Saddle up! The Canyon Cowboy Saloon is coming to Canyon Lake

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Saddle up! The Canyon Cowboy Saloon will open in Canyon Lake Dec. 1. Owners Ken and Brandie Newman are rolling out the red carpet for the grand opening that will feature dinner, drinks, DJ, dancing, giveaways and a 9:30 p.m. performance by Young Guns. Doors open at 6 p.m. The atmosphere is family-friendly, however, after 9 p.m. only those 21-years-old and older are allowed.

The country restaurant and entertainment venue offers live music, southern-style food and craft cocktails. The menu is focused on comfort foods, shared appetizers and made from scratch signature entrees. Meals are made fresh with local ingredients directly from farm to table. Fried steak and chicken, gourmet burgers and seafood plates are some of the items on the menu. The prices are comparable to those at other local restaurants.

If you’re not hungry, you can saddle up to one of 36 stools at the bar and enjoy a craft cocktail, one of 20 draft beers, moonshine or a glass of wine. Non-alcoholic drinks on the menu include house-made lemonade, fountain drinks, iced tea and aqua frescas.

The Canyon Cowboy Saloon will provide guests with entertainment seven days a week. Entertainment ranges from live musical performances, comedy shows and karaoke to line dancing lessons, mechanical bull riding and open mic nights. Beer and wine tastings are also planned.

Brandie is passionate about live music and said she wanted to create an entertainment venue like no other in the area, so the couple spent $100,000 to build an impressive stage equipped with state of the art sound system and concert-style lighting. “We wanted a small, up close and personal stage but with the ‘wow’ factor,” said Brandie.

A VIP table is located on the side of the stage, providing an up close and personal experience. The table comes with a personal waitress. VIP cardholders get first option of reserving the table.

Ken and Brandie have been working on The Canyon Cowboy Saloon for two of the three years they’ve resided in Canyon Lake. Ken, the owner of one of the largest recycled aggregate materials producer in California, and Brandie, a former radio host, moved to Canyon Lake from Los Angeles to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. They also wanted to live in a city that would be better suited for life with kids. The couple instantly fell in love with Canyon Lake. “We loved that there are parks throughout the community for the kids, the school is nearby, we can drive our golf cart to the grocery store, we can enjoy water sports and so much more,” said Brandy.

During a night out with some longtime residents, the conversation led to the abandoned space of the former Lake House in the Towne Center. The couple thought it would be the perfect space for something new. Brandie, born in the South, loved the idea of bringing southern hospitality, comfort food and country music to Canyon Lake.

Ken’s best friend Jon Wynott recently invested in the establishment and became a business partner. “After a year of frequent visits to Canyon Lake, Jon decided to take the plunge and join us in paradise. He moved here six months ago and we were right in the middle of construction on The Canyon Cowboy. Jon saw the potential and our excitement for the business, so he decided to invest and become a partner,” explained Brandie.

The Canyon Cowboy Saloon will feature acoustic acts during dinner and live musical acts, ranging from country to classic rock to country rock and 80s type music, on the weekends. There is no cover charge or ticket fees to see the shows. “We may charge a cover fee down the road,” said Brandie. “For now, we want the community to enjoy the shows for free.”

The upcoming line up of musical acts begins with Young Guns on opening night, followed by a performance by the Scotty Mac Band on Dec. 2. The Scotty Mac Band is a five-piece, high energy, contemporary country band that covers all of today’s top county hits along with many original songs. The band has performed at major country music festivals and opened for national touring country artists such as Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Chris Young and Rascal Flatts.

Singer-songwriter Maddie Leigh, a world-class yodeler and one of country music’s hottest rising stars, will perform on Dec. 7. Maddie won several awards in the West Coast Country Music Association Music Awards, including Female Entertainer of the Year. She’s played at many venues throughout southern California and Nashville and, in August 2017, opened the Oregon Jamboree Festival for Tucker Beathard and Jason Aldean.

The Trip will take the stage on Dec 8. The Trip, based out of Orange County, is a high energy cover rock band. They take their audience on a fun-filled musical journey through the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, as well as today’s Top 40 and rock hits. The band has won multiple “Top Rock Cover Band” awards and were voted best cover band by CBS.

The Rye Brothers are scheduled to perform on Dec. 14. The Los Angeles based country quartet mixes contemporary country music and rock and roll guitar driven songs.

Redwood Black will perform on Dec. 15. Based in Los Angeles, their sound combines the richness an depth of California’s country music heritage and a rock/pop edge that comes from being immersed in the Los Angeles music scene.

For a sing-along, clap-along, drink-along good time, stop by The Canyon Cowboy Saloon on Dec. 21 to see a performance by the ever popular Dueling Pianos. These performers will put a smile on your face and feet on the dance floor. Their musical repertoire ranges from classic rock to country, hard rock to R&B and show tunes to top 40.

Kicking off the new year will be Total Request Live Karaoke on Jan. 4. “This is not your average karaoke. A full five-piece band will play the song you choose,” said Brandie. “You can be a rock star for the night.”

Redneck Rodeo, a band based out of Orange County, will perform on Jan 6. They will bring a tightly tuned mix of favorite classic country, dancing numbers, drinking songs and today’s best country hits.

The Canyon Cowboy Saloon is accepting band referrals. “We want the community to let us know what type of entertainment they’d like to see,” said Brandie. “We are open to all ideas.” The establishment is also accepting applications for all positions. To submit a band referral or application, email brandie@thecanyoncowboy.com.

A limited number of VIP cards are available for $500 each. VIP cardholders receive two tickets to the grand opening, 20 percent off food orders for entire party for life, advance tickets sales, no cover charges, reservations, Canyon Cowboy T-shirt and admission to exclusive wine tasting dinners, private parties and more.

The Canyon Cowboy Saloon is open Monday through Thursday 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. Brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the weekend. Reservations are accepted for parties of eight or more. Reservations for parties less than eight are accepted for VIP cardholders.

Text CanyonCowboy (one word) to 39492 to receive updates, coupons and information on special events. For more information, visit The Canyon Cowboy Facebook page or website at thecanyoncowboy.com.