Dan Thiessen talks about his new cowboy bar project, the T-Post Tavern, in the former Brik Bar and Grill restaurant at 1415 Plaza Way on Feb. 21, 2023.

WALLA WALLA — There’s nothing quite like a ringing dinner bell to bring the cows — or in the case of T-Post Tavern — customers, home.

Dan Thiessen, owner of the new Walla Walla restaurant, has spent the past few months turning the gutted Brik Bar and Grill into a cowboy paradise complete with home cooking, saloon doors and a mechanical bull named T-Bone.

A sign outside the building says horse/mule parking only with designated hitching posts for those who choose to ride to tie up their trusty steeds.

“This is a kick-ass old school country bar,” Thiessen said as he looked out at the dining room. “I think the town was needing this, and I think based off all the chatter, people are excited.”

From the rusted tin ceiling and the milk-can light fixtures to the food served on enamel ware plates, everything screams home on the range. An old neon jukebox sits at the entrance just waiting for folks to pick the next song.

The menu has everything a cowboy or cowgirl could want, including Rocky Mountain oysters, chuck wagon chili, cast iron’d sirloin steak, and a 1½-pound meat sweats platter. With sides such as coleslaw, cowboy beans, or cornbread folks should be walking out stuffed.

Desserts include a mason jar cheesecake, mudpie, apple crisp or a molasses blackberry sweet biscuit. An extensive drink list with cocktails, mocktails, and beer are available to go with any meal as well.

A triangle dinner bell hanging at the bar has a sign that reads, “If one of our partners rings the bell on you, you broke the cowboy code. You best tread lightly. If you ring the bell, you’re buying a round for the house.”

Thiessen said the personal touches and themes around the cowboy bar are meant to be “slapstick in your face but without the crass.”

When the dining service winds down, the indoor tables are moved to the outdoor patio to reveal a 1,100 square foot dance floor. Thiessen said live music will be featured at the bar three nights a week with the first performance by Shanks Pony who will grace the stage from 9 p.m. to midnight opening night — Thursday, Aug. 17.

The branding wall that takes up part of the restaurant already has a few brands from local ranchers in the area. Thiessen said he expects many more to bring in their brands and make their mark.

Most of the wood that trims the dining room area was salvaged from the old horse race barn when it was torn down at the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds.

“We have a couple more personal-touch finishes that are still in the works,” Thiessen said. “Hold onto your bootstraps, because it’s going to get wild.”

At 1415 Plaza Way, the T-Post Tavern is just steps from the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds, where the upcoming Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days will take place on Labor Day Weekend.

“This project has been in the pipe for a decade,” Thiessen said. “This is right up my ally and what I grew up with. I think Walla Walla is overdue for something like this.”

T-Post Tavern, 1415 Plaza Way, Walla Walla, will host a Back 40 Beer Garden and Hoedown with live music each night between Friday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Sept. 3. Tickets are available for $30 a night or $75 for a weekend pass. The ticket price includes entrance to the event as well as dinner selections from the T-Post Tavern menu.

The restaurant is open 4-9 p.m. Wednesday and Sundays; 4 p.m. to midnight Thursdays; and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is family friendly until 10 p.m.