Keeping Tabs: The Goat Ranch

The Goat Ranch is a new, rowdy rural saloon with outdoor games, a ton of beers on tap, a great patio, the coolest junkyard décor you’ve ever seen, and–once the city of the Dallas gives the go-ahead–15 driving range bays. Oh, and sometimes, there are actual goats.

The Atmosphere: The Goat Ranch boasts an outdoor beergarden, a green gaming turf (which currently has cornhole, tetherball, and a homemade basketball hoop), and a country-vibe bar with a pool table, a couple of arcade machines, and an Old West shoot-out game. The eclectic décor came mostly from scrap yards: the indoor tables were fashioned from warehouse scaffolding, old rifle barrels function as door handles, and parts of rusted cars, farm equipment, and time-worn fences are scattered about the property. The Goat Ranch is open Thursday through Sunday and often hosts food trucks on the weekends. (No one’s sure exactly when the golfing bays will open – that’s up to the city.)



What to Order: The drink menu is beer-heavy, offering cans, bottles, and 32 draft options. There’s a good mix of local brews (like Community Beer Co.‘s Mosaic IPA and Peticolas Brewing Company‘s Velvet Hammer) and classic favorites (like Shiner Bock and Miller Lite). If you’re not big on beer, don’t worry, they serve liquor too.

The Staff: The bartenders will talk your ear off – in a good way, of course. They’re friendly and committed to creating a fun atmosphere. One waitress described The Goat Ranch as a better, more laidback TopGolf.

Who’s There: The Goat Ranch is populated by young women dancing to country tunes as they play pool, older couples out on the patio with their dogs, bikers at the bar, runners and cyclists from the nearby Santa Fe Trail, and families with kids during the day. The friendly, good-ol’-boy vibe seems to go over well with everyone.

What I Didn’t Like: The Goat Ranch could use a cocktail menu – a few no-frills whisky- and bourbon-based drinks would add variety and still fit the theme of the bar.

What I Did Like: The rusted old pickups, gardens-in-tractor-wheels, benches and art fashioned from car parts, pieces of shipping containers and old fences – this place is a repurposed paradise! It also manages to forego the trendy, immaculate vibe you often find in repurpose-heavy places and opts for a cluttered, down-home feel. One of the most interesting places I’ve been in a while.