94 September 18 - 24, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Contents | ReadeRs’ PiCks | shoPPing & seRviCes | aRts & enteRtainment | Food & dRink | sPoRts & ReCReation choice — no one needs to be sloppy drunk right out of the gate. But some bars are worth visiting even if drinking isn’t part of your plans. Armoury D.E. is one of those spots. Chef Humberto Lira spins up a diverse selection of Hungarian comfort foods and other good stuff that doesn’t quite fit anywhere else in Dallas. Paprika chicken is our go-to, but the goulash and langos (a traditional Hungarian flatbread) is simply splendid and part of what makes this Deep Ellum standby so special. 2714 Elm St. 972-803-5151 armouryde.com › BEST COCKTAIL BAR Ginger’s When we first visited subterranean bar Ginger’s, we didn’t know what it meant with the tagline, “all bets are off.” After it added a sultry little dessert menu to its cocktail line-up, it’s making sense. We love how this cocktail bar rides the line between casual and upscale so perfectly with stupidly comfortable bar stools and playlists that will give everyone’s Spotify playlist fresh new additions. The cocktail menu rotates, but keeps its classic-ish cocktails around, plus some mostly local beers, wines from, you guessed it, France, Napa Valley, etc. and a fine list of spirits should you have a preference. The only thing we need to know now is: What’s the best drink to pair with the Madagascar vanilla creme brulee? 2115 Jackson St. 214-420-8533 gingersdallas.com › BEST BREWERY Autonomous Society In the shadows of downtown’s towering skyscrapers, you can find Dean Weaver’s crew at Autonomous Society churning out some of the most immaculate brews anywhere. The focus is Weaver’s Deanitude brew line. There are a couple of dozen Deanitude beers in the rotation at any given time, plus limited-series brews (check the chalkboard behind the bar). We recommend The Smooth Operator (which packs a thudding 12.5% ABV punch), a Belgian dark with undertones of caramel and dark fruit with a dry finish. The bar bites here are elite. Banh mi sliders, barbecue tacos with braised pork belly and a beer-candied BLT with thick-cut bacon are just a few of the first-rate dishes you’ll find on Autonomous Society’s menu. 1928 S. Akard St. 469-620-3131 autonomousbrewpub.com › BEST MARGARITA Las Almas Rotas This Expo Park bar has an extensive agave collection that might feel a bit overwhelming, pero no te preocupes. Go for the simple house margarita made with Arette Tequila from a Jalisco agave field run by the fifth generation of the Orendain family. Or pony up, you big spender, for the Muy Premium Margarita made with Wild Common Still Strength, which means it’s bottled in its purest form. It’ll serve you a warrant if you’re not careful. Oh, the marg comes with a sidecar for sipping. Better get some tacos too. 3615 Parry Ave. 972-685-5666 lasalmasrotas.com › BEST HAPPY HOUR Double Wide At perhaps the most generous happy hour in Dallas, served from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, discounted college bar classics meet the trailer park at Double Wide. Reconnect with your inner child while sipping a spiked and blended chocolate milk in the Yoohoo Yeehaw, or sip on an old fashioned infused with a powdered packet of orange Tang. Keep tabs on their calendar and you might just stumble upon a live show or DJ set. 3510 Commerce St. 469-872-0191 doublewidedallas.com › BEST BEER SELECTION Strangeways This quirky East Dallas bar is one of our favorite hangouts, and the beer selection is always unique and inspiring. It had 39 beers on tap at last count, all in constant rotation. You’ll find some local beer as well as rare finds and international selections. Strangeways offers a variety of beer styles, from sours to IPAs and stouts. Keep an eye out for Barrel Week, when all of the taps are pouring barrel-aged beers. It also offers cocktails and wine, if your plus-one is problematic like that. 2429 N. Fitzhugh Ave. 214-823-7800 strangewaysdallas.com › BEST LOCAL BEER Royal Blood Blood Orange Ale from 3 Nations Brewing There was once a different local beer with blood orange that gobbled up our attention, but that was before that brewery sold out to the big boys. In more recent times, our citrusy urges have been slaked by independently brewed beers, with our favorite being the Royal Blood Blood Orange Ale, not to be confused with 3 Nations’ delicious Creamsicle Ale. Royal Blood’s orange spark is balanced by its wheaty body for a sip that’s bright without being tart or sour. 3nationsbrewing.com Lauren Drewes Daniels Ginger’s // BEST COCKTAIL BAR
