The Bar Thread: Shorty’s

In the outskirts of Boise, at 5467 Glenwood, you can find Shorty’s Country Western Saloon. Shorty’s was originally opened in 1984 and has changed its name and been under different ownership several times during its reign as a prominent country saloon. Despite the changes, the crowd at Shorty’s has not changed and the bar has maintained its clientele, who prefer the atmosphere of Shorty’s to anywhere else.

“The best thing about Shorty’s is the comradery. Everyone knows where it is. The name has changed a couple of times but people still come here,” Linda Martin-Layne, Shorty’s owner, said.

With an outside appearance of a trading post built from redwood, the boot cleaner in front of the doors and bingo next-door, newcomers are left not knowing what to expect before entering the bar. Inside the doors, there is a large bar room of more than 11,000 square feet with two bars, a beer bar for larger events, two stages, a dance floor, four pool tables, a juke box, a dart board, pinball machines and the infamous presence of the video game Golden Tee that manages to be found at almost every bar around town. One thing that can be left to admire about Shorty’s is that it actually has clean bathrooms, which is, unfortunately, excessively hard to find in the bars in Boise.

Along with these furnishings that are, for the most part standard at most bars, Shorty’s persona maintains a rustic appearance appropriate to a saloon. With scenery of horse harnesses, ropes and other such ranch hardware, antlers and road signs with statements like “Gun Club Road” there is no doubt that patrons will feel like they’re truly in the west while at Shorty’s.

The common BSU student may feel a bit overwhelmed by the immense population of authentic cowboys and country-folk. The wardrobe at Shorty’s is essentially a Carhartt heaven with everything from cowboy boots to hiking boots, genuine trucker hats to camouflage hunting hats, Dickey’s to Wranglers and from Western styled halter tops to flannel shirts.

The persona of the patrons at Shorty’s doesn’t stop with the basic fashion of the West. It goes as far as to accommodate thick beards, turquoise and anything and everything to do with whiskey.

For inebriation purposes, Shorty’s has the offerings of a full bar, happy hour from 4-7 p.m. and daily drink specials. On Sundays, Shorty’s starts breakfast at 10 a.m. with $3 build your own bloody Mary’s and $2 mimosas. On Mondays, Shorty’s offers $1 Budweiser and Bud Light.

During the summer when there are rodeos, horse races and other such Western events, Shorty’s has Lady’s Night, and there is no cover for ladies to come in for the after party.

On Wednesday, you can be “Drinkin’ with Lincoln,” with $5, all-you-can-drink domestic drafts. On Thursday, all bottled beer, or what they term longnecks, are $1.50 and they play country music videos on the projection screen that’s behind the dance floor.

“Whatever gets the cowboys up to dance is what we try to play,” Mike Storac said.

On Fridays and Saturdays, the Pinto Bennet Trio plays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The band is a fresh taste of country music with songs ranging from love ballads to upbeat tales of love’s shortcomings to classically composed music with a hint of country.

“Beer’s beer . I can drink beer anywhere. I come here to see Pinto, I’ve been seeing him for 30 years. He’s a great singer/songwriter,” Randy Harney, a patron of Shorty’s, said.

If you’re getting tired of the downtown scene and want to do your drinking in a new atmosphere, Shorty’s is a safe bet. While you may find that that you don’t completely fit in with all of the proud country people, you can easily suppress your nervousness or conservativism with the bountiful supply of alcohol. Just remember: this bar is some ways from campus, so make sure to plan for a designated driver, or get a cab.

MAT LA RUE
Culture Writer

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