The Top 41 Dive Bars Near Goodfriend Package
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A genuine blues dive on Gaston Avenue with the kind of weathered, atmospheric interior that actually earns the claim—dim, lived-in, and radiating the real thing rather than a theme-park approximation. The rotating cast of local blues musicians takes the stage most nights, with occasional jukebox breaks, and it's exactly the kind of place where the music sounds like it belongs.
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Karaoke · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Place to Get a Beer Before 8 AM · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 2. Cosmo's
Vietnamese
A corner spot with '60s lounge bones, a VHS-stacked bar, and a patio that feels miles from the street, Cosmo's pairs specialty cocktails—including a martini built with house-brewed Vietnamese coffee—with an eclectic kitchen that nails Vietnamese dishes. The garlic noodles are worth a special trip if they're available that night.
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Vietnamese · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Espresso Martini · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine #44 · The 50 Best Restaurants
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A second-floor jazz club next to the old Lakewood Theater where the dim lighting and tight quarters practically insist you dance close to whoever you came with. The Balcony Club trades in that convincing mid-century fantasy—intimate, a little worn in the best way, and genuinely a date night move.
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Milo Butterfingers is a freshly renovated Dallas institution that pulls together college kids and regulars in a sprawling space with pool tables, a fireplace den, and a patio built for lingering. The homestyle kitchen keeps prices gentle while the vibe—part sports bar, part hangout, all good mood—makes it easy to settle in for an afternoon or evening.
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Rank 6. Dallasite Billiards
Dive Bar
A vintage cigarette machine by the restrooms sets the tone at this dive bar where pretense goes to die—spacious patio, pool tables, shuffleboard, and darts fill the room while the bartenders sling amaretto sours that actually deserve the hype. The bar grub is solid and the whole scene says cash-only, no-frills, and exactly what you need it to be.
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Rank 9. Double Wide
Dive Bar
A dive bar masquerading as a trailer park, Double Wide pours cheap, potent cocktails under string lights and serves as a refuge when Deep Ellum gets too packed. The real draw is the outdoor patio lined with salvaged toilets and road signs, plus a music venue across the way that hosts bands and DJs most nights.
- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Happy Hour · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 14. Lakewood Landing
Dive Bar
Lakewood Landing is an upscale dive where locals nurse whiskeys and burgers in a compact room anchored by a jukebox and pool table, with a sprawling patio out front for those who want air and company. After 11 p.m., they fry jalapeño-battered corn dogs, and the solo seat at the bar's far end by the door offers prime people-watching for anyone curious about who actually knows where the good times are.
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Rank 22. Armoury D.E.
Cocktail Bar
A Deep Ellum bar with a mission to pair excellent cocktails and live music, Armoury D.E. serves Hungarian comfort food alongside a rotating burger special in a casual, convivial space. The real draw is the back patio, where free shows happen regularly and the music curation matches the care that went into the drink list.
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Bloody Mary · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Bar Food · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 23. Three Links
Beer Bar
This Deep Ellum bar runs nonstop with a relentless live music calendar, nearly every night after 7pm bringing in everything from local punk to indie rock behind a modest cover charge. Cheap Tullamore Dew and rotating taps keep the crowd loose and the place perpetually buzzing.
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Bathroom · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Live Music Venue · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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A Latin American restaurant and bar where the tequila and mezcal list goes deep, and even the cocktails come with mythological backstories served with real care. There's live music in the back room, The Limbo Room, where the sound system and sightlines rival venues twice the size.
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Rank 28. R.L.Blues Palace 2
Dive Bar
A longtime Dallas blues venue on Grand Avenue where live music happens most weekends and the crowd skews decidedly grown-folk; it's BYOB, so people drift in with beer and snacks like they're settling in for the long haul. The place has had its share of closures and resurrections, but it endures as the kind of room where you go to hear the real thing.
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Rank 29. Lee Harvey's
Dive Bar
Wood paneling, neon beer signs, and a patio that draws dogs and their people make this a Dallas dive bar where you can actually breathe and be yourself. The onion rings with chipotle aioli are the kind of bar snack that keeps you ordering rounds longer than you planned.
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- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Late-Night Grub · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Frozen Drink: The Peel Out · Best of Big D
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The Grapevine moved a mile down the road in 2023 but kept the same crew and same spirit—a sprawling neighborhood bar where you'll find families, regulars, and whoever else wants a seriously strong drink and some karaoke. The kitchen cranks out boudin balls, and there's enough outdoor space that the crowd never feels cramped, which is probably why everyone ends up here eventually.
- D Magazine 2024 · BEst Bar Resurrection · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Come Back · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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A no-frills downtown bar with hockey on the screens and a kitchen that takes soul food seriously, Ye Olde Scarlet Pumpernickel keeps regulars coming back for smoked meatloaf with proper sides and a weekend pork tenderloin sandwich that justifies the trip. The whiskey selection is thoughtful, the craft beer list is solid, and the whole place has that lived-in comfort of a neighborhood joint that happens to be downtown.
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