Cotton Country Club celebrates 25 years of dancing
Local charm, global reach
Cotton Country Club dancehall and restaurant in Granger is celebrating their 25 anniversary this year. The club was originally founded by Bubba Cox in 1999, and after a few changes in ownership, was most recently purchased in 2022 by Emily and Chris Hamilton.
The club’s history is on dis- play across the early 1900s building. The 6,000 square foot dance hall still has the original ceiling tiles. There are also several neon signs that give the space a classic dancehall feel. In the out- door courtyard, there is a 1930s farmhouse where the bands who come in from out of town sleep.
An expansive wall of fame highlights some of the big names the club has hosted over the past three decades, like Kevin Fowler, Steve Wariner and Lee Roy Eichler. The patrons who frequent the establishment’s tables are also part of the club’s legacy.
“We have a lot of people who have been coming here every Sunday for 25 years who sit at their same table,” Ms. Hamilton said. “Pretty much, when you come here, you’re family.”
Cotton Country Club is open Friday evening through Sunday night; boasting an average of 300 guests each Sunday.
Despite some changes over time, the club is still a destination, Mr. Hamilton said, with some people driving two and three hours to visit each week.
“It’s crazy how long this has been going and how much social media presence we have,” Mr. Hamilton said.
The Cotton Country Club has 35,000 followers on Facebook. On average, the livestream recording of Sunday’s band receives between 30,000 and 60,000 views.
“People from all over the world watch it like it’s a reality show,” Ms. Hamilton said.
He said they receive viewers from Australia, Canada, Spain, India, Great Britain and Ireland. The business has also had in-person visitors from Sweden, India, Australia, Canada, Israel and different U.S. states.
“The experience here, everybody will tell you that it’s just a different feel here when you walk in the door,” Mr. Hamilton said. “You know, you go into some of these other clubs and the owners aren’t there. We’re here 95 percent of the time.”
“We try to meet everybody who we see,” Ms. Hamilton added. “We go around and say ‘hi.’ ”
Some of the club’s frequent dancers are also recognized online and at the restaurant.
“People know the dancers too,” she said. “People will go ‘where’s so-in-so today?’ ”
In addition to allowing people from all over the world to watch the happenings in the dancehall, the streams allow older people who can’t go out dancing anymore to watch the performance, she said.
The most popular bands in their current rotation include All Hat No Cadillac and country classic Terry Hughes and the Debonaires.
“[The Debonaires have been] packing places since the 1970s,” Ms. Hamilton said. “Terry’s 70 and he still sings like an angel.”
Cotton Country Club is open Friday from 5 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 4-10 p.m. There is a cash cover at the door that is usually $10. Sometimes purchasing a ticket online ahead of time is required, so check the club’s Facebook for up-to-date information.
In addition to dancing, they have karaoke and pool tournaments on Friday. On Sunday, visitors can expect a ceremony for veterans and first responders that features the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem. Darts are available in the outdoor courtyard.
On the menu
The dancehall has a full menu featuring classic bar dishes like burgers, jalapeño poppers and loaded nachos.
“We try to do everything in house, as homemade as much as we possibly can,” Mr. Hamilton said. “Quality is what we strive for.”
At the bar, the dancehall offers 76 types of liquor.
“We have a lot of whiskey drinkers.” Ms. Hamilton said.
Upcoming event
On October 5, Cotton Country Club is having a “Gilley’s” theme night on the dancehall, based on the movie Urban Cowboy: The Rise and Fall of Gilley's.
Gilley's was a dancehall in Pasadena that started the Texas Dance scene in the 1980s. Dew Westbrook, who the movie is based on, comes into Cotton Country Club every Sunday. There will be a band playing songs from the Urban Cowboy movie, a mechanical bull and a Dolly Parton contest. Some cast members of the movie will be in attendance.