Ian Munsick’s Cowboy Bar Opens In Deadwood With A Packed House

I've had some pretty cool opportunities working in this crazy business, but being onsite and broadcasting for the grand opening of Ian Munsick's Cowboy Bar & Western Grill is definitely near the top of the list. Deadwood buzzed all weekend, and I'm confident the new bar & grill caused it.

If you ever wondered whether Ian Munsick had fans, this weekend confirmed it. On Friday, a line formed in front of the building at 8 a.m. By the time the doors opened at 11, the line was at least two blocks long and stayed that way for hours. Then, when they closed at 6, everyone packed into Outlaw Square for Ian's Deadwood Jam concert.

I had the chance to talk with some Deadwood locals who repeatedly said that they've seen lots of things come to town that have caused a commotion, but they had never seen a line to get into a location before. They were amazed at the response and outpouring of support from so many people.

I also spent a lot of time chatting with Gerard Keating, managing partner of the Landmark Hotel & Casino and one of the driving forces behind the Cowboy Bar & Western Grill, and he was on cloud 9 all day. You could tell he was amazed by the turnout, too.

The entire day was filled with great food from the menu, cold beer, good vibes, and great live music. Crown Royal was giving out free hats with a custom patch to commemorate the day. Coors was giving away free swag. Shaefer Outfitter had Ian's new clothing line items for sale. A merch booth sold Ian swag, and everywhere you looked, you thought you saw Ian because the servers with long hair styled it like one of Ian's classic looks.

Drew Kirby, Townsquare Media

The menu is very much influenced by Ian and his wife, Caroline, with items like fried okra, pork rinds, and fried green tomatoes for appetizers. Ian's Smash burger, Tatanka Indian tacos, Cowboy chili, Cowboy Killer chicken & waffles, steaks, and a full homemade dessert menu. Everything is made from scratch and is phenomenal.

The bar's decor inside is 100% Ian Munsick-inspired. Even though it's located in South Dakota, Ian wouldn't leave out Wyoming when decorating. The bar features a stage, an autographed Josh Allen Jersey, a photo booth, song lyric-inspired murals, and other fun memorabilia on the walls.

Then, when you step out the back doors, you're greeted by the Mountain Goat Stage, with live music, picnic tables, a bar, and room for everyone to hang out.

Wyoming artist Ryan Charles hosted the outdoor stage, which had a new singer, songwriter, duo, or group every 30 minutes. Ian even hopped on stage for a few songs, once with songwriters Jeremy Spillman and Michael Robinson, and once with The Munsick Boys. Of course, that's his dad, David, and brothers Tris and Sam.

So many people worked hard behind the scenes, including Caroline, to make the day seem flawless. Even with a line for most of the day, the staff did a great job keeping everything moving.

If you weren't there this weekend, you missed a great time. Plan to stop in for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next time you're in Deadwood. They open at 7 a.m. for breakfast, and close at 2 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday (during the less busy times), 12 a.m. on Wednesday and Sunday, and 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Here's a video of a tour Ian gave. Check it out.