This week in gluttony

These are the 13 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

This is the week for pumpkin-shaped pizza.

Photo courtesy of Chuck E. Cheese

Halloween week brings several opportunities for spooky sips and bites, from a Halloween-themed omakase dinner to a murder mystery dinner. (There’s even pumpkin-shaped pizza and edible slime on the menu this week.) This week also brings an inaugural fall beer festival, an all-you-can-eat party at an Italian market, and a 110^th anniversary of a treasured Dallas hotel. Save room for a dumpling festival by week’s end.

Monday, October 24

Fall-O-Ween Beer Dinner at Lazy Dog
All locations of the American casual pub and restaurant will offer a four-course beer pairing dinner inspired by fall flavors now through Wednesday. Highlights from the menu include butternut squash soup, chicken pot pie, and butter cake. The menu is $85 for two and includes a four-pack of craft beers for sharing. Reservations encouraged.

Wednesday, October 26

Libertine Bar Pumpkin Carving Contest
Popular Greenville Avenue bar is hosting a pumpkin carving contest from 4-8 pm, with tarot card readings from Katie Mae Darling. $20 gets you a pumpkin and a beer. Winners get gift certificates to the Libertine. Judging takes place at 8 pm. 214-824-7900.

Krupp Brothers Keg Release at Sixty Vines
The Crescent Court restaurant is the exclusive home to a newly kegged wine varietal from Krupp Brothers. Called Stone Stitch, the Cabernet Sauvignon will be served during this wine tasting experience paired with chef-curated bites. The $75 ticket includes five wines and a pairing menu of fried chicken and caviar, savory beet tart, pizza, porcini-crusted petite tenderloin, and cherry chocolate truffles. The event starts at 6 pm.

Thursday, October 27

Halloween Omakase at Kessaku
There’ll be some spooky surprises during this Halloween-themed, multi-course sushi and sake experience, which will take place atop the 50^th floor of The National building downtown. Reservations are $250 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and the dinner begins at 6 pm. Cocktails are included. Note that reservations typically sell out.

Friday, October 28

Boo-Tacular at Chuck E. Cheese
There’s only one place to find pumpkin-shaped pizza in DFW this weekend, and that’s any location of the kid-favorite Chuck E. Cheese. The longtime family-friendly entertainment destination and pizza joint is serving a menu of Halloween-themed items, including pumpkin-shaped pepperoni pizza with a Jack-O-Lantern face along with cookies, cupcakes, and Dippin’ Dots topped with edible green slime. Kids can dance with Chuck E. Cheese himself at 6:30 pm, 7:30 pm, and 8:30 pm nightly and get free candy, and those who arrive in costume can get 10 free play points with any games purchase. Don’t miss the costume contest at 6:30 pm Friday through Sunday – all participants get 50 free e-tickets and the lucky winner gets 500. Fun fact for parents: select locations of Chuck E. Cheese have craft beer on tap.

All You Can Eataly: Fall for Dallas
For one night the marketplace at Eataly will be closed to the public for an all-inclusive tasting event. There’ll be more than 50 wines to try, a dozen-plus bars with cocktails and beer, and more than 30 food stations led by guest chefs and Eataly chefs featuring hundreds of artisanal Italian bites. Even more, outside there’ll be live music, chef demos, and a Halloween costume contest under the big event tent. VIP tickets are $195 and include early access at 6 pm and a dedicated VIP lounge with a selection of premium Italian wines. General admission is $125 with entry at 7:30 pm. (7 pm entry is sold out.)

Bishop Arts Brew Fest
This inaugural two-day fall festival – which has an adults-only day and family-friendly day – will feature beer sampling, live music, food demos & tastings, cocktails, games, and a costume contest. On Friday the event will run from 5-11 pm and only those 21-and-up are permitted. Don’t miss the bus serving Sotol samples – it’s a spirit made from a relative of the agave plant. On Saturday the event will run from 2-6 pm and feature food trucks, face painting, a petting zoo, and more live music. Admission is free, but beer samples are available via a $30 Brew Fest Pass that’s good for 10 samples and a souvenir mug.

Saturday, October 29

Lowest Greenville Fall Fest
Hang out on Lowest Greenville for a fun-filled day of food and drink. Adults must purchase a $10 commemorative Lower Greenville Collective glass between 11 am-2 pm at Greenville Avenue Pizza Co, 1923 Greenville Ave. This serves as a ticket to beer, wine & cocktail samples, and drink discounts. There's also trick-or-treating for the kids. Participating businesses include Greenville Avenue Pizza Company, Joy Macarons, Son of a Butcher, Bullzerk, Meyboom Brasserie, Sams Club, Swizzle, HG Sply Co., Leela’s, Libertine, and more.

Murder Mystery Dinner at Bourbon & Banter
Spend Halloween weekend solving a 1920s mafia marriage murder mystery paired with a four-course dinner from Bourbon & Banter. Dress the part to add to the fun – think zoot suits, flapper dresses, feather boas, and fedoras. Menu items include deviled eggs, pumpkin consommé, pan-seared red snapper, and red rum pumpkin hand pie. Tickets for two are $160 and do not include alcohol. The dinner will run from 7-10 pm.

Spell On You: Dine & Drink at Commons Club
There’ll be tricks, treats, potions, and palm readings during this immersive dining experience at the Commons Club inside the Virgin Hotels Dallas. Tickets start at $150 per person and include two “potions” from a specialty cocktail menu, food stations, a personalized tarot card reading, and entry to the hotel’s Spell on You: Halloween Party at The Manor. Dinner will run from 7-10 pm and party will go on until 2 am.

110^th Anniversary Gala at The Adolphus
Opened in 1912, The Adolphus will celebrate 110 years with an entertaining evening of music, cocktails, champagne, and hors d’oeuvres. Musical entertainment will take guests on a trip through the decades, and the event will take place in the hotel’s iconic French Room. Tickets are $150 per person, plus tax and service charge, and the cocktail attire party will run from 8 pm-midnight.

Sunday, October 30

A “Titanic” Afternoon Tea Experience at The French Room
This year marks the 110^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean, and The Adolphus will honor the ship’s memory with an elegant afternoon tea with live music. The menu will include items from the Titanic’s own tea service that was available in first class. The $85 ticket, plus tax and service charge, includes two courses, two artisan tea pairings, and a glass of champagne. Reservations are available from 11 am-3 pm. Hats and gloves encouraged in Titanic-era fashion.

Momo Festival
A popular Nepali street food, a momo is a dumpling filled with meat or vegetables. Try them in wide-ranging variety during this festival dedicated to the delicacy. Taking place at Levitt Pavilion Arlington, the event will feature at least a dozen restaurants and food vendors serving not only momos but other Nepalese cuisine available for purchase. There’ll also be bars, family-friendly entertainment, and DJ music. Admission is free with online registration and the event will run from 2–10 pm. Dogs are welcome on a leash.

news-you-can-eat chefs dinner

Meet the Tastemakers

10 best bars in Dallas for 2026 craft unforgettable cocktails and more

Photo courtesy of Midnight Rambler.

The Filthy Martini from Midnight Rambler.

We're just one month away from the CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards, where we'll toast to the city's culinary all-stars, including those crafting exceptional drinks and cocktail experiences.

Our Dallas Bar of the Year nominees for 2026 really do raise the bar for the local cocktail scene, from avant-garde menus to longstanding favorites that have mastered the classic cocktail. These are the bars we want to belly up to for a special occasion or a perfectly executed night cap.

Join us as we raise a glass to Dallas' best bars below, then we'll see you May 7 at Astoria Event Venue for the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. We'll celebrate the finalists and unveil the winners, while you sample chef-prepared bites, sip signature cocktails, and mingle with Dallas' culinary stars.

Limited discounted tickets are still available for general admission and upgraded VIP access, but prices will increase soon, so buy yours today. And now, a toast to the Dallas Bar of the Year nominees for 2026:

Apothecary
This avant-garde cocktail destination just underwent a revamp on Lower Greenville following the closure of its sister restaurant Rye, and it’s never looked better. The bar staff at Apothecary is serious about turning out perfectly mixed cocktails made with a wide-ranging menu of fascinating ingredients, but they’re not afraid to have a little bit of fun, either. From a savory French onion soup cocktail (don’t knock it ‘til you've tried it) to primo bottles of wine and fun, fruity riffs on a margarita, there’s something for every drinker here.

Ayahuasca Cantina
While you won’t find this Oak Cliff bar’s namesake psychedelic on the menu, there are still plenty of exciting sips that will shift your frame of mind. The cocktails range from ancient fermented drinks like pulque and tepache to much more modern libations like the Maria, which blends premium Mexican rum with tamarind and cream cheese in what is a texturally fascinating and flavorful drink. It’s the perfect thing to sip before enjoying chef Hugo Galvan’s menu at the adjacent Xaman Cafe.

Bar Colette
As one might expect, this Uptown bar is a seriously chic spot to see and be seen. It also boasts a serious cocktail menu, on which libations are mixed with a diverse lineup of ingredients, from the tropical fruit mamey sapote to golden beets and cacao-washed rum. Infused spirits are a particular star of the show, and everyone should try Colette’s curry-leaf-washed tequila at least once.

Grab a seat at Bar Colette. Photo courtesy of Bar Colette

Black Swan Saloon
A stalwart of the city’s cocktail scene, barman Gabe Sanchez resurrected his beloved Deep Ellum bar in East Dallas in 2024, and thank goodness. Whether in search of a classic, perfectly made Old Fashioned or something much more innovative, there’s nothing on the menu at Black Swan that will disappoint. If you’re really looking to tie one on, the boilermakers section of the menu has perfectly paired, potent combos of a beer and a shot.

Bowen House
Bowen House was serving craft cocktails long before the term became trendy. It remains a solid destination for top-notch spirits, with a tight menu of beautifully mixed classic cocktails — and a few fun surprises. Whether you stick with the classic B.H. — a perfect gin and soda with bitter lemon — or get more adventurous, you’re guaranteed a solid sip. For the non-drinkers in your group, there’s also a great lineup of non-alcoholic cocktails.

Boxcar
As its name indicates, this tiny Greenville Avenue bar is train-themed, making it an excellent destination for date-night drinks. The cocktail menu leans classic, which means you can enjoy a nice espresso martini or decadent daiquiri that isn’t overly fussy. But if you are into whimsy, you’ll find it in spades, from Harry Potter-themed libations to fun modernist garnishes like boozy foam.

La Viuda Negra
Mezcal and tequila fans must visit this Fitzhugh Avenue bar, where the two aforementioned agave-based spirits are transformed into a full menu of lush, painstakingly made cocktails that showcase their distinctive characteristics. It’s also an exceedingly vibey place to drink, thanks to its tiny, dimly lit barroom, DJs spinning great tunes, and excellent bartenders.

Leela's Wine Bar
Now with three locations in DFW, it’s always easy to swing into this neighborhood spot for a glass of red or white. But look beyond your go-to, because the menu here is packed with interesting varietals from all over the world, along with fun cocktails — and mocktails. At happy hour, $7 glasses of wine pair perfectly with snacks like spinach dip, veggie-topped pizzas, and build-your-own charcuterie boards.

Leela's wine bar pizza Leela's Wine Bar is a happy hour hot spot. Photo by Kathy Tran

Midnight Rambler
Located inside the basement of The Joule Hotel, Midnight Rambler has been one of Dallas’ most sophisticated cocktail dens for more than a decade. Now serving a menu designed by Dallas bar legend Gabe Sanchez, this downtown icon has kept its place in the cocktail conversation by serving some of the city’s most interesting and beautifully executed drinks in one of its most stunning rooms.

The Wilfred
This Plano speakeasy is the definition of a hidden gem. Tucked into popular seafood spot Sea Breeze, it pairs classic cocktails with fun snacks like caviar bumps, Old Bay seasoned popcorn, and Wagyu smashburger sliders. This stunning space — and the perfectly balanced Negronis within — are worth the drive.

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The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored in Dallas by Maker's Mark, Shutto, NXT LVL Event, Seedlip, Ritual Zero Proof, H-E-B, and more to be announced. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Harvest Project Food Rescue.

bar of the year tastemaker awards cocktails cocktail bars best bars