If you've never had the chance to try riding a mechanical bull, get ready to hold on tight. Downtown Sacramento will welcome a new Western-themed restaurant and bar called Bulls this summer featuring such an attraction.

"The theme will be Western meets rock and roll," said owner Andrea Martin. "There's nothing like this in Sacramento."

Construction continues at 1330 H St., where Bulls will be located.

Martin pointed out an 18-foot-wide space where a mechanical bull will be installed, and the skeleton of the "horseshoe bar" being built. The indoor space and outdoor patio can hold 60 people.

"(The mechanical bull) provides entertainment long after you have dinner or lunch," Martin said. "Right now, it's a hard time for a lot of people, and they need something fun and entertaining. I think (businesses) need to add in some entertainment because you're already spending money on food and drinks, so instead of going to a movie you can have entertainment right there."

Bulls will be open all week for lunch and dinner. Breakfast will only be available on the weekends. It will feature a full bar, 22-26-foot-tall ceilings and Western memorabilia decor. Bull riding competitions will be held in the future, Martin said.

Among other comfort food, the menu includes buffalo wings, barbecue pulled pork sandwiches, Cajun spicy link sausages, rib tips, barbecue chicken sliders and old-fashioned chili cheese bowls. There is even a "Buckaroos" kid's menu that includes Buckaroo chicken tenders, mini meatball sandwiches and mini beef and bean burritos.

The building has been undergoing renovations by General Contractor Shawn Eldredge for the past month. It was built in the 1960s, according to David Herrera, vice president of Colliers International Sacramento. He added that the outer shell was renovated in 2007, and Martin is completing the inner renovations this year. It is located across the street from Brew it Up! Bulls has leased half the building that once held racquetball courts for Spare Time Clubs, and the other half has yet to be leased. Martin plans to open in early June.

"It's a tall task to have it done in 60 days, let alone 90 days," Eldredge said. "But I'm really happy it's going as well as it is."

Originally from Redondo Beach, Martin moved to Sacramento six years ago with a career in mortgage banking. When the market burst, she followed her love of entertaining into the bar business. Four years ago she bought the Office Lounge at 1148 Fulton Ave.

"I've pretty much learned the bar business with the bar I own now, so I wanted to do something new," she said. "I bought the Office Lounge -- it was already there. This one is from the ground up, and it's exciting. I wanted to have a mechanical bull because I used to ride one myself when I lived in Los Angeles. I thought it would definitely be a hit in Sacramento."

Tentative opening hours are 11 a.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. on weekends. Closing hours have yet to be set.

Photos:

1) The mechanical bull to be installed in Bulls. Courtesy of Andrea Martin.

2) The patio of Bulls. 

3) Interior renovations at Bulls.

4) Interior renovations at Bulls. The mechanical bull will be installed on the left side. 

5) Bulls' logo. Courtesy of Andrea Martin.

Agnus-Dei Farrant is an intern for The Sacramento Press.