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    Tastemaker Awards

    10 best bars in Dallas for 2021 give us a reason to leave the house

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jul 21, 2021 | 6:00 am
    Il Brutto ATX Bitter Party cocktail
    Cheers to Dallas' best bars.
    Photo by Travis Hallmark

    Bars are half the story of the food & beverage industry, which we'll celebrate via our annual CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, celebrating the best in Dallas food and drink.

    In our editorial series, we're spotlighting nominees in every category: best neighborhood restaurants, best rising star chefs, best bartenders, and best restaurants — voted on by a panel of judges, consisting of former CultureMap Tastemaker Award winners and local F&B experts, who helped narrow down the final list to 10 finalists.

    Who will win? Find out at the Tastemaker Awards party on August 19 at Fashion Industry Gallery, where we’ll dine on bites from nominated restaurants while emcee CJ Starr reveals the winners. Buy tickets here.

    Here are the 10 nominees for Best Bar:

    Atlas Bishop Arts
    Chic Bishop Arts lounge from the owners of Bishop Arts restaurant Krio has a theme: to showcase the world, in food, drinks, and music. Drinks like the Pisco Sour (Peru), Pimm's Cup (London), and Singapore Sling (Singapore) are globally inspired, and they serve international-themed snacks, too. But they're also a neighborhood bar, ready to throw it down for Bastille Day or whatever other fun the neighbors have hatched.

    BarNone
    Bar in White Rock Center from husband-and-wife Todd Dickerson and Jennifer Rohde Dickerson caters to East Dallas: from Lakewood, Forest Hills and Hollywood Heights, to Casa Linda, Eastwood, and Old Lake Highlands, with signature drinks, beer, wine, and sports on TV. Todd is a career restaurateur with 31 years food and beverage experience, including his role as managing partner of Angry Dog for 20 years.

    Cosmo's
    Cosmo's was founded in 2000 — a lifetime ago in bar years — by brother & sister Gerald Stogsdill & Debra Peña, who created a chill-funky-retro vibe, plus crafty martinis tha were ahead of their time Bar manager and now business partner Jackson Tran has given Cosmo's a second life, adding family Vietnamese recipes to the menu such as pho and grilled pork chop with braised collard greens that have drawn a new appreciative audience of foodies.

    Dahlia Bar & Bistro
    Dahlia is the first establishment to finally make the most of this location at 3300 Ross Ave., which saw bars such as Woody's and Ross & Hall Kitchen come and go. Chris and Mark Beardon (Felix Culpa, Toluca Organic, Truth & Alibi, and The Tipsy Alchemist) have created a floral-themed oasis, including floral-inspired cocktails and an inverted ceiling floral arrangement above the 35-seat bar. The location comes with a built-in courtyard, ideal at a time when outdoor space is an essential.

    Libertine
    All applause for this "Lower Greenville Avenue bar that could," that has gamely hung on through dramatic neighborhood changes and a pandemic, continuing to pour one of the best beer selections in the city, with service that feels both attentive yet effortless. Owners Simon McDonald and Mike Smith never sleep: In the spring, Smith rebuilt the entire patio, with handsome updated sidewalk seating, making it an even hotter ticket for weekend brunch.

    Midnight Rambler
    Subterranean bar at Joule Dallas debuted in 2014 and is a repeat Tastemaker Awards Best Bar nominee, even winning in 2016. The Rambler has been a craft cocktail temple since it opened but cemented its dominance in the field by hiring popular bartender Gabe Sanchez after he sold Black Swan Saloon, his bar in Deep Ellum. It's a Dallas destination not only for its craft cocktails, but also for its sultry music, special events, and cultural impact.

    Peak Inn
    Joe Morales, co-owner of Adair's, wanted to create an "old East Dallas joint" when he opened Peak Inn in 2019 in the former Peak & Elm restaurant. It's a good old-fashioned bar, with good food and no gimmicks. They have all the things you need: jukebox, pool table, fireplace, TVs and cheap drinks, including a generous weekday happy hour that lasts until 10 pm. The kitchen stays open until 1:30 am, a draw for service industry workers.

    Punch Bowl Social
    Spacious bowling-themed bar and restaurant in Deep Ellum deserves an award for perseverance alone. The concept was left high and dry by parent company Cracker Barrel, who bailed once the pandemic hit. But they've made a comeback, and with three bars, scratch kitchen, and sundry entertainment options such as bowling, karaoke, ping-pong, wall scrabble, and old school arcade games, they have plenty to offer, not to mention occupying a key anchor spot in the neighborhood.

    Thunderbird Station
    Latest creation from veteran bar owner Kim Finch (Double Wide, Single Wide) is a perfectly formed concept that hits all the right notes, from its location on the edge of Deep Ellum, to its thoughtful reuse of its vintage gas station location, to its timely pandemic-friendly sprawling patio in front. Cocktails have a fun, high-concept flair, and the food has a distinctive down-home Southern theme, with Frito pie, bologna sandwiches, and sloppy joes.

    Whippersnapper
    Henderson Avenue bar is all about the carefree good times with a fun crowd, DJs, and a tongue-in-cheek spirit — thus the 40-ouncers and Boone's Farm wine. They work to keep it fresh, with ventures such as their semi-regular pop-up bar installations themed to match pop-culture icons such as The Office and Family Guy.

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    News you can eat

    This roundup of Dallas restaurant news has dishes with a deadline

    Teresa Gubbins
    May 1, 2026 | 2:02 pm
    Meridian
    Meridian
    Spinach & ricotta agnolotti with artichokes

    This edition of CultureMap's Restaurant News Roundup has one or two openings and then a lot of appealing new dishes and menus for spring, with classic spring ingredients like asparagus, artichokes, and fava beans. Since many are available for a limited amount of time, do not delay or they may be gone.

    Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

    Luna Coffee Co. is a new coffee shop now open at 5601 W. Lovers Ln. in the former Wow! Donuts & Drips space. It's really more of a rebranding than it is an opening. It's from the same family who opened Wow in 2017, and it will still serve Wow! Donuts. But they're shifting the emphasis to coffee, says co-owner David Sim, with a unique approach that includes topnotch coffee drinks at a low price. "Our menu is concise, with just six or seven drinks, all for $3.95. That includes all of the options like oatmilk or vanilla syrup which you'd pay extra for at other shops." They're also emphasizing speed, with a goal to fill customer orders in two minutes. They'll still be serving their doughnuts, which sets them apart from the competition. "We're rebranding as a coffee shop that also sells doughnuts instead of the stuff every other coffee shop sells," he says.

    Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, the Tennessee-based Southern comfort food chain, is opening a location in Prosper at 3830 W. University Dr. (at the northwest corner of US 380 and South Teel Parkway) on May 11. It joins the dozen-or-so locations in DFW that include Mesquite, Allen, DeSoto, Lewisville, Rockwall, Denton, Arlington, and Fort Worth.

    HTeaO, the iced tea franchise, will open a location in Prosper, at 200 S. Preston Rd. The chain has about 30 locations across DFW. The store is from franchise owner Steven Benavides and operated by General Manager Kevin Benavides. They'll celebrate their grand opening on Saturday, May 9 with free cups of tea from 10 am-12 pm.

    Knox Bistro has new lunch and dinner prix-fixe menus by executive chef Armand Brunner, working under the culinary direction of boss chef Bruno Davaillon, with whom he shares a French heritage. Brunner is a graduate of Ferrandi Paris, the prestigious culinary institution, and has experience in notable Paris kitchens, including working under Michelin-starred chef Frédéric Simonin and acclaimed chef Pierre Sang, as well as serving as sous chef at farm-to-table bistro Le Beurre Noisette. The new prix-fixe menus include the Chef’s Lunch, a $30 midday offering with choices from soup of the day, fiish dip, crab quiche, or vegetable pasta. The dinner prix-fixe, available Sunday-Thursday all hours and Friday-Saturday 5-6 pm, is $50, with choices from artichoke salad, duck croquettes, asparagus risotto, or braised lamb.

    The Henry, the Fox Restaurants Concepts restaurant on the fringe of Uptown, brings back its summertime pop-up, Hank’s Hideaway, on May 6, transforming its rooftop bar into a tiki escape with cabanas and rum cocktails. Including: Lilikoi Club with cacao jacked Cristal rum, passion fruit, pineapple, and lemon; Coco Loco with Don Q Gran Reserva Añejo Xo, Cristal rum, cinnamon, and drop trop sour served in a coconut; Scorpion Bowl with Don Q Reserva 7yr, pineapple-soaked brandy, & watermelon (serves 3). Menu highlights include Kalua pork sliders, crab cake with street corn salad, yellowfin poke bowl with yuzu sticky rice, and molten butter cake with caramel, pretzel toffee, and vanilla gelato.

    Meridian, the neighborhood restaurant at The Village Dallas led by Executive Chef Eduardo Osorio — a nominee for Rising Star Chef in the CultureMap Dallas 2026 Tastemaker Awards — has debuted a new seasonal menu, featuring: shrimp toast with smoked trout roe & yuzu ginger aioli; "Fun-ion ring" with caramelized onion dip; spinach and ricotta agnolotti; Aleeya’s pasta, a vegan and gluten-free dish with Calabrian chilis & smoked tomato; whole branzino; embered roasted salmon with fava beans, artichokes, Meyer lemon, and fumet; Sakura Pork Kan Kan; green chopped salad, beet salad, & tuna tartare; and sides such as pommes purée, truffle fries, crispy parmesan potatoes, & charred cabbage.

    Radici Wood Fire Grill has a new dinner menu at both its Farmers Branch and Grand Prairie locations, featuring Wagyu Denver steak; pork ribs glazed in pomegranate BBQ sauce with Sicilian-style potato salad (olives, artichokes, & red wine vinaigrette); and chicken sausage pasta with cassarecce, charred broccoli, & pistachio pesto.

    Velvet Taco has a first-ever limited-time margarita: Called the Spicy Pineapple Margarita, it has tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, agave nectar, jalapeño, and pineapple with a spicy rim and is available through June 2.

    Shake Shack has two new menu items for summer: Boneless Baby Back Rib Sandwich, featuring boneless baby back pork ribs, BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and pickles on a toasted potato bun for $13; and a side of mac & cheese with cavatappi pasta in cheddar & American cheese sauce for $6 — the chain's third new side in the past year. Available at all Dallas locations through the end of July, depending on supplies.

    Truluck’s has two new items for May: Lemon-blueberry custard bread pudding with vanilla bean ice cream, crème anglaise, blueberry sauce, and lemon streusel; and The Lychee Empress cocktail with Empress Elderflower Rose Gin with Carpano Bianco, lychee, lemon, and raspberry.

    Yardbird Southern Table & Bar Dallas has a limited-time menu of specials during May as follows: grass-fed burger BLT with truffle fries; Nashville hot chicken burger with a Carolina Reaper rub, with house fries; jerk-spiced salmon burger with a side salad; and butter pecan ice cream sandwich featuring Wagyu tallow chocolate chip cookies, butter pecan ice cream, pecans, and bourbon caramel.

    Hat Creek Burger Company has partnered with Terry Black’s Barbecue on a limited-time collaboration that brings Central Texas barbecue to 26 Hat Creek locations across Texas including Dallas, Allen, Coppell, Keller, Little Elm/Frisco, Mansfield, McKinney, Rowlett, Richardson, Roanoke, and Sachse. The centerpiece is the Pitmaster Stack, a burger layered with Terry Black’s chopped brisket, BBQ sauce, cheddar, pickles, and onion rings on a Martin’s Potato Roll. Plus beef tallow-fried onion rings and a new banana pudding shake made with real bananas and topped with vanilla wafers. The menu will be in place for six weeks, ending in early June.

    Tacos Juancho, a taqueria in Oak Lawn, is the only place in Texas to have made a new list by Food & Wine of the "8 Hottest New Taco Spots to Visit in the US." The writeup by Bill Esparza says that "since opening its doors in September 2025, this bright orange Mexico City-inspired brick-and-mortar space has become the talk of the town in Dallas." For example, the restaurant made the news in December when Mexican telenova star Angelique Boyer paid a visit. Then again in February when it was burglarized. F&W likes its "tacos al pastor, gaoneras de rib-eye on a blue corn tortilla, and tacos de suadero." The restaurant is at 3604 Oak Lawn Ave. — previously home for many years to the famed Snookie's Bar & Grill, then Rusty's Taco, and then briefly, AG Sushi Grill.

    Thomas', the best English muffin in the world, has debuted new, limited-edition Thomas' Apple Cinnamon English Muffins featuring cinnamon and real apple pieces, available for a limited time now through October for $5.69 per package. Thomas' dates back to 1880 when Samuel Bath Thomas created his original English muffin in New York using a secret process that included griddle baking to create the famous Nooks & Crannies English Muffin. The company has since added bagels, muffin tops, and breakfast breads, including a line of swirl breads, to its breakfast offerings. They sell the #1 English muffin and #1 grocery bagel in the U.S.

    Tostitos is expanding beyond the chip aisle into the refrigerated realm with a new guacamole. Called Tostitos Chunky Guacamole Hint of Lime Flavored Dip — that's a very long name — it will have fresh Hass avocados with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives and will be non-GMO project verified, vegan, kosher, and gluten free. Their surveys found that 64 percent of consumers eat guacamole with tortilla chips. It will launch in fall 2026, in 8-oz, 15-oz, and single-serving 2-oz sizes.

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