Dallas likes to drink. We spent $881,115,661 on booze in 2018. Nice work, guys. (Not entirely sure if this is something worth applauding, but let’s roll with it. If anything, it means that we’re a city of people who enjoy a good time. And I’m thankful that I get to rub elbows with you charming, vivacious hedonists on the regular.)
The February issue of D Magazine is a celebratory nod to Big D’s spirited bar scene. We even put it on the cover, which is why I’m telling you about it here. We highlight 30 hall-of-fame dens, hotel bars, sports bars, lounges, and dives; shine a light on the best bar bites in town; and feature the 10 best new watering holes in Dallas. Bar food goes up tomorrow, and the 10 best new bars is up right now, this second.
2018 was an entertaining year for drinking. We got our first authentic tiki bar, since the 2010 closure of Trader Vic’s. Another shrine to mezcal opened—keeping the distilled agave trend alive. And an intimate lounge devoted to amari (bitter Italian liqueurs) is educating, and serving, those who are curious. The year wasn’t exclusively about cocktails, though. Two new breweries are cranking out some exceptional beers; a hostel bar is plating some of the best food in Dallas; and a cozy 1,000-square-foot space in the Bishop Arts District has become a go-to neighborhood hang.
These, my friends, are the best new bars in Dallas. Get out there and sip, learn, explore, and most importantly, have fun. You’re all so, very, good at it, after all.
