18 July 17 - 23, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents blood seeps out of a haunted house’s cursed walls. The Goat has a long list of talented blues folks who regularly take the stage across the nights and weekends with an occa- sional jukebox or karaoke night thrown into the mix. It’s the kind of place the blues would go to if it had legs and a sentient existence. The Green Elephant 5627 Dyer St. 214-265-1338 greenelephantdallas.com If you’ve had a few, just tell your ride-share driver to take you to “the glowing green one,” and they’ll likely know to drop you off at The Green Elephant on Dyer Street. When you walk in, underground bass will get under your skin, forcing your best dance moves right out of you. You’ll likely end up in a sea of college students from Southern Methodist University. It’s their hangout spot after all. If you need a few more, you can swing by the bar and wash down some booze with some above-average bar fare. If you dig the vibe, go back Tuesday night and rest your chops on stage during The Green Elephant’s open mic. Live music, slam poetry and stand up comedy are all welcome. If you chicken out, throw back a few more until you have the courage to prove to the world that you’re the next Jack Kerouac, Richard Pryor or Mariah Carey. The Ivy Tavern 5334 Lemmon Ave. 214-559-4424 www.theivytavern.com Ivy Tavern is a local’s spot. Good news: you can be a local. And you and you and youuuuu. The Ivy is a big sports fan with lots of spirit. The inside bar is dark and comfortable, but be sure to saunter around to the back door for the big patio bar and courtyard. Don’t let hot temperatures deter you, misters and fans keep your sweat chilled in the summer and it’s shady. Service is fast and super friendly. And the bar food is much better than it should be. Wings, loaded potato skins and fried jalapeños are all solid choices, but the pizzas are one of the most popular options. The Libertine Bar 2101 Greenville Ave. 214-824-7900 www.libertinebar.com This Lower Greenville staple since 2006 is known for its thoughtfully curated draught beer selection and stellar bar food, attracting both foodies and tipplers alike. Brunch on their spacious patio should certainly be on your calendar. The playlist is always great too, consisting mostly of indie rock music. Check out their notorious Brass Knuckle Corn Dog Beatdown contest and paired beer dinners. The Mitchell 1404 Main St. 214-971-6273 www.facebook.com/themitchelldallas Downtown’s glamorous gold-themed bar can be a place for a big, romantic night out, or it can be a quick place to crash after a show. The Mitchell is versatile, and that ex- tends to the enormous liquor selection — in- cluding dozens of gins; order a martini and they’ll ask which you want — and the party- ready Champagne options. A tiny kitchen produces big, hearty cheeseburgers and French bistro food like steak frites, venison tartare and platters of fresh oysters. When The Mitchell reopened after the pandemic, it took a while to get new drink menus printed, but in the meantime, the staff here can make darn near anything, or ask to find out about their own eccentric inventions. Just don’t order vodka. They save a bottle or two for emergencies, but that’s about it. The Nines 2911 Main St. 469-458-3324 ninesbar.com The Lizard Lounge’s sister venue, Red Light, was reborn in 2016 as The Nines.With a new layout and sound, lights and video equipment, The Nines shot into the scene with a grand opening jam-packed with live music and aerial performances. What used to be a dance club for EDM-focused DJs turned into a mecca for a vast selection of live music and entertainment. A staple of the club’s event calendar is the aerial perfor- mances. This should come as no surprise considering who the owner is: Allen Falkner, a suspension artist. He’s not your run of the mill suspension artist, though. Falkner pop- ularized the craft and is known as “the fa- ther of modern suspension.” His wife, Courtney Crave, is an international model, burlesque dancer and aerialist. Needless to say, there’s always something interesting go- ing on at The Nines. When there’s music, you can grab a drink and some good ass ta- cos before you hit the dance floor. The Old Crow 1911 Greenville Ave. 214-828-2769 www.facebook.com/pages/Old- Crow/118607348153459 The humble Old Crow is wholly unpreten- tious, and it’s just the kind of dive bar that you’d make a beeline for directly after get- ting dumped. No, it’s not the fanciest club in all of Dallas, but it’s still got a certain je ne sais quoi that keeps patrons coming back week after week. Want to down a couple of cheap beers and throw some darts? No prob- lem. Want to order a round of reasonably priced shots to help you forget your terrible day? Well, look no further. With plywood floors and classic Busch Light and Pabst Blue Ribbon neon lights, The Old Crow is a seriously excellent hole-in-the-wall worthy of your hard-earned cash. Every true Dallas- ite has made some memories there — if they can remember the night, that is. The Peak Inn 132 N. Peak St. 214-377-8828 www.facebook.com/thepeakinn When Joe Morales opened this bar in No- vember 2019, he called it his retirement bar, — the kind of place he wants to find a stool to call home later down the road. Many locals and regulars are already doing that. The bar food here is superior; you might not find a better late-night burger in this city. The juke- box has a cultured range from Lizzo to Jerry Jeff Walker. The weekday happy hour lasts until 10 p.m. and the kitchen stays open to 1:30 a.m. every night. The vibe, strong drinks and food make it a big draw for service indus- try workers after they get off their shifts. The Lil’ Kahuna burger with a house-made Thou- sand Island dressing is a critic favorite. The Rustic 3656 Howell St. 214-730-0596 therustic.com “At The Rustic, music is part of our DNA,” The Rustic’s creator Kyle Noonan said in 2020 as the bar and restaurant kicked off its Safe Sounds Music Series, a masked and so- cially distanced concert series aimed at keeping the music playing during the pan- demic. And then there’s this: “We hustle to- gether, we party together, we play together, we fight together, but ultimately we get to celebrate the fact that we are creating the place to be,” Noonan said. The massive res- taurant in Uptown is filled with Texas tchotchkes and country music. Come for the grilled quail. Whatever your choice, pair it with any of the number of Texas beers on tap and you’ll be off to a good start. The Skellig 2409 Henderson Ave. 972-925-0282 www.theskelligdallas.com Located in the heart of Knox Henderson, The Skellig is a classic Irish pub with some Southern flare. Pop in for some beers on tap and stay for a European meat and cheese board. Or, catch the big game with some friends, and stay into the hours of the night. Throughout the week, The Skellig offers several great deals. One of our favorites is $2 taco nights on Wednesdays. The Wild Detectives 314 W 8th St 214-942-0108 Oak Cliff staple The Wild Detectives is a se- rene spot for avid readers as a bookstore, cof- fee shop and bar all in one built in a charming old home at the edge of Bishop Arts. With a large, pet-friendly backyard decorated with books hanging on a clothesline, it’s also an event space for readings, performances such as Shakespeare in the Bar, concerts and pan- els. The rustic-yet-polished wood-covered store offers rare finds such as foreign books and books by independent publishers — there’s no better way to channel your inner Hemingway than by reading great works with a beer or five. Maybe have a sandwich and coffee, too, before driving home. Thomas Avenue Beverage Co. (new) 2901 Thomas Ave. www.tabctavern.com We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Ed- die “Lucky” Campbell knows a thing or two about bars. The long-time Dallas barkeep, who also owns the Standard Pour on McKinney Av- enue and Parliament, resurrected the Thomas Avenue Beverage Company a decade after the original one closed. Campbell has created a space that is smart and stylish, but not arro- gant. Inside is dark and cozy with a little bit of an old Hollywood vibe; the big patio outside is airy and sporty and there are always a few dogs chilling out. Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 p.m. seven (SEV-EN!) days a week with classic cocktails priced below embarrassingly cheap, which we honestly can’t say enough good things about. The food menu is tight and hits above its weight: specials like spinach and pob- lano alfredo, or shrimp and sausage bucatini are made from scratch. Like we said, Campbell knows how to do bars and he’s provided Dallas with another gem. Three Links 2704 Elm St. www.threelinksdeepellum.com Three Links’ slogan is “We Never Sleep.” Take one look at its event calendar, and you will agree that these people never rest. Three Links advertises low-priced Tullamore Dew all day, every day and serves a wide selection of tap and bottled beers. If you get there just Alison McLean Karma chameleon and the Black Cherry Sangria at Thomas Avenue Beverage Co. Top 100 Bars from p17
