The Kow Pasture

I’m back in New York today, but before I left Oklahoma, I squeezed in my first visit to The Kow Pasture, to my knowledge, the one and only bar in Owasso, Oklahoma. I always thought that a town with 40-plus churches needed at least one bar. Apparently most Owassoans still don’t know that The Kow Pasture has existed there for the past 50 years.

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The cinderblock establishment is tucked away amongst scenic pastures, and probably also cows, though I only saw horses on the drive there. Since my parents discovered The Kow Pasture a couple of years ago, they’ve almost become regulars, in a sort of half-ironic way, and they’ve been talking up its rough charm ever since.

My mom was eager to point out the weathered door and barred windows as we entered. I was especially taken with the mascot.

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This cow knows that you can’t enjoy a beer without a cigarette!

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Neither can the patrons of The Kow Pasture. An atmospheric haze hung over everything inside.

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Note the shuffleboard, which you can use for a dollar. There was also a dog (maybe a doberman pinscher?) wandering around. It seemed friendly, only jumping up on me once.

The drink selection wasn’t huge—basically, they had Bud and Bud Light, and they were out of Bud Light that night. If I remember correctly, a pitcher was $6. Definitely an economical way to spend a night out. The trickiest thing is hurrying home to throw your smokey clothes in the wash afterward.

I’m happy I could see this slice of Oklahoma before returning to the big city!

5 thoughts on “The Kow Pasture

  1. You need to go to the Vault some time! I went once a couple years ago and it reminded me of that scene in Sweet Home Alabama when the Reese Witherspoon character outs her friend – a bunch of slightly heavier people you recognize from high school all hanging around, playing pool, and asking what The Big City is like! Plus a significant number of people our parents’ age in shorts and t-shirts. Very different from the bar-club scene here, where your choices are (1) bars with skinny model-types dressed to the nines, (2) bars with high-powered government and lobbyist types ordering expensive cocktails, (3) bars with NGO types slummin’ it in their jeans and button-ups.

  2. I wish you’d gotten a picture of the communal sink outside the men’s and women’s bathrooms. There’s one sink to share, and it is the tiniest sink ever made. So fun. Plus you can see who washes their hands and who doesn’t, so there was definitely a genius at work in the design.

  3. I hope you went on a Friday to avoid the “poo every saturday” as advertised in the photo with the entry door.

  4. I know what you mean about the smokey clothes! Whenever I’m out somewhere where there is a lot of smoking, as soon as I walk in the door I head over to the washer and toss them in. Its become such a habit that I leave my robe in the laundery room so I can put something on! LOL! :)

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