If you’re hunting for a proper bar and grill in Dallas, and your priority is genuine Texas atmosphere alongside your meal, the city offers countless decent, good, and frankly forgettable spots. Some serve excellent food, but that’s just the baseline. We’re here to rank the 12 best, where the vibe is as essential as the menu, from most authentically Texan to merely acceptable.
Roy G’s
$ | (214) 272-7127 | WEBSITE
Roy G’s was destined to be a scene. It didn’t have a choice. This Dallas bar and grill is a perfect storm of modern atmosphere, upscale bar food, and a lively community setting. When I first visited, I called it ‘kind of perfect.’ It’s still perfect, but in a way that feels true to the neighborhood. Grab a seat at the bar, get a top-notch Old Fashioned in, and try to count the people enjoying the Korean Chicken Sandwich or the breakfast burrito with all those fillings and sauce.
Press Box Grill
$ | (214) 747-8226 | WEBSITE
You don’t come to Press Box Grill to impress a date. You come to hang out with your buddies, which makes this bar and grill the most welcoming spot of all. Grab a frosty draft beer. Order the chicken fried steak. Get a plate of curly fries, and watch the game whenever you need something to do with your eyes. The lively room is always filled with regulars, many of whom you’ll find swapping stories at the bar after dinner.
Deuce’s Bar
$ | (469) 466-8218 | WEBSITE
Open near Love Field since 2022, this Dallas bar and grill is a local favorite where travelers and regulars mingle. It’s also one of the few spots in the area where you can get a reasonably priced meal. That’s partly why it turns into a lively scene, with poker league players, pool enthusiasts, and airport visitors who are really into sports mingling at the tables, clutching burgers and drinks. The best seats are by the pool tables, because that’s where everyone can see you having a good time.
Stoneleigh P
$ | (214) 871-2346 | WEBSITE
The burger at Stoneleigh P has a juicy, satisfying bite. But if anyone tells you that they come here for the food, they’re lying. This Lemmon Ave sports bar, relocated from its original spot, is popular because it’s popular. Previously more of a divey crowd, the patrons of Stoneleigh P now skew sports-fan and friend-group in a relaxed, unpretentious sort of way, sort of like if the cast of a tailgate listened to classic rock.
Strokers Ice House
$ | (214) 351-5252 | WEBSITE
We once heard a regular at Strokers Ice House reminiscing about how they’d spent an entire afternoon just watching bikes roll in and out. And that makes so much sense. Strokers is not a quiet restaurant. It is not for the faint of heart. Unless the heart you’re talking about belongs to a motorcycle enthusiast who considers engine grease a cologne. The crowd here prefers denim and leather, and half the parking at any given time seems to be occupied by gleaming Harleys.
Lively place, but a bit loud. Great fried bologna sandwich, though.
Angry Dog
$ | (214) 741-4406 | WEBSITE
You can have a great time at this Dallas bar and grill, even if it’s a little loud. The space, with exposed brick walls and dark wood booths, is cozy and inviting, and the laid-back crowd tends to dress like they just came from a casual Friday at the office. Overall, a chill venue with a fantastic burger, perfect wings, and a touch of neighborhood-spot energy.
The IVY Tavern
$ | (214) 559-4424 | WEBSITE
If you wanted to know where The IVY Tavern currently lands in Dallas bar culture, it most recently had a moment when two friends bailed on meeting there because “It’s too family-friendly, and I’m not a suburban dad.” The suburban dads are actually always there, but the place still stays packed on weekends, now with sports fans and locals who recognize the name from neighborhood chatter.
Come here for a decent chicken fried chicken dog and a view of the lively patio games, but don’t expect to leave without having actually enjoyed yourself.
Sharky’s Bar, Grill & Games
$ | (972) 713-0201 | WEBSITE
The best seats at this neighborhood bar are at the counter, where you’ll inevitably wind up sandwiched between a retired local with stories about the old Dallas Cowboys, and a beer-brat enthusiast who’s dying to tell you about the best pool tournaments in town. Military veterans and law enforcement officers aren’t uncommon here, although the place gets so lively with karaoke that you might not notice Alyssa or Virgil mixing another round right behind you.
If the blackened fish tacos are sold out, get the smoked brisket. And, yes, order a strong drink.
Hillside Tavern
$$ | (214) 888-0152 | WEBSITE
From the outside, Hillside Tavern seems generally unremarkable. Every day of the week, this neighborhood spot ushers regulars into its not-so-hidden patio and feeds them cheeseburgers, while newcomers circle the plaza, desperately hoping to find a parking spot. And yet we love it here. Maybe it’s the off-menu queso. Maybe it’s the possibility of a happy hour special. Or maybe it’s Luis, who works the floor and chats with guests, occasionally checking the digital menu.
The Avenue Sports Grill
$ | (972) 850-9994 | WEBSITE
The Avenue Sports Grill has its charms. (The legendary onion rings, for example.) But you could make a convincing argument that it’s just a reliably solid sports bar. With its weekday specials and open garage doors when weather permits, the Dallas spot feels like a portal to classic neighborhood hangouts.
The main bar area is relatively lively, with a mix of sports enthusiasts, regulars, and foodies who appreciate the friendly service—but during busy times, the place can get crowded enough that some choose to leave if bar seating isn’t available.
River Pig Saloon
$$ | (972) 918-3999 | WEBSITE
It’s impossible to define the scene at this Dallas bar and grill. There’s too much going on. In the spacious indoor bar, you’ll see groups glued to the TVs for sports, families enjoying the kid-friendly outdoor section with misters keeping everyone cool, and the occasional local celebrity trying half-heartedly to blend in. Thanks to the laid-back yet buzzing atmosphere, anyone can unwind here. And we find that refreshing.
Bring about $15-20 for a burger and beer, and order the Serrano-topped pizza.
Bristol Bar & Grill – Crowne Plaza Dallas Market Center
$$ | (214) 259-1125 | WEBSITE
This spot in the Crowne Plaza Dallas Market Center is across from the convention center. The hotel and restaurant have quite a bit in common (quick service, clientele who would push you down a flight of stairs for a table at the bar), although the Bristol Bar & Grill is significantly more casual. It’s an attentive staff, but if you don’t throw on some business casual or a comfortable blazer, you may feel out of place.
In the same building, there’s an affiliated hotel that promises “satisfactory lodging and dining.”
