The Bar Scene

The oldest bar in Fort Worth and the site of the city's most famous gunfight in 1897, White Elephant Saloon [ST], 106 E. Exchange Ave. (tel. 817/624-1887), is an authentic Cowtown saloon, a great place to knock back a Lone Star longneck in the afternoon or check out some live Western music nightly on the small stage. The atmospheric bar is decorated with donated hats (from the likes of Ray Wylie Hubbard and Jimmie Dale Gilmore) and cases of porcelain and ceramic white elephants. There's also a nice beer garden, with live bands under the trees.

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, 111 E. 4th St. (tel. 817/336-7470), is a beer snob's dream, boasting 75 beers on tap and 125 bottles, including a slew of American microbrews and exotics such as Belgian guerze and German seasonals. For the novice or anyone looking for something new, there are "flights," sampler trays from around the world. The place can get rowdy on weekends with cigar-smoking types and TCU students, but it's still one of the best places in Fort Worth to wet your whistle. Food tends toward such beer-complementary items as bratwurst and beer cheese soup (yes, you read that right). It also features an eclectic roster of live music on weekends. A swank bar with an outdoor patio and live music in warm months, frequented by Fort Worth's young and beautiful, is 8.0 (tel. 817/336-0880), just off Sundance Square. The outdoor rooftop bar Grotto, complete with waterfall, at Reata is another great place for a drink before or after dinner.

A great spot for a glass of wine before dinner or a show at Bass Performance Hall is The Grape Escape, 500 Commerce St. (tel. 817/336-9463). The agreeable little spot specializes in wines from around the world, served by the glass, half-glass, and in sampling flights. Lots of snack foods, including minipizzas and fries, are also served.

Honky-Tonk Heaven

The one place that's practically a required stop in Fort Worth is Billy Bob's Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza (tel. 817/624-7117; www.billybobstexas.com). A cavernous barn for prize cattle in a former life, this absurdly large honky-tonk, a symbol of Texas for many people, has it all. With 40 bar stations, a monster dance floor for hard-core boot-scootin', a rodeo arena, video games, pool tables, mechanical bulls, and pro bull riding, it's 125,000 square feet (er, 7 acres) of country-and-western heaven. Open for over 20 years, Billy Bob's continues to draw the biggest names in country music, including George Jones, LeAnn Rimes, Willie Nelson, and Jerry Jeff Walker. Its fame is such that you'll see real ropers in their best hats and tight jeans, drugstore cowboys, and a swell of German and Japanese tourists, all soakin' up the flavor. Located in the heart of the Stockyards, Billy Bob's does business Monday through Saturday from 11am to 2am, and Sunday from noon to 2am. The cover charge varies according to the musical act; day visits cost $1. Don't miss the pro live bull riding on Friday and Saturday at 9 and 10pm; admission is $2.

Another "Texas-size" honky-tonk is the family-owned and -operated Stagecoach Ballroom [ST], 2516 E. Belknap at the corner of Sylvania, off Airport Freeway (tel. 817/831-2261; www.stagecoachballroom.com), a real contender for most authentic old-time ballroom in Texas. It sports traditional country music and dance, and is a good spot to pick up some moves if you're not exactly a smooth-footed kicker. Wednesday is Ladies Night, and cover for live music guests is usually $15. (There is live music on Wed and Fri-Sun, beginning at 7pm. Thurs nights are newly dedicated to "smoke-free" C&W, Big Band, and Back to the '50s dancing, from 6-10pm; $5 cover. Also, look for Lone Star Talent Night contests on Tues.)

Everybody, Get in Line

If you want to learn to line dance, shuffle, and two-step like a Texan, why not do it in one of the most famous honky-tonks in the world, Billy Bob's Texas? Wendell Nelson is the dance man who will lead you -- and even the whole family -- through the basics. Free classes are Thursdays at 7pm for the family. Call tel. 817/923-9215 for additional information.

Sadly, Big Balls of Cowtown, one of my very favorite dancehalls, where classic Western swing was practiced with a fervor, is no longer around. In the same space is Pearl's Dancehall & Saloon [ST], 302 W. Exchange Ave. (tel. 817/624-2800; www.pearlsdancehallandsaloon.com), which now features live traditional, Western swing and honky-tonk music on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Although it's a bit spiffier in its new incarnation, it's still the best spot in the Stockyards for nontouristy C&W music (featuring name acts such as Dale Watson) and dancing.

Also in the Stockyards District, there's often live country music at Rodeo Exchange, 221 W. Exchange Ave. (tel. 817/626-0181), and Ernest Tubb's Record Shop, 140 E. Exchange Ave. (tel. 817/624-8449), the latter only on Saturday afternoons.

Other Live Music

Sadly, Fort Worth's premier jazz venue, Caravan of Dreams, bit the dust several years ago. And while nothing has sprung up to fill its big shoes, there are a handful of other live music venues in town that don't go the country route. Ridgelea and Vine Wineroom, 6100 Camp Bowie Blvd. (tel. 817/731-7700), is a spot to enjoy live jazz and kick back with a glass from a large wine selection. Sardines Ristorante Italiano features the live jazz of Johnny Case. The Black Dog Tavern, 903 Throckmorton St. (tel. 817/332-8190), a friendly neighborhood-styled pub, has nightly jazz, rockabilly, and blues jams, as well as open-mic comedy sessions on Sunday evenings and occasional poetry open-mic nights. The top rock venue in town is the Ridglea Theater, 6025 Camp Bowie Blvd. (tel. 817/738-9500; www.ridgleatheater.com), a hip, restored 1940s Art Deco theater that plays host to touring rock bands, including alternative flavors of the month. Aardvark, 2905 W. Berry St. (tel. 817/926-7814; www.the-aardvark.com), is a cool small space that hosts a wide-ranging roster of pop, alternative rock, and neo-folk acts with small cover charges Tuesday through Saturday. Wreck Room, 3208 W. 7th St. (tel. 817/348-8303), is a cool club in the cultural district with slacker style. It schedules an array of loud rock bands on weekends.

The top blues joint in town is J&J Blues Bar, 937 Woodward St. (tel. 817/870-2337; www.jjbluesbar.com), just north of the Cultural District. A little rough around the edges -- how else would you want your blues bar? -- it hosts both national and local acts Wednesday through Sunday nights. The crowd is a mix of blues traditionalists and college kids from TCU.

For traditional live C&W, also check out the bands scheduled at two of the most famous spots in Fort Worth, Billy Bob's Texas and White Elephant Saloon, as well as Pearl's Dancehall and Saloon and Stagecoach Ballroom.