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One of the greatest things about Dallas is the diversity in its neighborhoods. No matter what you’re looking for, there is not only a bar to find it in, there’s an entire district dedicated to it. The bluesy notes and Southern vibes draw vibrant crowds to the various bars and saloons of Deep Ellum, while the vintage, eclectic style of Knox-Henderson’s hangouts is especially appealing to SMU students and bohemians. Greeneville Avenue and the West End of town are the perfect places to find upscale lounges filled with fashionistas, and the West Village is filled with wine rooms and bars where regulars are found knocking back cold ones over tasty burgers. In the Oak Lawn neighborhood, where the majority of Dallas’ gay scene can be found, and fabulous bars of all kinds are filled to the brim on a nightly basis.
Across the Street Bar
5625 Yale Blvd., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.363.0660
When there's no one at the Across the Street Bar it's hard to tell that the joint could ever be popular. But when a Dallas band is playing, it would be impossible to miss. The enormous club gets happening on nights that live rock bands come to play, which is several nights a week. A huge Marilyn Monroe mural stares at the crowd from behind the stage while dancers grab a drink at the bar. Super cheap pitchers beat all the other bars in town at only two-dollars. Every Wednesday night psychedelic drum jams rock Across the Street Bar and into the weekend rock takes over with usually awesomely long sets. There's no better—or cheaper—place in Dallas to drink and rock out simultaneously.
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Bar Belmont
901 Fort Worth Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.393.2300
Situated on a stone precipice in the glamorous Belmont Hotel, the Bar Belmont has a fabulous view if the Dallas skyline as well as a set up that makes for optimal people watching of the upscale patrons in the Dallas bar. The modern décor of the lounge invites all types of folks to saunter in and order a martini and a few appetizers to nibble on. Bar Belmont is a popular place for neighborhood locals or young businesspeople to talk about the day's happenings in comfort. A beautiful terrace gives a great view of the sunset on any given night if staring at the bar back isn't on the agenda. Close enough to downtown to be chic, Bar Belmont is one of the underestimated but always-fabulous Dallas bars.
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Bill's Hideaway
4144 Buena Vista St., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.559.2966
In a gay and lesbian part of town, Bill's Hideaway is a great bar to grab a drink and relax after work or on the weekends. The front room of the bar has a baby grand piano that various artists come to play everything from show tunes to jazz on. Between the front bar and back bar a beautiful patio area with a water fountain, gazebo and greenery offers seating. The patio is the perfect spot to enjoy a mimosa on a weekend morning in the warm Dallas sun. But for those nights when Dallas gays and lesbians just want to have a good time at a laid-back bar, Bill's Hideaway has pool tables and TVs in the back bar to provide entertainment. The bar is open from the crack of dawn on, perfect for those who have spent the whole night out and need a pick-me-up in the wee hours of the morning.
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Billiard Bar
1920 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.826.7665
There's no way to beat cheap drinks and a night of billiards on one of eight tables at the Billiard Bar in Dallas. Spend the night at the bar with friends listening to some jams on the jukebox or go alone to have a low-key night instead of a wild night out in Dallas. There is half-priced pool on Sunday and Monday plus super cheap drinks during happy hour. The Lower Greenville location has friendly service and a comfortable atmosphere that anyone can enjoy in Dallas.
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Blarney Stone
2116 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.821.7099
Not every Irish pub has to be over the top with singing leprechauns and a field of clovers—okay, maybe they're not that bad, but Blarney Stone is not one of the typical over the top Irish pubs. Instead, the Dallas bar takes its Irish influences from the friendly service and great beers served in a true Irish pub. An outside patio in front is the perfect place to enjoy a pint of Guiness at Blarney Stone and watch the crowds go by or sit by the huge 20-foot fish tank for feeding time and root for the best fish. Several TVs in the bar have sports on and a jukebox plays great rock, pop and oldies. There are no dancing leprechauns here, but there are cold beers served with a smile.
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Cosmo Restaurant & Bar
1212 Skillman St., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.826.4200
Right in the middle of a Dallas neighborhood, Cosmo Restaurant and Bar is a favorite with locals who can have a short walk to their neighborhood haunt. A fireplace and great mood lighting make the bar a nice place to relax over the signature cosmo in a large glass while listening to hits come one after the other from the jukebox. The trendy Lakewood crowd takes over the bar on nights and weekends with martinis in hand. Come early for prime seating and to munch on decidedly delicious gourmet pizzas that are made when you order.
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Grapevine Bar
3902 Maple Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.522.8466
There aren't many bars in Dallas, or any where for that matter, that can say they have a full size basketball court out back behind the patio. That's the kind of bar Grapevine Bar is, though. Everyone from yuppie lawyers to the local gay and lesbian crowd flood the bar on any given night. Not that the Dallas pub is a gay bar, more like a widely accepting bar that allows everyone to get together and hang out without judging. A huge pool table and two bars keep people busy, but the Grapevine is often just the last stop of the night before heading home. Great bartenders and the eclectic Dallas crowd make the bar a great place to go just to people watch and enjoy the atmosphere.
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Industry Bar
5427 Beltline Rd., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.274.7201
All it takes to make some Dallas sports fans happy is enough TVs to see the game, beer and hot wings. Okay, sure some also enjoy the pool tables and video games at the Industry Bar, but the wall-to-wall televisions make watching one of the Dallas sports teams win just that much sweeter. The bar offers buckets of beer and a fine offering of premiums like Red Stripe and Fat Tire. Sports fans that work up an appetite can peruse a limited menu of pub grub that is based on appetizers, burgers and sandwiches. The bar has karaoke on Wednesday nights and brings in DJs on the weekend to spin dance music. There's not much, much there's also not much more to need.
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July Alley
8019 Forest Trail, Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.747.2809
One of Dallas' hottest nightlife scenes in Deep Ellum has plenty of bars to choose from, but July Alley is one of the local Dallas folk's favorites. The alternative looking bartenders sling drinks that are exceptionally cheap during the Monday to Friday happy hours. TVs, billiards, a jukebox and poker games provide hours of entertainment at the bar for those who like to participate in more activity than just raising a beer to their lips. There are eight beers on tap and over 50 by the bottle as well as a wide liquor selection at the bar. Dallas locals flock to July Alley throughout the year, not just in July.
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Libertine Bar
2101 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.824.7900
Those that don't want to be in a bar with more colorful sugary cocktails that they can count on one hand have found their home at Libertine Bar. The shotgun style bar has rows of booths overlooking the Dallas club scene and a bar that runs the length of the room. Serving up Texas pub grub along with some updated choices, the bar specializes in ales and vintage cocktails. The Lower Greenville location is popular and ideal for those that like to kick it in a classy part of Dallas without having to deal with outsiders.
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Louie's
1839 N. Henderson Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.826.0505
The best thin crust pizza in Dallas is hidden away at this dark dive bar where those who are a big deal try to not be a big deal. The menu has typical bar fare plus their famous pizza and some pastas—and of course plenty of cold beer, but only by the bottle. Regulars sit at the bar chatting with the bartender while others choose to dine at the tables and booths. A tin ceiling and terracotta make the whole scene feel like something out of a movie about cowboys. Leave your spurs and 10-gallon hat at home though, before you mosey over to Louie's.
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McKinney Avenue Tavern
2822 McKinney Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.969.1984
When there's a Texas game on, McKinney Avenue Tavern fills up with local Dallas Uptowners looking to watch the game while getting a bite to eat and a drink at the bar. American bar food like appetizers, burgers and sandwiches are served up hot from the kitchen to keep sports fans fat and happy. Happy hours take off the sting of the price for drinks but food—like a platter of cheese sticks, jalapeno poppers, buffalo wings and chicken strips for four people—still has to be paid for. Good, friendly service at the bar, over 30 televisions and an outside patio can easily accommodate even the most fervent Dallas sports fans.
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Monkey Bar
408 Exposition Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.827.1129
The Monkey Bar is a traditional island themed cocktail lounge with paper cocktail umbrellas and all. Patrons will forget they're in Dallas after a while and drift away to the Big Island when surrounded by tropical drinks and decorations like the 4-foot blind monkey. The most popular night of the week at Monkey Bar is "15 Minutes of Shame" when customers bring their own iPods, vinyls or CDs to play on Friday night. Cigars are welcome but the only think the Monkey Bar serves is drinks. The bar is one of the best in Dallas to get a little R and R in before stumbling home.
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Pub Pegasus
3326 N. Fitzhugh Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.559.4663
Red bar stools surround a bar in the middle of a dark room and the only thing that sets Pub Pegasus apart from any ol' neighborhood bar is the shirtless male bartender serving an all male crowd. The gay bar has a low-key atmosphere on most nights with a rocking jukebox and pool tables to give the guys something to do. There is no glamorous disco at Pub Pegasus but the music is still good and the neighborhood gay bar brings in friendly faces and new ones all the time. The crowd is mostly middle-aged but they know how to get their drink on nonetheless.
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Service Bar
1919 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.824.8599
Tourists and college students mingle with Dallas locals at the Service Bar over drinks and entertainment. The front part of the long bar has karaoke where drinkers bring their shower voices to croon for the crowd while others prefer to enjoy the darts, billiards and video games. The full bar runs the length of the location that spills into a back patio where folks socialize in the Dallas night air. Outside, murals from Dallas artists decorate the patio and add color to the environment. Friendly service—the name must mean something, after all—and a good mix of people from everywhere make the bar a great place to grab a drink.
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Stroker's Icehouse Bar and Grill
9304 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214. 351.5252
Bikinis, burgers and bikers make Stroker's Icehouse Bar and Grill one of the best biker hangouts in Dallas. The Grill serves up sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs with creative biker names like "Rat's Good Ole Hot Dog" or "Bigun Burger." Live music on the weekends tops the week off for the Dallas bikers who spend the week at the bar with theme nights like lingerie night or bikini night while playing pool and getting beers at the bar. Texas Hold 'Em tournaments are held on Mondays and Wednesdays so bikers can win enough money at the bar to head next door to Stroker's Dallas bike shop and buy a new chopper. Well maybe not that much, but it's worth a try when it comes with lovely biker ladies.
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Sugar Shack
1909 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.826.4500
Three words, or because one is hyphenated, tow words: Tie-dyed couches. That's right, pastel tie-dyed chairs and couches fill the Sugar Shack, a consciously eclectic kitschy bar. It's a little bit sports bar and a little bit Vegas all rolled into one and shaken, not stirred. There are cocktail tables, a full bar and TVs throughout the bar for sitting down and having a drink or just standing around and mingling. The back room of the bar is a game room with a pool table and video games. The best nights to go to the Dallas bar are when there are DJs filling the Sugar Shack with top 40s, hip-hop and rock. Don't overlook the specialty drink, a 64-ounce fishbowl filled with one of three flavors. Made for six, but makes a better night if finished by two.
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Ten Sports Grill
1302 Main St., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.748.1010
The one place in Downtown Dallas that has it all, Ten Sports Grill has awesome pub grub, a great atmosphere, good drink specials and of course so a ton of televisions with Texas teams and national sports on. Pool tables and other sports bar activities keep the singles around the bar busy when they aren't watching sports or stuffing their faces. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 11am until 7pm offering food and drink specials at the bar. Ten Sports Grill serves tasty dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner with many choices of pasta, Tex-Mex and regular ol' pub favorites like juicy burgers and golden fries. The bartenders are friendly and make a mean martini. Dallas' Ten Sports Grill is a bar that stands a head above all the rest in Downtown Dallas.
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The City Tavern
1402 Main St., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.698.8550
It can be a little overwhelming having to decide what to eat or drink at City Tavern with so many beer, wine and menu options. The good news is that the service is friendly and can help make the decision easier… or why not just get one of everything? When there isn't live rock or country at The City Tavern, the TVs take away the attention with Dallas Cowboys, the Rockets or another sports game on. The antique jukebox is also a main attraction at the Dallas bar that welcomes everyone. After work, local Dallas folks come to the bar for a drink and a bite to eat before a rowdier crowd takes over in the evening. Both crowds make The City Tavern worth a visit to see what the best bar in Dallas should be like.
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Time Out Tavern
5101 W. Lovers Ln., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.956.9552
Mostly locals hang out at this Dallas neighborhood sports bar. The Time Out Tavern has no food but plenty of beer choices to make it a great place to meet before and after sports games. Dallas Cowboys games are particularly popular at the bar and it gets packed well before the game begins with peanuts, Cheetos or pork rinds as the only sustenance. If there aren't sports on TV, the bar still has shuffleboard and pool for drinkers with a competitive streak. The Time Out Tavern is just the place for a night of excitement or just to kick back.
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Winedale Tavern
2110 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX; Tel. 214.823.5018
Winedale Tavern's slender Greenville location has nothing over the top, more because there isn't enough space than because the Dallas bar chooses not to have them. Somehow a pool table fits into the bar along with a small stage that hosts a local music and an open mic night weekly. When there isn't a struggling Dallas artist on the stage, there are struggling singers doing karaoke at the bar or a jukebox getting quarters pumped into it. The dive bar atmosphere thrives around the billiards and packed bar stools as all kinds of Dallas folks cheer on sports teams and encourage each other's drinking.
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—Dallas bar and club reviews by Alanna Lee
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