Ever felt like the one thing Clarendon has been missing is a mechanical bull? Well, it’s missing no more.
Country-western bar BOE (short for the Bodacious Experience), which opens Sept. 25, boasts the only mechanical bull within a 40-mile radius, according to general manager Justin Snyder. It’s the latest concept to fill the space that until recently was home to Coco B’s (and before, that, one half of Whitlow’s on Wilson) at 2854 Wilson Boulevard.
Arlington’s Metro Orange Line corridor has no shortage of bars catering to young professionals, but none with a honky-tonk spirit, until now. “There isn’t really any concept like this,” Snyder says. “We really wanted to have a Nashville vibe.”
The “we” he’s referring to is an ownership group that with more than two decades of industry experience that includes Anoosh Jahanian and Walid Karim. (OK, we’ll say it: This isn’t their first rodeo.)
Hold On To Your (Cowboy) Hat
The place—and its centerpiece attraction—are named after Bodacious, a real-life bull with a rep for being the world’s most dangerous. The country-western theme is further reinforced in design elements such faux cowhide seating, a leather bar and rodeo murals by D.C.-based artist Shawn Perkins.
During a soft opening Sept. 19 and 20, “we had a line around the corner” to get in, Snyder says, and “we had a line for the bull the whole time.”
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To ride the mechanical bovine, guests can expect to pay around $5 (the exact cost is still being determined) and sign a waiver. A hostess reviews safety practices “then guides them into the pen and gets them up on the bull,” Snyder says. Ride time is one minute for those who manage to hang on.
Coming soon, according to the bar’s calendar, are Cowgirl Tuesdays, when drinks are half-price and bull rides are free, and Whiskey Wednesday game nights. Bull-riding competitions and line dancing classes may be added down the road, Snyder says.
Country Cookin’
BOE’s country theme extends to bar snacks such as hot honey chicken bites and fried chicken biscuits. Steak-and-cheese egg rolls and four kinds of panini, including a Cowboy Cuban made with pulled pork, ham and Swiss cheese, have also been popular.
Brave souls who take the bull for a spin are rewarded with complimentary chips and salsa, Snyder says.
For those in need of liquid courage, there are signature cocktails like the Bucking Bronco, a twist on a whiskey sour. The Rodeo Queen is fruitier, made with peach vodka, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, strawberry purée, simple syrup and soda water.
During happy hours Tuesday-Friday, 5-7 p.m., select beers are $3, while rails, shots and some cocktails are $5. Patrons can purchase a keepsake “boot mug” to refill any time.
For sports fans, BOE has 14 TVs ready for football season and plans to offer deals on canned beer and beer buckets during games.
A Twangy Tiki Bar
Like its predecessors, BOE is making the most of the building’s 3,800-square-foot rooftop bar, weaving country elements into the existing tiki-style setup. Cowboy hats now adorn murals by local artists Mike Pacheco and Rodrigo Padel for a country-meets-tropical theme.
The fruit-forward cocktail menu includes favs like rum runners and mojitos. A shareable Pink Flamingo Bucket finds coconut rum, pineapple, mango, cranberry juice, passionfruit, fresh lime and lemon-lime soda, all served in a fresh pineapple.