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    Tastemaker Awards

    9 best bartenders in Dallas put real craft into cocktails and service

    Teresa Gubbins
    Aug 9, 2021 | 6:00 am
    Old Forester Old Fashioned from Austin bartender Ethan Lane
    These bartenders deserve a tip of the hat.
    Courtesy photo

    It's time to toast the folks behind the bar, as part of CultureMap's Tastemaker Awards, our annual celebration of the best in Dallas food and drink.

     

    It's the latest chapter in our editorial series, where we spotlight nominees in categories such as best bars, best neighborhood restaurants, best rising star chefs, best wine programs, and best ghost kitchens.

     

    We're here now to tip our hat to the best bartenders in town.

     

    The 2021 nominees are a spectacularly diverse group, ranging from newcomers to veterans, doing their craft everywhere from hotel bars in the mid-cities to cozy neighborhood lounges.

     

    A panel of judges consisting of former CultureMap Tastemaker Award winners and local F&B experts narrowed down the list to 10. One winner will be announced 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 best bartenders in Dallas for 2021:

     

     Ricky Cleva - Alice
    Veteran bar player has worked numerous well-regarded spots around town including Parliament, Gung Ho, Harlowe MXM, Henry's Majestic, Trick Pony, and Atwater, where he first made a name for himself, earning nods for his creative drinks. He's been at the forefront of some creative adventures such as championing bitter spirits, which he did in 2018 with the creation of a mini bar-within-a-bar that focused on amari. Now you can find Aperol Spritzes on menus all over town.

     

     Jacob Crews - Tiny Victories
    Jake is a bit of a prodigy who worked every front-of-the-house job at Ferris Wheeler's in the Design District and Uptown Dallas cocktail temple Standard Pour before heading behind the bar. That versatility is put to good use at Tiny Victories, the neighborhood lounge in Oak Cliff, which operates in a collaborative style, with everyone on staff doing a little of everything: The bar staff not only mixes you a fine drink, they deliver it to your table, and Crews does so with a congenial charm.

     

     Maylee Gray - Sky Creek Kitchen & Bar
    Gray started young, working the bar at Saltgrass Steakhouse at age 18, where she learned how things tick at a corporate-style environment. She was recruited by the Worthington Renaissance in 2019 to help open Toro Toro, the hotel's Latin steakhouse and lounge, and began to develop her passion for craft. In 2020, she joined the team at Sky Creek, the restaurant and bar at the newly opened Delta Hotel, where she puts her multitasking skills to work, balancing mixology and hospitality for hotel guests and locals alike.

     

     George Kaiho - Jettison
    Kaiho is a return nominee (he was nominated in 2017), and it's hardly a surprise. Widely considered one of the best bartenders in Dallas, he has a quiet diligence and attentiveness to detail, evident in practices such as hand-cutting his own ice cubes because he prefers the "handmade" results. He's presided over the bar at Jettison, the intimate bar at the Sylvan Thirty complex in Oak Cliff, since it opened in 2016, where cutting-edge events such as cocktail omakase, showcasing seasonal cocktails, are par for the course.

     

     Perla Lozano - Barcadia
    Like a lot of bartenders, Lozano was somewhat thrown into the mixology world, but enjoyed a fortunate series of steps that have given her a well-rounded perspective. Working at Seasons 52 offered exposure to wine programs. Public 972 was a crash course in craft beer. And she embraced craft cocktails while working at Ida Claire. In her regular life, Lozano confesses to being an introvert, so tending bar at a highly social place like Barcadia gives her the freedom to operate outside of her usual comfort zone.

     

     Adam Mercado - Billy Can Can
    Mercado is part of a great bartender team at Billy Can Can, the cool swanky restaurant-bar in Victory Park, along with Mario Huerta and Jimmy Yee. He also tends bar at Hudson House and previously worked at Del Frisco's Grille.

     

     Liz Mitchell - Thunderbird Station
    Mitchell started out at Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House in East Dallas where she worked for five years before joining the "Double Wide family," the collection of cool bar spots owned by hospitality whiz Kim Finch that also include Single Wide on Greenville Avenue. Mitchell currently presides over Thunderbird Station, the groovy retro bar and restaurant on the edge of Deep Ellum, where all the food and cocktails are super fun. Mitchell's approach is to always try to make a personal connection before she serves you a drink.

     

     Heather Poile - Lounge Here
    Poile is a quick study whose cool determination and natural curiosity have vaulted her from indie restaurants to grand hotels and back. She helped build the bar program at BBBop Seoul Kitchen in Oak Cliff and was one of the longest running bar staffers at Stock & Barrel before joining the Statler Dallas hotel, where she was one of the few (only?) women bartenders. She's found a fitting home at East Dallas cocktail spot Lounge Here, home to a motley crew of talents.

     

     Hector Santana - Yellow Rosa
    One not-uncommon bartender stereotype is that of the cocktail-shaking king, the flamboyant hero who rules over the bar. Santana is the opposite of that. Modest and level-headed, he gets the job done with low-key, almost humble precision, even though he's scaled such heights as competing in the margarita challenge (where he came in third). His previous tenure with the SBBC Hospitium, which owns bars such as Tipsy Alchemist, helped mold his crafty skills.

     
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    Where to eat

    Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 best new restaurants for July

    Raven Jordan
    Jul 10, 2025 | 6:18 pm
    Frenchie
    Frenchie
    Natalie salad at Frenchie

    The July edition of Where to eat, CultureMap Dallas' monthly column of the hottest restaurants, has an exciting range of cuisines and locations: from a new bistro in McKinney to an impressive Indian restaurant in Coppell to a downtown Dallas cafe to a mom-and-pop taqueria in Oak Cliff.

    Here's where to eat in Dallas right now:

    Boxed and Brewed
    Downtown Dallas cafe from Boxwood Hospitality features boxed lunches, breakfast sandwiches, croissants, and breakfast tacos. They do it gourmet style with offerings such as a curried veggie goat cheese wrap, Mediterranean chicken sandwich, and Greek salad. They're open in the U.S. Post Office at 400 N. Ervay St. during classic downtown worker hours: Monday-Friday for breakfast and lunch.

    Centro on the Square
    Italian bistro from acclaimed restaurateurs George Stergios (Knife Steakhouse Plano) and Brian Dunne (Mexican Bar Company) has made its long-awaited debut on McKinney’s downtown square in the former Harvest space (which relocated in 2023). The menu features hearty Italian-American dishes like chicken meatballs, mussels, cacio e pepe pasta, short rib ravioli, chicken marsala, soups, and salads. They also served grilled items including salmon, red fish, and chicken.

    Donde los Tacos
    Small taco shop in Oak Cliff in a former gas station is a mom-and-pop from first-time restaurant owners Martin and Jennifer Reyes who are putting lots of love into this small, cozy spot. Their tacos include trompo marinated pork, chicken, chorizo, fried shrimp, a slow-simmered beef called suadero, a ribeye taco, and a vegetarian taco made with plant-based protein. Appetizers include guacamole & chips, queso, and Mexican street corn. The majority of their tacos are $3 but on Tuesdays, they offer a $2 taco deal.

    Ella
    American bistro in the old Chido Taco Lounge space brings elevated eats to Preston Hollow Village. The concept is from Chido Taco Lounge founder Blaine McGowan and executive chef Kyle Farr, with Michelin-awarded Julian Shaffer leading the bar program. Their menu features shrimp and masa dumplings, pork cheeks, steak frites, and sides like broccolini and truffle fries.

    Flamant
    European cocktail bar and bistro that cooks over an open flame is now open at the Boardwalk at Granite Park in Plano. The restaurant is from acclaimed restaurant team Tanner Agar and Taylor Rause, and is a sibling restaurant to award-winning restaurants Rye and Apothecary. The menu features flavors from Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy with dishes such as faux gras, pasta, wood fired Wagyu burger, and pepperoncini chicken. They also offer weekend brunch with frittata and cannoli French toast.

    Frenchie
    French concept from Travis Street Hospitality (Le PasSage, Georgie) recently opened in the former Corner Bakery at Preston Center Plaza, which closed after 23 years in 2022. The restaurant is a French brasserie, serving casual lunch and dinner. There are dishes such as crepes, quiches, oysters, steak frites, and onion soup.

     Silk Road Indian Silk Road IndianSilk Road 

    Mas Chingon
    Sports bar and restaurant with a lively atmosphere recently opened in Bishop Arts dishing out Latin vibes and a Mexican-Latin menu. Standout dishes include tacos, Mexican burger, al pastor burger with both a beef patty and al pastor, elote coated in Hot Cheetos dust, and ceviche. They also do bar food such as a burger, chicken wings, and an over-the-top $350 Cowboy steak.

    The PoBoy Shop
    Sandwich shop obsessed with po’boys is a spin-off of Evan’s Meat Market now open in Preston Center. Founder Evan Meagher is drawing on his Louisiana roots on po’boys and sandwiches such as fried shrimp, fried bologna, turkey, and pastrami, available in 4-inch and 8 inch sizes with Cajun sides such as dirty curly fries topped with grilled boudin or Zapp’s Potato Chips.

    Ruthie's Cafe
    Do-gooder cafe that started out as a food truck is bringing new life to South Dallas. They serve grilled cheese sandwiches — solo or with tomato tomato soup — including one stuffed with brisket. There's also breakfast including sandiwches, a power bowl, and a chicken sausage & bacon wrap. They just added a coffee bar, in response to customer demand, with creative espresso drinks such as Nutella latte, Horchata, and Matcha latte.

    Silk Road Indian
    Indian concept from a hospitality trio recently opened in Coppell. The restaurant comes from Prinu Prasannan, Sushil Kumar, and Sreekumar Madolil, who have roots in the Kerala state in India but met in Dallas. They serve a range of vegetarian dishes such as vegetable samosas and tikka masala. They also have non vegetarian and Indo Chinese dishes including biryani, butter chicken, fish curry, and egg curry.

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