Saddle up for a mouthwatering ride through America’s most authentic cowboy watering holes! These legendary saloons have survived shootouts, prohibition, and changing times while still dishing up hearty grub alongside their whiskey.
From Wyoming to Arizona, these establishments tell tales of the Wild West through their bullet-riddled walls, swinging doors, and time-honored recipes. Pull up a barstool and taste history at these 15 remarkable saloons where cowboys past and present break bread.
1. The Mint Bar (Sheridan, Wyoming)
Taxidermy creatures watch over patrons at The Mint Bar, where the neon sign beckoning “Meet Me at the Mint” has lured cowboys and cattle ranchers since 1907. The walls, adorned with wildlife mounts and western memorabilia, tell stories spanning generations.
Locals recommend their famous burgers paired with cold Wyoming brews after a long day on horseback. During Rodeo Week, ranchers rub elbows with tourists while sharing tales of bygone days.
2. Saloon No. 10 (Deadwood, South Dakota)
Gunshots once rang through Saloon No. 10 when Wild Bill Hickok met his demise holding the infamous dead man’s hand—aces and eights. Visitors now enjoy buffalo burgers amid authentic frontier artifacts in this self-proclaimed “Only Museum in America with a Bar.”
Memorabilia covers every inch of wall space, creating an immersive historical experience while you dine. The saloon stages daily reenactments of Wild Bill’s final poker game, culminating in his dramatic shooting.
3. Talbott Tavern (Bardstown, Kentucky)
Ghost stories accompany your meal at America’s oldest western stagecoach stop. Talbott Tavern has welcomed travelers since 1779, including a young Abraham Lincoln and his family. The centuries-old stone building stands as testament to frontier craftsmanship.
Renowned for Kentucky bourbon and southern hospitality, the tavern serves traditional fare like burgoo stew and hot brown sandwiches. Five presidents, Daniel Boone, and Jesse James reportedly dined within these hallowed walls.
4. The Palace (Prescott, Arizona)
Cowboys literally carried their drinks outside during the great Whiskey Row fire of 1900, rescuing The Palace’s Brunswick bar while the building burned around them. Arizona’s oldest frontier saloon reopened the very next day, serving drinks on borrowed planks while rebuilding.
Doc Holliday and Virgil Earp frequented this establishment during Prescott’s territorial capital days. The menu honors western traditions with massive steaks, elk burgers, and rattlesnake appetizers for the adventurous.
5. Glur’s Tavern (Columbus, Nebraska)
America’s oldest continuously operating tavern west of the Missouri River has served thirsty travelers since 1876. Buffalo Bill Cody reportedly celebrated here after his famous buffalo hunting contest with Chief Spotted Tail.
The unassuming white clapboard building houses a no-frills menu featuring hand-pattied burgers that locals swear haven’t changed in generations. Railroad workers, farmers, and cowhands have sustained this unpretentious establishment through economic booms and busts.
6. Crystal Palace (Tombstone, Arizona)
Wyatt Earp might recognize his old haunt if he walked in today. The Crystal Palace, once Tombstone’s most opulent saloon, operated as everything from a theater to a brothel before restoration returned it to its 1880s glory.
Patrons savor southwestern fare beneath glittering chandeliers that give the establishment its name. The long bar stretches beneath a massive mirror shipped around Cape Horn during frontier days. Vintage photographs of mustachioed gamblers and corseted ladies adorn the walls.
7. No Scum Allowed Saloon (White Oaks, New Mexico)
Colorful characters gather where the name says it all. No Scum Allowed Saloon emerged from a 1880s mining boom when White Oaks briefly rivaled nearby Lincoln in notoriety. The name originated with former owner Wilma Capps who established clear standards for customer behavior.
Handwritten signs with house rules cover the walls alongside dollar bills signed by visitors from around the world. Weekend musicians strum guitars while patrons enjoy simple fare and cold beers in this remote outpost.
8. The Historic Montana Bar (Miles City, Montana)
Ranchers still conduct business beneath mounted wildlife at The Montana Bar, where the original 1908 pressed tin ceiling and mosaic tile floor frame an authentic cowboy experience. The carved mahogany backbar, shipped upriver by steamboat, displays spirits below an impressive array of trophy heads.
Famous for their “Sour Cream Raisin Pie” and hearty beef dishes sourced from nearby ranches, The Montana serves traditional fare without pretension. During the annual Bucking Horse Sale, the bar overflows with genuine cowboys comparing notes on horseflesh.
9. Silver Dollar Saloon (Leadville, Colorado)
Mining fortunes were won and lost over whiskey at the Silver Dollar Saloon, where 2,000 actual silver dollars are embedded in the bar top. Standing at 10,152 feet elevation, this establishment claims to be America’s highest historic saloon.
Founded during Colorado’s silver boom, the saloon fed hungry miners with hearty mountain fare. Today’s menu features wild game alongside traditional offerings. During Leadville’s mining heyday, Oscar Wilde allegedly lectured here to skeptical miners during his American tour.
10. The Buckhorn Exchange (Denver, Colorado)
Buffalo Bill Cody himself dined at The Buckhorn Exchange, established in 1893 by his scout Henry “Shorty Scout” Zietz. Colorado’s oldest restaurant displays license #1 from the state’s post-prohibition era, proudly framed near the entrance.
Adventurous diners sample rocky mountain oysters, rattlesnake, and alligator alongside traditional elk and buffalo steaks. Over 500 taxidermied animals watch you eat, including a 900-pound Alaskan brown bear. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower reportedly enjoyed meals here.
11. The Occidental Saloon (Buffalo, Wyoming)
Cattle barons plotted the infamous Johnson County War within The Occidental’s walls, forever cementing this 1880 establishment in western lore. The hotel and saloon hosted everyone from Teddy Roosevelt to Calamity Jane during Wyoming’s territorial days.
Original cherrywood fixtures frame meals featuring locally-sourced beef and game. Bullet holes reportedly from turn-of-the-century disagreements pockmark the ornate tin ceiling. During the annual Longmire Days festival, actors from the popular television series mingle with fans at this authentic location.
12. Buffalo Bodega (Deadwood, South Dakota)
Calamity Jane tossed back drinks where modern visitors now enjoy buffalo burgers at the Buffalo Bodega, established in 1877 during Deadwood’s wildest gold rush days. The term “bodega” harkens back to when establishments sold general merchandise alongside spirits.
Gambling paraphernalia decorates the walls, recalling when Poker Alice Ivers dealt cards here. The saloon’s massive gaming hall once hosted high-stakes poker games where fortunes changed hands nightly. Today’s menu features South Dakota specialties like chislic alongside traditional bar fare.
13. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar (Jackson, Wyoming)
Saddle up to the bar—literally—at this Jackson Hole institution where genuine western saddles serve as bar stools. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar earned its grandiose name through elaborate western décor featuring silver dollars embedded in the countertop and intricate knobbled pine architecture.
Live country music accompanies hearty mountain fare like elk chili and bison meatloaf. Cowboy memorabilia fills every available space, creating an immersive western experience. The massive central fireplace draws skiers and snowmobilers during brutal Wyoming winters.
14. The Pioneer Saloon (Goodsprings, Nevada)
Clark Gable reportedly waited heartbroken at The Pioneer Saloon for news of his wife Carole Lombard’s plane crash on nearby Mount Potosi in 1942. Cigarette burns allegedly from his anxious vigil remain preserved on the bar, alongside bullet holes from gambling disputes.
The 1913 stamped tin building stands virtually unchanged, complete with original potbelly stove that provides the only heat during desert winter nights. Ghost hunters frequent this establishment, claiming paranormal activity centers around Gable’s regular seat.
15. Big Nose Kate’s Saloon (Tombstone, Arizona)
Named for Doc Holliday’s notorious companion, Big Nose Kate’s occupies the former Grand Hotel where the Clantons and McLaurys stayed before their fatal encounter at the O.K. Corral. The building’s basement reportedly housed tunnels connecting to brothels and opium dens during Tombstone’s silver boom.
Costumed servers deliver southwestern specialties amid authentic period décor. A player piano and regular live entertainment maintain the lively atmosphere that made Tombstone the “Town Too Tough To Die.” The establishment’s massive bar was salvaged from an 1880s brothel.