Top 15 Places to Get a Beer in Dallas, TX

I'll be honest, when SirRon wrote his Top 15 Places to Get a Beer in Houston, TX contribution to The Ferm I was pretty jealous. I live in Dallas, TX and there just aren't that many places that I would say are a great place to grab a beer, compared to Houston and Austin. The pretentious stereotype of Dallas holds true in so many ways and cool places to hang out and grab a great beer are very limited. The adult beverage consumption market in Dallas is largely driven by the places to "see and be seen" and the Chris Chris $30,000 millionaire kind of attitude. And while the masses try to enjoy the finest things in life by drinking the nicest wines, the most delicious filet mignons and drive the exotic vehicles, beer to Chris Chris is just yellow fizzy water to abuse at frat parties.

This list was VERY difficult for me to produce because while I am recommending that these places are great to grab a beer, some of them get pretty douchey with the right crowd, and were docked appropriately. I will be using my own subjective rating system probably very similar to SirRon's "amalgamation of many atmosphere x-factors" system. Also, geographically I have limited my area to Dallas proper and Addison, because that's how I roll. So there may be some prejudice as to specific locations because I don’t like driving…….at all.

#15 Gordon Biersch
Address: 8060 Park Lane (Dallas) and 7401 Lone Star Drive, Suite B120 (Plano)
Neighborhood: New Park Lane Development and Shops at Legacy
How it made the list: I know, I know, it's a chain. Well guess what? Dallas has alot of chain places. My favorite thing about this place is nothing on the menu is bad, and the garlic french fries are a special treat. Oh yeah, don't forget the BBQ Chicken pizza, yum. GB's atmosphere is a little on the nicer side and not quite as casual as I like but as it turns out this can be a good thing. Asking Mrs. K-Dub if she would like to go to this brewpub for a somewhat nice dinner actually works. Oh yeah, they actually brew their own beer onsite as well, which is a plus for this beer enthusiast. The bar area is conducive to sports viewing due to an above average TV count. Also, the bar area can be converted to an inside/outside bar with large garage door windows that can be opened on nice days. The wait staff seems knowledgeable of the food and beer, but you can tell it's only because they have to learn it during training.

#14 Black Friar Pub
Address: 2621 McKinney Avenue
Neighborhood: Uptown
How it made the list: This Uptown pub is actually not too bad when you visit during non-partying hours, say for lunch on Sunday. The beer list is acceptable and the Stilton burger they have is oh so nice. The front porch they have is pretty cool and inviting, however it is not dog friendly due to some stupid health code. What a bunch of crap. The interior is dark and a little danky, just how I like my beer bars. It is quite refreshing though that Dallas has passed the non-smoking rule, otherwise this place would smell like Sex Panther (Watch Ron Burgundy). Be warned, parking sucks and you'll probably have to park far away or valet if they are busy, I hate the valet.

#13 Meridian Room
Address: 3611 Parry Avenue
Neighborhood: Fair Park
How it made the list: While Mrs. K-Dub and I were taking some of our engagement photos the photographer took us to this fine establishment for a break and brew. This little pub is across the street from historic Fair Park that include the Women's Museum and the Fair Park Music Hall, two really cool buildings. We had to sit outside since we had our dog Porter, but the waitress was super friendly and loved our little guy. While we didn't get to grab a bite, the beer menu was admirable and the people inside looked like they were having a great time. If this place wasn't so far away from where I live, I'd definitely hit this place up more often.

#12 Christies
Address: 2811 McKinney Avenue
Neighborhood: Uptown
How it made the list: This sports bar is a favorite hangout of my friends who live in the area and they frequent just about every weekend. The beer selection is fair and the food is quite tasty. Since my friends are frequent customers, they have made friends with the lovely lady Ryan, she's a bit of a smart ass which is the perfect compliment to many of my friends. It's also nice to know that tips aren't going to some ditsy little girl, Ryan has a son that she's trying to support. During game time though the place turns into a great atmosphere that's hard to beat. We watched the Superbowl there this year, it was alot of fun, get to Christie's and get yo chill on.

#11 Idle Rich Pub
Address: 2614 McKinney Avenue
Neighborhood: Uptown
How it made the list: How could an Irish pub not make the list? During non peak hours this great bar has a real laid back feel to it that is just hard to beat. During the evening hours however the douche-ery and snooty nose crowd can make their way in, beware. Idle’s excellent selection of beer and whiskey makes this a real fun place to be to watch soccer or just waste away the afternoon with good company. Again points were taken away due to the Uptown location, where you run the risk of extreme crappy parking situations and possible valet necessity during peak times.

#10 Elbow Room
Address: 3010 Gaston Avenue
Neighborhood: Deep Ellum
How it made the list: This place just feels right, I mean how could you not like a bar that has a topless depiction of the Mona Lisa and a website that states, “Serving Dallas since a long time ago”? Voted by the Dallas Observer as “The best place to put money in a jukebox,” this little gem in the Deep Ellum neighborhood is just far enough away from the really busy areas to be able to walk right in, after an ID check of course. The beer selection was enough to interest my palate and the food menu looks like something I need to get all up in.

#9 Vickery Park
Address: 2810 N. Henderson Avenue
Neighborhood: Knox/Henderson
How it made the list: First things first, it’s got a porch that is definitely where you want to be on a nice afternoon for drinks. Inside the environment is inviting and the people there are a lot of fun. The beer selection is way above par with enough selection to keep any beer enthusiast interested. Downsides include a pathetic parking situation and on the weekend it gets pretty crowded with more of the pretentious types.

#8 Old Monk
Address: 2847 North Henderson Avenue
Neighborhood: Knox/Henderson
How it made the list: Down and across the street from Vickery Park this other beer bar is good place for outside day drinking. Their quaint front porch and possible alternatives for liquid consumption keep me coming back in force when I’m in the area. Next time you’re there grab a couple of friends and get a cheese board or two (or your favorite bar food) and enjoy yourself. As with other places in this area, parking is atrocious so either get there early or stuff some cash in your pocket for a valet or lot somewhere.

#7 Milo Butterfingers (No Website, here's the Yelp Page)
Address: 5645 Yale Boulevard
Neighborhood: Upper Greenville
How it made the list: During your first visit you may say to yourself, “This place is a real dump,” and you’d be partially right. However, I like to call Milo’s…..experienced. Sure the building’s old, there’s no door on the pooper in the bathroom and part of the ceiling is falling down, that’s part of the charm and it’s totally awesome. Complete with a big screen, Big Buck Hunter (and other arcade games), plenty of dart boards and pool tables are what makes this place great. Probably because Milo’s reminds me of my favorite bar ever, Dudley’s Draw in College Station, TX circa 2000-2003. And for the Texas/Oklahoma fans out there, the regular display of various sports memorabilia is exchanged with school colors on the weekend of the game.

#6 Lakewood's First and 10
Address: 6465 East Mockingbird Lane
Neighborhood: Lakewood, duh
How it made the list: Hidden within a strip center in this sports bar is a great place for an adult beverage of your choice. Complete with two TV’s on both sides of the bar and I believe four more on the opposite wall of the establishment, First and 10 is here for your sports watching needs. The full bar provides enough variety to satisfy most everyone’s palate challenging needs and the food is impressive for “bar food,” which happens to be my second favorite food group following “liquid bread.” Being in Dallas it offers a smoke free environment which is a plus and they have a bar staple, Big Trophy Hunter, that’s right.

#5 The Londoner
Address: 14930 Midway Road
Neighborhood: Addison Location (There is also a Uptown Location)
How it made the list: Since we’ve got an Irish pub covered, how about an English Pub? The Londoner boasts an OK selection of draft and bottle brews as well as an impressive spread of Whiskeys and Scotches. The food is quite impressive, might I suggest the Tower of London Burger, seriously, get one. The New Delhi Sandwich is another tasty choice and of course, the Fish and Chips are sure to please. What’s even greater than the drinks and food is the atmosphere, you can watch a Football game (Like, European Football yo) with actual Football fans. Those guys get loud, because they’re proud. Be careful, at night the inside can get quite smoky.

#4 Angry Dog
Address: 2726 Commerce Street
Neighborhood: Deep Ellum
How it made the list: Their Food. Plain and simple they’ve got great food, it’s not great for you, but it’s delicious none the less. I suggest either one of their famous burgers or the hot dog if you crave food units. Besides the awesome rockin’ food their beer selection is always a hit. And with the 9 televisions it’s hard not to stop in for dinner, drinks and sports with a group of your friends. It’s a bit cumbersome to get down to the area with the highway and light rail construction in the area but if you have the patience Angry Dog comes most highly suggested.

#3 Gingerman
Address: 2718 Boll Street
Neighborhood: Uptown Location
How it made the list: I know, another chain, but G-man offers one the very best beer selections in town so of course I’m going to score it high. It also helps that their front, back and balcony porches are all super great to hang out in when the weather is acceptable. Another thing about this place that’s so awesome is that I bring my dog to the porch, and he loves hanging out there. At least that’s my assumption because his tail doesn’t stop wagging. It seems like this place always gets the latest releases of brews before anyone else does in town, so bravo to them indeed. At night and during happy hours G-man gets a little crowded and parking is ALWAYS a problem.

#2 The Amsterdam Bar
Address: 831 Exposition Avenue
Neighborhood: Fair Park
How it made the list: A good friend of mine named Raj introduced me to this place and it has always been someplace that I enjoy visiting. Amsterdam bar has an atmosphere that’s hard to beat, it’s not pretentious, it’s not trying to be something it’s not, it’s a just a great place to chill with friends and enjoy some tasty drinks. Their beer menu is always a big hit with me and I’m always jealous that some the beer they have I can’t seem to find at a store for my house. This place is just downright cool and that’s all I have to say about that.

#1 Flying Saucer
Address: 14999 Montfort Drive
Neighborhood: Addison
How it made the list: I’m part of the club and I have 199 different beers logged in their system, go ahead and look it up on the website, I’m up there, BOOYA! If I’m that committed to drink a lot of beer at one location how could I not put this as my number one spot for a beer? Flying Saucer is pretty dang cool, from the lacquered pennies on the tap wall to the brass bar top to the front atrium area to the Pub of Love in the back, this place just oozes beer awesomeness. The wait staff is always nice and there are plenty of tables of varying size for groups of folks. There’s enough TV’s to keep you up to date on the game and at times the large projection screen makes an appearance for a special sporting event.

While these didn't make my top 15 I too offer a list of Honorable Mentions:
The Dubliner - Cool Irish pub off of Lower Greenville.

Trinity Hall - Fun Irish pub at Mockingbird Station, great Whiskey tasting experience.

Cosmos - Fun "Retro" bar with old furniture and a great jukebox.

Billiard Bar - As the name implies, pool tables and fun in Lower Greenville.

Double Wide - This trailer themed bar boasts a wide array of canned beer and velvet posters. Comes complete with tornado.

Barley House - A fun place to hang and listen to live music such as Pepper Theft and Lizard Larceny.

Wizards - Richardson joint with lots of pool, shuffle board, darts and a great place to watch a game.

Addison Point - Stop by for the Reuban, this place reminds me of Cheers with more smoke.