Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Dallas
For 65 years, the Dallas Theater Center (DTC) has entertained audiences with iconic performances, productions and Tony Awards-winning entertainment. While star-studded appearances often fit the bill, it's the contributions of Dallas community members in the DTC Public Works program that often shine. Known to "deliberately blur the line between professional artists and Dallas community members," the Public Works program casts everyday people for top-tier theatrics. These centerstage stars are the heartbeats of the show, making a DTC performance not only fun to attend, but inspiring as well.
Can we let you in on a little Best of Dallas inside secret? We have a general rule here that we don't give the same place the same award two years in a row because we want to share the love and keep an eye out for new places. But the fact is that some places are simply the best, year in and year out, and in the case of Best Country Bar there is only one Adair's Saloon. (We'd retire this category, but we'd hate for all those California transplants new to town to overlook it, particularly any from around Bakersfield.) Born on Cedar Springs in 1963 before moving to Deep Ellum 1982, Adair's brings in musicians playing the best of outlaw country, and, according to the joint's history page, "Jack Ingram, Deryl Dodd and members of The Dixie Chicks have graced the stage." It also serves a great burger, sandwiches and wings that won't tap your wallet much.
We've longed loved the Cedars neighborhood bar just for being itself, giving it a home on our Top 100 Bars list for its dog-friendly patio and onion rings, but mainly because, we write, "with its throwback wood-paneled walls and old-school neon beer signs, Lee Harvey's is the pinnacle of dive-bar excellence. A Dallas institution, this ol' watering hole is exactly where you'd want to go to knock down a few cold ones after a long week of work." Our fondness grew deeper early this year when an image taken at the bar appeared in a Super Bowl ad for a Christian group with some unsavory past connections to anti-LGBTQ folks. "We do not endorse, align with, or support this campaign or client in any way. One of the many things that sets us apart is our diverse and inclusive crowd, where everyone is always welcome. WE LOVE EVERYBODY," the bar posted on Facebook. Right backatcha.
Love it or hate it, karaoke remains as popular as ever, as does boinking in public bathrooms, which you shouldn't do. (Charlie's had an issue with the latter, as we reported in a story with the very clear headline, "Fornicators Keep Breaking a Dallas Bar's Sink.") Still, nowhere in Dallas offers both quite like Charlie's Star Lounge. The Deep Ellum-adjacent institution does karaoke on Fridays in its main room. Even when it's not doing karaoke, Charlie's is a fave spot of ours. It's no one-trick pony either. You can see DJ's, drag queens or your friends on a night out. It's one of the few real dive bars left, and with cheap beer and mellow vibes, Charlie's is a great place to kill an evening and just sing to your heart's content. At least that way you likely won't break any plumbing fixtures.
