Thanks to the eloquently named /u/Holy_Shit_HeckHounds, several posts are available to be considered by following the link provided.

The short answer to your question is that saloons were usually in stiff competition with other establishments, and they strived to do whatever they could to demonstrate that they were different, each trying to carve out a specific part of the market. Specialization was typically the name of the game. Many catered to specific ethnic groups. A few had high prices so only the wealthy would patronize the establishment.

Others offered specific diversions. I have seem examples that include drinking and .... haircuts, newspapers, billiards, poker, target practice (combining drinking heavily and using firearms, which is always a great idea!), meals (offering specific foods that will attract specific customers).

Women dancing (and women engaged in sex work) were also possibilities, but they were rarer than the stereotype would have us believe. Some saloons specialized by being associated with a theater or a brewery; others offered beer on tap (and called themselves a brewery, which can be confusing!).

The thing is, it was important for saloons, particularly in a community of any size, to have a unique part of the market. The average community had one saloon for every 150 or so men, so it didn't take long for a town to need several saloons. Each business was in danger of closing if it didn't attract a good share of the market, and it did it with its special nature, which included food and activities - as you ask.

More can be said, but How did saloons in the 19th-century American West operate? written by u/itsallfolklore and a list of other answers collected by u/Searocksandtrees