Dallas's most acclaimed cocktail destination: a subterranean lounge beneath The Joule hotel with live DJs, bold creative cocktails, and a World's 50 Best Bars listing.
Must order: Seasonal tasting menu cocktail; house-infused spirit expressions
Tip: Reservations strongly recommended for Fri-Sat. Hotel guests can sometimes walk in earlier.
Address: 1530 Main St, Dallas, TX 75201
Elegant Uptown cocktail lounge serving classics and champagne cocktails since 2014, with an all-day Monday happy hour and a 5-8pm Tuesday through Saturday deal on $6 cocktails.
Order: Mai Tai; champagne cocktail of the night
Tip: Happy hour runs all day Mondays and anytime it rains. Corner booth seats fill first on weekend nights.
Lower Greenville avant-garde cocktail bar from the Rye team, known for ingredients like French onion soup reduction in cocktails alongside premium wine and playful margarita riffs.
Order: Savory French onion cocktail; seasonal margarita variation
Tip: Walk-in only. Good natural wine selection if you want a break from cocktails.
Austin-style beer garden and burger joint at the trailhead of the Katy Trail in Uptown, with a massive outdoor patio that draws cyclists, dog walkers, and happy-hour crowds.
Order: Texas craft beers on draft; Katy Trail burger
Tip: Dog-friendly on the patio. Arrives packed by 6pm on weekdays. First-come patio seating only.
Deep Ellum sports bar with a full kitchen until 2am, sliders, street tacos, and an unpretentious crowd that lands here after concerts at nearby venues.
Order: Street tacos; sliders; weekend brunch double-stacked burger
Tip: Happy hour Monday through Friday 5-8pm. One of the few Deep Ellum spots with late-night food and big-screen sports simultaneously.
Knox-Henderson institution open since 1998, serving classic British pub food alongside 20 rotating taps in a warm, wood-paneled space with a devoted neighborhood following.
Order: Fish and chips; Sunday Roast on Sundays; draft bitter
Tip: One of the few Dallas bars open every day for lunch. Quieter before 6pm, packed by 8pm on weekends.
Deep Ellum institution with 100 beers on tap, a warm patio, and weekly events. One of the best places in the city to work through Texas craft brews in one sitting.
Order: Rotating Texas craft IPA; loaded nachos
Tip: Check the tap list on their social media before coming. Patio is heated in winter.
