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El Honky Tonk will open May 13 at 316 N. Flores St.

El Honky Tonk will open May 13 at 316 N. Flores St.

Downtown San Antonio will soon have a new spot to swing your partner round and round. A new “urban cowboy” bar and restaurant dubbed El Honky Tonk is set to open May 13 near the Frost Tower and Legacy Park.

Co-owner James Gonzaba Jr. said he envisions the spot as one where patrons can enjoy a cold beer or mixed drink while Willie and Waylon croon over the speaker system. Gonzaba’s father, James Gonzaba Sr., will be the force behind the establishment’s restaurant operation, which will also offer catering services under the banner of Big James’s Chow House. The Gonzabas are joined by family member Richard Bocanegra as a fellow co-owner.

While El Honky Tonk is rooted in classic country music, Gonzaba Jr. said the spot will separate itself from other country bars in the area by celebrating his family’s Mexican American roots. While Hank Jr. may be on the stereo, it’s a photo of the late, iconic Mexican troubadour Vicente Fernández that hangs on the wall.

“Being Mexican Americans opening a country bar, we wanted throw a little mariachi feel into it. That’s where the ‘El’ in El Honky Tonk came from,” Gonzaba Jr. said.

El Honky Tonk will open May 13 at 316 N. Flores St.

Gonzaba Jr. said the bar will focus primarily on beer and quick-serve mixed drinks. While there won’t be a dedicated menu of craft cocktails, he said they will serve a few prebatched libations with a more upscale feel.

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“We have some stuff up our sleeve as far as a cocktail or two goes, but we’re really trying to keep to the fundamentals of bartending. Whiskey, tequila, beer,” Gonzaba Jr. said.

As for food, Gonzaba Sr. said the restaurant side of the business will mainly be targeted towards the downtown lunch crowd with a selection of sandwiches with chicken mole or chopped brisket and a classic Cuban sandwich in addition to several salad options. At night, the menu will feature charcuterie boards with a selection of meats, cheeses and pretzels.

El Honky Tonk will also be a bastion for up-and-coming country artists with regular open-mic nights in addition to a house band performing weekly on the venue’s stage. The space has plenty of room for patrons who feel compelled to do a little Boot Scootin’ Boogie, Gonzaba Jr. said.

El Honky Tonk will open May 13 at 316 N. Flores St.

It likely will be hard to miss El Honky Tonk’s presence online. The bar features a neon likeness of actor Val Kilmer in his iconic role as Doc Holliday in the epic 1993 western “Tombstone” along with his memorable catchphrase, “I’m Your Huckleberry.” The sign already has drawn in curious potential future customers, and almost certainly will become a must-have Instagram selfie backdrop for locals and tourists alike.

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“We watch the movie religiously,” Gonzaba Jr. said. “We wanted to give people something that’s fun and eye-catching.”

El Honky Tonk, 316 N. Flores St., 210-883-6297, elhonkytonk.com, Instagram: elhonkytonk. Hours: 11-1 a.m. daily

pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen

Paul Stephen moved to San Antonio from North Carolina in 2017 to join the Express-News Taste team. In that time, he's cooked through about 1,000 recipes, noshed at more than 200 restaurants and seriously considered getting a map of the city's grocery stores tattooed on his arm for easy reference. He cannot be trusted around your cookbook collection.