96 September 18 - 24, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Contents | ReadeRs’ PiCks | shoPPing & seRviCes | aRts & enteRtainment | Food & dRink | sPoRts & ReCReation › BEST TIKI DRINK Cafecito Grog at La Tiki Paisa Our love of espresso martinis has been well documented. We also adore tiki cocktails. La Tiki Paisa seems to have answered the prayer we hadn’t yet prayed, asking for a tiki take on the espresso martini. Tiki purists might scoff a tad, since espresso isn’t the most tropically breezy of flavors, but we’re happy to report that it works rather well. La Tiki Paisa is a creation of La Casita Coffee, after all. With aged rum, apertivo, espresso liqueur, grapefruit and coffee syrup served in a fun ceramic mug reminiscent of the masks from the Scream movies, this is the inventive, escapist fun every kind of cocktail lover can get behind. 5801 Northwest Highway 469-899-0969 lacasita.coffee › BEST PLACE FOR A POST- MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE BEER Oak Cliff Brewing We’ve noted elsewhere in this issue that Boulder Park is a great place to take your mountain bike for a spin, but so is last year’s best pick for best MTB trail, Oak Cliff Nature Preserve. One of our favorite things about both of those trails is their close proximity to Oak Cliff Brewing and its stellar beer garden. While covered by a layer of tree branches, you can recover while still sweaty and bruised with a fruity Lee Hazy Oswald IPA. 1300 S. Polk St, No. 222 214-506-0480 oakcliffbrewing.com › BEST SPEAKEASY La Viuda Negra Not all is what it seems. For instance, there’s a bridal shop in a strip center along North Fitzhugh that’s flanked by a salon and a juice bar. It seems perfectly mundane until you go inside. Behind the door of this “bridal shop” lies the mysterious La Viuda Negra (which translates to “The Black Widow”). It’s dark, it’s moody, it’s intimate. Which is to say, it’s right in our wheelhouse. This Mexico City- style mezcaleria with heavy Día de Muertos vibes features meticulously crafted cocktails, such as a mezcal paloma rimmed in Tajin, and a Vampiro made with tequila, lime, Squirt and house michelada mix. Or you can select from La Viuda Negra’s deep well of mezcals or tequilas and sip ’em straight. For bites to pair with your booze, we strongly recommend the tacos dorados from neighboring El Come Taco. 2513 N Fitzhugh Ave, Dallas 214-821-3738 instagram.com/laviudanegrabar › BEST DIVE BAR Dallasite Cheap, cold, stiff drinks — check. Pool tables and darts — check. Pretentious-free atmosphere and cool-ass bartenders – check. Cash- only cigarette machine next to the john — obviously. For good reason, this old-school watering hole has been an East Dallas institution for more than five decades. It’s the diviest of dives, which is why we love it. Do yourself a favor and order the amaretto sour next time you’re there; it’s one of the best in town. 4822 Bryan St. 214-826-3670 dallasitetx.com › BEST BOURBON AND WHISKEY SELECTION The Rackhouse If you fancy yourself a bourbon and/ or whiskey connoisseur, a visit to The Rackhouse’s glorious mile-long bar in The Colony should be on your to-do list. When The Rackhouse, which boasts a jaw-dropping patio overlooking Lake Lewisville, opened, it housed a mind-blowing 250-plus whiskeys and bourbons behind the bar. Owners Amy and Rob Jones have since whittled that down to 70- ish crowd favorites (and that’s not counting Scotch or Irish whiskey). Selections range from $7.50 singles of Redneck Riveria to $162 singles of Barrell Bourbon Gold and everything in between. Whatever suits your whiskey palette, The Rackhouse has you covered. 4847 Main St., The Colony 214-407-7478 rackhousetx.com › BEST WINE BAR Locals Craft Beer & Fine Wine Locals Craft Beer & Fine Wine is a neighborhood bar that knows good wine doesn’t have to be uptight. The Mustang Station lounge keeps things fun, never snobby, with daily happy hour, $5 glasses every Wednesday, R&B nights and trivia. It’s the kind of place where strangers become friends over crisp whites, bold reds and buzz-inducing cocktails like the Adios Farmers Branch, a quad-spirit cocktail that practically demands an Uber. 13050 Bee St., No. 100, Farmers Branch 469-770-7957 localsbeerwine.com › BEST DIRTY MARTINI Kenny’s Woodfired Grill Restaurateur Kenny Bowers’ namesake steak joint in north Dallas has been a standby for years. While we love the steaks and chops (and those delicious popovers that come before every meal), our favorite splurge is to order a dirty martini to open our visit. Kenny’s is nearly perfect; the bar keeps Grey Goose vodka chilled and on tap, so the drink arrives as cold as possible. Add blue cheese olives for an extra punch if you prefer. But here’s the over-the-top flourish; if you sip slowly, a waiter magically appears to pour your remaining drink into a freshly chilled glass. We’ve never drunk slowly enough to warrant a third glass, but the experience always leaves us feeling like royalty. 5000 Belt Line Road, No. 775 972-392-9663 kennyswoodfiredgrill.com › BEST SPORTS BAR HERO Hero takes the sports bar concept and twists the volume knob until it breaks. Located right on the plaza of American Airlines Center, this might be the best spot to grab a seat to pregame before your Mavs or Stars do battle. TVs are everywhere, and the menu is full of fun, gluttonous options like wagyu beef burgers (our food editor swears by the The Ranchito ($16) with white queso, Valentina aioli, pico, jalapeños and avocado.) Arrive a few hours before tipoff or puck drop, and you’ll be surrounded by fans in home and away apparel alike, which invites plenty of entertaining dialogue. Best of all, you can make a reservation to guarantee your seats. 3090 Nowitzki Way 469-300-4199 herobyhg.com › BEST HOTEL BAR Midnight Rambler Next time you’re downtown, venture underground at the Joule Hotel to find Midnight Rambler. This sexy subterranean cocktail lounge boasts inventive, seasonal menus strategized by award-winning Courtesy Oak Cliff Brewing Oak Cliff Brewing // BEST PLACE FOR A POST-MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE BEER
