Where honky-tonk and horses still reign
Open the door of the Cowboy Palace Saloon, and you immediately find yourself standing on the edge of a well-trodden wooden dance floor. And if it’s Thursday night at 7pm, you’ll see before you about 20 women kicking up their heels in perfect unison. Synchronized grapevines and Monterey turns are executed at an impressively fast pace. Leading the dancers is a surefooted Marie Del Giorgio, a country-western dance teacher at the saloon for 26 years.
The Cowboy Palace Saloon has been around since the 1970s. The crowd is loyal. Susie, a middle-aged woman with long blond hair and clad in a plaid shirt and cowboy boots, was looking for something new when she signed up for a line-dancing class here. That was 12 years ago; she’s been coming three times a week ever since. More than dancing (which she says is better than going to the gym), the classes led Susie to meet a whole new circle of girlfriends – and her current boyfriend.
Info
Address 21635 Devonshire Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311, +1 844.426.9725, www.thecowboypalacesaloon.com, info@cowboypalace.com | Getting there Unmetered street parking | Hours Daily 3pm–2am; live music at 8:30pm on Mon, Wed, Thu; 9pm on Fri & Sat; 6pm on Sun| Tip Devour some delicious soul food four blocks away at Les Sisters Southern Kitchen & BBQ (21818 Devonshire Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311), which serves up big portions of classic down-home dishes like southern fried chicken and collard greens.
The community is tight; the walls offer a safe place, a real home away from home. Funerals, weddings, birthday parties, and marriage proposals are common occurrences at the Cowboy Palace. During the week, the demographic skews over 55. On the weekend, the crowd is more eclectic, including hipsters, bikers, college students, and all sorts of ethnicities and races.
The walls are draped with three American flags and laden with horsey quips, photographs, ropes, and saddles. Worn-out cowboy boots are strung together and hung off the side of the bar. There are a couple of pool tables. There is no cover charge and dance classes are free. Live music roars nightly. On Sundays, you will likely see a horse or two hitched to the post out front.
Back on the dance floor, it’s showtime. Marie shouts out, “No tags! No restarts!” The ladies all yell, “Yippee!” and the music begins.
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