The Cancun Cantina is the largest nightlife spot in Hagerstown, MD. The original Cancun Cantina is in Baltimore, MD, but this second location was opened up in Hagerstown in April of 2006. Hagerstown, unfortunately, is a small enough town that it can really only host one large nightclub at any one given point in time. In the 1990’s, the place to be was Barracuda’s Surf Bar, which formerly occupied this establishment at 901 Dual Highway in Hagerstown, MD. The Surf Bar was the place to be for many years. It finally came to the end of its course in about 2003, when a new hot spot opened managed by the previous manager of the Surf Bar- Eclipse Nite Club. Eclipse slowly started to drain away the customer base from the Surf Bar, even though Eclipse was much smaller and in a more remote location. Eventually, Barracuda’s closed its doors for good. After some time, the idea for a new night spot surfaced, and Cancun Cantina West was born. The location is excellent, because it’s where everyone used to go for ten years during the Barracuda reign. Cancun Cantina is situated on the dual highway, the main strip in Hagerstown which is easily accessed from Interstate 70 and/or Interstate 81. It wasn’t long before the Cantina started the same customer drain that Eclipse had done to Barracuda’s. Again, a nightclub died. Eclipse closed its doors January 1, 2007. It then opened a few days later as a Moose lodge.
Cancun Cantina is a big club. It has a large dance floor, three main bars and a mini bar, and a balcony area and outdoor deck. There is plenty room for a large number of people, and the place crowds them in! On weekends, different country bands are featured, and often these are huge names! For instance, some past guests include Confederate Railroad, who just played there April 6, 2007, David Allen Coe, Steve Holy, and Richie Fields. If there isn’t a big name band, you will still hear mostly country music and see people line dancing all night. The club has just started a Thursday night Rock nite, which will give an alternative to the country music scene. Cancun Cantina is open Tuesday through Saturday, generally from 3 pm to 2 am. Line dancing lessons are offered Tuesday evenings at 7:30 pm.
I like the different atmosphere here. When you walk in you definitely feel like you are in a country western bar. You also know you are at a hotspot, as you will run into many of the same people who used to frequent the other two clubs. I personally worked at the other two, so know many of these people from serving them drinks over a 17 year period from 1989 to 2006. Cancun Cantina West has totally transformed itself from the Surf Bar that previously occupied the space. All new fixtures and designs have taken over, and all that is left is the basic structure and design of the building. The only thing I don’t really like is the country music. I have always been more of a dance music fan, or even rock music, but not so much country. I find it preferable to dance to other types of music- something that would draw me to the club. But this doesn’t seem to stop anyone else from coming. In Hagerstown, it seems that people go where everyone else is, and it doesn’t so much matter what the place is.
There is an added benefit to Cancun Cantina. This is Bernie’s restaurant. While the Cancun may not be too busy during the week, Bernie’s is. It has a different atmosphere, more like a beach scene, which provides an alternative to the country music landscape. On Tuesday nights, you can sing Karaoke, hosted by DVK sound. Bernie’s is so busy this night, that to get a table you have to arrive before 7 pm, even though Karoake doesn’t start until 9. All sorts of people come out to Bernie’s this night of the week. I have seen business professionals, blue-collar workers, and just people looking for some great entertainment and the chance to meet up with some friends. If you want to sing karaoke, be prepared to wait a long time in between singing. The place is so busy that alot of people sign up to sing. I was there two weeks ago and the rotation was about 25 singers, which means you might wait two hours in between your turns. Don’t expect to get to sing more than twice. However, the selection of songs is great- they have almost all the songs I know and would want to sing. You can bring your own karaoke cd just to be sure. Karaoke lasts until 1 pm on Tuesdays.
Bernie’s also has a good selection of reasonably priced food. You can order steak, crabcakes, pasta entrees, chicken and barbecue ribs, as well as salads and sandwiches. Appetizers and desserts are also available. The prices are reasonable, and range $5 to $10 for an appetizer, and $10 to $22 for an entree. Try the wings or steamed shrimp as an appetizer. I recommend the barbecue chicken and ribs as an entree, or one of the pasta dishes. A lighter choice might be one of their wraps, such as the chicken caesar wrap. A full menu can be found by following this link: http://www.barefootberniesusa.com/pages/Menu/Menu.htm . I would give this restaurant about three stars as far as food quality, but five stars as far as ambience and friendly atmosphere. Every night through the week, people visit this restaurant. There is a bar in the center, which is usually pretty full. Patrons come not just to eat, but to meet for a drink after work or socialize with friends. Bernie’s has a bit more relaxed atmosphere, and I feel more at home in here than in Cancun Cantina. The lighting is also brighter so it is easier to see and talk to friends.
Overall I would recommend checking out this Hagerstown hotspot. Find out when a good country band is playing you want to see, or sing some karaoke, or just meet up and socialize with some of your friends while enjoying drinks and food.
