Wild Horse Bar & Grill
On a cloudy Friday afternoon, I drove out to Brewerton to see a restaurant. I expected some sort of dusty looking saloon like they have in the western movies. But that’s not what I got —especially when I walked inside.
The Wild Horse Bar & Grill, owned by Shane Miller and his brother Bill, opened May 5th of this year. Outside, it looks like a little bar with a rearing steed and all. Its red exterior is accented with wagon wheels and flowers —nothing spectacular to look at (except Teddy and we’ll get to him later).
WOW!!! Once inside, you see a bench made entirely out of tree roots. While it has a rustic edge to it, it’s truly a piece of art. The winding roots and planks turned into a shining settee original in way. Then you walk onto a spotlessly clean tile floor and are mesmerized by Oneida Lake in the background. The walls are covered in highly polished knotty pine. At the back of the facility is a large wrap around bar with two lovely and friendly ladies greeting you with a smile. They immediately fetched Bill for our interview.
The minute Bill started to speak, you knew that for Shane and Bill, this was a labor of love. They had a concept that is like no other in Central New York. Most of the work was done by these guys —a very hands on approach to their work in every way. With a $50,000 renovation budget, they rearranged, repaired and replaced EVERYTHING! The ladies room has a real barrel on which sits a sink. They’ve gone country! The results are stunning. As a woman, I’m a very picky about cleanliness, but I can attest that this place is spotless in every way.
I asked Bill why the country theme? He replied, “There are tons of bars on Oneida Lake and in Syracuse, but none of them are completely dedicated to country music. Sure, there are cross over artists, but we wanted to focus on one genre and offer people something different.” This is certainly different but in the best possible way. The picturesque view is complimented by a dock where anyone can stop for a bite to eat or a quick drink. If that’s not enough to relax you, then try sitting by the fire pit. There are tables and chairs where you can share a meal with friends and family, and nothing but the glow of a roaring fire. If you’ve got energy to burn, there’s a great dance floor inside. As if that’s not enough entertainment, there are dedicated rooms for pool and darts. And if you think this is just a nightclub, you’re dead wrong partner. Families can also take advantage of the delicious menu until the night crowd comes in.
“What do you think is your greatest success to date?” “Well, I think it’s our involvement with our community. We support local artists and have live bands every Saturday. We also hosted the SPCA Poker Run this year. All money spent here 
that day went directly to the SPCA —we kept nothing. It was a huge success and we look forward to doing it again next year.” Now that I’ve brought up the SPCA, I can tell you about Teddy. Teddy is a black and white spotted pit bull. The minute you look into those chocolate eyes, you’ll fall in love! Teddy plays out in front of the building and is fenced in —not because he’s not friendly, but he likes to run. The previous owners abandoned Teddy and he ran into the road and was struck by a car. The boy’s uncle felt so bad for him that he picked him up and took him to the vet. They fixed Teddy up, but he had no place to go. So the uncle decided that he belonged at the Wild Horse. I put my hand down to pet Teddy and he stood up on the fence and gave be a big kiss! You’re probably wondering why I brought this into the article, but it’s very important information. You see this is the way the Miller boys manage the Wild Horse as well. Everybody is treated like family and this is not a concept found very often. Even better, they treat the staff the same way —they give them a sense of pride in a job well done. Perhaps that’s why they’ve become such a huge success in such a short time.
There are food and drink specials every single day. Talk about catering to your customers! For example: Wednesdays are little neck clam night —you get a dozen clams for only $5 clams, and $2 Coors cans. Friday is Ladies Night! Nuf said! I’m not going to list all the specials because you should really take the 20 minute ride to the Wild Horse and see for yourself. If you go on band nights, go early because there is usually about 70-100 people, and 200 for bigger bands. And don’t miss the Halloween party on October 22nd from 8:00PM to close. There will be cash prizes for best costumes in each category. There will also be a DJ to get you moving along with drink specials. This is no ghost town folks, it’s the real deal.
What’s next? Bill said, “I’d like to start line dancing, maybe have an instructor or leader. We want to get people moving. It’s all about having fun!” I couldn’t agree more, and it looks like he rounded up a lot of fun.
So if you got some dust in the throat pilgrim, get your posse and mosey on over to the Wild Horse Bar & Grill. I’ll see you there!
