Introducing: Rock ‘n’ Horse Saloon, the other place in town where you can ride a mechanical bull
Name: Rock ‘n’ Horse Saloon
Neighbourhood: Entertainment District
Contact Info: 250 Adelaide St. W., 647-344-1234, rocknhorsesaloon.com, @rocknhorseto
Owners: Matthew Gibbons, president of entertainment company MRG Ventures
Cher: Mark Crofton, the former executive chef at Tap House
The Place: Rock ‘n’ Horse is the second country-western saloon to open in Toronto in the span of a week, the first being Boots ‘n’ Bourbon in Riverdale. Like its east-end doppelganger, Rock ‘n’ Horse boasts live music, Southern bar snacks, novelty cocktails and a massive mechanical bull that customers are welcome to ride—provided they sign a waiver. In keeping with the club-zone address, the space is more bar than restaurant: there are bouncers at the door, a DJ booth at the back and ample floor space for sexy spurlesque, a mash-up of line dancing and stripping. Wannabe broncos can snag their own cowboy hats at the on-site retail store.
The Food: Standard bar snacks and Southern comfort food, like Texas street corn and chili “dawgs.” Meaty mains include hickory-smoked beef brisket, bison burgers and a 10-ounce, bone-in rib eye with smoky cowboy beans.
The Drinks: Beer, bourbon and typical bar drinks. A dedicated margarita menu lets diners customize cocktails according to type (blended or on the rocks), flavour (lime, mango, strawberry or raspberry) and tequila (Olmeca, Cazadores or premium). Adventurous drinkers can opt for The Bulldog, a giant margarita topped with an upside-down bottle of Corona.
The Numbers: • 15 kinds of bourbon • 7 saddle-topped bar stools • 3 salads • 1 mechanical bull • 1 wagon-wheel chandelier suspended over the pool table • 1 Elvis-themed pinball machine
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