Deciding where to grab a drink can take you down many paths. You can opt for the tried-and-true, the neighborhood favorite, the place you already know. Or you can seek out the new.
For those in the second category, we keep a running tab of bars that are newly opened, so you can always stay up with what's going on. Since our last roundup in August, five more new spots have emerged. Here's the list:
Crafty Irishman
New haunt in downtown Dallas is a pub and a little more, with customer-friendly hours that begin early and offerings that evolve as the day unfolds. In the morning, there are coffee and pastries. Lunch has salads and sandwiches. At dinner, it's a pub in all its glory with scotch, whiskey, beers, and fish and chips. Crafty Irishman comes from Alan Kearney, a native of Ireland who grew up in the hospitality business and knows the Irish pub world firsthand.
Grayson Social
Technically speaking, this downtown spot that opened in October is a restaurant, with early-morning hours for locals and a menu of Southern-styled dishes like shrimp and grits. But the place — perched on the ground floor of the LTV Tower on Elm Street — really has more of a bar feel, with a drop-in casualness and a long bar with stools. Not to mention, a drink list that numbers 30 cocktails. If you're searching for "what's new in downtown Dallas," this is the place.
Lounge Here
East Dalllas bar-restaurant comes from Julie Doyle, co-founder and manager of the Polyphonic Spree and co-owner of Good Records, who envisioned a stylish, relaxed place in an under-serviced area on Garland Road. Her idea was to found a space with refreshing cocktails, good food, and, of course, a worthy soundtrack. Mission accomplished: Since opening in October, she and her team have created a kind of living room for hipsters. If you're wanting to sip in East Dallas, then Lounge Here.
Honor Bar
Highland Park Village bar-restaurant in the former Patrizio's space is a newish concept from the Hillstone Restaurant Group family, which includes R+D Kitchen and Houston's. So you know the service and food are on point. That's a plus for HPV, which has suffered more than its share of turnover. It has a gastropubby feel, with the same younger, fresher vibe that R+D has. If you're in North Dallas or wanting to rub elbows with PCPs, you got it.
Little Woodrow's
Concept from Houston made its Dallas debut in a vintage building at 3300 Ross Ave. in September. The bar boasts more 100 types of beer, 22 hi-def TVs, and a patio courtyard that will undoubtedly be divine once this horrific winter thing is done. Owner Danny Evans founded the chain in 1995; branches have since opened in Austin, San Antonio, and Katy. This is the place if you're in the market for craft beer.
