Cowboy Chic – Honky Tonk, Texas Steakhouse & Historic Fort Worth Stockyards

City Slickers meets Urban Cowboy?  Friday night in Fort Worth- journeyPod’s first visit to the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards. The agenda: A True Texas Steakhouse and Billy Bob’s, the world’s largest honky tonk. Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect. Sitting on the plane- my first thought was: OK, so what is a stockyard?  The Imagery of the old dusty west, John Wayne, and tumbleweeds blowing in the wind was all I could envision.  

One of my oldest girlfriends is a recent transplant to the LoneStar state, offering to take journeyPod on this western adventure and show us what Fort Worth is all about! As she handed me black cowboy boots and a belt buckle as big as the entire state of Texas- it was all I could do to keep from laughing. A Halloween costume maybe- but real life, in public, on a Friday night?!? This is about when I started to feel half Billy Crystal, City Slickers– half Drew Barrymore, Never Been Kissed – (looser stamp on the forehead included). After serious coercion and reassurance by my friend and her family- I saddled up, boots & buckle– ready for all things cowtown.

Arriving in the Stockyards, I couldn’t help but get the sense that journeyPod had been transported onto a Hollywood film set. The ole western storefronts, cobblestone roads, and whiskey saloons… I just knew any minute Wyatt Earp was gonna come barreling through:) Stepping into H3 Steakhouse expecting picnic tables and peanuts, journeyPod was introduced to what I now have dubbed: Cowboy Chic.  Imagine deep, rich leather… luxurious, gold embellished cowhide seating… and my favorite: sassy saddle bar stools.  Their Live Hickory Wood Grill cooked up the most mouth-watering ribs I have ever had– with corn so sweet one could eat it for desert! Then with a sweet southern ‘ya’ll come back now’, a wink and a smile from our waiter– we were ready to go honky tonkin‘ 🙂

Showing the doorman my ID, I began checking out and becoming way envious of the display of cowboy boots and studded belt buckles adorned on the girls around me. Picking up my vibe, my friend throws me an ‘I told you so smirk’ and right then and there I began to relish in my Faith Hill/Carrie Underwood moment… just lovn’ it! Getting the tour, I realized that this wasn’t just any country bar. Billy Bob’s is legendary. The walls boast the hand prints of country music stars from Garth Brooks to Willie Nelson– and the list keeps going. Little did I know Billy has been CMA Club of the Year 3 times and the ACM Club of the Year 7 times!

Ready to get the party started, we grab the Texan fave: a Shiner Bock beer and quickly made our way into a LIVE Pro Bull Riding arena! Yes that’s right– journeyPod was front and center to take in the excitement one brave (possibly crazy:) rider after another. Ouch! Boy were we glad it was their job and not ours! Ordering another Shiner, it was time for the main event: Rising country star Easton Corbin. Vocally compared to country great George Straight, not only is Easton a total cutie, but incredibly talented (we actually think his voice trumps George everyday- and twice on Saturday). As the crowd sang along to his #1 hit: A little more country than that, I couldn’t help but be transfixed in the culture and spirit that surrounded me. The authenticity and pride within the people of the Lone Star State is unlike anything I had ever seen– certainly made a fan out of me. Right when I thought my Stockyard checklist was complete, the house band began to get to work and journeyPod finished off the evening in true Texas fashion: Two-steppin’ around the dance floor! 

A special thanks goes out to our Fort Worth tour guide Ashley Everhart!

Next up — Everything’s Bigger in Dallas!