Inside, two pool tables command the front room, giving way to a short, corrugated metal-style bar up front with the beers you would expect to be available, as well as, on occasion, local homebrew to vary up the mix. An outdoor dart room extends off the space, exposing patrons to the Texas heat for the privilege of losing a game of cricket. A wrap around porch leads back to yet another open-air drinking space (this has to be a ploy to exchange heat for thirst) and then a secondary room that includes a long shuffleboard table.
The real star of the Shade Tree Saloon is the on-site music venue, the V-shaped metal roof supporting a massive Texas state flag on the underside of the corrugated metal. A concrete dance floor extends from well-sized stage area that on this reviewer’s visit hosted a rotating set of local acts. On busy nights, an outdoor bar right off the dance floor eliminates that pesky trip inside for beer, and a handful of fans attempt to make some kind of dent in the Texas heat around the lip of the structure.
The rest of the outdoor space feels a bit like someone’s yard, if that yard was well-appointed with picnic tables and wooden seating to accommodate the ebbs and flows of groups that stop along the highway for a beer. The bar’s Facebook page maybe whimsically and maybe truthfully includes horses as a common form of transportation acceptable for parking on site. A large motorcycle structure tops a portion of the loosely-restrictive wall surrounding the outdoor space, making clear the Shade Tree’s stance on bikers passing through.