13 OctOber 19 - 25, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Gettin’ Spooked Dallas bars and restaurants are getting in the Halloween spirit, although some would say many of these spots are haunted every day of the year. BY AAREN PRODY B ubbling cauldrons of booze, cherry-red blood bags and over- the-top Halloween decor wasted no time joining Dallas’ famously haunted buildings this fall. Many bars and restaurants are set up to facilitate a true dose of fright, while other spots are creepy any day of the year with ghostly spirits and wicked vibes. Throw in some seasonal pop-up bars, and Dallas is al- ready deep in the Halloween season. Here are some local haunts that promise a haunting time. Ruins 2653 Commerce St. (Deep Ellum) You won’t find kitschy Halloween decor or ghost stories in the back pocket of the bar- tenders at Ruins. This Deep Ellum watering hole has an atmosphere that’s creepy all on its own every day of the year. The concept here originates from ‘ruin pubs’ around Bu- dapest, which are abandoned buildings turned into bars. Look around the space, be- yond the wall of agaves and rum behind the bar, and you’ll notice colorful demons and Our Lady of Guadalupe artwork along with dystopian relics, adding mystery and eeri- ness to those old brick walls. Soak it in with Mexican fare and tequila shots. Ayahuasca Inside Xaman Cafe, 334 Jefferson Blvd. (Oak Cliff) Candle lit with aromatic incense, Ayahuasca is a lowkey spot shrouded in an eerie Hal- loween spirit. The speakeasy is prepping up for Dia de los Muertos on Nov. 2, but drop by anytime this month and you’ll experience a ghostly presence. Tequila, mezcal and sotol dominate the drink menu, but you’ll find other spirits and classic cocktails to wash down the ancient-rooted contemporary Mexican menu. Don’t be scared to try the tlayuda de campo with grasshoppers, ma- guey worms and scorpions. The Adolphus Hotel 1321 Commerce St. (Downtown) It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Dallas’ oldest hotel is rumored to run rampant with ghosts. Mysterious deaths involving the ho- tel’s elevator shaft began just weeks after its opening in 1912, and a 1930s bride left at the altar haunts guests and hotel staff to this day with apparitions and auditory hallucina- tions. If you’re interested in taking home your own ghost story, stop by the social bar in the lobby for a bit of liquid courage first and check out the homemade history book with timelines and several poems about the supposed ghosts inside. Afterwards, explore at your own discretion. Just think twice be- fore using the elevator. Third Rail Bar 815 S. Main St., Grapevine Grapevine’s spookiest pop-up bar, Night- mare on Main Street, has overtaken Third Rail Bar inside Harvest Hall in downtown Grapevine. Sip a Poisoned Apple, Black Dahlia, Carrie’s Revenge, Zombie’s Dream Margarita and Green Goblin cocktails while listening to live music. Movie nights and a variety of entertainment are also on tap throughout the month, including “scary- oke”. Stop by through Oct. 31 from 5 p.m. un- til late. Patrons 21 and up only. Stirr 2803 Main St. A sinister haunted mansion pop-up is stirr- ing inside the Pearl Room at Stirr. This im- mersive dining experience comes supernaturally with over-the-top potions, ominous photo ops and cobweb-covered corners. Reserve a seat on Tuesdays for a free movie screening of Hocus Pocus (1993) on Oct. 17 and Halloween Ends (2022) on Oct. 24. The pop-up concludes on Oct. 31 with a Halloween party. The Alexander Mansion 4607 Ross Ave. Haunted Soiree: A Macabre Cocktail Party is an immersive retelling of the Legend of the Vaughn Clan inside the historically haunted Alexander Mansion. Quirks of an old-school variety show are mixed with theatrical touches telling the story of the famous haunting of Vaughn Hall in Ireland. It’s been singled out as one of the best-haunted at- tractions in the country by Forbes. Tickets fall in three tiers for this free-roam macabre cocktail party in one of Ross Avenue’s origi- nal houses. Sons of Hermann Hall 3414 Elm St. (Deep Ellum) This historic venue doesn’t wait until Octo- ber to turn up the spook factor; supernatural occurrences are common at Sons of Her- mann Hall year-round. Not only is it the old- est bar in Dallas, it’s the oldest freestanding wood structure in the the DFW area. Factor in its 1911 construction, and a ghost or two is practically guaranteed. The Sons hosts a va- riety of weekly events, where spirits have been rumored to bring unexplained noises and eerie feelings to attendees. It’s also one of the Observer’s top 100 bars in Dallas. Bourbon & Banter I Love the ’80s to Death Mur- der Mystery Dinner The Statler Hotel, 1914 Commerce St. Get out your hair spray and neon jelly brace- lets for an ‘80s murder mystery dinner on Halloween at Bourbon and Banter, a speak- easy inside the Statler Hotel. Everyone is sus’(pect). Dinner will be a smoked salmon mousse canape, roasted chicken in a garlic cream sauce with spaghetti squash, char siu pork and red wine-poached pears for des- sert. Tickets are $135 per person, which in- cludes tax and tip. Be sure to bring your Miami Vice game face. And remember you can never wear too much eyeliner. Swizzle 1802 Greenville Ave., No. 110 Aquatic skeletons and spider webs have taken over the Swizzle Tiki Bar on Lower Green- ville. Apart from the regular cocktail menu, look for a Krampus Eve Menu with a handful of themed drinks: Eye of the Spider, Strang- er’s Blood, Ghost of Xmas Past, All Tunnel No Light and Harlequin. If you want all the frills of Halloween but in a relaxed atmosphere, this is a great place to land. Also here: weekly interactive events and old-school Halloween movies on replay above the bar. Devil’s Back Porch 3011 Gulden Lane (Trinity Groves) A bunch of hocus pocus has bewitched the Devil’s Back Porch, the speakeasy Aaren Prody Swizzle is full of spider webs, aquatic skeletons and spooky cocktails. | CITY OF ATE | t Dish >> p14 SCAN HERE TO ENTER TO WIN TICKETS ENTER TO WIN TICKETS
