“Love it or hate it,” should be Coyote Ugly’s motto. Spend an evening in the loud and lively saloon and you are likely to form a strong opinion of your own.
What’s to Like
We’ll begin with what we enjoyed about Coyote Ugly. The location simply cannot be beaten. With an average of 320 sunny days a year, Panama City Beach is simply stunning, the perfect place to relax before an evening of fun.
The Panama City Beach saloon is modeled after a popular movie from 2000, also called Coyote Ugly, the story of an aspiring songwriter who comes out of her shell by working in a female-run bar famous for teasing its male patrons.
If anything about the movie description makes your hair stand on end, this may not be the saloon for you. If, however, it sounds fun and titillating, Coyote Ugly could be your place on Panama City Beach. An evening at the bar is like stepping inside the Coyote Ugly movie.
The crowd tends to be enthusiastic and can be a lot of fun to watch. From what we were told, many arrive having already “pre-gamed.” If you are not familiar with this terminology, pre-gaming means drinking before one arrives at a bar and is forced to pay higher-than-desired prices for alcoholic beverages.
The crowd is rowdy and many appear to have visited often enough to know what’s expected of them. For example, women who dance in the bar are rewarded by the bartenders with a shot of alcohol. In fact, it appears the bar tenders run the show at Coyote Ugly and patrons look to them for guidance.
The girl Coyote Ugly is famous for a mixed bag. Some seem to love their job and are keen on entertaining the crowd, while others appear almost bored. One spent most of the evening watching herself in a mirror, which felt a little awkward. Still, the music was infectious and it was fun to watch some of the girls as they worked for the crowd.
There is a mechanical bull that was the source of great enjoyment. Although we did not take part ourselves, watching others laugh as they were thrown from the bull was giggle-worthy.
Again, for us, it was people-watching that was so enjoyable. Even if the saloon was not our cup of tea it was fun to watch patrons let go and enjoy themselves. It was an enthusiastic crowd that lined up outside to pay the cover charge required to enter the establishment and that enthusiasm did not seem to diminish as they sidled up to the bar to purchase drinks. Most people simply seemed happy to have the opportunity to visit the saloon.
Tougher to Enjoy
It’s important to note that we realize Coyote Ugly Saloon and establishments like it are a matter of taste. What one person finds embarrassing another will enjoy. For example, the fact that women took turns dancing on a pole made it feel more like a strip club than a bar.
Although we hear it does not happen every night, a number of women flashed their nude upper bodies to patrons after having quite a few adult beverages. While the crowd seemed to love it, we experienced what can best be described as second-hand embarrassment on their behalf.
There’s also a strange ritual in which men agree to allow a bartender to tie them up and lightly whip them while they take a shot of alcohol. Again, the crowd went wild.
The restrooms at Coyote Ugly are worth a mention. Not only were they filthy on this particular night, but for some reason, there is a restroom attendant in the men’s room but not the women’s.
Insider Tips:
-Coyote Ugly offers Lady’s Nights, during which drink prices are deeply discounted.
-Arrive early if you want to find a seat. Most patrons end up standing all evening.