Text size:

Where the urban cowboys roam

By Alina Soler | Special to amNewYork

Riding the bull at Johnny Utah (Bruce Gilbert/Newsday)

As a guitar-playing, tighty-whitey wearing Times Square regular, the Naked Cowboy may seem out of his mind. But the truth is, he's definitely on to something -- it's fun to be a New York cowboy. Thanks to a number of Western-themed watering holes, city slickers can kick back, tame a mechanical bull and two-step their way to their inner cowboy.

Johnny Utah's Up until Johnny Utah's opening last year, New York City bars were mechanical bull-less. Now, Midtown's beast starts bucking nightly at 9 p.m., beckoning the brave and the shameless to test if they are "tough enough to ride for eight seconds." Those not trying their luck at riding challenges for prizes can enjoy the upscale southwestern cuisine in the dining room, modeled after an old western mining shaft with traditional saloon accents. (25 W. 51st St.; 212-265-UTAH; johnnyutahs.com)

Mason Dixon The Lower East Side's answer to Johnny Utah's is Mason Dixon, a slightly rougher-around-the-edges wooden den with a burly bovine of its own. From 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., bull rides are $10 a pop for those who dare; watching folks get tossed about the red-cushioned ring is priceless. The bar boasts a wide selection of Kentucky Bourbon, while the kitchen serves up Southern cooking for the discerning New York palate with dishes like shrimp and cilantro risotto and BBQ pork dumplings in honey mustard sauce. (133 Essex St.; 212-260-4100; www.masondixonnyc.com)

Rodeo Bar The self-proclaimed "longest-running honky-tonk" in the city multi-level bar and grill features live country music every night, free of cover charge. At the bar, built out of a horse trailer, guests can enjoy hard-to-find brews like Lone Star and Negra Modelo by the bottle or one of their top-notch margaritas. There are 11 different flavors to choose from, including lime, raspberry, melon and prickly pear. Their Texas-style BBQ menu provides southwestern staples like Texas Beef and Bean Chili or their fried chicken with "kick ass cream gravy." (375 3rd Ave.; 212-683-6500; www.rodeobar.com)

Doc Holliday's Like the real Doc Holliday, a tough gambling and gun-fighting outlaw of the Old Wild West, this no-frills neighborhood dive bar means business. That is, if you're in the business of getting blitzed off of cheap drinks while rocking out to a country-filled jukebox. Where the East Village meets the West, saucy barmaids keep the booze flowing during their 'buy one, get one free' happy hour when they're not two-stepping on the bar, of course. (141 Avenue A; 212-979-0312; www.dochollidaybar.com)