The Iron Horse

Termed by some as a "cowboy bar," and a "dive" by others, the Iron Horse is actually one of the go-to bars for the young crowd in Coeur d'Alene. It does have it's share of country music in the form of both live bands and music played over the sound system, but it features a variety of other music too, ccovering all styles.

I'm not a fan of Iron Horse. For my tastes it's always far too crowded, far too loud, and has far too many people looking for a fight. Nonetheless, it's one of the most popular bars in downtown, and there's always something going on. Live bands generally perform on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Iron Horse features two bar areas, one in each room. They run periodic drink specials that are worthwhile, but otherwise their prices are fair to high for the area.

The crowd at Iron Horse is almost always young, but very diverse with cowboys, tourists, yuppies, hipsters, hippies, and everything else in between.

The bartenders and wait staff are generally very quick and competent. The exception to this being the smaller bar area in the second room, at which the staff are sometimes slow and rude. They had 2 for 1 tequila shots at the smaller bar one night when I was in there with a friend. The drink special ended at 10:00, and we were there at 9:50. No one else was in line, but the bartender busied himself behind the counter, putting up clean glasses, replacing empty bottles, etc. We tried to get his attention, but he ignored us for a full 12 minutes until 10:02, when he turned around with a big grin and asked what he could do for us. We asked for 2 for 1 tequila, and he took great pleasure in first checking his watch, then then checking the clock on the wall, shaking his head and saying, "Sorry, that special ended at ten." That was a highly frustrating experience, and turned me even further against this bar than I already was.

I must be missing something about this particular bar, because it is almost always packed out.

Iron Horse has been a staple in Coeur d'Alene for more than 30 years, and is definitely a place to try to see if it fits your style. They make a great Washington Apple.

This bar is located right on Sherman Avenue, just east of 4th St. (407 E. Sherman Ave)

Keep in mind, Coeur d'Alene police are out in force in the evenings, especially during the summer. Remember to drink in moderation and never drink and drive.