dance Lessons: The only days they do not have dance lessons are Mon. and Fri. (See website calendar for specifics)

Food:                     We had the garden salad, Grizzly Wrap and sweet potato fries, moderately priced food and pretty darn good

Beverages:         Iced Tea, soda, water, beer and liquor

Restrooms:         The restrooms are very large and impeccably clean.

Security:              Security personnel located throughout the venue. It was a nice crowd.

ATMOSPHERE:  Night club lighting, patrons and staff were very friendly and helpful. The initial inside impression was of a very wide and expansive area. There was an impressive use of space throughout. The separate dance studio was very surprising and appropriate for the dance lessons.

NEWBIES:            Great dance lessons in a private dance studio by a very knowledgeable teacher, Miss Rosalie. It would be helpful if the dances were called so that everyone would be dancing the same dance and going in the same direction. This is a place where you put on your dancing duds (or not) take a dance lesson and then get out on the large dance floor and dance your heart out all night. You’ll also meet lots of nice folks.

SPECIFICS:

Ranking        1 – 5  (5 being best)

Dance floor         *****   Excellent, well maintained area and nice size for dancing.

Lessons               *****    Miss Rosalie was just the nicest teacher, with succinct directions

and monitoring of her students

Food                      ****

Music                    *****

Restrooms          *****

Parking                ***        It’s about a two-block walk or so to an unlighted area if front parking is full.

Feeling safe        ****     Inside was a 5, but outside overflow parking and lighting was limited.

Come early if this is a concern.

FINAL THOUGHTS:           We loved the energy, enthusiasm of the dancers and friendliness of the people and staff i.e. at the door, chef at the Chuck Wagon, security and the roving staff that were making sure the tables and trash on the floor were picked up. We appreciated the hospitality.

There is one thing we personally would have liked. It would have been a better dance experience for us if occasionally a dance was called so that line dancers, two-steppers and couple dancers alike would not have to worry about near collisions. But all in all, this is a GREAT place to dance, have a meal and just have a ton of fun. We rate the Grizzly Rose a 5-STAR country dancing venue.

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Temecula Stampede Review

28721 Old Town Front St

Temecula, California  92590

Woohoo!  This is our very first review and we’re all excited about telling y’all about it.  It was fun to arrive mid-afternoon and check out Old Town and then head over to the Temecula Stampede in California.  The venue is situated at the end of a really cute western Old Town area that is filled with shops and eating places.

What a nice surprise it was to find such a large dance floor at the Stampede with an inside and outside track!  The dancing was divided into line dancing in the center area and two-stepping around the outside track.  When we danced we really liked this aspect of the dance floor.  It was fun and the dance area gave everyone plenty of room to dance and pass as needed.  We even had to choose a couple of times, because we knew both dances!  Once, the Cowboy Cha Cha was called on the outside area and the California Cha Cha was called for the center area.  We chose the California Cha Cha, LOL.

INSIDE:

Cover Charge:    Thurs. no cover, 18 and over. We arrived on a Friday afternoon and the Temecula Stampede hours are from 6pm to 2am.  Go early because the cover is half price before 7pm and it’s a good time to warm-up and peruse the venue.  See Temecula Stampede website for specifics

Age range:          6-9pm 50+, after 9pm, one of the regulars told us the crowd becomes much younger, more like the 18-40 range.

Dress Code:        Yes, they have dress code.   See Stampede website

Dance Floor:       It’s huge, a rough estimate is 65’x 50,’ nice smooth surface and well maintained.

Dance Mix:          Line dancing 70%, Two-Step 20%, Swing 10%

Dance Music:     Country western 90%, Pop/Rock 10%

Live Music:          Look at website for schedule

Dancing:               Dances are “called” which means the DJ will call out which dance to do.  The advantage of this means dancers are moving in the same direction and doing the same steps.  There is less bumping from others. But in all saloons/dancehalls we’ve danced in, everyone is cordial and we all just say, “sorry” with smiles and that ends it.

Dance Lessons:  Dance lessons are offered Mon, Fri and Sat. On Fri/Sat lessons are $4 for two separate                                  dances. On Mon, it’s $6 for two separate dances. See Stampede schedule for specific dances they will teach.

Food:  A very moderately priced menu, we did not eat while we were there.  See their website.

Beverages:  Iced tea, soda water, beer, wine and liquor

ATMOSPHERE:  We generally liked the atmosphere.  People were nice, and several came by our table to say “Hi” and tell us all about the Stampede. We were dressed in our boots, hats and cowboy shirt (for my husband) and a cute blouse for me (of course 😊), and jeans.  We felt very comfortable because this place has such a great old-time country saloon feeling to it! How were others dressed? There was a smattering of others in boots (leather soles are best to slide on dance floor) and cowboy hats.

NEWBIES:  It is our opinion this is a great place for beginners to learn how to dance. They offer lessons and there is a side area on the outside track for you to both see and follow experienced dancers. It doesn’t get better than this! And, if you come early, from 6-9pm, there is plenty of opportunity to learn when it is not crowded.

OUTSIDE:

Parking:  Is free in a big, lighted lot next to the building.

Safety: We felt very safe, both arriving at 6pm and leaving at 9pm. The whole Old Town area is very busy till late with tourist walking around and dining.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Don’t be afraid to start country western dancing and looking like a fool at times. The pure joy and fun you’ll find in this activity will be well worth it. Besides everyone is so busy dancing and doing their thing, nobody cares. Happy Boot Scootin’ wherever it may take you😉

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