Photo Courtesy of Double Wide
In the Dallas-Fort Worth nightlife scene, we’ve got the same bars, the same clubs, the same gimmicks accompanied with sticky floors and overpriced drinks – but what if we want more?
For a city that loves to turn up, we knew there’d be some creative approaches to nightlife, and we found them. Switch up the pace with these great destinations for dancing, cocktails, and good DJs.
Lady Love
Bishop Arts
This spot is fairly new, the second-born child of owners Kate Siamro and David Grover, also owners of Spinster Records. Lady Love is moody, with just the right lighting and decor that will probably have you feeling cooler than you are. Even the bathrooms are a scene from a movie where nothing bad happens, just love. The food here is actually good and the drinks are song-themed with names like Purple Rain and Rude Boy. Open daily, this lounge doubles as a reunification point for old friends and a showcase of great local DJs who have a sound to share.
Photo Courtesy of Alternative Press
Bodega W. 7th
Fort Worth Cultural District
It’s a speakeasy and it’s a convenience store. It’s a speakeasy disguised as a convenience store! With a purchase of a pack of gum or a Big Red, you’ll gain access to a freezer door that unveils a hidden bar with pool tables, darts, and sometimes karaoke.
Guests attest to international and country music and a great whiskey bar where you can enjoy a Crown Royal, straight up, with the bag of Lay’s you bought to get in the joint. But shhh, it’s a secret, remember.
Photo Courtesy of Bodega W. 7th
Tiny Victories
North Oak Cliff
With $12 specialty cocktails and all the vibes, Tiny Victories is a big win for the Dallas party scene. Yes, this bar is pretty small, but can certainly be a spot where everybody knows your name. Come for friendly bartenders that offer an elevated drink menu and stay for the beats and the people you’ll meet. With bar seating and a few small tables inside and out back, you’ll want to get there early, but if a DJ is spinning, standing around wouldn’t be the worst thing because the music at Tiny Victories will make you want to dance. This hangout doesn’t serve food, but they encourage you to purchase food from the other businesses on the block and bring it back to eat, if you’d like.
Photo Courtesy of Tiny Victories via Yelp
Double Wide Bar
Deep Ellum
We really can’t resist a bar with a row of toilets in the courtyard. Double Wide gives more than a nod to trailer park americana playing “rock & roll and country and everything in between.” If we ever wanted to smash a beer can on our foreheads we’d be sure to do it here. It might be one of the few places in Deep Ellum that doesn’t make you feel like you need to put on your good boots. Come as you are and enjoy the live music and try one of their unforgettable drinks like the Yahoo Yeehaw, a drink that is described on their site as a “white Russian meets white trash.” If you like this vibe, check out their sister bar, Single Wide. And yes, it’s half the size.
Photo Courtesy of Double Wide
Hotel Dryce
Arlington Heights/ Fort Worth Cultural Center
A stone’s throw from Dickie’s Arena, a contemporary boutique hotel holds the key to the before and after party. Whether the gathering is in the lobby or in the hotel’s bar, there’s a clear devotion to community building at Hotel Dryce. Food experiences and pop-up markets, competitions and networking, Hotel Dryce welcomes everyone. The owner, Jonathon Morris, wanted to celebrate Fort Worth’s roots, but in a more inclusive way. Music is a big theme of this vibrant space. The vinyl-centric bar hosts some of the area’s best DJs and gives DFW residents outside of Fort Worth another reason to head to the wild, wild west.
Photo Courtesy of Hotel Dryce via Instagram
Electric Shuffle
This budding chain came to Dallas in late 2021, delivering a special experience that mixed the bar culture of boozy brunches with high-tech shuffleboard. Normally, shuffleboard is played with two people and you keep score in your head. At Electric Shuffle up to 20 people can play in one game and the score is recorded on a screen in front of you. Your play is interactive as you can edit your teams and take selfies through the touchscreen. You can book your play time online and even rent the venue out for work events or birthday parties.
Photo Courtesy of Electric Shuffle
Double D’s
Dallas Design District
Let’s just get this out of the way; This is not a strip club. It’s actually the exact opposite with a design theme reminiscent of your grandma’s house – in the ‘70s. No really, Double D’s is indeed the hot spot to go, with its wood paneled walls and a checkerboard floor. If you like disco and funk and mixes with few lyrics, you’ll want to stop here for a drink after work or to see a guest DJ later in the night. In this economy, their cocktail prices shine and we love that they have an entire menu of non-alcoholic drinks so our sober friends can hydrate, too.
Photo Courtesy of Double D’s
