Ryan F.
As the cultural and commercial hub of the North Texas region, Dallas represents a well-developed, modern metropolis that holds the rank of the ninth most populous city in the United States.
Although Dallas lacks any navigable sea links, the city continues to thrive as the largest inland metropolitan area in the US. Dallas developed because of the construction of railroad lines that catered to the transportation of cattle, cotton, and oil.
Big D holds a host of fascinating places for travelers to visit, but where do you go when you need to stop for a drink? Based on my recent trips to this seat of Dallas County, I compiled a list of some of the best bars in Dallas. Hopefully, this list makes it easier for you to select an ideal drinking place the next time you visit the city.
Best Bars in Dallas
- Waterproof
- Round-up Saloon and Dance Hall
- Barcadia
- Sixty Vines
- High and Tight
- Bowen House
- Times Ten Cellar
- The Grapevine Bar
- Ruins
- 4 Kahunas Tiki Lounge
- The Mansion Bar
- Las Almas Rotas
Waterproof
1914 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75201
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We begin this list of the best bars in Dallas with The Waterproof in Downtown Dallas. Located on the nineteenth floor of the Statler hotel, the Waterproof features a rooftop pool bar and lounge with a splendid view of the city.
The bar’s stylish and cozy atmosphere makes it an ideal place to unwind after a long day. The highlights of this LGBTQ+ friendly bar include dancing, good food, and happy hour drinks.
The bar’s menu includes dishes like Great Balls of Fire, Shrimp Scampi, Toasted Ravioli, Piggy Spice Ball, Chicky Chicky Parm Parm Sandwich, and more. The drinks section consists of a wide range of cocktails, wine, champagne, vodka, tequila, whiskey, and beer.
I recommend their cocktails and their selections of wine and beer. Note that the bar follows smoke-free rules. The bar also accepts reservations.
Round-up Saloon and Dance Hall
3912 Cedar Springs Rd, Dallas, TX 75219
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The Round-up Saloon and Dance Hall represents the next bar you need to visit if you find yourself in Dallas. This western-themed bar offers some exciting line dancing, fun karaoke events, along with some excellent food and drinks.
One of the best LGBTQ+ friendly bars you can visit in Dallas, the Round-up Saloon and Dance Hall’s casual atmosphere makes it a terrific place to relax and enjoy an evening.
The Round-up Saloon and Dance Hall features large spaces and outdoor areas complete with food trucks and bartenders. The bar’s food menu offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, soups, full courses, desserts, and more. The drinks include beer, IPAs, cocktails, whiskey, wine, and spirits.
I recommend their selection of IPAs and whiskeys. You can take your pick from the different choices of drinks on offer from their extensive drinking menu.
Barcadia
1917 N Henderson Ave, Dallas, TX 75206
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The Barcadia on Henderson Avenue presents customers with an extensive food menu as well as a full bar. This bar and grill establishment also boasts an arcade section for fun and games.
A superb place to visit if you love watching sports, the bar owes its popularity to its lunch and solo dining options. The casual atmosphere here attracts a lot of tourists and university students.
Along with mouth-watering food offerings like Beer Battered Mushrooms, Chopped Cobb, Caprese, and others, the bar also features an excellent selection of cocktails, beer, alcohol, and spirits.
Do try out their pale, brown, red, and dark ales. They also offer a decent selection of wine and beer.
Sixty Vines
500 Crescent Ct Suite 160, Dallas, TX 75201
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The Sixty Vines represents a casual New American restaurant and wine bar that offers food and wines on taps. The spacious, modern surroundings also add to the benefits Sixty Vines provides its customers.
Sixty Vines provides a cozy and casual atmosphere perfect for romantic evenings. Its upmarket nature also makes it a trendy place to dine in. Groups of locals and tourists make up the usual crowd.
This popular Dallas bar’s menu features superb selections of beer, wine, and cocktails. You can also dine late at night here. Vegans can also find something to appreciate from their vegetarian options.
With nearly 40 types of wine-on tap available, Sixty Vines continues building on its reputation as a fantastic drinking place. Apart from the wine on tap selections, I recommend trying out their cocktails as well.
High and Tight
2701 Main St #180/190, Dallas, TX 75226
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Dallas holds some good speakeasies you can visit whenever you need a drink. High and Tight represents one of the best among these with its generous performance space and jazz-era cocktails.
High and Tight, a barbershop-cum-bar, offers a warm ambiance and prohibition-era-style spaces designed to make the customer feel the 1920s drinking experience.
The High and Tight’s menu includes boozy cocktail selections like Barbara Sue, Great Gatsby, Can’t Beet Me, and Smokey Bandit, and more. The bar also offers different types of beer and IPAs.
I enjoyed the cocktails here, especially the Baker Timmons and the classics like Paper Plane and Blood & Sand. Non-alcoholics can also order ginger beer as well as other alcohol-free beverages.
Bowen House
2614 Boll St, Dallas, TX 75204
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The Bowen House represents a Victorian-style vintage house offering a meat-heavy menu, beer, wine, and craft cocktails. A popular drinking stop that deserves its place on this list of the best bars in Dallas, Bowen House enjoys a good reputation for its facilities and drinking selections.
The casual and cozy atmosphere here attracts plenty of tourists and other groups looking for a night of fun.
The Bowen House menu features food items like steaks, Avocado Elote Rosemary Chicken Tenders and Tuna Tacos, Salmon, and more. The drinks available here include martinis, Sazerac, Negroni, Bourbon, and more.
I recommend the gin-based Silly Rabbit or the rum-based Operation Bomb Drop. Try out their wide range of excellent cocktails and wine selections.
Times Ten Cellars
6324 Prospect Ave, Dallas, TX 75214
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The Times Ten Cellars represents a stylish winery and wine bar that combines local vintages with global small plates. Considered one of the best wine bars in Dallas, the winery also boasts a lounge with a full menu.
With its warm, welcoming atmosphere and many rooms, the bar proves an ideal place to host weddings, birthday parties, showers, or any other event.
The menu offers limited options for food connoisseurs, although it makes up for it with 33 wines on offer that you can sample when you sign up.
Although the bar provides limited eating options, I recommend trying out the excellent flatbreads made with local ingredients. Also, for the complete Times Ten Cellars experience, do sample some of the wines on offer.
The Grapevine Bar
3902 Maple Ave, Dallas, TX 75219
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If you need a watering hole in Dallas to quench your thirst and relax, the Grapevine Bar represents a superb choice and features next on our list of the best bars in Dallas. The bar boasts a two-level patio as well as a basketball court.
This LGBTQ+ friendly bar provides an easy-going, casual, and cozy atmosphere perfect for an evening of camaraderie and fun. Tourists and university students make up its usual crowd.
The Grapevine Bar’s menu includes alcohol, beer, cocktails, spirits, and wine. You can also order dinner here or bring in food from outside. However, they do not provide takeaways or delivery options.
I liked the ice-cold Texas beers on tap and the pomegranate frozen drinks. Also, try out their excellent Bellini and Tangarita offerings.
Ruins
2653 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75226
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Located in Dallas’ historic Deep Ellum neighborhood, the Ruins bar represents an excellent drinking location if you want to try something different when in Dallas. This bar combines the Oaxacan Mexican cuisine style with South American and Caribbean influences.
The Ruins bar provides a cozy, casual atmosphere that allows you to enjoy your drinking session in peace.
The bar’s menu offers Mexican spirits that include tequilas, whiskeys, imported mescals, and more. The food menu provides tapas and tacos you can pair your drinks with for the best Ruins experience.
I recommend the superb Mezcal cocktails as well as most of their drinks on offer. The food here also does not disappoint. I found their bag nachos appetizer surprisingly good.
4 Kahunas Tiki Lounge
506 E Division St #160, Arlington, TX 76011
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Another entry on this list of the best bars in Dallas that we cannot ignore, the 4 Kahunas Tiki Lounge represents a well-renowned cocktail bar with dining options. Located 20-minutes away from Downtown Dallas if you drive, this bar features bartenders in Hawaiian shirts, thatched panelings, and tropical soundtracks.
The casual, cozy atmosphere and ambiance in this LGBTQ+ friendly bar make it ideal for island-inspired weekends or date nights.
The extensive menu at 4 Kahunas Tiki Lounge includes classic island cocktails like the Zombie Combo, tiki shooters, the Navy Grog, and more. However, the bar does not provide food, so make sure you eat before you visit.
I recommend the Dole Whip, Jet Pilot, and the Suffering Siren with fire bitters. The Pain Killer and Mai Tai 1944 also deserve mention.
The Mansion Bar
2821 Turtle Creek Blvd, Dallas, TX 75219
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Located inside the Rosewood Mansion Hotel, the Mansion Bar represents an establishment offering New American cuisine mixed with regional flair.
This upmarket bar provides a cozy, romantic atmosphere ideal for dates or relaxing after a hard day. Tourists and local groups usually visit here for the excellent food and drinking selections on offer.
The menu at the Mansion Bar includes wine, beef tenderloin, lobster, crab cake, champagne, martini, and more.
If you visit the Mansion bar for an evening of relaxation and drinking, I recommend the Texas Marg, Mansion G&T, or Mansion Manhattan. You can also try out some of their excellent cocktails. The food here also does not disappoint.
Las Almas Rotas
3615 Parry Ave, Dallas, TX 75226
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The Las Almas Rotas represents a Mexican restaurant/bar with a hip, contemporary setting. If you feel the need to enrich your knowledge about mezcal, you can find no better place to go about it than Las Almas Rotas.
With its casual, cozy atmosphere, this LGBTQ+ friendly establishment also caters to families. Tourists also frequent this place along with the couples out on romantic date nights.
The offerings here consist of alcohol, beer, cocktails, comfort food, quick bites, spirits, wine, and happy-hour food and drinks. Vegans can also partake of the delicious vegetarian food on offer.
I loved the House Frozen Margarita and Tequilas available here. Also, remember to try their amazing tacos and the Pastor Torta. Do not miss the chance to try the mezcal here.
Deep End
2551 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75226
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To wind up this list of the best bars in Dallas, let’s take a look at the Deep End bar. A poolside bar in the Deep Ellum area of Dallas, this bar represents the perfect watering hole where you can enjoy cocktails and dine-in. The offerings here can surprise those of you who love to spice up your drinks.
The casual atmosphere here brings in all kinds of people looking for a place to relax and spend their weekends. The place remains a favorite hang-out spot for groups of friends or couples enjoying a date night.
The menu here features American farmhouse fare with both seafood and farm/ranch cuisine available. The drinks menu includes cocktails, wine, and beer. The restaurant/bar also offers gluten-free and vegetarian dishes.
I recommend the items on offer in the ‘From the Ranch’ menu section for the complete Dallas experience. The Tika a Painkiller and the Smokin’ Mary cocktails were quite good too. Those of you who love spicing up your cocktails can also try the Carajillo.
Final Thoughts
As a city renowned for historical landmarks and its rich culture, Dallas does not disappoint its visitors. The intermingling of various cultures here brought about a unique blend of religions and lifestyles.
Now that you know where to get drinks in Dallas, how about grabbing a nice, juicy steak for dinner?
If you don’t see your favorite bar on the list, feel free to comment below so I can add them to the list during the next update.
