Thackerville, OKLA. -- Management is calling Friday night just a "soft opening" for Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill. Still the new restaurant at Winstar Casino was packed. And Friday night there were even extra incentives for people to come check out the new attraction.

Everyone walking through the doors of Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill got a warm welcome. And once inside, the country singer's presence can be seen and heard everywhere.

"I like it here - very nice, and the people are friendly," Nancy McDowell said.

McDowell and her husband traveled from New Mexico. A stop at the big name bar and grill was part of McDowell's birthday gift.

Mangers say Toby Keith's name draws people from all over, but it's his local ties that make the restaurant a perfect match for the area.

"Everybody knows that Toby Keith is from Oklahoma - it's a perfect fit. We just enjoy everyone coming here and checking everything out," Brian Zanazanian, with Winstar World Casino, said.

Some came to taste the food, many came to check out the atmosphere, and others turned out to meet the more than two dozen professional bull riders who were at the new restaurant for a meet-and-greet Friday night.

"It's really entertaining - lots of different personalities. It's cool to see, especially the kids - when you can make a positive difference in their lives it makes it even more worth it," said Kody Lostroh,a profressional bull rider, said.

The professional bull riders are headed to the Iron Cowboy Invitational at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on Saturday.

But tonight much of the focus remained remained here. And when you ask people like McDowell what makes Toby Keith's so special, she sums it up in one word - "because he's country!"