Billy Bob’s Is Back With a Whoop and a Holler

The rowdy reopening of Billy Bob’s Texas, billed as the world’s largest honky-tonk, sends a strong signal that Texas has bounced back from the shock of collapsing oil prices three years ago.

“The big question tonight is--’What’s a honky-tonk?’ ” said Steve Murrin, one of 200 employees who poured beer, roped bulls, swept floors or barbecued beef ribs for Thursday night’s 2,500 customers.

“I can’t describe a honky-tonk, but I can show you one,” he said. “It’s a place where you expect a little beer, a little music and maybe a stabbing or shooting once in a while.”

During the day Murrin operates a 2,000-acre working horse and cattle ranch near Ft. Worth, which is 30 miles west of Dallas, but at night he works at this converted cow barn with 42 bars, a live indoor rodeo and seating room for 6,500 customers.

The official reopening of Billy Bob’s, closed for 10 months after its owner, Billy Bob Barnett, declared bankruptcy, ranks high among unofficial economic indicators measuring the financial health of Texas.

“Billy Bob’s is just one beer joint, but when it shut down, the world thought the city of Ft. Worth was done for,” Murrin said.

The record crowd for Billy Bob’s stands at 8,000 customers inside at one time.