Walking into Stoney’s for the first time, one is tempted to say aloud, “Who slicked up Gilley’s and dragged its imploded carcass to the southernmost end of the Strip?” But the thought is quickly banished as soon as one saunters up to the bar and orders — what else? — a Bud. That’s because the bartenders are friendly, the customers are only here to have fun (and not impress anyone with their shiny nightclub shirts), and the mechanical bull punches your ass through the wall without the benefit of a “howdy, pardner.”
Just joking on that last bit. Stoney’s is a country bar with all the trimmings, from glow-in-the-dark bowling to a video arcade to electronic darts to a VIP section for the folks with a little extra jangling in their pockets. I paid $20 for bottomless draft beers and had to say uncle at the third glass, given that I had no designated driver and, since Stoney’s is a smoking establishment, I couldn’t soak up the suds with a cheeseburger before hitting the trail. (Thank you, Nevada voters. Not!) Still, this is a great place to kick back with your fellow red-staters and maybe step out on the expansive line-dance floor, where dudes can pretend to be John Travolta in Urban Cowboy.
The drink specials (like the $20 all-you-can-guzzle drafts) are available Thursday through Saturday night, and are perfect for a large group. The phillies are looking very fine, too, particularly on Thursday night, which is ladies’ night. I didn’t feel man enough to don a 10-gallon, but I suspect that if you do — and you happen to look good in jeans and boots — you can have the pick of the herd. No need to bring a hot branding iron, though. This is not so much a meat market (though Stoney’s can provide it) as a meeting place for strangers looking to make friends (just like the George Jones song). All you really need is a Benjamin Franklin and some tip money to guarantee a good time here.
I had a wonderful conversation with a fellow bar denizen (dressed in Western attire, no less) on the literary matter of Cormac McCarthy (National Book Award-winning author of the novels No Country for Old Men and The Road), which would never have occurred in any of the cynical hipster bars downtown. Which only goes to show that you can’t let the cowboy stereotype obscure your vision when it comes to Las Vegas nightlife. These people may be a little blue around the collar, but they know how to party and don’t take themselves anywhere near as seriously as clubgoers on the Strip proper.
And if you’re too scared or shy to do the boot-scootin’ boogie, remember that line-dance classes start at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Leave the spurs at home, please.
Stoney’s Rockin’ Country is located at 9155 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Call 702-435-2855 or visit
www.stoneysrockincountry.com.
