British Woman Hunts for ‘Most Country-est’ Place in Fort Worth: ‘The Stockyards Look So Western’

A British woman has journeyed to wild, wild Texas for the first time. She’s now made it a mission to try and find the most “Texas” looking spot and settled on the Stock Yards, located in Fort Worth, Texas.

“I'm in Texas, and I'm trying to find the most [country-est] place ever where there's cowboys, there's music, there's dancing, there's boots, [and] there's hats,” said @gabbyfromtheuk, a recent visitor to the Lone Star State.

She posted one video highlighting the Stockyards, getting over 54,000 views with many commenters weighing in on where to go next. So, are her picks for the best spots in Texas local favorites?

What are the Stockyards?

The stockyards are a national historic district located in Fort Worth, Texas. From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, they remained the most profitable livestock center in all of Texas. After World War II, the stockyards struggled to sell livestock as a direct result of outdated technologies and innovations in the livestock space. While it continued selling cattle, it did so in low numbers. In 1976, Charlie and Sue McCafferty helped establish the North Fort Worth Historical Society, which preserved the area as a historical landmark. From there, vibrant efforts were made in making the stockyards a popular district. It became the home to the world’s first indoor rodeo.

The stockyards have rodeos and livestock-related events on a near-daily basis. One of the most prominent, well-known events is the twice-daily cattle drive, which tens, if not hundreds, of Texans gather to see.

How was Gabby’s Experience?

Gabby explored the whole of the Stockyards, taking opportunities to see multiple restaurants, bars, and historic spots.

Her first review was of Billy Bob’s, a nightclub located in the rodeo plaza. The Brit was a bit disappointed, saying, “It wasn't busy at all, and there were no cowboys.”

But she had better luck at her next spot. The Basement Bar, which is the “only venue located literally underneath the Fort Worth Stockyards.” The venue had walls lined with dollar bills from previous customers, something that Gabby found particularly interesting.

“Obviously, I couldn't leave without getting my own dollar and sticking it to the wall. I wanted to put it here,” Gabby recounted. She left a dollar bill on the ceiling for the old and famous spot and asked that if anyone found her dollar, they send her a photo.

Next, Gabby visited Filthy McNasty’s, another live venue where she saw her first “cowboy.” There were, however, cowboys inside Billy Bob’s. They just were not wearing cowboy hats.

Following that, Gabby saw Mule Alley, a shopping center primarily located in the Stockyards with stores like Pendleton, Luchese, and Wrangler.

Concluding her journey, she walked by a few different spots like The Drover hotel and entered some empty bars. But that segmented off her night. “If there's anywhere else I need to check out, let me know in the comments,” she told her viewers.

Are the Stockyards Truly the Most 'Country-est' Place in Texas?

Commenters didn’t necessarily weigh in on the question, but they did have recommendations for other deep country spots in Texas.

Some recommended spots around the Stockyards, like Miss Holly’s Hotel or the White Elephant Saloon, the Stockyard saloon of the Thirsty Armadillo.

Commenters let her know that she needed to head down to Houston to experience a little bit more country. “You NEED to come down to Houston for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March. It's the biggest rodeo in the world,” said one viewer.

There’s also the World’s championship Bar-b-que contest from Feb. 26-28 in February, which Texans told Gabby she wouldn’t want to miss.

Pointing toward Alamo City, a commenter recommended Gruene Hall in San Antonio, TX.

There are thousands of recommendations that local Texans can make for Gabby. Luckily, she’s spending quite a bit of time in the Lone Star State, so she’ll be able to drop by some hotspots.

We’ve reached out to Gabby to ask some questions about her favorite Texas spots. We’ll let you know if she responds.

@gabbyfromtheuk ♬ original sound - gabbyfromtheuk