Family-run Arlington restaurant Goldbar @79 serves homey, unique tacos
Spooky season is in full swing, and Fort Worth-area bars are just as obsessed with Halloween as big local venues and haunt operators are this year. Halloween pop-ups with elaborate décor and themed cocktails have exploded in popularity, giving bargoers their own version of trick-or-treating fun. Here are seven bars to visit this month for a ghoulishly good time. All pop-ups will run through October 31 unless otherwise noted.
It's only fitting that a bar with interiors inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe would be a hot hub for Halloween mischief. Located in South Main Village on South Main Street, Atlas is showing off for spooky season with its usual dim mood lighting, flickering candles, tombstones, and cobwebs paired with cocktails. Try the Hey Pumpkin, made with reposado tequila, local Ampersand espresso, spiced sugar, and house-made spiced pumpkin puree.
El Chingon Part Mexican restaurant, part lively bar and nightclub, El Chingon in the West 7th District is serving a menu of spooky sips now through Dia de lost Muertos on November 2. Cocktails include the Vampire's Blood made with vodka, blueberry cordial, lime juice and Sprite, and the Candy Corn concocted with coconut rum, peach, orange juice, and grenadine. Heat things up with a hot-as-hell ghost pepper "boo-rito" eating contest on Sunday, October 27 at 4:30 pm. The first three contestants who finish the five-pound burrito in less than 30 minutes will win gift card prizes. Also plan for a costume contest on Halloween at 11 pm with a grand prize of $500 cash.
Harvest Hall Downtown Grapevine's expansive train station-themed food hall is currently hosting Nightmare on Main Street, a Halloween pop-up inside its Third Rail cocktail bar and music lounge. Spider webs, eyeball string lights, creepy characters, and eerie lighting make for a scary scene. Themed cocktails include the Poisoned Apple made with apple cider, pomegranate, and Kraken Black Rum, and the green-hued Witch's Brew made with vodka, pineapple, and Blue Curacao. There's also live music every Friday and Saturday night.
Nickel City Back for its third year at Nickel City on South Main Street is Black Lagoon , a super scary Halloween pop-up that launched in Canada and is now running in 35 locations worldwide. Blending macabre with mixology, the immersive experience combines hell-raising décor with creepy cocktails, like the Siren's Song made with aged rum, Lot 40 rye whiskey, and Giffard Caribbean pineapple, and the Paranoia shot made with Fords Gin, lime, coconut, and Thai spice bitters. The ghoulish glassware is for sale, too.
Hosting its own annual Halloween pop-up is Proper on West Magnolia Avenue. Called Krew of Boo, the themed experience features frighteningly festive décor and drinks with background stories. For example, La Tatuana, made with local La Pulga Tequila reposado, dry vermouth, and yellow chartreuse, is named for a Guatemalan woman accused of witchcraft who escaped her fate by tattooing a ship on her arm. Legend says she summoned the ship to sail away into the spiritual world while her ghost lives on. Other cocktails include 43 Killer Bees made with Acre Distilling Co.'s Two Minnies Gin; spiced pear, and hot honey; and a rum, coconut, and strawberry-infused slushie called Wednesday Addams. While the pop-up officially ends after Halloween, the cocktails will be available until Proper's Christmas pop-up starts sometime in November.
Shipwreck 7th The West 7th District tiki bar is dedicated to telling the story of the mythical character of Captain Jeffrey Alexander during its haunted island-themed pop-up. Called Escape from Jade Island, the eerie experience features elaborate décor and cocktails to match, along with lots of tall tales. Will the Captain escape the island or end up in a tropical tomb? Find out while sipping libations like the Undead Gentleman, made from three kinds of rum, grapefruit juice and cinnamon syrup. The pop-up will run through November 3.
