New country bar Saddlerack already a hit in Chandler
By KELLY WILSON
Get Out
Sept. 11, 2003

Walking into Saddlerack Chandler's newest country bar is kind of like opening a grab bag: You never know what you're going to get.

A young woman clad in tight jeans and a cowboy hat was crooning Mary Chapin Carpenter's "I Feel Lucky" on a recent Wednesday night during the club's karaoke night, while a crowd of thirtysomething cowboys and cowgirls waited for their turn at the mike.

But the vibe was anything but mellow two nights later when hordes of people crowded into the nearly 20,000- square-foot club, which was once known as the Corral. Canyon Walls, a country band, performed on the Saddlerack's large stage, while patrons two-stepped and showed off other dance moves.

Although the Saddlerack has only been open four months, it's already a hit with Chandler residents.

There's really nothing else like this around here, says Ray Hundle, 33, of Chandler. A country bar like this really sticks out in this city. It didn't take people long to discover it was here.

Manager Tony Blackwood, who helps run the bar with his mother and brother, says the family was hoping to bring a bit of country to Chandler.

I used to work at a bar in San Jose (Calif.) called the Saddlerack and it was the same type of setup as this, he says. I really liked it. And we felt that this side of town needed something that was just country. We wanted to give the cowboys a place to call home.

Unlike other East Valley clubs that just fuse country into their flavor, Blackwood says the Saddlerack is strictly country. I think we're the largest all-country nightclub in the Valley, he says.

The club boasts a 2,000-square-foot dance floor, two large bars, pool tables, dart boards, a mechanical bull and a full restaurant that serves items such as ribs, pork chops and deep-fried shrimp.

The Saddlerack also features a margarita chair a shiny red chair that sits in a corner resembling a barber shop. If you're daring, you can sit in the chair and people will take turns pouring shots down your throat and spinning you around.

It's features like this that make the Saddlerack a Chandler hot spot, according to Blackwood.

People like the country atmosphere and the music, he says. It's just a real good time.

The Saddlerack
Where: 2020 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler
Hours: 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Sunday; 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Cover: Free to $5
Info: or www.saddlerack.com































 
 


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