Baby Powder Shoes
When Ringside at Sullivan's discontinued their popular Wednesday Latin nights, dancers fanned out across the city looking for a replacement. On the West side, Elvia's remains one of the most popular venues for Wednesday nights.
However, many ladies complained that the floor was too sticky to dance on. Well, not any more. They have started bringing baby powder to spread on their shoes. As long as it doesn't rain, they are happy, and the guys have to be more careful when we step.
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When I first planned this Web site, I decided not to profile Elvia's Cantina. But I found myself mentioning it so frequently, and so many good dancers do still go there, that it seemed wrong not to say anything.
Located near the corner of Westheimer and Fondren, Elvia's is dealt a lot of light-hearted abuse among the dancers. The dance floor looks like painted plywood set down on top of concrete. The carpet in the seating area is heavily stained and worn in some areas. There is literally a hole in one corner. And the ceiling leaks when it rains.
In fact, when it does rain, you'll be lucky to find more than 3-4 women at Elvia's. The ladies just seem to know to stay away from that floor on a rain night. So, 20-30 guys will come and drink, shoot the breeze, and hope against hope that some girls will wander in.
The Cantina opens at 8:00 PM. The food is edible but not particularly great. Many of us have grabbed the quesadillas or chips and queso when we are in a rush. Their fajitas are also okay.
The staff are friendly and outgoing. The bartenders talk with the patrons and the waitresses put up with some raunching flirting from the men, but the crowd is well-behaved and respectful. The hostess greets you at the door with a smile and cool reserve.
The place is old and the age is showing, but the character and atmosphere are established by the music and the dancing. Some nights are better than others, of course, but my friends and I have had a lot of fun there.
This year they upgraded the sound system and it works pretty well. It used to be you would see the bands come in, set up, start playing, and then go nuts trying to get the sound system to work. I don't know what brought on the upgrade. Maybe some sound board engineer just yanked all the old wiring one night in protest.
On some Thursdays, a local Flamenco dance group puts on a show worth catching. Mi Rumba usually plays at Elvia's on Wednesdays but I have seen Mary's Band there (especially on Fridays) and some other artists.
Occasionally the alcohol companies will send out dance teams to promote their liquors. I don't accept the free booze but I like watching the dancers.
Reservations are not necessary but they are a good idea if you have a large group coming. A lot of people celebrate birthdays and anniversaries at Elvia's. And this is a rare venue where families can bring their older children to dance for a couple of hours before the band starts up.
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