Jeff DuBois is a guy who doesn't smile a lot, even when he's having a good time, and it's just the way he is. But if you catch him breaking into a grin, it might be because the dance floor is full of people having fun at his Lucky Horseshoe Saloon.

The hardwood dance floor is a beauty, certainly one of the biggest around, and it's the absolute focal point once you step inside the one-of-a-kind nightclub on U.S. 98 in Barnwell, south of Fairhope. Across the well-worn but polished floor is a wide, elevated stage that's played host to countless bands in the Lucky Horseshoe's 35-year history, but these days it's the line dancing on weekends that's the biggest draw. And that's what almost brings a smile to Jeff's face.

"Seeing people enjoying themselves is what makes me happy," says Jeff as he surveys a typical Saturday-night scene. The DJ's selections are nonstop dance grooves rather than the country music you might expect in a place that resembles a barn. "If they're not enjoying themselves, I don't enjoy my work."

While he's busy checking IDs and taking money at the door, his wife, Fancy, is steadily pouring drinks behind the bar that runs almost the entire length of the building. Weekend after weekend, they have worked hard to keep the good times going at the Lucky Horseshoe.

Maybe you've been inside to experience the place yourself, or maybe you haven't, but chances seem pretty good that you've seen it from the road. It stands on the north side of the highway, just a little bit west of Fish River and Weeks Bay. That giant horseshoe out front draws attention as it serves as a rustic Gateway Arch to the big barn, which is painted white and trimmed in red. 

A native of Illinois, Jeff started there as a bouncer in 1990 under original owner Fred Nolte, who built the place and lives next door (and now operates the popular Mr. Spud's restaurant in Fairhope). Jeff took over as owner in 2000. In case the name Lucky Horseshoe Saloon doesn't quite ring a bell, perhaps you remember the iconic bar by another name. Prior to the transitions, it started out as Paw's Barn, which was scripted in neon on top of the building. 

"When I bought it, I couldn't afford a sign, so I went up there and knocked off 'Paw's' with a hammer and painted 'The' on there, so it said 'The Barn' for a long time," Jeff recalls. "Then I was watching a Patrick Swayze movie, 'Roadhouse,' and I decided to call it the Double Deuce, from the movie." Jeff says he leased it to someone else for a short while, and it was called Club 98 during that period. He grabbed the reins again and reopened as Double Deuce II and later rebranded as the Lucky Horseshoe, which brings us to that eye-catching marker out front. 

"Me and Fred Nolte and his son built it in the yard next door," Jeff says. "It's 35 feet tall and almost as wide. We built it out of square tubing and angle iron and covered it with plywood. We were able to curve the wood by spraying water on it and putting tension on it and spraying water on it again so it would bend." 

They constructed the ornamental horseshoe as a complete circle before cutting away the lower portion, he says. Until Hurricane Sally came along five years ago and slammed the big horseshoe to the ground, it was accentuated with red neon lighting like the building.

The club is in an unincorporated area in the county, so legally they have no restrictions on the hours they can stay open and serve alcohol. Live music and dancing have pretty much gone hand in hand throughout its history. 

"Back when Fred had it, he had country line dancing on Thursday nights and bands on Fridays and Saturdays. Right now, I'm doing country line dancing on Friday and Saturday nights, and we stay pretty packed out. We teach line dancing from 6:30 to 8:30, and then from 8:30 'til 2 in the morning we play dance music."

In terms of live bands, local acts such as Gretsch and the Modern Eldorados, Journey 2 Mars and the Groovinators have been mainstays in recent years. And Jeff was able to tick off some very big names of other acts that have played his club, including during the earlier days when he was the bouncer. "We've had the Confederate Railroad, the Little River Band, Marshall Tucker, and the "Ice, Ice Baby" guy, Vanilla Ice," he says. He thinks for a moment and adds, "The Red Clay Strays played here back when they were affordable."

Being a bar owner for a quarter-century, Jeff has weathered changing trends, and he offers some professional observations.

"People don't stay out as late as they used to," he says. One reason could be that some of his clientele has simply gotten older. Another factor, Jeff says, is the strict enforcement of laws aimed at curbing drunk drivers. And he should know. He says running the Lucky Horseshoe Saloon is more or less a hobby for him. Because his day job/main profession is the bail bonding business, he sees it from that angle, too. After all, he's a guy who regularly gets people out of jail and makes sure they appear in court. 

Jeff admits that his club was once pretty rowdy, but he says those days are gone. There is no smoking inside, which is a change he made years ago after having cardiac problems and his doctor told him that second-hand smoke could be deadly for him. He insists that he and Fancy take extra steps to make sure their guests feel welcome and safe. There are many online reviews from visitors that will bear that out. 

"People say it's a rough place, but it's not," he says. "My wife and I work hard to keep this place clean and nice for people. It's a very calm bar. We don't have riff-raff and trouble."