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Publications

Nightlife

By D Magazine |

ENTERTAINMENT/DANCiNG



ACAPULCO BAR. Acapulco’s popularity proves that Upper Greenville is alive and well. Here’s a great bar for the over-twenty-one partier: three blackjack tables with dealers, a waitress who offers tequila shots from a holster, lots of color on the walls, and even more colorful characters on the dance floor. 5111 Greenville. 692-9856. Tue-Fri 4 pm-2 am, Sat 7 pm-2 am. Closed Sun & Mon. Cover: Fri & Sat $4. All credit cards.



AMNIZIA. A perfect name for this location, because who can remember how many nightclubs have come and gone along here? This latest addition, with its Madonna-esque dance music bouncing off the fluorescent painted walls, is going for the young singles crowd. More Camaros than BMW’s here; you won’t find the chic types who hang around U pper Greenville. But the music is the same, and the dance floor is |ust as crowded. 2829 W. Northwest Hwy. 351-1262. Tue-Thur 7 pm-2 am, Fri 7 pm-4 am, Sat& Sun 7pm-4 am. MC, V, AE.



BAIT’S. The slickest new dance club in Dallas is (surprise!) found amid the laid-back nightlife on McKinney Avenue. It will probably bother some that most of the clientele is gay-but there are sprinklings of all the eclectic types here. This place has every trapping of Cool-a sunken dance floor (à la Starck Club), video screens, neon lights, a separate room in the back for a quiet drink, and bottom-shaking music. 3501 McKinney. 521-4748. Mon, Wed& Thur 9pm-3am, Fri & Sat 9 pm-4 am, Sun 5 pm-3 am. Closed Tue. AE.



BARNEY OlDFIELD’S. Barney Oldfield’s relentlessly pushes on, no matter what other clubs are doing, with its “straight from Las Vegas” theme. Everyone who appears on the stage seems to be either from Reno or Vegas. But while other similar supper clubs in Dallas have only had short lives, this one continues to thrive with its basic pop music act. 1893 W Mockingbird. 634-8850. Mon-Thur 11 am-1 am, Fri 11 am-2am. Sat & Sun 4:30-2 am. Shows: Tue-Thur 9& 11. Fri & Sat 9:30 & 11:30, Sun 9 MC, V, AE.



BELLE STARR. With wave after New Wave of music rolling in yearly, the old country-western culture might be fading. Are you kidding? Belle Starr, packed with a middle-aged boot-kicking crowd, continues to be a huge money maker. There are bands every night, urban cowboys everywhere, and women in those tight-fitting jeans that would make any good old boy swoon. There’s also free beer Tuesday through Thursday, which means you’ll have trouble squeezing into the place. 7724 N Central at Southwestern. 750-4787. Mon 8 pm-2 am, Tue-Sat 7 pm-2 am. Sun 4 pm-2 am. All credit cards.



BOARDWALK BEACH CLUB. You thought preppies were dying out? Head over in your BMW to Boardwalk and you will find them, hiding out from the real world. More than 1,000 of the prep set, from college kids to holdovers in their early thirties, jam the place every weekend night. The disc jockey plays good beach music, if you can hear it above the noise of the preppy talk. Dress is essential to a successful bar evening here, so button down tight. 6332 La Vista. 823-5340. Wed-Sat8pm-2 am, Fri 5 pm-2 am. Closed Sun-Tue. MC, V, AE.



BOWLEY & WILSON’S. If you’re looking for a place to have your church social, don’t come here. Not for the faint of heart or timid of ear, Bowley and Wilson dish out hysterical music and humor that landed them in jail on one occasion. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced, humor-filled evening, Bowley & Wilson and the Blue Bathroom Humor Band are for you. You can win free drinks by being a good sport when they ask you to join in the act. Win free Kamikazies by successfully singing “Old Ben Lucas” in front of the audience. 4774 Greenville. 692-6470. Tue-Sat 7:30 pm-2 am. Show at 9:30.



BOW TIES. We know what you’re asking. Where can you get that first drink after a rough flight into Love Field? Right across the street at this club in the Executive Inn. It’s loud, raucous and filled with a variety of ages up to forty – all of them the kind of party people you see on airplanes. And if you get tired of talking to them, go stand by the band. They’re about as loud as a 747. This live music Top 40 dance club has potential. 3232 W Mockingbird. 357-5601. Mon-Sat 11 am -2 am, Sun 3:30 pm-midnight. All credit cards.



BRIO. It’s amazing how the herd instinct works at these Upper Greenville dance clubs. Just when you think one of these places is going to become an institution, wham!, another one opens down the street and the fast-and-sexy singles crowd shifts allegiance. The latest one that is mounting incredible business-lines snake out the door almost every night – is Brio, where the hot-and-hungry do the predictable: sneak glances at one another, buy each other drinks, ask each other what they do, and then, after a dance or two, talk about what a wonderful thing it is to meet someone special at a place like this! Then they return the next night to do it all over again. 5500 Greenville, Suite 403. 361-9517. Mon-Thur 4 pm-2 am, Fri 4-4, Sat 7 pm-4 am, Sun 8 pm-2 am. M, V.AE.



CAFE DALLAS. The club that was the hottest disco in town back in 1980 has overhauled its image to bring back clientele. But Cafe Dallas has stuck with its dark decor and driving dance music and the same drink specials-and amazingly, has staged a sort of comeback on the always-changing Greenville strip. 5500 Greenville in Old Town Shopping Village. 987-0066. Mon-Fri 4 pm-2 am, Sat 8 pm-2 am. Closed Sun. MC, V, AE.



CALLAGHAN’S Ah. the sweet mysteries of Dallas nightlife. At Callaghan’s, part of the West End live music renaissance, you used to get pure Irish music. Now you never know what will be coming out of the loudspeakers. The little Irish bands play sporadically, and there’s jazz on Sundays, but the rest of the week could be anything. When we went, there was a Top 40 group early in the week, then a flat-out rock ’n’ roll group by the weekend. But it’s still worth the gamble. 1701 Market at Ross. 761-9355. Mon-Fri 11 am-2 am. Sat noon-2 am. Sun 4 pm-midnight. AE, DC, CB.



CLUB CLEARVIEW. Tired of the Starck Club, that million-dollar setting for the teased-out New Wave generation, where happiness is hanging out in the bathroom lobby? Well, now you have a veritable carnival of trendy activities in one nightclub, and it’s all for the artsy, modern-music, strange hair crowd. This Deep Ellum club has utterly ridiculous sculpture and hip art (like an “artistic” depiction of a bum’s home on a city street). There is great dance music in one part of the club, and then a warehouse in the back where bands play, the standard co-ed bathrooms, and a place upstairs to make out with someone or make sure your purple wig is on straight. 2625 Elm. 939-0006. Thur 9pm-2am, Fri & Sat 9 pm-4 am. Closed Sun. AE.



COMEDY CORNER. The only club in town devoted to full-time stand-up comedy keeps rolling along. It’s a great place to see hot new comedy talent from around the country. During each show, you see the nightclub’s own house comedian, a feature comedian, and then the main comedian. And at amateur night on Tuesdays, you get to watch anyone from local sportscasters to corporate lawyers try out their acts. 8202 Park Lane at Greenville. 361-7461. Sets begin Sun-Thur at 9 pm, Fri & Sat at 8:45 & 10:45 pm. Reservations recommended on weekends. Cover: $6 Sun & Tue-Thur, $3.50 Mon, $10 Fri, $10 Sat. MC, V.AE.DC.



CONFETTI. Look what’s happened to Dallas’s major meat market: it went upscale. No more wild-looking waitresses in nasty outfits. No more best-body contests. No more barely legal boppers. Now sleekly redesigned for the young office crowd, the club still throws a good party. 5201 Matilda off Lovers Lane. 369-6969, 369-6977. Mon-Thur 8 pm-2 am, Fri & Sat 7 pm-4 am, Sun 7 pm-2 am. Cover varies. MC, V, AE, DC.



DICK’S LAST RESORT. The appeal of this nightspot in downtown’s West End district comes from the owner himself. In this charmingly hectic, casual atmosphere, where everyone sits at long tables, presides loudmouthed Dick-he teases you, roars happily at you from across the bar, and puts together a terrific combination of drinks with a hefty chicken-ribs-crab menu. Dixieland jazz groups nightly. Corner of Ross and Record. 747-0001. Mon-Thur 11:30 am-midnight, Fri & Sat 11 am-2 am. Sun 5 pm-midnight. MC, V, AE, DC.



ENCOUNTERS. The burning question in North Dallas is: will the young hotspot lovers take an elevator up twenty-one floors to go to a European-styled disco in a hotel? The Doubletree Inn is betting on it, with flashing lights, sleek waitresses, and pounding dance music. On our first visits, the crowd was older than the ones you find at other Upper Greenville clubs. The bar food is not typical-there is a dish called “vegetable cheese cake. 8250 N Central Expwy in the Doubletree Inn. 691-1309. Mon-Thur 4:30 pm-1:30 am, Fri 4:30 pm-2 am, Sat 7 pm-2 am. All credit cards.



FAST & COOL After a meteoric rise to stardom, Fast & Cool is now undisputably the King of Lower Greenville. Apparently, the management has decided that patrons don’t want to hear an eleven-minute “dance-mix” version of the latest pop-chart bullet. The music here is predominantly Motown sound and authentic soul from artists like James Brown and Ike and Tina Turner. The dance floor is the center of this tiny universe and it has a magnetic effect on anyone who walks in the door. It’s hard to imagine even the most hard-core Baptist resisting this dance floor. There is frequently a mob of people waiting in line to get in. Unlike countless dance clubs that have come and gone on Greenville Avenue, this place has staying power. 3606 Greenville. 827-5544. Sun & Tue-Thur 7 pm-2 am, Fri & Sat 7-4. Closed Mon. Cover: $3 Thur-Sat. MC, V, AE.



FIGARO’S. Another shot has been fired in the Addison nightclub wars. On the strip off Belt Line, this high-tech bar presents live music from dance bands each night, along with large-screen TVs, cool-looking people and serious cover charges. The clientele averages in the early thirties. 5290 Belt Line. Suite 150.960-1856. Mon-Sat 11 am-2 am. Sun 11:30 am-2 am. All credit cards.

500 CAFE. Everyone likes to think they’re part of the eclectic crowd, but you can find the real thing here- a combination of the city’s intelligentsia, New Wavers, and Deep Ellumites. This little bar near Fair Park offers live entertainment Thursday through Saturday and such unusual delights as poetry readings and short films during the week. 408 Exposition Ave. 821-4623. Wed-Sun 7 pm-2 am. Closed Mon & Tue. AE.



FOUR SEASONS BALLROOM. This place offers big-band music for ballroom dancing. A strict dress code is enforced: dresses for the ladies and coats and ties for the gentlemen. Only setups, beer, wine, and soft drinks are served, except on Fridays, when food is available. Cover varies, and free dance lessons are offered. 4930 Military Pkwy. 349-0390. Wed 8:45-11:45 pm, Fri 9 pm-12:30. No credit cards.



FOX CNASE. All right, suburban cowboys! We’ve found your heaven on earth. And it’s in the most typical suburb of all. Here in Richardson, you can dance to a live country-western band, play your pool, your shuffle-board, even your blackjack game. And best of all: there are no kids. This is for real suburbanites who have been acting like honky tonk cowboys for most of their lives. Keystone Park Shopping Center, 13931 N Central Expwy, Richardson. 699-1593. Mon-Fri 11 am-2am, Sat & Sun 4 pm-2 am. Bar membership $5 per year. MC, V. AE. DC.



GERSHWIN’S BAR & GRILL No one can discover a nightspot faster than the North Dallas single. This Upper Greenville restaurant features two bars-and both are constantly packed. If you don’t like the bar closest to the door, work your way over to the one beside a grand piano that appears to be built on top of scaffolding. Most of the crowd is at the bar waiting for a table, so if you’re going to hustle someone, you’d better hurry. 8442 Walnut Hill at Greenville. 373-7171. Sun 10:30 am-midnight, Mon-Thur 11:30 am-midnight. Fri & Sat 11:30 am-1 am. No cover. MC, V, AE, DC.



THE GOLDEN PARACHUTE. Who misses elan, the private Greenville Avenue disco that closed? Now there’s a better imitation in Far North Dallas. The only problem is that the membership costs $200 per year. Inside, it’s a typical elegant disco with sensual people (these places never change). But there is a nice veranda outside where you can cool off if your hormones get too hot. 5505 Belt Line. 233-9499. Mon-Fri 3:30 pm-2 am Sat 7 pm-2 am. Closed Sun. All credit cards.



IN CAHOOTS. Is In Cahoots going to beat the trend and last? All of us serious North Dallas nightclub watchers are starting to wonder. Almost every Greenville club that plays off contemporary dance music has a hot period and then fades, but the parking lot at NorthPark East is still packed. Great laser show, sophisticated decor, blackjack tables-but the most important ingredients are the hot, sweaty, single dancing bodies. NorthPark East, 8796 N Central Expwy. 692-5417. Mon-Thur 5 pm-2 am. Fri 5 pm-3:30 am, Sat 7:30 pm-3:30am, Sun 7:30 pm-2 am: cover on weekends. MC, V, AE.



JAZBA. When you’re in the mood for serious jazz, step down the inviting marble stairs into the sleek Jazba at Ratcliffe’s. Unwind in one of the big comfortable chairs and tune in to some of the best late-night jazz in Dallas. The drinks are plentiful and the food on the after-hours menu is several cuts above the average bar fare. 1901 McKinney. 871-2900. Fri&Sat 9pm-1 am. Cover: $5. MC, V, AE.



MEMPHIS. Don’t let the tiny dance floor (literally about the size of a two-door foreign car) and the dark hue of the bar disturb you. People dance in the aisles, on the chairs, by the bar-mainly because this is the best live jazz-dance bar in North Dallas. Great local groups are regulars-like Emerald City and Schwartz Lefantz. Quorum Plaza, 5000 Belt Line, Suite 500. 386-9517. Mon-Fri 4 pm-2 am. Sat & Sun 7 pm-2 am. Cover: $3-$5. All credit cards.



MlSTAL Weekend cover is now ten dollars, and though it’s a very slick European-styled club with a fabulous light show (aren’t you tired of people calling light shows “fabulous”?) and a huge video screen, it still has a tendency to draw more people from the suburbs than from the beautiful crowd. Loews Anatole, 2201 Stem-mons. 760-9000. Tue-Thur 5pm-2am. Fri 5pm-4am. Sat 7 pm-4 am. Closed Sun & Mon. MC, V, AE.



MONOPOLY’S PARK PLACE. Here’s a bar that cries out for the nineteen-year-old -young partiers who have finally reached bar age. Funky, slick, Madonna-styled (or is she already out?) kids flock here to celebrate their own vision of heaven. There is dancing on a game board floor, chic lights, etc., but the best show comes from the post-high school posturing. 6532 E Northwest Highway. 696-3720. Sun, Wed & Thur 7 pm-2 am, Fri &Sat 7 pm-3 am. Closed Mon & Tue. All credit cards.



NO WHAR BUT TEXAS. This place may be the most casual of the big country/western bars. No one seems to care if you can’t dance or drawl. And you’ll still find great North Dallas cowboys and cowgirls on and around the huge dance floor. The Corner Shopping Center. 9840 N Central Expwy, Suite 340. 369-3866. Mon-Fri 5 pm-2 am, Sat 7 pm-2 am. Sun 6 pm-2 am. Cover varies. MC, V, AE, DC.



POOR DAVID’S PUB. In a city where live music clubs close quicker than real estate deals, Poor David’s has been hanging on for eight years. It’s still the leader in blues artists, progressive-country singers, and touring folk singers. 1924 Greenville. 821-9891. Mon-Sat 7 pm-2 am. Closed Sun. Cover varies. No credit cards.



POPSICLE TOES. After taking one look at the seamy exterior, people have been afraid of walking in here, which is a mistake. Featuring rhythm and blues and funk bands like Phyrework, Popsicle Toes brings together a lively group from every social strata. This is one of the best places to dance you’ll find. 5627 Dyer. 368-9706. Tue-Thur & Sat 8 pm-2 am; Fri 4 pm-2 am; Sun 7:30 pm-midnight. MC, V, AE.



PROHIBITION ROOM. Long regarded as the place in the basement next door to the Starck Club, the Prohibition Room has developed an aura of its own. For one reason, it has begun to regularly draw some of the top local bands, like Robert Lee Kolb. When you enter, you’ll think it’s another pool-and-shuffleboard bar, but when you run out of quarters, go to the back by the stage and listen to an evening’s worth of fine music. 703 McKinney in the Brewery. 954-4407. Mon-Fri 4 pm-2 am, Sat 7 pm-2 am. MC, V, AE, DC.



PROPHET BAR. Haunted by the threat of nuclear war? The lines of Dylan Thomas? The lines at the Starck Club? If you’re tired of that scene, then retire to the peaceful artistic confines of the Prophet, where people gather coffeehouse-style to discuss, oh. what they did last night at the Starck Club. This is a fine Deep Ellum-watching place, which means you try to guess who over at table three is the real artist and who is the downtown office worker who just likes to play dress up. But by 11, you don’t have to worry about “cool” talk. The live music will-thank God -drown you out. 2713 Commerce. 742-2615. Mon-Thur& Sun 3 pm-2 am, Fri & Sat 6 pm-4 am. AE.



RANDY’S. You gotta love these far North Dallas/Addison clubs. Love ’em. You can be as pretentious as possible, wear spiked heels longer than stilettos, dress in shiny GO suits, be driven to the club in a limousine, and still the bouncers will look at you as if you really don’t belong in their place. Randy’s is subscribing to the theory that you can’t be glitzy enough, and it’s working, as people are falling all over themselves to join the private club. Inside, it’s the typical pumping-music-and-twirling-light-show. but oh, what a beautiful experience (and we mean this from the bottom of our hearts) just to be a part of it all. 75203 Knoll Trail. Addison. 907-2639. Mon-Fri 4 pm-2 am. Sat 8 pm-2 am. Sun 7 pm-2 am. MC, V, AE.



RAZ2 MA TaZZ. The nightclub assault continues in the West End district of downtown Dallas. The latest. Razz Ma Tazz, offers one of the most intriguing interiors we’ve seen in a while: a combination of a Havana showroom from the Fifties and a plain old Sixties rock ’n’ roll hangout. The live music you get, though, ranges from rock to R&B to dance-styled pop. Good local bands, ornate bar; restaurant menu also available. 1714 N Market. 748-7112. Tue-Fri 5 pm-2 am, Sat & Sun 6 pm-2 am. Closed Mon. All credit cards.

REMIX. The green frog band has come down for good and Tango is no more. But luckily, Redux has risen from the ashes. Unlike its predecessor. Redux has become the top nightclub for live, very upbeat regional music in less than a year, drawing the best Southwest bands and solo acts. 1827 Greenville- 827-1591. Wed-Sat 7:30 pm-2 am. MC, V. AE.



RlCK’S CASABLACA. You would think such a tiny club couldn’t come up with such consistent and slick entertainment. But it’s true, and the word has spread-just try getting in here on a Monday night. The management has, thank heavens, taken down all the palms that were supposed to make you think about Casablanca. And they’ve spread out the stage so that, to go to the bathroom, you have to literally walk right between the people in the band: the best reason we’ve heard yet to powder our noses. 1919 Greenville. 824- 6509. Daily 6 pm-2 am. MC, V, AE.



RUSTY PELICAN. The large bar in this restaurant can best be described as having a California surf motif: lots of plants, wood, and surfing pictures, dancing to pop-music bands every night except Monday, and mind-boggling beach drinks. 14655 Dallas Pkwy. 980-8950. Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2 am, Sat 4:30 pm-2 am. Sun 4:30 pm-midnght. MC. V, AE, DC.



STUCK CLUB. Starck Club Rule No. 1: Weekend cover is $10. Starck Club Rule No. 2: Everyone is on the guest list, except you. Critics wondered if this kind of place could survive in Dallas, but two and a half years later, there are still big lines and the place is always packed with everything from preps to skinheads. Some of the new Deep Ellum clubs have been chipping away at Starck’s business, but Starck is still Mecca for those chic Bohemians who like to smoke Clove cigarettes in coed bathrooms. And if you think Dallas rolls up the sidewalks on Sunday nights, head for Starck where you can dance with yourself on the stairs of the sunken dance floor. 703 McKinney in the Brewery. 720-0130. Thur8pm-2am, Fri 8pm-4am, Sat 9pm-5am, Sun9 pm-2 am. Closed Mon- Wed. Cover: $5 Thur & Sun after 9 pm: $10 Fri after 9pm& Sat. All credit cards.



STRICTLY TABU. One of the longest-lasting jazz clubs in Dallas (with the best pizza you’ll ever find at a jazz club), Strictly TaBu continues to present, in its dark, badly decorated interior, some of the best contemporary jazz in town. Groups play every night, the regulars being Jeanette Brantley and Clockwork, a band with such a unique style that it often takes a survey in the middle of a performance asking people what they think they’re listening to. And if it’s too loud in the front, go have some of the great food in the back room. 4111 Lomo Alto, Lemmon at the Tollway. 528-5200. Tue-Sun 6 pm-2 am. Closed Mon. MC, V, AE.



STUDEBAKERS. Can this good-times emporium be slipping so soon into senescence? Say it ain’t so, Elvis. Actually, news of Studebaker’s demise may be greatly exaggerated. True, new clubs have cut deeply into its crowds; the patrons are older and less chic than before. But the passion for nostalgia seems undying, so aging rock lovers still gather at such shrines to bop and stroll their way to bliss. The non-stop mix of Motown, cutesy rock (“Hand Jive,” “Hokey-Pokey,” etc.), and the old gold of various Frankies and Bobbies can still pack ’em in. And don’t forget the generous happy hour buffet. NorthPark East, 8788 N Central Expwy. 696-2475. Mon-Fri 11 am-2 am, Sat 7 pm-2 am. Sun 5 pm-2 am. Dress code after 4 pm. MC, V, AE.



STUDIO 67. The hottest disco in South Dallas, Studio 67 is regularly packed, with everyone wanting to dance. Dance music is new. not filled with the old disc jockey favorites. Membership required to buy liquor. 3939 S Polk, 374-1200. Wed-Fri 5 pm-2 am. Sat 7 pm-3 am. Sun 7 pm-2 am. MC, V. AE.



TOP OF THE DOME. If you want to meet the tourist who comes to Dallas, come here. All the wide-eyed visitors, from small-town vacationers to conventioneers and traveling businessmen, mingle up here in the ball. Spectrum, a Top 40 group, plays six nights a week. There’s a small dance floor, and the windows provide a great view of downtown. Hyatt Regency’s Reunion Tower on Reunion Blvd. 651-1234. Mon-Fri 2 pm-2 am, Sat noon-2 am, Sun noon-midnight. All credit cards.

VENETIAN ROOM. The old king of the Dallas showroom supper clubs still consistently brings in the most recognizable names in pop-jazz-comedy acts. The posh, elegant place, with its frescoes on the walls and tuxedoed waiters, might be intimidating to some, but the dress code has been loosened (you can get by without tie or fancy dress), the cover charge ranges from twelve to twenty dollars, and you don’t have to buy the full-course dinner (which starts at twenty dollars) to come to the show. Fairmont Hotel, Ross and Akard. 720-2020. Mon-Sat, two shows nightly at 9 pm and 11 pm. All credit cards.



VIDEO BAR. If you’ve watched MTV once during the last year, you owe it to yourself to go to the Video Bar. They have found music videos that you never see anywhere else -even some absolutely weird stuff that is all fraught with significant meaning and whatnot. If you consider yourself part of the new scene-and if you promise not to wear anything resembling penny loaf-ers-this is your Deep Ellum kind of place. All the funky regulars from the old “On the Air” bar have already found their spots, so be prepared to wait in line. 2812 Elm. 939-9113. Daily 8pm-2am. MC, V, AE.



YlLLAGE COUNTRY CLUB. Pull out all the old jokes about the people from the Village Apartments, and you have the makeup of this club, right? Wrong. Local bands appear here, and the crowd doesn’t trade business cards or astrological signs. They just hang loose and appreciate the music. 8308 Southwestern. 361-9866. Mon-Wed 4:30 pm-11:30 pm, Thur & Fri 4:30 pm-2 am. Sat 11 am-2 am. Sun 11 am-midnight. Live music Thur-Sat. MC, V.



VlSIONS. This North Dallas nightspot gets a well-dressed crowd of junior-executive types who work hard for their money. Consequently, when the work day is over, it takes about three hours and at least that many drinks to get them out of their chairs and onto the high-tech dance floor. High atop the Westin Hotel, Visions offers a sparkling view of the city, elegant surroundings, and bartenders who dispense a welcome sense of humor along with the drinks. Westin Hotel, Galleria, 13340 Dallas Parkway. 934-9494. Mon-Fri 5 pm-2 am. Sat 8 pm-2 am. Closed Sun. All credit cards.



ZEBO’S. This is a wide-open pop-music dance bar that’s unpretentious and has a low cover charge-an increasingly rare find. Zebo’s real forte, however, is its Rockabilly Wednesday, which features live bands and pumped-in rock ’n’ roll. 5915 E Northwest Hwy. 361-4272. Tue-Fri6pm-2am, Sat& Sun 7 pm-2 am. Closed Mon. MC, V.

DRINKING



ADMITS. The great old beer joint of Dallas continues to pull in its rednecks, loud-mouthed attorneys, chic city women who act country, and all-around fun-loving people who like to drink beer and spill it on the pool tables. Since Adair’s moved to its Deep Ellum location, cynics have been predicting its demise. But the half-pound hamburgers and whiny jukebox still draw a crowd. 2624 Commerce. 939-9900. Mon-Sat 10 am-2 am. Closed Sun. No credit cards.



ANDREW’S Why mess around with a successful formula? Andrew’s still features obscure folk singers on the guitar, serves its well-regarded hamburgers, and offers its strong specialty drinks with ridiculous names. Although there are now four Andrew’s locations in Dallas, only the McKinney location offers live music. It’s still a kick to see the yuppie crowd that packs this comfortable nightspot listening to the old Joan Baez tunes. 3301 McKinney. 521-6535. 14930 Midway, 385-1613; 7557 Greenville. 363-1910; 10723 Composite. 357-9994. Mon-Sat 11:15 am-2 am; Sun 10:30 am-2 am. All credit cards.



ARTHUR’S. The ideal spot for you to meet that rich middle-aged man, Arthur’s has for years been the sophisticated gathering place for the single upper-class crowd in their forties and up who don’t believe that wearing a thick gold chain around your neck is the way to show your charm. 8350 Central Expwy, Suite M-1000.361-8833. Mon-Fri 11:30am-2am; Sat 6pm-2 am. All credit cards.



BlFF’S. If you’ve lived in Dallas longer than five years, you’ll recognize the unique thing about Biffs. It’s the only Greenville club north of Park Lane that has not changed its name. Since 1978, Biffs has provided mingling at the bar, a menu of about any food you can name, and upscale clientele. Now it adds another popular feature, an outdoor veranda overlooking a grove of trees, not a parking lot. 7402 Greenville. 696-1952. Mon-Fri 11 am-midnighl, Wed& Thur 11 am-1 am. Sat 11 am-2 am. Sun 11 am-6 pm. MC. V, AE.



BUYERS. All those sharp-looking fashion buyers who flood our city have to go somewhere. Often, it’s the Buyers bar on the second floor of the Wyndham-a cozy little spot where the patrons sip wine and chat about hem lines. You’d better look right here. Fakes are spotted all the way across the room. Wyndham Hotel, 2222 Stemmons Freeway. 631-2222. Mon-Sat 11 am-1 am. Sun noon-1 am. All credit cards.



CACTUS. Are you ready to get down in Richardson? At the end of the work day, it seems that everyone who must drive Central all the way from downtown stops here to unwind. By Friday, the place is a madhouse, with Richardson residents packed two-deep at the bar talking mortgages and landscaping and sex, like all good suburbanites. 13929 N Central Expwy. 234-1055. Daily 11 am-2 am. All credit cards.



CHEEKS. A neighborhood bar on Upper Greenville? This darts-pool-horseshoes-and-jukebox bar has all the trappings of a place where you want to hang out and not necessarily get picked up. A popular place with the SMU set, it’s still a good all-around bar. 5114 Greenville. 692-5738. Daily 11 am-2 am. MC, V. AE, DC.



CHELSEA COMER. This is the perfect club for this quiet McKinney Avenue neighborhood. A quiet, candle-on-the-table place, with little sandwich or quiche dinners, all kinds of colorful fruit drinks, and a guitarist playing folk-pop songs on an elevated stage, Chelsea Corner is great for a peaceful moment before you hit the fast lane or a way to unwind if you’re coming off it. 4830 McKinney. 522-3501. Mon-Sat 11:15am-2arn, Sun 5 pm-2am. Live music Tue-Sat. MC, V, AE, DC.



DAVE & BUSTERS “There’s nothing quite like it” is Dave & Buster’s slogan, and they’re not kidding. The place is enormous, but the brass and dark wood decor adds a degree of sophistication. Head for the umpteen pool tables lining the walls; try shuffleboard, darts, Pente, or backgammon; or just sip a cool one at the large bar on the main floor. 10727 Composite, near Walnut Hill at Stemmons Frwy. 353-0649. Mon-Thur 11 am-1 am. Fri 11 am-2 am, Sat noon-2 am, Sun noon-11:3O pm. All credit cards.



THE DEN. The great all-time dark bar of Dallas is the place to go for your after-work liaison. You can barely see past your own table, and the bartender pours doubles all night at single-drink prices. The Stoneleigh Hotel, 2927 Maple. 871-7111. Mon-Sat 11 am-1 am. Sun noon-1 am. All credit cards.



GREENVILLE AVENUE COUNTRY CLUB. Take one step inside the door of this low-key, easygoing place, and the name “country club” takes on a new meaning. Drinks are served inside the “clubhouse,” where the surroundings are warm and comfortable. But the only big shots at this country club are the ones poured into your glass. Patrons are also encouraged to cool off in the back yard swimming pool. 3619 Greenville. 826-5650. Daily 11 am-2 am. MC, V, AE.



GREENYILLE BAR & GRILL This no-frills bar still remains the centerpiece of the Lower Greenville crowd. After we hit all the funky nightspots on the strip, we always seem to head back over to the Bar & Grill for one last drink or hamburger. Hal Baker’s Gloomchasers continue with Dixieland music on Sundays and Thursdays. 2821 Greenville. 823-6691. Mon-Sat 11:30 am-2 am. Sun noon-2 am. MC, V, AE.

JOE MlLLER’S Why does Joe Miller’s get more press than any other bar in the city? Because it’s the hangout of the middle-aged news media crowd. Walk through the door and wait two minutes until your eyes adjust to the darkness. Sit on those simulated leather couches. Listen to John Anders and Blackie Sherrod talk about the good old days. Actually, the bar is far from exclusive. The bartenders and waitresses make everyone feel welcome, even if you didn’t just finish a story on deadline. 3531 McKinney. 521-2261. Mon-Fri 11 am-2 am, Sat 6pm-2am. Closed Sun. MC, V.AE.



JAUN MURPHYS. Across from the Wine Press on Oak Lawn comes a self-styled “Mexican Bar and Grill.” And the cheap margaritas are staggering. The bar is making a play for the Oak Lawn crowd that doesn’t have a Tex-Mex place to call its own. Sleek, high-tech interior, along with your standard Mexican food menu. 4216 Oak Lawn. 559-3160. Mon-Sat 11 am-midnight. Closed Sun. All credit cards.



KNOX STREET PUB. Here, across the street from such yuppie delights as On the Border and Hoffbrau, is a bar still fighting to be laid back. And what is laid back these days? How about a varied jukebox with rock ’n’ roll, English New Wave, country/western, and Sixties pop? How about terrible restrooms and old pool tables? How about a motley clientele? The pub is a classic neighborhood bar. a vanishing species. 3230 Knox. 526-9476. Mon-Sat 11 am-2 am, Sun 5 pm-2 am. No credit cards.



LA CAVE. When you’re in the mood to linger over a bottle of good wine, La Cave is a great place to go. The bistro atmosphere is relaxed, unhurried, and conducive to conversation. Appetizers and meals are offered, but the real value is the selection of foreign and domestic wines found in the walk-in wine cellar. 2019 N Lamar, 871-2072. Mon-Thur 11:30 am-10:30 pm, Fri & Sat 11:30 am-midnight. Closed Sun. All credit cards.



THE LIBRARY. An elegant spot in the renovated Melrose Hotel, this bar has done some sprucing up of its own. It opened the windows and doors and put in a soothing, quiet piano-jazz act. Perfect for a comfortable after-work drink Melrose Hotel. Oak Lawn at Cedar Springs. 521-5151. Daily 11 am-2am. All credit cards.



THE LOUNGE. Want to throw down a beer with young intelligentsia? Here’s what you do: first, dress chic, but don’t let it look elegantly chic- Casual chic is the style here (unless you’re in the New Wave crowd and you come in so everyone can have a look at what they’ve been told is “gloriously outrageous” fashion). Then, you’d better see one of those foreign movies playing next door at the Inwood Theatre so you’ll have something to talk about at the bar. And you’d better show a little poise. This is as close as Dallas gets to one of those sophisticated, high-tech upper West Side bars in New York where you wish you could eavesdrop on the conversation at every table. 5460 W Lovers Lane. 350-7834. Sun-Thur 5 pm-1 am, Fri & Sat 5pm-2 am. AE, DC, CB.



MARIANO’S. If nachos and frozen margaritas are your passion, this is the place for you. Mariano’s remodeled bar is a bright, airy place to enjoy some of the best Tex-Mex munchles in town. The chips and hot sauce are exemplary, and the margaritas are so famous that the mix is available for sale. Old Town, 5500 Greenville. 691-3888. Sun-Thur 11:30am-11 pm, Fri &Sat 11:30 am-midnight. MC, V. AE.



MlLO BUTTERFINGER’S. This is one of the few remaining “bar” bars on the Upper Greenville strip. Mifo’s has outlived the disco and the fern – even the upscale meat market. It’s a comfortable joint where you can wear your jeans (even if they’re faded) and play a game of pool, foosball, or shuffleboard with a buddy while sipping a longneck, A few years ago, owner Ned Smith moved Milo’s off of Greenville to a spacious, but modest, location around the corner. But judging by the fresh-faced college clientele, you’d swear he’d moved into the basement of the SMU student center. There is also a short menu offering the usual self-indulgent, greasy bar food fare. 5645 Yale. 368-9212. Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2 am, Sat 12:30 pm-2 am. Sun 3 pm-2 am. MC, V, AE.



Mim’S. This is the perfect spot for European beer lovers. Also Asian beer lovers, Caribbean beer lovers and, if you must be boring, American beer lovers. At this quiet spot, in the heart of the noise-blasting Greenville clubs, you can play a game called “Around the World,” where you drink beer from dozens of countries -more than 130 brands. Mimi’s also has fine sandwiches and snacks. Bartender plays albums (not singles) and is open to any request. 5111 Greenville. 368-1994. Daily 11:30 am-2 am. All credit cards.



NANA. It’s hard to imagine a hotel bar that’s romantic, but elevator up to the twenty-seventh floor of the Anatole. In one of his racier moves, Trammell Crow had a huge painting of a nude woman named Nana put behind the green marble-topped bar. You’d probably stare at the painting, but the view of Dallas through the huge windows is better. Fine jazz trio plays Thursday through Sunday. Loews Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Frwy. 748-1200. Mon-Fri 11 am-2 am, Sat & Sun 6 pm-2 am. All credit cards.



SMICKERS. This McKinney Avenue spot wants you to order from its Continental seafood menu while you drink. Shuckers’ forte, however, is the bartending staff. They put together sensational Bloody Marys and Martinis. Don’t let the establishment’s ugly exterior prevent you from trying it out. 4620 McKinney. 522-7320. Mon-Thur 11-11, Fri &Sat 11 am-midnight,Sun5pm-11 pm. All credit cards.



THE PALM BAR If you’re downtown, few places are as nice as this for a drink after work. If you’re not downtown, it’s worth the trip. The decor is elegant but not pompous, the drinks are excellent and reasonably priced, and the service is flawless. If you work late, beware-this place closes at 7 pm. Adolphus Hotel. 1321 Commerce. 742-8200. Mon-Fri 11 am-7 pm. Closed Sat & Sun. All credit cards.



PLUS FOURS. McKinney Avenue provides a sophisticated gathering spot for a group other than the yuppies. With an English-styled, woodsy interior, it almost seems that the “intelligent” thing to do is watch the non-stop sports you find on the bar’s televisions. Opened recently, Plus Fours has already proved immensely popular. There’s also great Sinatra music on the jukebox. 2504 McKin-ney. 871-2757. Mon-Sat 11 am-midnight. Closed Sun. All credit cards.



PYRAMID LOUNGE. Where else can you go to remember the posh elegance of the Sixties. The what? Yes, the Pyramid Room Lounge, at the Fairmont, still displays a wall-length mural featuring such reminders of the Sixties as the Beatles. Lyndon Johnson and bell-bottom pants. It’s one of the oddest bar decorations in Dallas- but the executive types and hotel customers who come here for cocktails are strictly Eighties-styled. 1717 N Akard in the Fairmont Hotel. 720-2020. Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2 pm&6 pm-2 am; Sat & Sun 6pm-2am. All credit cards.



SAD FRANCISCO ROSE. The continued success of Dallas’s oldest fern bar defies rational analysis. The inside seating is some of the worst in town; the food ranges from so-so to no-no; the service can be forgetful; and the al fresco scene outside is only for those who like their drinks with carbon monoxide. The one strong point we discovered is the drink list: some of Rose’s concoctions blend imagination with hefty shots to produce a reduced level of critical awareness. Hey, maybe that’s the answer. 3024 Greenville. 826-2020. Mon-Sat 11 am-2 am, Sun noon-2 am. All credit cards.



SRO. What would the yuppie downtown business crowd do if they couldn’t have an after work drink at SRO (which should stand for Smashingly Resplendent-ly Ordinary)? Here, you may tap your manicured fingernails against the sleek bar and wonder who that handsome man is in the Armani suit or what kind of soul lurks beneath that Neiman-Marcus mannequin looka-like who is sipping wine by herself. Everyone looks good in the track lighting of SRO. That, of course, doesn’t help the food, and you’d better be ready to talk banking or real estate principles if you want to last here. 2900 McKinney. 748-5014. Mon-Sat 11 am-2 am. Closed Sun. MC, V.AE.



STAN’S BLUE NOTE. The best beer-drinking joint on Lower Greenville, this place has been discovered mostly by the post-SMU crowd. But you’ll still find your quota of eccentrics and plain old barflies who love the shuf-fleboard and pool tables and the surprisingly lively atmosphere. 2908 Greenville. 824-9653. Mon-Sat 11 am-2 am, Sun noon-2 am. No credit cards.



STONELEIGH P. This is an artist’s bar. And a businessman’s bar. And a construction worker’s bar. And a housewife’s night-out-on-the-town bar. And just about anyone’s bar. No pretenses here, just a lot of open space with room to “do your own thing.” There’s a great jukebox, a varied selection of magazines, and always an interesting assortment of people. 2926 Maple. 871-2346. Mon-Thur 11 am-1 am, Fri & Sat 11 am-2 am, Sun noon-midnight. AE.



VlCKERY FEED STORE. This deli/bar has an odd but appealing mixture of country and class. Wooden walls and a hometown atmosphere are combined with burgundy vinyl booths and slick black tabletops in what turns out to be a very pleasant watering hole. Vickery has good drinks, great deli/snack food, and some of the friendliest service in town. 6918 Greenville. 363-9198. Mon 6 am-midnight, Tue-Fri 6 am-2 am, Sat 8 am-2 am, Sun 8 am-midnight. MC, V, AE.



WALL STREETS. Junk bonds. . absorption rate. . .tax base . . Oh, sorry, we’ve been hanging out at Wall Streets, enjoying hard drinks and bedrock American business talk. There isn’t much fooling around here. This is the business lunch, business drink, business conversation crowd-and they love it. 725 N Olive in the Bryan Tower Parking Garage (also in the Frito Lay Tower, Mockingbird and Stemmons). 754-0199. Mon-Fri 11 am-9 pm. Closed Sat & Sun. All credit cards.

THE WlNE PRESS. This is the perfect place to go on a rainy night-or any time you’re looking for romance, intimacy and spirits. The Wine Press is decorated with wine bottles from floor to ceiling on almost every wall. The atmosphere is low-key and elegantly casual; the service, friendly but not hovering; the wine selection, extensive-to say the least. 4217 Oak Lawn. 522-8720. Tue-Sat 11 am-2 am. Sun & Mon 11 am-midnight. MC, V, AE.



ZANZIBAR. A fresh face on the burger-spattered strip of Lower Greenville Avenue, Zanzibar offers drinks and good deli food in a colorful cafe setting. The decor-neon, glass bricks, and pink-and-green walls-is odd enough to work. And even though Zanzibar looks cosmopolitan, it has a neighborhood bar feel to it that leads to discussions among perfect strangers from table to table. 2912 Greenville. 828-2250. Mon6pm-1 am, Tue-Sat 11:30 am-2 am. Sun 4 pm-midnight; Sun brunch: 10:30-3. MC, V, AE.



Fort Worth Nightlife



BILLY BOB’S TEXAS. This huge country/western club in the Fort Worth Stockyards has a lot going for it: two restaurants, forty-two bar stations, a real bull-riding arena, and several shops. It’s bigger than Gilley’s, more citified than the Longhorn Ballroom ever was. and a “must-see” if you’re in Fort Worth. 2520 N Commerce in the Stockyards. Metro 429-5979. Mon-Sat 9:30 am-2 am, Sun noon-2 am. MC. V, AE.



THE BLUE BIRD. Even when the band’s not playing, you’ll feel like dancing at The Blue Bird: the jukebox is the best in Fort Worth. But then, the patrons of this near-South Side club don’t want that to get around; they know a good thing when they’ve found it. The club is packed nearly every weekend with regulars dancing to the infectious music of Robert Ealey and the Blues-blasters. This is rhythm and blues at its finest, but sssshhh! 5636 Wellesley. (817) 732-6243. Fri &Sat 7 pm-2 am. No credit cards.



CAMP Bowie Country Club. Give us a break! we come to Fort Worth, expecting only the best in blue jeans, boots, and conversation about patching the fence, and dadgummit if they haven’t fallen in love with the new music scene. Fort Worth kids, who we thought would never change, are dressed in the latest high-tech, dancing from the moment they walk in the door to that kind of energetic music no one has yet to find a name for. Occasionally you’ll find a lost button-down soul wandering aimlessly through the two-story club, but the night we were there, we didn’t see one person chewing tobacco. Is civilization lost? 4675 Bryce Ave. (817) 737-5227. Daily 6 pm-2 am. Cover and live music on Tue & Thur-Sun. MC, V, AE, DC.



THE CHATEAU CLUB. So you thought that John Dillinger had bit the big one. He’s just been hiding out at the Chateau Club, an obscure establishment connected to the Jacksboro Highway via a winding driveway and behind lots of cover. The history of this club is as obscure as its location, but the only thing you really need to know is that for the past few months it’s been one of the few bright lights on the Fort Worth live music scene. Although the club’s in a basement and the dance floor is small, we’re just glad that local R&B has a place to rock (Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday). Good luck finding this one. 5409 Jacksboro Highway. (817)624-0597. Wed-Sat noon-2 am. Closed Sun-Tue. MC. V, DC. CB.



TIE PlCKIN’ PARLOUR. Just up the road from the popular White Elephant Saloon is a club that is unusually devoid of the hordes of Yankees who invade this touristy area each weekend. The reason? They take their beer drink-in’ and two-steppin’ seriously here, folks. Those who can’t get their feet to move to the one-two, one-two-three beat get lost in the shuffle. There’s no room on the dance floor for lessons, either. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll never go back to rock ’n’ roll. 103 W Exchange in the Stockyards. (817)624-2592. Tue-Sat 4 pm-2 am. Closed Sun & Mon. All credit cards.



THE WHITE ELEPHANT SALOOM. In 1887, Luke Short, then the owner of the White Elephant, shot it out with a former U.S. marshal. Today, the Elephant has country/western music six nights a week and lots of tourists trying desperately to learn the two-step on a small dance floor. 106 E Exchange. (817)624-8273. Mon-Sat 11 am-2 am, Sun noon-midnight. Happy hour Mon-Fri 4 am-7pm.MC.V,AE.

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