Top 10 Best Places to Grab a Drink in Dallas: for Happy Hour, Dates, GNO & Awesome Vibes

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Best places to get drinks in dallas



Summer is H E R E ☀️ Time to grab a drink!

With a plethora of options to choose from, finding a place to grab a drink in Dallas can become daunting.

I've experienced my fair share of sad or crappy places around town and quickly decided which are my favorites.

Many friends and family members have visited me over the seven years I've lived here and I love acting as tour guide. I quickly started to gather which places were my favorite and which bars in Dallas are overhyped.

Bookmark this post so you can easily access it the next time you have friends or family in town, or are in need of a new place to hit up on the weekend!

I could add a million places to this list but I think it would get way to overwhelmed so here are my all-time favorite places to grab drinks in Dallas, TX, what to get, if you need a reservation, and any downfalls you should know before heading there. 


Happiest Hour

616 Olive St, Dallas, TX 75201

I fell in love with Happiest Hour the very first time I walked up. There's this beautiful outside space you see at first, and you walk up this semi-long sidewalk, through double doors with the perfect Beyonce wind blowing your hair back, and into the all pretty-ness that is HH.

Haha, just I made it sound way more wonderful and dramatic than it actually is BUT it is such a great place and some of that portrayal is actually true. Majority of the seating and tables are outside (which is amazing), but there's also indoor seating and you can reserve tables
for bigger parties. 

One of the best parts about this place is the rooftop patio! You have an up close and personal view of Reunion Tower and the downtown scene. It's also walking distance to the AAC so the perfect pregame spot to hit up before concerts or games.

I also love the atmosphere there! I think most would call this a "boujee" place and I wouldn't disagree, but it's an odd yet perfect mix of boujee and casual. You'll see people in workout clothes, and also see girls who look like they're grabbing a drink before attending a fancy gala - it's actually pretty entertaining.

What to get: the summer beer (it'll knock out off your rocker) frosé (a perfect, light drink for summer), the loaded cheese fries are must-get and the flatbread pizzas are delicious.

Downfalls: there are no bar tops on the rooftop; if you don't get a seat, you're stuck standing around holding your drink. It's also not incredibly close to other places to bar hop (although it is walking distance to the AAC so the perfect pre-game place for any event there) and it can get really packed on the weekends with long wait times.

Do you need a reservation? They don't offer reservations. Wait times can get a little crazy on the weekends but you can hang out outside or on the rooftop until your table is ready if you want to order food.

Indoor/outdoor seating? Yes to both.


HG Spply Co.

2008 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206

If someone was making me absolute choose only one spot to go to for the rest of my life in Dallas, I think it would have to be HG Spply Co. *gasps* such a bold statement.

This has become one of my favorite places in Dallas because of 3 reasons: the drinks, the atmosphere, and the location.

It's located right on lower Greenville around Trader Joe's and across the street from Truck Yard and a whole strip of places so it's really easy and convenient to hop around to different places if you're out for a night on the town.

The bottom half of HG Spply has tables and places to sit casually and grab a bite to eat, along with a smaller sized bar, and the whole upstairs area has benches, tables, and bar tops so it's easy to grab a drink and hang around for a while. Business on the bottom and party on top, ya know what you mean? (wait, what...?)


It also overlooks the Dallas skyline from afar and it is a gorgeous view! You can't beat that.

Similar to Happiest Hour, I love HG Spply because the atmosphere can go either way - you can go there dressed up and not be out of place, or you can swing by after a workout - and totally blend in. I'm certainly not one for "fancy" places and I like more chill but upbeat vibes, but I like to dress up so when it comes to atmosphere and attire, I like spots that will work for anyone. Does anyone else take this as a consideration or am I a weirdo?

What you need to order there: Frozen Moscow Mule or Cucumber Smash (both area really light and especially perfect for summer!)

Downfalls: both the rooftop bar and the restaurant/seating area downstairs get very busy on the weekends. I think you can expect this from any popular spot in Dallas so you kind of learn to deal with it, but their biggest downfall is that the service on the second floor is significantly worse when it's busy up there.


Do you need a reservation? For eating, yes. To get drinks on the rooftop, they don't offer reservations. You can almost always find a spot to camp out up here. 

Indoor/outdoor seating? Yes to both.


Dot's Hop House

2645 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75226

Located in Deep Ellum, Dot's is one of the more casual places I'm mentioning on the list, but still one of my favorites! It's within walking distance to other popular spots in Deep Ellum so it's a prime location to start or end your night since it's easy to bounce around to other locations nearby.

I like this Dot's because it's the perfect place for both daytime and night time festivities, plus the location is wonderful! It's a great place when you want to go out and have fun, but not get too dressed up. I love going here for a casual Sunday Funday and also on Friday or Saturday nights because it's always a lively location. It doesn't sound that appealing, but it majority of the space has an open/outdoor feel with a ton of benches, tables, and places to sit on dirt flooring. They also have a smaller inside space This place is always poppin' They have pretty string lights outside (I can always tell in pictures if someone is at Dot's!) and a ton of seating.

What to order: Anything! They don't have a specialty drink to my knowledge.

Downfalls: service can be bad and slow. The place is so huge and they always seem understaffed

Do you need a reservation? Nope!

Indoor/outdoor seating? Yes to both, but majority is outside.




Backyard Dallas

505 N Good Latimer Expy, Dallas, TX 75204

If you've end of Bottled Blonde in Deep Ellum, this is the less clubby version of it. Both are very fun, but with different atmospheres. 

Backyard (as you would imagine) has an interesting indoor/outdoor/backyard feel. 

All the decor is nice, and the whole place is technically inside, but you feel like you're outside. They have a ton of backyard-type games as well — from basketball to corn hole, air hockey and darts — and bottle service.

Do you see what I mean with the interesting combo feel!?

No matter day or night, this is another place that is always a good time.

I've been here for numerous birthday parties where all the girls dress up, and many Sunday Fundays where you'll 100% see girls wearing workout gear and hats. As you can tell by now, I am a fan of these combination spots.

You might even get to see full moon!! 

What to get: Whatever your heart desires. I've never gotten or heard of any speciality drinks.

Downfalls: Sometimes it's too busy to move around casually, takes a lot time to get to play any games or get drinks. Great people watching because they go buck wild though.

Do you need a reservation? No.

Indoor/outdoor seating? Yes to both.



Sixty Vines

500 Crescent Ct Suite 160, Dallas, TX 75201

And Sixty Vines comes in hot as the most Uptowny of the bunch! 

First of all, if you're a wine-o, you will love this place. Second of all, if you're not a wine-o, you will [probably] love this place! Haha, in all honesty this is a great place to take wine enthusiasts but if you're going for more casual vibes, I'd skip it.

I'm a recent wine convert and this place was so fun! It's an upscale wine bar that offers food as well, but everyone goes for the wine. The staff there is very knowledgable and helpful when picking

What to get:
This is a hard one to answer because it's all about taste. Talk to your server and they'll give you the best recommendations and are very nice about letting you try many.

Downfalls: Can get pricey and very busy on weekends.

Do you need a reservation?: Yes. You can try to walk in but it will most likely be a long wait on the weekends.

Indoor/outdoor seating? Both!




Truck Yard

5624 Sears St, Dallas, TX 75206

Truck Yard was the first place I fell in love with when I moved to Dallas and it is definitely the most casual of this list.

There is always a lively and buzzing' vibe at Truck Yard, no matter if it's day or night. It's the perfect, casual place to bring someone — everyone loves it.

Imagine an old junk yard + strategically placed tires, chairs, and benches to form this weird outdoor scene. They offer Philly Cheesesteaks and an assortment of different food trucks everyday — hence the Truck part ;) 

I bring everyone who visits me here and they love it! 

What to get: Local beer!

Downfalls: Can get super packed on the weekends and no wait staff; you have to order your own drinks at the bar most of the time.

Need a reservation? No, and I don't think they offer them anyways. 

Indoor/outdoor seating? All outside, but a small area has a roof covering. 


Desert Racer

1520 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206

Desert Racer is a relatively new spot in Dallas. It's at the end of the strip of Greenville bars but it is a destination.

The decor is thoughtful and over-the-top. It has a boho/aztec, bright vibe with a focus on cars and desert  

What to get: Hibiscus Ranch Water (I literally have dreams about this drink!)

Downfalls: The location is secluded (as in not close to anything else on Greenville so not easy to walk to/from another place). If you're heading to Desert Racer, you're heading there; you don't stumble upon it. And the food is not great either.

Need a reservation? Not necessarily but I would make one to be safe.

Indoor/outdoor seating? Yes to both.




Sundown at Granada

3520 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206

I feel like Sundown at Granada is such an underrated location in Dallas.

They have lunch specials during the week, and brunch deals and live music on the weekends. Their food is amazing as well which makes for a great, well-rounded place to visit.

Weekend brunch is the best time to go here, but a warm summer night on the patio is perfect, too.

It's located along the ever popular Greenville Ave., which means it's easy to bop around to some other places after grabbing a few drinks here. 

I would say majority of their seating is outside; they have both a patio and a rooftop and indoor seating. The place is surprisingly huge.

What to get: mimosa carafe for brunch, or any local beer. Food-wise: the mac and cheese sandwich and the brussel sprouts are to die for!

Downfalls: I really don't have any complaints but if I had to pick one, I would say sometimes the service isn't super accomodating but that's not even a common occurrence. 

Need a reservation? Nope! You can usually get right in or with a short wait.

Indoor/outdoor seating? Yes to both, but outside is way more fun.



White Rock Brewery

7331 Gaston Ave #100, Dallas, TX 75214

Another unpopular spot and a local hidden gem is White Rock Brewery.

I think I literally stumbled upon this when driving to/from White Rock Lake was like "WHAT IS THIS?!"

It has a typical local, chill, brewery vibe and their beers are gooooood. One of the reasons I frequent this spot is because it's never incredibly packed. You won't have to worry about finding a seat there or waiting an hour to be seated — but it's also not so dead that it's boring. The atmosphere is the perfect mix.

White Rock Brewery is also a great spot to watch sports games. A ton of places in Dallas get packed to the rim on game days and it makes it not even fun to go out at that point. Here, you'll get good service and have a fun time.

What to get: Big Thicket, and a they have a new/seasonal one called Little Guy that my boyfriend likes. The fruitier ones tend to be a little too fake-tasting to me but get a flight and try them for yourself if you enjoy those types of beer. 

Downfalls: The service can be so-so. Some of the servers are very attentive, others sit around and watch the games on.

Need a reservation? Nope!

Indoor/outdoor seating? Yes to both.



Canopy by Hilton Dallas Uptown

2950 Cityplace W Blvd, Dallas, TX 75204


Another Uptown bar but with a gorgeous view of the skyline. This is a rooftop bar connected to Canopy by Hilton. You're able to take the elevator upstairs to the rooftop without staying there, which is always nice!

I wouldn't say this is the most hoppin' place in the city but it is one of my go-to's for a great view of Dallas.

What to get: honestly, anything. They have a relatively generic drink menu so you can't go wrong with any beer or cocktail!

Downfalls: it is quite small, and the few times I've been there,

Indoor/outdoor seating? Yes to both.


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