The first thing I notice when walking into the nightclub at El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant is that everyone speaks Spanish. Everyone. The guy checking IDs at the door, the lady taking my entrance fee, the bartender, the band. Each time I talk to someone, I'm forced to utter one of the most embarrassing pronunciations of "no habla español," Tacoma has ever heard.

Some would find the lack of English in the club intimidating. For my money, though, it just adds to the fact that El Tenampa is one of the coolest nightclubs in town.

Located in a strip mall, El Tenampa doesn't exactly meet the normal qualifications for a happening nightclub. The club's immense, sparsely decorated interior is hardly romantic. The $20 entrance fee for guys is steep, even for men with deep pockets. But these little quirks are insignificant; speed bumps on the way to greatness.

In most club settings, not knowing the primary spoken language would paint me as an outsider. A bane to the locals. Not in El Tenampa. The staff gladly switches to English every time I struggle with my Spanish phrasing. The club's patrons also seem willing to accept me as part of the crowd. So what if my tacky Brooks Brothers shirt and businessman's shoes (dress code enforced) don't match the ornately colored Mexican cowboy boots and black Stetson hats? Who cares if I don't know how to order a Pacifico in Spanish? Men and woman alike smile as I pass them in the hall.   

Everyone's cheery mood must have something to do with the dancing. Dancing is El Tenampa's main draw. Whether it's the live band playing slow dance tunes or the DJ filling the air with a bizarre sort of ultra-hyper Salsa music, the dance floor is packed. Amazingly beautiful girls in sparkling dresses dance hand-in-hand with courteous cowboys. Songs change, partners change, but the mood stays festive. The Latin rhythm pulls me onto the floor.

Of course, my lack of Spanish makes it hard for me to ask girls to dance. I guess there's always next time. Oh Dios mio, will there be a next time.  

El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant

Open until 2 a.m. on weekends
$20 cover for men
3121 S. 38th St., Tacoma
253.474.3405