Kuna Nightlife

Kuna is growing, mostly with homes. A few businesses are popping up, but not so many. Since most folks work in Meridian or Boise, I guess they shop there before driving home.

A guy I know only as Larry is pretty busy, however. I've been told he used to be Kuna's mayor, and that he is/was a realtor. I think he's involved with a Sandstone Farms (I see Sandstone Farms asparagus in Albertsons), and he is the owner of the new Cowgirls bar. Someone, I think Larry, is also building a Peregrine Steakhouse and an adjoining Creekside Lounge, right behind Cowgirls.

More on this, and a review of Cowgirls, on the flip.The Peregrine and the Creekside are two sides of the same new building. It looks like an attempt to avoid the law limiting smoking in places that serve food, because they are clearly just one place. It looks kind of like an upscale bar and restaurant, which Kuna could really use because the three older bars are small town regulars places and the one restaurant, Ben's, is also very small town and uninspired. Ben's main culinary thrust seems to give huge portions. Ben's motto: "Our food is bad but we give you plenty of it."

Cowgirls Saloon and Tequileria started out as a "Coyote Ugly" type of place, complete with a pole and straps above the bar so people (I've only seen woomen do it but there are pix of guys on the bar on the website) can dance on the bar. They turn on a flashing light when it's bar dancing time.

Much of the time Cowgirls is pretty tame, especially early. It draws a pretty late crowd Thur - Sunday. Dead at 8pm, waking up at 9pm, picking up steam by 10pm and after that I usually leave.

I went in last night, Thursday, to recon the Kuna Days festivities. I stayed for maybe an hour 9:30 - 10:30 and saw the usual pattern. Pretty young crowd. One thing I like; lots of bouncers keeping things in control. The bouncers also circulate and clean bottles and glasses off the tables, which is smart because it makes the place look cleaner, and because if a fight break out, there won't be a lot of bottles available to be broken over heads.

What I don't like is the music. I'm fine with the country they play, but OMG they play it loud. I friend came from Seattle, formerly from Emmett, and he wanted to check the place out. We were standing there just people watching - music was too loud to talk - and the bar dancing light started to flash, at which point they turned the music noticably, painfully, louder. We left immediately, and the next morning my ears were still ringing. On the way out I saw Larry and told him why we were leaving, and he seemed concerned and headed for the DJ. Maybe they turned it down.

Last night they weren't playing country. The played continuous dance mix, no singing, just a thumping base line covered with various techno and instrumentals. Crowd seemed to like it.

Usually the Gallo Giro has a truck/van out of which they serve their excellent Mexican food in the Cowgirls parking lot.