20 July 18–24, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Pony Up, a small Miller High Life with a shot of Jameson. 3600 Main St., 214-701-3226, coldbeerco.com. COMMUNITY BEER COMPANY: Community Beer Company is one of the original craft brew- eries in Dallas. Its Mosaic IPA is a pillar in the local beer community, and the shiny brewery just northeast of downtown is an ode to how far the local craft beer scene has come in 10 years. With more than 70,000 square feet of elbow room, this two-story production brew- ery and biergarten is host to families, friends, birthday parties and plenty of pooches on the weekends. It offers almost two-dozen beers on tap, all their own. 3110 Commonwealth Dr., 214-751-7921, communitybeer.com. DEEP ELLUM ART CO.: Deep Ellum Art Co. is in one of the most trafficked neighborhoods in Dallas, so it makes sense that you’d find a spot that offers live music, lots of art and a good mix of drinks and grub from food trucks. The inside space is a whopping 5,000 square feet and boasts of being home to the biggest backyard in the neighborhood, complete with an art gallery. It even has foosball and Con- nect Four, along with 27 beers, a slate of draft cocktails and a selection of wines on tap. 3200 Commerce St., 214-697-8086, deepellumart.co. DOT’S HOP HOUSE AND COCKTAIL COURT- YARD: Located in the heart of Deep Ellum, Dot’s Hop House & Cocktail Courtyard is the ultimate brunch spot. From its decadent duck fat cheese fries and avocado toast bruschetta, diners are always in for a treat. Patrons can sprawl out on the enormous, 10,000-square- foot dog-friendly patio, and on chilly nights, Dot’s outdoor heaters help to warm up cold bones. Be sure to pamper yourself with one of its hand-crafted cocktails, like the Dot’s old fashioned or the truly inspiring Strawberry Smokeshow. Plus, beer aficionados can have fun selecting craft brews off an unparalleled 99-tap drink menu. This full-service bar and restaurant makes foodies everywhere rejoice. 2645 Commerce St., 214-230-3687, dotshop- house.com. DOUBLE D’S: Get your mind out of the gut- ter: It’s Double D’s because it’s in the Design District. This is another bar from the same group behind The Whippersnapper and High Fives. The vibe here is the best party you ever hosted in your grandma’s basement, with polished brass knickknacks, old couches, a shag rug and the rest. The cocktails here are serious. Try Edna’s Lunch Box, a tribute to the famed Oklahoma bar, made with a Miller High Life, amaretto and orange juice served in an ice-cold mug. It oddly tastes like Dr Pepper. Early in the evening, the vibe is a bit more cocktail-lounge. Later, a line starts to form at the door and things get groovy. Local DJs set up in the booth and the whole place starts dancing. Don’t be shy about ordering a clas- sic cocktail; the bar menu is one of the best in the city. 1404 Riverfront Blvd., 469-243-6866, wedothisandthat.comdoubledsdallas. DOUBLE WIDE: When Deep Ellum starts to feel just a bit too crowded, you don’t have to look too far for an escape. Double Wide, all the way down on Commerce Street, offers a selection of cheap, powerful and/or interesting drinks that all fit in with its trailer park aesthetic. What makes this location so much different than its Greenville Avenue counterpart Single Wide is its outdoor patio with seating made from repurposed toilets and road signs. Double Wide’s music venue (which makes its width double) is located across the patio and hosts bands from an array of genres. 3510 Commerce St., 469-872-0191, double-wide.com. FORUM BAR: The Forum, the oldest bar in Richardson, is the kind of bar you think of when you’re looking for a friendly, neighborhood place to grab a drink. It’s got everything that should be standard in every bar in America: pool tables, darts, a jukebox, a happy hour with free appetizers and the occasional live show. The Forum goes a few extra yards with unique specials like Poolside Meatball Mondays with free meatballs and pool, Tallboy Taco Tuesdays, Egg Rock ’n’ Roll Thursdays with egg rolls and bingo and Sweet Heat Sing-a-Long Saturdays with craft margaritas and karaoke. Does your bar have a beer AND taco Tuesday? Probably not. 300 N. Coit Road, 972-238-5777, thefo- rumclubonline.com/index.html. FOUR CORNERS BREWING CO.: Four Corners Brewing Co. has come a long way since the 5-gallon home brew system it started with an over a decade ago. Its large brewery in The Cedars neighborhood hosts their manufac- turing facility and a well-adorned taproom (we love the upside-down lamp installation overhead). It offers one-of-a-kind beers brewed on a smaller experimental seven-beer barrel system behind the taproom. One of the best times to visit is Thursday evenings for lotería, which is sort of like bingo but with fresh craft beer and 20-year-olds (although your nana is more than welcome). Nosh on fried fajita balls and nachos while learning new Spanish words. Their Heart o’ Texas red ale is an Observer staff favorite. Try out the Geeks Who Drink Trivia on Sundays and monthly bike rides for more good fun. 1311 S. Ervay St., fcbrewing.com. THE GOAT: There are so many places with “blues” in their names that look nothing like the music they proclaim to celebrate. No self-respecting blues establishment should be brighter than your average live K-pop experience. We’re not saying the place should look like a toxic waste site. It just needs a little weathering and history to fuel the soul of the blues music that blares out of its windows. This Gaston Avenue club bleeds blues the way 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 occasional 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. 7248 Gaston Ave., 214-327-8119, thegoatdallas.com. THE GREEN ELEPHANT: 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 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. 5627 Dyer St., 214-265-1338, greenelephantdallas.com. HAPPIEST HOUR: Mostly we lean toward off- the-beaten-path bars, speakeasies and low-key places with quirky personalities. Happiest Hour is none of those. This is that one friend who is always in your face, “You’re having a damn good time, like it or not.” It’s a great spot to pregame for anything at the American Airlines Center, which is an easy walk. It’s trendy and busy, but well-run and worth pushing the limits of your usual social capacity. Groups gather around lounge seating on the rooftop for a view. There’s a large bar downstairs, as well as tables and chairs that spread out over a lawn. Ample TVs show all the sports ball contests. Be sure to share an order of foot-long fried mozzarella sticks (it’s 5 feet of cheese). Happiest Hour is an all-weather, all-occasion, all-happy spot. 2616 Olive St., 972-528-0067, happiesthourdallas.com. HIDE: HIDE opened in Deep Ellum in 2017 and became a fast and true standard. Alas, during the pandemic, it closed. But, great news, it resurfaced in the bustling (but not busting) Lower Greenville area. Luckily it’s back to its old self as if it never missed a beat. HIDE is another one of those spots that has a toe in the restaurant and bar pools, but at its core, it’s a boozy botanist. Case in point: the Bell of the Block cocktail is made with vodka, Singani 63, grapefruit, grapefruit bell pepper cordial, floral super bloom, lemon, absinthe and bubbles. Or you can get High Life Pony for just $4. The rooftop atmosphere is great and there is still that amazing burger on the happy hour menu. 1928 Greenville Ave., 214-785-0905, hide.bar. HOUSE OF BLUES: Generally speaking, if something’s happening at House of Blues, you know it’s big. This temple of sound housed at the White Swan Building in Victory Park has enough room for 1,625 patrons. Folks in the music bizz often rub shoulders behind the ropes of the VIP area, scouting for the next big thing. This is just one room at the House of Blues, a venue with several. The Cambridge Room allows the public to catch live local bands, as does the restaurant. In the dining space, which often hosts open mics and other live music acts, patrons can munch on beef tenderloin or seafood jambalaya, burgers, ribs and more. The members-only Foundation Room offers an upscale experience complete with a cozy fireside lounge. Opened in 2007, House of Blues Dallas has become a staple for big acts rolling through the Big D. 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583, houseofblues.com/ venues/clubvenues/dallas. THE IVY TAVERN: 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, Top 100 Bars from p18 Lauren Drewes Daniels Kessaku is fifty floors up in downtown Dallas. Kathy Tran Double D’s offers a basement party vibe.
