Beer Me

The 10 best sports bars in Dallas for every team's top fan

You can't have this list and not include Christies.

Christies/Facebook

Football, hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball — no matter which sport you support, it's way more fun to watch your favorite teams play when you're surrounded by other cheering fans.

But where to head for some cold drinks, hot food, and big sports action? In the spirit of CultureMap's newest signature event, The Tailgate, we're celebrating a season of sports with insider intel on all the ways you can enjoy it. (P.S. Tickets are on sale now).

Though by no means exhaustive, this list highlights sports bars in Dallas that are definitely worth your overtime.

Christies
This tried-and-true staple gave us a scare in 2020 when it shuttered its Uptown location after 30 years, but thankfully reopened the next year on Greenville Avenue. Now it boasts even more TVs and seating than before plus three full bars, specialty cocktails and wine on tap, games, and an Instagrammable rooftop.

Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar
New Orleans Saints superstar Drew Brees and his wife Brittany co-own this Baton Rouge-based chain, which features Louisiana cuisine and a full bar in a game-day atmosphere at Grandscape in The Colony. Come prepared for a menu that sports fried seafood platters, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, and wraps in addition to po'boys, fried oysters, gumbo, fried alligator, and boudin balls.

Moxie's Grill & Bar
Owned by Tom Gaglardi, proprietor of the Dallas Stars, this Canadian-based chain has three locations in North Texas: Uptown Dallas, Plano, and Southlake. Floor-to-ceiling windows subvert the typical cave-like atmosphere of a sports bar, as does the elevated American classics that populate the menu. But don't worry: There are still plenty of TVs and draft beer options.

Yogi's Sushi & Sports Bar
Craving something other than burgers or brats for game day? Try freshly made sushi at this Casa Linda Plaza joint, which is a collab between Dan Barbara, who founded Yogi's Home Plate sports bar in Lake Highlands, and Armando Ramirez, owner of Deep Sushi, the venerable sushi bar in Deep Ellum. TVs aren't confined to the bar area, but line the walls of the restaurant, giving everyone a great view.

PhD
Also known as Pour House Dallas, this Oak Cliff sports bar is equally known for its hangover brunch and covered patio, which provides great people-watching as concert-goers head next door to the Kessler Theater. A curated selection of local drafts complements the 26 TVs and friendly service.

ChopShop Victory Park
Conveniently located right next to the American Airlines Center, you have the option to either drop in for a pint before or after a game or post up in front of the Jumbrotron until the buzzer sounds. Ideal for when you want to feel a part of the action, but not actually cough up the dough for tickets.

Sidecar Social
This fun outdoor bar is from On Deck Concepts, founded by Brent Tipps, founder of BoomerJack’s sports bar. There are two: one in Addison and another set to open this fall at The Star in Frisco (which also happens to be the headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys). Frisco's massive 15,000-square-foot space will feature craft cocktails and bites, games, karaoke, live music, TVs, and an all-season patio.

Yard House
A massive circular bar dominates the middle of this Addison eatery, pouring 100-plus beers into "yards" (hence the name). Pull up a barstool or cozy up in a deep booth and watch the more than 20 TVs while ordering sophisticated appetizers and entrees from the gigantic menu.

Cedar Springs Tap House
It may look like your typical old-school sports bar, but remember that it's on Cedar Springs and therefore very supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. Food comes in baskets, beer is mostly domestic (and a lot Texas), and there's a different special each day. Time your Sunday football-watching with brunch for even more bang for your buck, or come stay late on Saturdays for the drag show.

Draft Sports Bar & Lounge
This hangout in the downtown Sheraton Dallas is 4,000 square feet of sports nirvana, with memorabilia and TVs galore. The only caveat is that it doesn't open until 5 pm, so save it for those night games.

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CultureMap's The Tailgate is happening October 13 at The Empire Room. Head here to buy Early Bird tickets while they last.

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Spring Arrival

West Dallas gets new Spanish-Peruvian restaurant with big-name chef

Photo courtesy of Ulloa's

Paella will be on the menu.

A new restaurant with a high-profile culinary director will bring Spanish and Peruvian flavors to West Dallas: Called Ulloa’s, it is coming to 727 Fort Worth Ave., with a projected opening in March 2027.

The concept is from philanthropists Susan and Woodrow Gandy, who were previously investors in the historic Belmont Hotel just around the corner. They've teamed up with Dallas celebrity chef Kent Rathbun as culinary director, along with Christopher Tunnell as general manager to lead the front of the house.

Rathbun is a name Dallas diners know well, with a resume that includes The Mansion on Turtle Creek, the Landmark Restaurant at the historic Melrose Hotel, Seventeen Seventeen at the Dallas Museum of Art, Abacus, Jasper's, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, and more. He's won numerous awards and made multiple appearances on Food Network. He was most recently behind the launch of On The Rocks, an Italian bistro in Burleson.

Chef Kent Rathbun will be the culinary director of Ulloa's. Photo courtesy of Kent Rathbun

Tunnell’s background spans both culinary direction and front-of-house operations. He worked at Los Angeles hot spots Ketchup, Geisha House, and Les Deux, as well as the Mandalay Bay and The Mirage in Las Vegas, before moving to Dallas to open The Mexican, the upscale restaurant in the Design District.

“I am truly excited to partner with Chef Kent Rathbun, whose reputation is amazing — not only in the DFW Metroplex, but in the culinary world,” Tunnell says. “He has been with this project since the beginning, helping develop it; this will be a very chef-driven, culinary-forward restaurant.”

The team's vision for Ulloa’s is both culinary and urban, with hopes of anchoring the corridor and attracting other businesses to Fort Worth Avenue — a stretch connecting downtown Dallas with Oak Cliff that remains somewhat underdeveloped despite its panoramic skyline views.

The restaurant is named for Spanish explorer, astronomer, and scientist Antonio de Ulloa, who spent extensive time in the Mexican peninsula before becoming Louisiana’s first governor. During his travels, Ulloa documented a fogbow — a circular rainbow formed when sunlight meets mist that causes silhouettes standing between the sun and fog to appear ringed in light, a phenomenon known today as “Ulloa’s Rings.”

That vibrant phenomenon inspired both the restaurant's identity and logo. The concept promises "bold, worldly flavors in a welcoming neighborhood setting inspired by exploration and discovery,” the owners say.

Ulloa's Rendering of Ulloa's.Rendering courtesy of Ulloa's

While the menu remains in development, Tunnell describes the culinary direction as “Spanish soul with a Peruvian heart.” The kitchen will merge the coastal flavors of both traditions — ranging from paellas and ceviches to crafted cocktails and signature adaptations by Rathbun.

The 200-seat, two-story space will feature a downstairs dining room, a large bar, and an outdoor patio. Upstairs, plans call for a secondary bar, a private dining room, a patio, and an expansive balcony patio, offering views of the city's skyline and of the Margaret Hunt Hill and Margaret McDermott bridges.

While the upstairs space will be available for private events, the owners intend for it to operate primarily as an organic extension of the main restaurant. The buildout will include a guest elevator along with ample parking, including both self-parking and valet options.

The team says the restaurant will have have an aesthetic that's “warm, theatrical, generous, elegant but alive, with the energy of a great Spanish tapas bar and the soul of Peruvian hospitality.”

Ulloa’s plans to launch with dinner service first, followed by lunch and weekend brunch.

restaurants bars peruvian flavors west dallas oak cliff kent rathbun