In Cahoots Dance Hall & Saloon in Mission Valley, San Diego, California

The city of San Diego has a place for everyone, even the dancy lovers of Texas-style Country Western bars. In Cahoots on Mission Center Road just north of the San Diego River may not store real unbroken horses in its stand alone building in Mission Valley, but it sure stocks a lot of cheap beer and Wild West nostalgia in its two stories that spending a few hours there with the line-dancing crowd of drawling blonds in cowboy boots and shirts can make you forget which state of the Union you are really in.... at least for a while.

It is quite easy to get to this place. There is plenty of free parking, and it is only a couple of blocks worth of a short hike from the Mission Valley Center trolley station. I'm afraid there doesn't seem to be any bus passing that way at the moment, though (the bus stops lining that stretch of Mission Center Rd aren't showing any route number now). It is a large bar with the lower level being dedicated to line dancing, while the top houses the main bar and pool tables.... Along with a big patio where you can emerge to restock your lungs with some fresh-ish (you're still in the city of San Diego, after all) air. There is no smoking in bars these days, of course (it's against the law!).

The line to get to this place can be quite long, so it is advisable to arrive early. A lot of people come here just for the country western line dancing (they even give you free lessons on that here). It usually costs $8 cover-fee to get in the door, though if you arrive by 6:30PM you can get in for $6. The expressive fun-lovers among us can also drop in on Tuesdays (AKA no-cover-fee day) to sing karaoke with the many semi-tone-deaf (though you can blame much of that on the $2.50 beer, I suppose) song birds that flock to this place. Nobody will give you a rough time for it if your version of the honky tonk tune don't sound much like what it should... After all, you're all in cahoots with each other!

Non dancers who can't sing (me, for example, I'm a load of fun, aren't I?) can always turn to bar and the food for comfort... especially when dropping in on no-cover Tuesdays or before 6:30. Food is served here until 9 (though the bar, with its $2.50 beer, is open all night). Food is what you'd find at a ranch-style bar... for very cheap! Why waste a few buck on a burger when you can have a real steak and fries for $6.50? The servers are nice and attentive and there are plenty of TV monitors around to watch (usually turned to one of the sport channels or the In Cahoots country western one). The only catch, I suppose, is that they only take cash here.

Click here for a peak at the menu.

So, if you are one of those misplaced line-dancing Faith Hill-loving cowboys who are feeling lost in surf-obsessed San Diego, you now know the place to go to regain your sense of identity. In Cahoots in Mission Valley, or, as I call it, rowdy Texas in two stories!

In Cahoots Dance Hall & Saloon: 5373 Mission Center Rd (), San Diego, CA 92108-1301 Tel (619) 291-8635.
Hours: 5PM - 1:30AM daily
Cover: $8 ($6 if arrived by 6:30 and take the free line dancing lesson), free on Tuesdays.
Website: www.incahoots.com