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Snapshot: Follow the echoes of Tejano and conjunto music through the Eisenhauer Road Flea Market, past the T-shirts, perfumes, antiques, collectibles and record store, all the way back to the facade of an old-time saloon. There’s a family-friendly party going on inside the Redeye Saloon, where regulars dance to the fun Latin beat bathed in the glow of a disco ball and underneath dangling Christmas ornaments, which went up years ago and never came down.
Behind the bar: No doubt manager Paul Bowman and friendly bartender Leslie Zublionis will be serving up the cold beers, sodas, chips and smiles behind the small bar as fast as they can. Domestic beers cost $3; 50 cents more for imports. Happy hour runs from 3 to 4 p.m. with all beers $2.
Who goes there: A diverse, down-home group of regulars and Tejano/conjunto fans, including longtime fans Bebita “Baby” Loredo and her husband, Frank Loredo, who act as the unofficial welcoming committee. The Loredos and their family members and friends lead the Train Dance to the tune of “Folsom Prison Blues.” It’s not unusual to see children on the dance floor, too. The early hours keep things laid back.
Redeye Saloon
Address: 3903 Eisenhauer Road (inside the Eisenhauer Market Center)
Hours: 3-7 p.m. Sunday
Phone: 210-653-7592
Web: Facebook: Redeye Saloon
Cost/noise: Low/medium
Soundtrack: Live music every Sunday. It’s strictly Tejano and conjunto from the likes of young sensation Hunter Chavez and Max and Josh Baca of the Grammy-winning Los TexManiacs. All of it is played under the watchful eyes of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans cutouts above the stage, a replica of Willie Nelson’s first mugshot and a mannequin snow bunny. Those polkitas and cumbias can rock.
The skinny: This funky little beer joint oasis has been around for 20 years, and its vibe is untouched, thankfully, by modern trends. There is never a cover charge and the atmosphere is akin to a casual birthday party, ice house afternoon or a picnic at the conjunto festival. “It’s conjunto for the North Side,” said Frank Loredo. Bowman said a couple even got married there one Sunday. He gave them a deal. “You want to get married here?” Bowman said, recounting the request. “OK, no charge.”
Hector Saldaña
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