Legendary Locations: Part 2

We posted Legendary Locations PART 1 yesterday about some of the legendary locations that have shown up in Texas Music songs over the years and asked you guys which ones we may have forgotten. And man, did y'all ever come through with an amazing list of suggestions in the comments section across our social channels. Below is part 2 and an accompanying playlist for all of it. This project has turned into equal parts Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and Texas Country Reporter. Enjoy!

1. La Salle Hotel – Bryan, TX

“You can get them at the LaSalle Hotel in old downtown...” – Robert Earl Keen “Front Porch Song” This historic 1928 hotel is where Aggie small town charm meets Texas storytelling. Keen turned this Bryan stopover into a historical monument of sorts with his ode to their enchiladas and vibe. 2. Baker Hotel - Mineral Wells, TX "You ain't nothing but a chicken until you make it to the top of the Baker Hotel..." - William Clark Green "Baker Hotel" Once dubbed a luxury spa-hotel, now famously haunted, the crumbling Baker adds depth to Green’s reflective lament.

3. Devil's Backbone Tavern - Fischer, TX "Her heart was warm and her beer was cold..." - Todd Snider - "Ballad of Devil's Backbone Tavern" A Hill Country dive since 1937, its bank-vaulted stone walls and dollar-strewn ceiling form the perfect frame for Snider’s witty slice of life storytelling. In recent years it's undergone an extensive renovation and rejuvenation at the hands of singer/songwriter Robyn Ludwick.

4. Arkey Blue's - Bandera, TX "Standing there on Main Street across from Mr. Blue's..." - Robert Earl Keen - "Feelin' Good Again" Tucked beneath the Bandera General Store, Arkey Blue’s Silver Dollar is one of Texas’ oldest continuously operating honky-tonks. Since the 1960s, it’s been a live music landmark where legends like Willie and Ray Price have graced the stage. Its legacy was cemented when REK ambled in on a late winter evening.

5. Golden Light Cafe - Amarillo, TX "And tonight we're riding up to Amarillo for a one night stand at the Golden Light Cafe..." - Silverada- "Smoke Em If You Got Em" Golden Light Cafe has been firing up burgers and cold beers along historic Route 66 in Amarillo since 1946. With its dive bar charm, live music cantina, and green chile cheeseburgers, it’s a beloved local hangout that perfectly captures small‑town Americana and Texas Music.

6. Riley's Tavern - Hunter, TX "I'm taking Hunter Road, out by Riley's Tavern where my liquor loved to flow..." - Jason Boland "Comal County Blue"

Sanctioned as the first post-Prohibition bar in Texas, its creaky floors and chipped walls are full of tales that extend far beyond Boland's bourbon bashing days.

7. Continental Cowboy - Waco, TX "Well I wound up in Waco with a weekly at the Continental Cowboy..." - Josh Grider - "Long Way From Las Cruces" Now known as Oakley's, this venerable Waco haunt was known for nickel beer nights and not always checking the IDs very close. Grider learned that as a Baylor undergrad in his college band. They were paid in cheap beer and life experiences. Both things can still be found there.

8. Floore's Country Store - Helotes, TX "Drove out to Helotes, Floore's Country Store is out Hwy 16, we heard Robert Keen..." - Lyle Lovett - "San Antonio Girl" Floore’s Country Store has been rocking the Texas Hill Country since 1942, when it opened as a dancehall just outside San Antonio, not a store at all. Made infamous by Willie Nelson's ode to its namesake, it’s hosted legends from Hank Williams to Elvis and still serves up cold beers, famous tamales, live music.

8. The Blue Light - Lubbock, TX "So I stumbled in The Blue Light for a shot or two or three... - William Clark Green - "Whole Lotta Lubbock" A landmark music venue in Lubbock that has served as both a proving ground and homebase for the biggest names to come through the scene. Wade Bowen, Josh Abbott, Cleto Cordero among other stalwarts call this place home. William Clark Green also cut his teeth on its revered stage and paid homage in his song about his Lubbock days.

9. Cain's Ballroom- Tulsa, OK "Well I left my heart in Tulsa on the corner of Easton and Main, on the Cain's Ballroom floor, soaking up cheap champagne..." - Turnpike Troubadours - "Easton and Main"

Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa has been a cornerstone of American music since the 1930s—first as the home of Bob Wills and Western Swing, later hosting everyone from the Sex Pistols to modern-day troubadours. With its spring-loaded dancefloor and rich history, it’s one of the most iconic venues in the country. Turnpike paid proper tribute to its hold on the culture with "Easton and Main".

10. Fritz's Muffler Shop- San Marcos, TX "He ran out of money at an east bound truck stop...he found work there at Fritz's Muffler Shop..." - Randy Rogers Band - "Tommy Jackson" Rogers turns this nondescript auto repair house into an infamous locale using the character names of Pam and Tommy right around the time of the Lee's sex tape escapade and doing his best to write a murderous ballad about a modern Bonnie and Clyde on the run. 11. Mother Blues - Dallas, TX "It was 20 years ago I ended up marrying, that Mother Blues door girl... " - Ray Wylie Hubbard - "Mother Blues" Mother Blues was Dallas's electrifying rock & blues heartbeat in the 1970s into the 80s. It was housed in a converted Oak Lawn house that welcomed legends like Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Freddie King. Ray Wylie Hubbard played there quite a bit and has lots of great stories including being duped into covering a gig for Townes Van Zandt. But, the best thing he found there was the door girl that would become his wife. 12. It'll Do Motel - Clarendon, TX "They crossed the stateline, doing 95...stayed in the It'll Do Motel..." - Cooder Graw - "State Line" Cooder Graw immortalized this seedy pay by the hour roadside motel in their song "State Line" about some starcrossed lovers who needed a place to hideout and make some bad decisions. It should be no surprise that this 1 star motel has gone the way of that love affair.

13. Ma Crosby's - Acuna, MEX "In a bar in Acuna called Ma Crosby's, I found myself not feeling any pain..." - George Strait - "Blame it On Mexico" Ma Crosby’s in Acuna opened 1923 is the legendary border cantina immortalized in George Strait’s “Blame It on Mexico.” With vintage tile floors, original barstools, killer margaritas, and a century of cross border stories, it’s a Texas, and Mexico icon. 14. Texas Commerce Bank - San Antonio, TX "Well, Jackie, he got married, but his ends they wouldn't meet...his wife worked at the Texas Commerce Bank just up the street..." - Charlie Robison - "Desperate Times" A run of the mill corner bank made lyrical by Robison’s weary narrator. He turns boring finance mundanity into steely symbols of personal crossroads.

15. Billy Bob's - Fort Worth, TX "If you're on the chase, I know the place, William Roberts will surely suffice..." - Casey Donahew - "Stockyards" In Casey Donahew’s “Stockyards,” “William Roberts” is a nod to the world’s largest honky-tonk. A place where cowboys, hellraisers, tourists and music fans converge under neon lights.

16. Gruene Hall - New Braunfels, TX "We'll be stomping to a beat at the ol' Gruene Hall..." - Shane Smith and the Saints - "Lord, Bury Me in Texas" Gruene Hall is the oldest continually operating dance hall in Texas. It's simply iconic. The Saints pay tribute to its legend (and wobbly floor/rafters).

17. El Arroyo - Austin, TX "We'll go down to El Arroyo, have some tacos and beer and let ourselves go..." - Pat Green - "Carry On" More than a classic Tex‑Mex spot, El Arroyo’s iconic marquee sayings made it a landmark. But, it's vibe carries over to the optimism in Green’s tune.

18. Dry Creek - Austin, TX "Just a way down Mount Bonnell Road, there's a little place where the beer is cold...Dry Creek Cafe and Dock..." - Owen Temple - "Dry Creek" Dry Creek Cafe and Dock was a dive bar perched on Mount Bonnell Road. Cash only, jukebox infused vibe, complete with a rickety deck overlooking the hills. It closed in late 2021, but remains an emblem of old school Austin.

19. White Water Tavern - Little Rock, AR "Well first time that I saw her, down at the Whitewater..." - American Aquarium - "Rattlesnake" Esquire magazine once dubbed it one of America’s top bars. Once. Its upstairs pool room is covered in graffiti, the PBR is cheap, and its stage has hosted icons from Ray Wylie Hubbard to Levon Helm. BJ Barham met a girl here that tortured him and put it to song.

20. Papa Joe's - Lorena, TX "South of Waco at the place called Papa Joe's..." - Whitey Morgan - "Where Do You Want It?" As divey as a bar can get in the best way. This I35 stop became infamous when Billy Joe Shaver shot a man in the face there. The man survied, the legend grew. Whitey Morgan wrote a song about it all. And the bar has endured to become a respectable music venue where artists such as Kayla Ray host residencies.

21. Robert's Western World - Nashville, TN "You get a day to come down, we'll ride to Robert's in the afternoon." - Jason Isbell - "Ride to Robert's" Robert’s Western World is a Nashville honky-tonk institution—cold beer, fried bologna sandwiches, and nonstop country music just steps from the Ryman. It's where neon lights meet steel guitar, and legends are both born and remembered. It's one of the last bastions of non commercialized pop star licensing gone awry on the rest of Broadway. Isbell nails the vibe. 22. Belmont Hotel - Dallas, TX The entire Room 41 album from Paul Cauthen The Belmont Hotel in Dallas isn’t just where Paul Cauthen crashed, it’s where he unraveled...then rebuilt. Room 41 became both the title and the backdrop for his raw, soul-soaked album, capturing the heartbreak and redemption that played out inside its retro walls.

23. Wanna Wanna Bar - South Padre Island, TX "But he's stuck at Wanna Wanna the beachfront bar, sipping on Coke and rum..." - Owen Temple - "Wanna Wanna Bar" Wanna Wanna Bar is a longstanding beachside hangout on South Padre Island that captures the laid-back vibe of third coast indulgence. Owen Temple paints a portrait of the neerdowells and regulars. Roger Creager would later cover the song. The bar still stands. 24. The Blue Door - Oklahoma City, OK "I'm standing outside of the Blue Door, too tired to sleep too drunk for more..." - Hayes Carll - "Bad Liver and a Broken Heart" The Blue Door in Oklahoma City is a legendary live music spot known for its small, intimate vibe and larger than life lineup of singer-songwriters. Hayes Carll had a gig there at the end of a hard run and turned his weariness into an unforgettable tribute to the venue itself. 25. The Menger Hotel - San Antonio, TX "Stories of the Menger Hotel and the Alamo...you remember the Alamo!" - Gary P. Nunn - "What I Like About Texas"

The Menger Hotel in San Antonio is a Texas legend—old as the hills and packed with stories. Right by the Alamo, it’s where Teddy Roosevelt picked his Rough Riders and where history feels alive over a cold beer. It's supposedly haunted and lives on forever in Gary P's song.