Playing for Beer!

Sadly, the place no longer exists.

It was called the Romeo Lunch and was, of course, in Romeo, Colorado. Two Brothers ran the place and if truth be told, it was a dump with aspirations to be a dive. It was dimly lit, had pool tables, booths, and a bar where you could order a beer while you played pool.

It was my favorite place to stop and eat as a patrol deputy.

While they served great Mexican food, my favorite meal was a cheeseburger with potato chips and a bowl of Red Chili. All of it was washed down with an ice cold Dr. Pepper.

One of the coolest things about this place is that it was one of the best kept secrets among musicians on tour. It wasn’t at all uncommon to see a tour bus parked outside and go in and see Rock Stars and Country Stars eating burgers, drinking beer, and playing pool with the locals.

I think it was kept quiet because at least for a few minutes, these folks were ordinary people. There was little, if any posing for pictures, lines signing up for autographs, or such. It was a safe zone for them and the brothers enforced that.

One of my fondest memories of the place is one day I was on patrol by myself when I get a call from a girl I knew in Romeo. She told me I had to get down there fast. My question was, “What’s going on?”

“Just go. Trust me. You’ll love it.”

So, I responded.

I heard music and familiar voices and when I walked in, Here’s Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson playing for beer.

They’d been up in the mountains hunting, had seen nothing and decided to come into town and bag a couple of burgers.

Now, how many places do you know where something like that could happen.