Old Coupland Inn & Dancehall

Wow!!! What a great experience. I had the rib eye and it was the best I have ever had. Wife and grandpa had the chicken fried steaks and loved them. The baked beans are incredible. Definitely worth a trip to the country.

Food was delicious and service was 1^st class on the dining side. Dancehall was fun and entertaining. Availability of bar tenders was lacking with only one on duty at the beginning of the night but by the end of the night (Saturday) two were on duty. Great place for a night out!

A historical piece of Texas. Everyone needs to experience this place. The building is 110 years old. The owners are beyond friendly, the food is amazing and the drinks are reasonably priced. Bartenders are super helpful and fast. Every time I am here I have a great time. The live music is always entertaining and everyone is on the dance floor as much as possible. Can’t wait til next time!

We have been here twice and brought others the second time and have to say this is the best place for steak! Beats the steaks at the bigger city chains restaurants and the price is worth it. Reminds me of steaks growing up that were grilled outdoors over a fire. DELICIOUS! And the cowboy potatoes are awesome! Definitely worth the drive.

Great Texas dance hall!
Family style with a great atmosphere. Certainly not a pickup joint or meat market. We took our 17 year old daughter once, and a young cowboy approached my husband, and politely asked «Sir, do you mind if I ask your daughter to dance?»
It’s THAT kind of place.
The food in the restaurant is mostly heavy, fried and comfort foods. Not the best for just before dancing, but this IS Texas, so you can’t call it a Texas place without chicken fried steak and potatoes.
The owners have always been on the premises anytime we’ve been. Very friendly and personable and add an extra flair to the ‘family feel’ to the place.
Beer in the dance hall is a little pricey, but that might be the reason there’s never a fight on the dance floor or the girls aren’t dancing trashy.
Just go. Make reservations if you have a large crowd in your party… but go.
If you’re a real Texan, you’ll appreciate it. If you’re not, you’ll understand why the rest of us are.

This place is super cool, IMO! It’s over 100 years old and you feel like you’re stepping back in time when you walk in! The atmosphere is great!
They serve steak and a few other items. Not a huge menu. My BF got a steak and I got a BBQ Brisket stuffed baked potato. They were both FANTASTIC!
They also have a full bar.
The dance hall is nice and big. It’s a very popular place (despite it being located in the middle of nowhere). The music is always good!

Very disappointed (and angry). Wait time was totally unreasonable. Service poor, the food was cold when we finally got it.

My son took me last Saturday for dinner and to see the show. What a waste of
Money and time. We have been here several times before and enjoyed it. This
Time it was horrible!!! First it took forever to get service, 2 groups came in after us and were waited on before we were, when we finally got our dinner my sons burger was almost completely raw and 1 of my grilled shrimp was almost raw as well, no time to get it cooked correctly due to the show starting, so they did not charge us for the burger, that was good. We had brought the tickets ahead of time, but again because
Several people in line ahead of us were buying their tickets at the door it took forever
To get in, by the time we did get in, it was standing room only and I could not see any part of the stage, All I saw was butts in front of me. I am disabled and asked a waitress if she could Help us, she said yeah in a minute and we never saw her again. I could not stand Any longer so went outside to sit on the benches. We realized we had wasted Our money and were not going to get a place to sit and enjoy the show. Why do They over sell tickets, there should be a place for everyone to sit who buys a ticket Ahead of time, if you wait to buy at the door you should have to wait to see if any Seats are left open or you get standing room only. We have gone to see shows
In a lot of other places and have never had this problem. Why not offer reserved
Seating? We would pay extra for a guaranteed seat.

Quite possibly the best Ribeye I’ve had in Central Texas. It was that awesome. Went to the Dancehall after it was kinda slow because it was the night before Rick Trevino but still had a great cover band, their dog rufus was making the rounds saying hi to everyone, and the beer was cold! It was my first time at Coupland and can’t wait to go back!

Great atmosphere — live music was great and it was so much fun watching all the dancing it made the evening fly by. Good drinks and service and a wonderful time for all ages. There were lots of young people, teens and young couples enjoying themselves. It’s a long ways out there but I would say worth the drive. I have not seen another place quite like this. Broken Spoke was closer but was shabby and crowded. Coupland’s was a nice family place.

Just went to the Old Coupland Inn this past Saturday night and we had a great time, both in the restaurant and in the dance hall.
So first for the restaurant: We arrived at about 8:45pm. I was afraid since we were getting there so late, the kitchen might be closing, but no problem. I had a burger, which was delicious, and sweet potato fries which were great. My husband had fried catfish and cleaned his plate. Our waitress was a sweetheart and didn’t act like she was anxious to get out of there. It was a good meal and we enjoyed it.
Now on to the dance hall: Two thumbs up. The dance hall is clean, nonsmoking and the floor is a good size and in good shape. Cold beer, friendly people and a great band. Kenny Orts was playing and his band did a great show, playing all the old country dance hall favorites, from Bob Wills to George Strait and everywhere in between. We really enjoyed watching the teens (who were very well behaved — no issues there) dance because some of them are quite good at some of the fun Texas swing elements like lifts. The dance hall itself has a rustic charm that we really enjoyed. It’s a family dance hall where you will see sweet sights like daddies teaching their little girls to two step, and mommas dancing with their sons. The atmosphere is something I would equate to a big family party or barn dance. No crazy bachelorette parties or bar fights, at least not the night we were there. All ages, just there to enjoy the music and dance.
All in all, we had a great time and we will definitely be back. This is a slice of Texana that you won’t want to miss.

I’ve been vaguely aware of this Central Texas institution for several years but never ventured to Coupland to try it out. A stepped up advertising campaign and a request for date night from the Lovely Liz was the catalyst to right that wrong. What a great decision! My usually discriminating wife loved the chicken and my sirloin steak was full of smoky flavor and prepared as requested. Outstanding sides and apple cobbler with two spoons made the night complete. Loved the atmosphere and the hospitality. This is as good a sit-​down bbq place as there is and I’ve tried them all. But the menu goes beyond Texas bbq and even includes Salmon!
It’s a different kind of destination dining but it’s now in my regular rotation. Next time we’ll stay for the band and dancing!

Only 30 minutes from Austin but a world away in time.
The food is great — don’t know what anyone is talking about if they say otherwise. Had the BBQ chicken and a great CFS. Beans, cole slaw, potato salad, green beans and bread were great.
I would have gone just to dip the bread in the sauce. That damn good.
This place has the COLDEST beer mug I have ever experienced. Ever. I had a couple of ice cold MGDs in those cold mugs and they were superb. Coldest mugs EVER.
Did I forget to mention the cobbler? The cobbler — apple, peach, blackberry — WITH ice cream, my friend, was superb. Lot of crust and the ice cream must have been Blue Bell.
Attentive service, nice folks.
The dance hall next door was a hoot. Lots of good dancing cowboys and cowgirls. Do not go there in your khaki shorts, polo and flip flops — cause you may feel a bit out of place. Not really. No judging going on here.
This is a piece of authentic small town Texas dancehall. Experience it and you will not regret it.
Well done, Coupland Inn and Dancehall!
This is a great date night experience for that special adventurous gal. Do it.

New management! The place has really been cleaned up! They have made repairs and added new HVAC. I was concerned that when I heard they renovated that the rustic charm and ambiance would be ruined, but they were very careful to keep it like it was. Just no more leaky roof, stifling warm evenings and NO MORE SMOKING! They added a few more rules about minors requiring parental accompaniment and no standing on the dance floor during big concerts.
My only complaint was on our recent visit there was no liquor served, beer and wine only. I hope this is a temporary situation.
I am looking forward to trying the restaurant again.

The last time I was in this landmark dance hall I vowed I would not return under the same management so here we go. This is the response I received from «The Old Coupland Dance Hall’ owner last week. Yea! We can now enjoy ourselves again. P. S. the official website for them is
I will admit I am going to check it out for the first time this weekend, and will adjust the review based on that. Will let you know but it has to be better than the last time.
We have worked hard getting the place clean for our customers & I can’t tell you how many people have told us that they only are back because they heard we were back. The dancehall has a new roof, the dancefloor has been resanded and sealed, The a/c’s are new and we are a non smoking rest. & dancehall now. The teens are not allowed without a parent and there will be no standing on the dancefloor. Our menu is back to the orginal menu also. We will start opening on Thurs. starting inFeb for all you can eat steaks. Be sure to look us up when you come in. Barbara

Clarification: Restarant gets 1 star, or 0 stars, if that were possible.
Dancehall gets 4 stars (bathrooms could use improvement, since they smelled like cat urine.)
I wish I could review the restaurant separately from the Dancehall. Since I can’t, please read the entire review!
First, and let this be a warning: Eat before you go! Do NOT eat at the restaurant.
Having been forewarned by numerous reviewers, I avoided the barbecue and opted for what I thought would be a seemingly safe cheeseburger, served with guacamole and pico de gallo. With fries? Sure.
DON’T DO IT!
The hamburger arrived without the fries at first. When they did arrive, they were nasty: cold and limp. The burger tasted as if it had been cooked ahead and warmed over. You know that warmed over taste. You don’t want to think about it, because by thinking about it, you’ll relive it… and that is something you don’t want to do. But… there it is, folks. Thank goodness for the pico, and the chipotle mayo (best food item I tasted by far.)
My friend ordered the mesquite-​grilled chicken breast, served with rice and grilled zucchini. Such a tortured chicken breast you never did see! Almost totally black outside, grizzled and dry… I shared my chipotle mayo and guacamole with her so she could swallow it. Very skimpy portions on her meal, by the way.
The «loaf of bread» served with your meal is nothing more than a loaf of white belly waddin’… though the honey butter makes it palatable enough. And of course, you eat it because you’re still hungry thanks to the below marginal food. So there.
That being said…
The Dancehal is a hoot. With our cover to the show came a free drink. I’d suggest sticking with the beer, because the well drinks were… well drinks.
But the place is fun, and the dance floor is just dandy, and the music was great, and the people are warm and fun to watch. All in all, a good evening.
But… eat before you go. You have been warned.

I liked this place a lot. hit up Robert Earl Keen for my first night out in texas. The food was really good, and the beers cheep in the restaurant. nice and cool up there too.
The music venue was quite kickass as well, with multiple bars scattered about. you could set up a tab but had to order from that bar specificially. The prices were a little steep $ 4.50 for a shiner, $ 3.75 for coors light.
Not too many folks smoking, and the room stayed pretty cool, even with 500+ folks in there.
Watch out for the local cops if u drive up from Austin.

What a great place. Such an icon of Texas, and it feels just like it should. I love the wooden dance floors, the crappy light system, horrible restroom, and great ambiance. We went and slapped our boots down to the rhythm and had a great night dancing and drinking the night away.
I will make one complaint, what is the deal with having to have a $ 50 tab to be able to pay with credit card. First, that is against you card holders agreement you sign with credit card companies, and more importantly it is kind of a crappy move. Whatever, just remember to get cash before going.

The cowboys are coming! Cowgirls too! Cowboy boots, Cowboy hats, jeans and western shirts everywhere, cowboy country at its best. Great county music and dancing for all that like that style on the weekends and on Thursday night. The restaurant hours are 5:30pm to 9pm on Thursday and 5:30pm to 10:00pm on Friday and Saturday. Dancehall hours end at 11pm, 12am, and 1am respectively. It has the whole package a bed and breakfast as well, never tried the bed and breakfast though.
Since I am not a cowboy and have no cowboy hat or cowboy boots I can stand out in my jeans and tennis shoes but no one cares.
We have gone here basically to eat BBQ at least half a dozen times in the last five years or so. We like it and that is why we go back from time to time. I like the onion rings and baked potato. The wife likes the fried okra basket. I don’t like okra it is kind of hairy looking to me and I don’t like the taste as well but I never did so they maybe good for those that like okra.
As for BBQ they have brisket, sausage, pork ribs, chicken you can indulge in. They do have an all you can eat platter for $ 17 per person. They do have traditional sides potato salad, slaw, baked beans and toast. Other sides are available as well. Yep, they have steaks and chicken fried steak as well. I have never tried eating anything but the BBQ. I and the wife and our friends have always liked the BBQ very much. We always eat too much and never go away hungry.
It’s a bit of a drive for dinner form Austin but try it if you like BBQ. If you want a scenic drive get out your map and take only back roads and stay off the main roads, it’s a lot of fun.
Would I go back? Yes and soon!

Wooden floors, friendly wait staff and OH MY GOD the food. We went expecting a pat green concert and some local flavor and we ended up eating some of the best food ever. The cobbler, fried pickles, chicken, sirloin, garlic mashers, even the salad was amazing. I dont know how they do it. I think its coupland magical fairy dust.
We ate our fill and then enjoyed a fantastic night with Pat Green (who was frankly arrogant and lackluster, making everyone else sing his songs), cheap shoe shinin’ and cold cold lone stars.
Makes you want to beat your chest, chug the beer and see who will join in a rousing round of Deep in the Heart of Texas