OK. It’s Thursday night, always a good night to party at the Den, but for some reason you and your buddies decide not to go there. Instead, western bars are catching your eye. So here are three places we checked out that you may want to as well: Outlaws, Coyotes and Cowboys.
Outlaws
7400 Macleod Tr. SOK. It’s Thursday night, always a good night to party at the Den, but for some reason you and your buddies decide not to go there. Instead, western bars are catching your eye. So here are three places we checked out that you may want to as well: Outlaws, Coyotes and Cowboys.
Our adventure begins at Outlaws. Why Outlaws on a Thursday? Well, besides the 50 cent Molson draft they have female oil wrestling. You are probably saying to yourself “What the hell is that?” Well, female oil wrestling is a form of expressive art contained in a square ring filled with oil and placed within the dance floor. This event allows the ladies to express their inner feelings for one another and release pent up aggression along with some hidden fantasies. Well, a boy can dream can’t he? 
How does one get involved in this? Aside from it’s reputation as the world’s greatest indoor sport, I’d have to say I have absolutely no idea.
Anyway, if this is your kind of place, you will be happy to know that besides the cheap beer and gorgeous women wrestling over you (at least we would like to think so) you will also be getting much more. Outlaws has outstanding service, quick and efficient because you can never get too many drinks fast enough.
The atmosphere starts to pick up around 9 p.m.–how odd, that’s when the oil wrestling starts. Ladies, watch out for the drunken over-stimulated men but know you are not alone. There are a large number of females in attendance. As for the men, all these women are watching you, so you’d best behave.
The average ages seem to range from 18-20, a bit of a younger crowd, aimed at high schoolers and first and second year post-secondary students.
As for the music, Thursdays are special nights with CJ92 hosting, so expect to hear a lot of rock.
Coyotes
1088 Olympic Way SE
Maybe Outlaws is not your bag for whatever reason and you’re looking for something new and different. Coyotes may well be what you are craving.
Coyotes is, in essence, the younger sibling of the other western bars. Young and fun, it has yet to find itself, much like the majority of its clientele. Like Outlaws, this place targets high schoolers and first and second year students.
The bar itself has a great setting and is quite large. All they have to do now is fill it. We showed up around 11:00 p.m. and the place was nowhere near capacity. However, if you want a nice quiet place where you and your friends can rule the dance floor and still have a place to sit and shoot the shit than you should check it out. 
Drink specials? As far as I could tell, they were nonexistent. As far as music goes, I don’t think I heard a single western song. It was all top 40 with some old school club favourites tossed in to spice up the mix. Can you say Sir Mix-a-Lot?
Cowboys
826 5 St. SW
Alright, you are looking to go hard tonight and the other two bars are just not going to cut it. So what do you do? Simple, you hit up Cowboys.
Cowboys is the mafia Don of Thursday nights. If you want a guaranteed good time with your pals then this is the place. Cowboys offers a variety of musical tunes, with western music and top 40 blended together to create a wonderful melody of fun times and craziness.
But what is it exactly that makes Cowboys such a smash hit?
It would be easy to chalk it up to the 25 cent draft, and you may well be right. But let’s just say there is more to it than just that. Maybe, it’s the vibe given off from every person in the bar that says “Hey I’m here to have a good time.” Or maybe it’s all the hormones running wild and rampant in the place. Either way, there is an atmosphere here that keeps you coming back for more.
If you survey the crowd at Cowboys you will notice a lot more older faces. As for the maturity level, it’s about the same as the other two places, but if you feel more comfortable being around people ranging in age from 21-30, then this could be your hangout.
The staff at Cowboys is by far one of the best in the business. They are fast and friendly and the bouncers are respectful as long as you give them the same respect.
All in all, on my six-shooter scale of excellence, Cowboys scores a perfect six, Outlaws a five and Coyotes a lowly three.
