Mechanical bulls, neon cowboys and country tunes – Rowdy Ranch rides into Surfers Paradise
Country is well and truly having a moment. Cowboy boots are back on festival stages, line dancing has reclaimed dance floors and Nashville-style bars are popping up in cities across the globe. Surfers Paradise has now joined the rodeo with the arrival of Rowdy Ranch Steakhouse, a honky-tonk bar and restaurant that has taken over the former The Avenue site with a healthy dose of Western flair.
Step through the doors and it quickly becomes clear that subtlety isn’t part of the brief at Rowdy Ranch Steakhouse. Timber walls are layered with vintage licence plates, neon slogans glow in every corner and Coors bunting zig-zags overhead like a rodeo afterparty. Signs flashing phrases like ‘Save a horse, ride a cowboy’ and ‘Should’ve been a cowboy’ set the tone, while a mechanical bull planted squarely in the middle of the room waits patiently for anyone feeling brave (or perhaps overconfident after a couple of drinks). The soundtrack is wall-to-wall country, naturally.
Rowdy Ranch bills itself as a honky-tonk steakhouse, and the menu sticks closely to that promise. This is big, hearty, unapologetically indulgent fare – the sort of food designed to accompany cold beers, loud music and long nights. Burgers arrive stacked high, steaks come sizzling off the grill and sides lean firmly into American comfort territory.
The undisputed showstopper, however, is the tomahawk. It’s the kind of steak that commands attention the moment it lands on the table – a hulking, bone-in cut that is guaranteed to get the meat sweats going. For those chasing something other than a food coma, the menu still covers all the steakhouse essentials including saucy wings, schnitzels and crisp Southern fried chicken with creamy ranch ‘n’ buffalo sauce for dunking.
Behind the bar, the drinks list keeps the good-times spirit rolling with a mix of easygoing cocktails, beers on tap and classic pub pours that suit the setting.
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While the food and drinks certainly hold their own, atmosphere is the real draw here. Rowdy Ranch feels less like a restaurant and more like a full-blown night out, even if it is only midday. Live music regularly fills the room with country covers and crowd favourites, while Tuesday nights are reserved for line dancing, when the dance floor becomes a swirl of denim, boots and enthusiastic two-stepping.
Then there’s the mechanical bull. Equal parts entertainment and rite of passage, it’s quickly become the venue’s unofficial mascot, daring patrons to climb aboard and see how long they can last before gravity wins. And make no mistake, gravity always wins.
Between the neon lights, the country soundtrack and the mechanical bull bucking in the background, Rowdy Ranch isn’t going for understated. Instead, it embraces the big, slightly chaotic energy that Surfers Paradise has always thrived on. And if that energy happens to involve a tomahawk steak, a cold beer and a slightly questionable attempt at line dancing, well, that’s all part of the experience.
Head to The Directory for opening times.
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