The New Top 100 Bars in Dallas: The Stuff That Makes a Bar Great

   Gritty dives. Upscale cocktail lounges. Sports bars. Speakeasies, such as they are (yes, we know drinking is legal). It doesn’t matter what label we give them, Dallas loves to imbibe at them. It’s said that we drink when times are good and when they are bad. So even if the rent, gas and groceries are all taking bigger bites from paychecks, Dallas still finds a way to make room in the budget for a cocktail.TABS Report, which tracks liquor sales according to data from the Texas Comptroller’s Office, reports that alcohol sales across Dallas arerecovering from a tough winter and continue to trend upward, despite whatever misgivings we have about the state of the economy.

Adult beverages in hand, we’ve updated our list of the Top 100 Bars, which adds a whopping 21 new establishments. Some of the new entries are, in fact, new businesses (or in the case of the Grapevine or Black Swan Saloon, reincarnations of previous favorites), but others have been operating in Dallas for some time. It’s a crowded market, so we took a hard look at many places that have loyalists but might have lost a step. We also tightened our focus to bars that are closer to Dallas itself and the surrounding neighborhoods. (Sorry, Denton.)

You might be wondering whether the amount of change in our list reflects a larger shift in how Dallas enjoys a cocktail. To answer that, we probed the minds of Gabe Sanchez and Ryan Payne, partners in Saint Valentine and Black Swan, both of which grabbed spots in our updated list.

“The Dallasite that goes out and drinks and eats, they’re more open now than I think anybody in any city was 10 or 15 years ago,” Payne says. “People’s tastes have changed, and they’re used to exploring different things.”

Instead of a dozen different vodkas that are effectively the same, drinkers have developed tastes for a smoky mezcal or a wheated bourbon. Craft cocktails have arrived en masse, and even your neighborhood bar is probably taking a little more care than mixing Jack Daniels and Coke from the bar’s soda gun. The “fickle 500,” a two-decade old descriptor of Dallas diners with short attention spans that still fits a significant segment of hospitality customers today, has driven demand for new drinks and techniques, and patrons are always on the hunt for something unique and Instagram-worthy.

An unfortunate side effect of that demand is that some craft cocktails have crept closer to $20 (or in some cases, blown past that mark with reckless abandon). Sanchez and Payne were hesitant to comment on the trend, but we delved into the topic ourselves earlier this year and came away with some new appreciation for the art and science of mixology.

“Everyone is looking for an experience in a glass,” bartender Travis Hendricks of UnaVida told us. “They want something new, a cocktail that will create a new memory, a ‘wow’ moment.” That demand comes with a cost, now reflected in some cocktails that go for three hours of minimum wage work. Some of these creations are worth the effort. For drinks like a brown butter Old Fashioned at Lucia or an Amaro Transfusion from The Branca Room, the genesis of their curated ingredients began long before you ever sauntered through the door.

But for every $18 classic dirty martini that we enjoyed at Columbian Country Club (another newcomer to our list), dozens of bars still splash mass-produced tequila with some soda in a glass and charge $15 for the privilege. We think they can do better. This is not to say that our Top 100 is being overtaken by elitist lounges and drink menus with impossible-to-pronounce ingredients. Far from it.

At its core, a bar is a place for us to socialize with friends and strangers alike, and sometimes that socializing starts over something as simple as a cold draft beer or a frozen margarita. Sometimes, we like to do our drinking with a side of competitive activities. A wobbly pool table with crooked cues might do the trick, but we appreciate something more thought-out. That might mean a couple of rounds of shuffleboard at Electric Shuffle, playing vintage arcade games at Barcadia or limbering up with Skee-Ball and basketball at Sidecar Social, which is why all three establishments have found a home in this year’s list.

As the line between bar and restaurant gets ever more blurred, we appreciate a good food menu to pace our drinking, so we’ve made sure bars with great bites are well-represented in the Top 100. Brick & Bones in Deep Ellum rocks our world with affordable drinks and crave-worthy fried chicken. The burger at Surf Camp, Nick Badovinus’ rooftop bar in the East Quarter, gives off plenty of Off Site Kitchen vibes. Sourdough crust pizza at Wriggly Tin should be considered a must-order in Fair Park.

And sometimes, a bar just needs to be a bar. Maybe you want the classic cocktail bar vibe without the velvet rope exclusivity, so you head to Tina’s Continental for a martini just the way you like it, nestled in a cozy bar dripping with mid-century charm. Maybe you’re in love with the diviest of dive bars, which is why a place like Inwood Tavern has been a Dallas favorite for decades. (If it’s good enough for golfer Scottie Scheffler, hours after winning The Masters, it’s good enough for us.)

When a pitcher is dominating a baseball game, it’s said he has great “stuff.” Batters are helpless when a pitcher’s stuff is working. And when a pitcher is getting shelled his next time out, his stuff wasn’t there that day. Players and managers struggle to define “stuff” but like former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart and pornography, they know it when they see it.

We look at our Top 100 Bars in the same way. We’ve visited every bar on this list and dozens of others in search of the stuff that makes a great bar. The drinks need to be good, naturally. The staff should be accommodating when we order our usual, and helpful when we want to try something new (a salty bartender isn’t an immediate disqualification, but possibly a reminder that you should’ve checked your ego at the door). Each of these bars effortlessly knows its place and never pretend to be something it isn’t.

The Grapevine Bar, back on our list in its new location, is one of those bars that has great stuff. Patrons and other bar owners alike struggle to articulate why it works, but we realize we are somewhere special every time we step inside.

“They’re not going to reinvent the wheel making shots and beers on Sunday when it gets fucking wild in the afternoon,” Payne replies when asked of the Grapevine’s longevity. “But everybody that goes in there is very comfortable being there, and they’re comfortable in their own skin, and they’re comfortable next to the person that they might not know.”

Whether he knew it or not, Payne may have blurted out the secret sauce: a feeling of comfort and belonging is key to a fantastic bar. Payne and Sanchez acknowledge that making people comfortable sounds easy enough, but it can be challenging to execute it. The duo have tapped into that magic at Black Swan, where you can get a great drink at a great price and be around great people. For Sanchez, he only realized how much people had missed the original Black Swan after opening the doors at the new East Dallas location, and patrons started showing up wearing tattered T-shirts from the original bar.

“It got a little heavy for a second, but it’s been cool to be a part of that with people sharing the good shit and the bad shit and them reappearing out of nowhere when you hadn’t seen them in forever,” Sanchez recalls. “It’s seeing those shirts and kind of a timestamp of being part of each other’s lives.”

Tippling across this city helps us fit in, and it’s particularly important at times when it feels like the city and the country and the world are against us. The happy hours, the send-offs, the celebrations and the random nights of fun with our friends at Dallas’ best bars are a buzzy form of escapism from our worries, if just for a little while. Sometimes we need a reminder of the joy we’ve forgotten while we were fretting over everything else.

Check out the complete Top 100 Bars online. This year’s 21 additions are below.

Bar Colette wasn’t the only shiny new cocktail bar to pop up across Dallas this year, but the mixology at this bar puts it into a category of its own. Ruben Rolon, the beverage director who previously developed a Michelin-recognized establishment, is redefining Dallas’ cocktail scene. The drinks are meticulously made, often taking multiple days to perfect, with a focus on reinterpreted classics. Add in their exotic spirits and global wines paired with exquisite bites like a caviar waffe, and you have one of the most memorable cocktail experiences in the city. Reservations are a must.

True to its name, Barcadia is half bar, half arcade and a full measure of good times. The golden age of video games may appeal to Gen-X, but Barcadia draws all types, like a true adults-only Chuck E. Cheese (fear not being trampled by kids; Barcadia is 21 and up). Cocktails like a Tetris Fizz or Street Fighter Sangria are well executed, and there’s plenty of cold beer both on tap and in bottles. If games aren’t quite your thing, grab a bite to eat and head to Barcadia’s spacious patio for a respite. There’s plenty of room if you’re part of a large group.

It’s tucked away inside Preston Tower down a dim corridor with no signage announcing that Bernie’s is even there (none that we saw, anyway), but a visit here plays out like a trip back in time. Bernie’s gives speakeasy vibes. The decor is vintage art deco, the atmosphere is classy and the playlist offers the likes of Kenny Loggins, Stevie Nicks, Patti Austin and Quincy Jones. Bernie’s unapologetically skews to a slightly older crowd, which we’re here for — a place where the phone doesn’t eat first. The bartenders are pros, and the drinks are stiff. You really can’t go wrong with whatever you order, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t recommend the beautifully smoky and oh-so-smooth old fashioned.

This year, Black Swan Saloon rose like a phoenix out of East Dallas ashes after the bar’s initial decade-long run in Deep Ellum and closure in 2020. After four years of grief, happy tears were shed at the news that Black Swan was back. The signature house cocktails, Black Swan Classics, boilermakers and other spirits are back where they belong in the moody and swanky interior full of kitschy art. Our most recent happy hour was confirmation enough: legends never die.

This bar in Deep Ellum has effortless charm and an easy attitude. Brick & Boneshas six house cocktails all priced to move at $10 to $12, plus a bevy of beer ($2 pony High Lifes), wine and liquors. The small kitchen in the back pushes out 24-hour-brined Mexican-inspired chicken fried to order that will light your soul on fire and maybe other things. It’s sexy-hot, but keep that down low because influencers may pick up on it and ruin the joint. Drinks roll out quickly, and service is on point. This is a pocket of Deep Ellum’s old soul.

Remember when grandma let you take a drag off her ciggie? What happened to those grandmas? Well, you might find one at Columbian Country Club, which oddly gives off grandma vibes and for some reason we love it. Paying homage to the original Columbian Country Club in Dallas that opened in 1881, the proprietors have succinctly captured a bygone era, elegant and charming, but with carpet. You even get an Andes chocolate mint with your tab, if you don’t get kicked out for smoking first. Chicken fingers and the warm crab dip off the bites menu hit hard. Drinks are pricey but Grams would want you to splurge.

The place has an old-school, cash-only cigarette machine by the restrooms. We were destined to love Dallasite the moment we laid eyes on that beauty. Dallasite is the diviest of dives — the ultimate leave-your-pretentiousness-at-the-door watering hole. There’s a spacious patio out front, solid bar grub, pool tables, shuffleboard and darts. The bartenders are cool as hell and as well-versed in the bartending game as anyone around. And the amaretto sour is one of the best we’ve had anywhere.

Deep Ellum is full of options for a good time, some of which can get wild. But at Electric Shuffle, things get wild around the shuffleboard tables. So, get a headcount of fun people in your life and make reservations. It won’t take any time at all to learn to play shuffleboard, especially after the house margaritas kick in. The pucks are loaded with magic and the score is tallied automatically, which is nice with the DJ and drinks all going on. There are entire rooms for rent, with music and a big party vibe. The food is good, and the service has always been great. And unlike other places with games, these are never broken or janky.

Ginger’sis a new subterranean cocktail lounge in the historic East Quarter. It opened as the speakeasy attached to the Sushi | Bar, but over time it has gained traction as its own entity. It’s possibly one of the only glamorous bars in Dallas that encourages you to “come as you are” rather than enforcing a strict dress code. The bartenders are knowledgeable and attentive, and once you factor in some solid drinks and a good music playlist, well, the rest is history.

[Welcome Back, Kotter theme song playing] Naturally, when The Grapevine moved out of its beloved small pink adobe on Maple Avenue in 2023 there was skepticism about whether the charm could carry over. Great news, they double-bubble packed it. This new spot, a mile from the original, has most of the staff who have been with the bar for a decade, lots of outdoor space and the same seriously strong drinks. This is an everyone bar. There’s a little bit of this (basketball) and a little bit of that (karaoke), but there’s no doing coke in the bathroom (a sign says so).

The original Henry’s Majestic (and its secret speakeasy, Atwater Alley) was a popular restaurant, bar and brunch spot in Uptown for 18 years until its building was sold in 2022. Early in 2024, Henry’s was reborn in West Dallas, and everything about the new venue feels like an upgrade. There’s the massive courtyard that doubles as a small concert venue, plus two restaurants — one with a kitchen and one with a bar. Henry’s offers a bit of everything: cozy indoor seating, tons of outdoor seating, fire pits, TVs, a good bar with classic and contemporary cocktails and robust kitchen offerings.

The Hideaway is a dive bar with a touch of live-wire spirit. From karaoke to college football, it goes hard and might not be the best place for lightweights. Daily food and drink specials keep things affordable, but the regular menu isn’t by any means obscenely priced either. Play pool or sign up for karaoke, maybe even play checkers with the bartender when things are slow. The patio out front is nice to watch all the doings on the street when the weather is being decent.

This iconic Park Cities drinking den, which celebrates its 60th birthday this year, is an institution. The old-school, unpretentious atmosphere attracts folks from all walks of life, from local Highland Park day traders to a Master’s jacket-donning Scotty Scheffler to regular Joes like us who just want to belly up to the bar for a cold one. Inwood Tavern beer taps represent a lot of local brewers to go with 18 vodkas, 18 tequilas and 33 whiskeys and Scotches. If you need a cure that only a stiff drink will fix, Inwood Tavern has the answers for what ails you. There’s also a great porch and daily happy hour specials.

Lying low on a near-hidden corner of Bishop Arts givesLadyLovethe allure of a speakeasy, but there’s no prohibition at this inclusive space. The bar’s music is loud enough to dance to but not loud enough to drown your conversation, giving you the perfect option to sit down with your date or dancing to the sounds provided by the likes of DJ Sober (who spins every Wednesday) or Christy Ray. The red-dimmed-light lounge also has themed nights, a patio that invites spontaneous convos with strangers. House cocktails include a Rude Boy with tequila, dry vermouth, aloe-peno syrup, lime and salt. Beers start at $5 and include some local options. It’s where velvet meets leather, and where you’ll meet new friends to dance into the night.

In the late 1800s, Mayer’s Garden on Elm Street was a self-described ”early pleasure resort of Dallas” that offered live animals, live music and beer that flowed seven days a week. We’re not sure about all that, but today, a new Mayer’s Garden lives on Henderson Avenue, and while it may not have live animals, it makes up for that with impressive cocktails and tasty food bites, wrapped in an indoor-outdoor space that’s lively and inviting. A solid list of Texas-centric beers is on tap so you can catch a game on TV or kick back for some hangs with your friends. Service at the bar is always excellent — we’re partial to places that get that first drink with a smidge of haste.

In 2023, Lower Greenville’s Belgian-influenced Meyboom Brasserie made its entry into our annual Best of Dallas list thanks to a stellar espresso martini that, quite frankly, blew us away. But Meyboom’s espresso martini is no outlier. The Meyboom team, guided by owners April Segovia and Jeff Karetnick, has set a high bar in all aspects of their operation. From the standout bar bites (like fried Dutch goat cheese balls made with Gigi’s Honey and drizzled with a cherry reduction made with Lindeman’s lambic beer) to the cozy, classy vibe to the top-shelf drink menu of meticulously crafted cocktails, wine and old-world brews, Meyboom Brasserie is an elite choice to grab some drinks and bites when cruising the bustling neighborhood of Lower Greenville.

This new bar in East Dallas has an old soul. From two experienced barkeeps — Gabe Sanchez and Ryan Payne— this is a slinky black dress with an attitude of indifference. Sip a cocktail like the Big Booty Trudy or order a boilermaker from the Churched Up beer section of the menu. The bar food atSaint Valentine is obnoxiously good. Tinned fish with toast and stone ground mustard are Lunchables for Adults. Pair furikake fries with a Mai Tai. Keep an eye out for specials like dollar wings on Wednesday. We should have just led with dollar wings, huh?

While some bars are cozy and chill, Sidecar Social is anything but. It’s almost preposterously large, sprawling almost 20,000 square feet. The main bar is flanked on three sides by 18-foot televisions to catch the game. And instead of sitting around, Sidecar Social encourages friendly competition, with traditional bar games such as pingpong, darts and shuffleboard, as well as more interactive games like bocce ball and foosball, set up on a large table for eight competitors. It’s all free to play. Add a menu replete with delicious cocktails and chef-driven takes on bar classics, and it’s easy to see why Sidecar Social has become a destination.

Surf Campis Nick Badovinus’ rooftop bar and restaurant in the East Quarter, perched above National Anthem and Brass Ram. Self-described as a “rooftop refreshments and fair-weather snack bar,” Surf Camp delivers on those promises from start to finish. The cocktails lean heavily on tropical motifs, all the beer comes in cans, and there’s light snacks and burgers that complete the theme. Whatever your mood you may be in is instantly erased by fresh air and an adult beverage, where the fun is included free of charge. NOTE: Surf Camp closes during extreme temperatures, so be sure to check itswebsitebefore heading over.

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Deep Ellum, Tina’s Continental is an intimate cocktail lounge that we can’t help but adore. Inside the historic Continental Gin Building, the tiny bar is cozy and inviting, with booths and chairs upholstered in leather the tone of butternut squash that pops against the navy walls. The lighting is subdued and flawless. And the cocktail game is exquisite; there are 448 different ways to prepare your martini, ensuring that the version you order is perfectly suited to your tastes.

Owner and brewmaster Aaron Garcia leads the Small Beer Works team behind the stellar brews, cocktails and mocktails at Fair Park’sWriggly Tin. Immerse yourself in some good ole day drinking at Wriggly Tin with a host of stellar house drink options: The Black Pepper Pils (an airy pilsner of black peppercorn, coriander and orange peel), Ojo Moro (a smooth dark lager with tones of coffee and nutty caramel cookies), shandy (beer and prickly pear lemonade), Spicy Mezcal Margarita and, perhaps, the showstopper of them all, the Pink Cadillac Margarita. The retrofuturist Marfa-esque vibe and expansive (and shaded) dog-friendly patio make it a perfect summer drinking hideaway. When hunger strikes, check out the artisan pizzas.

The full list can be found here: Top 100 Bars in Dallas