But The Round-Up is more than just 10-gallon hats and drinks they offer dance classes for those interested in mastering the art of the two-step, the shuffle and the shadow. This old-school Western bar is a great, laid-back bar, righ, smack in the center of the Cedar Springs strip - making it a favorite for off-duty bronc busters and Lady Gaga. No, we're not talking about a Brooks & Dunn music video - it's The Round-Up Saloon. Tight jeans, cowboy boots and line dancing. Eat your heart out, Buffalo Wild Wings patrons. The patio kicks ass, the upstairs bar has the stronger drinks, and the downstairs bar is prone to sing-a-longs.
Yes, it's a gay bar, but that doesn't matter, because there's not a better place to catch a Cowboys game in the metroplex. Woody's is the best sports bar in Dallas. If we're going to make a list like this, we have to talk about Woody's. Mable's ragtag crew is fully equipped to captivate guys, gals and everyone in between. Friday's notorious Karaoke Night brings out Denton's most enchanting characters so much so that there was even a song written about one.
Regulars are a rowdy bunch of kind-hearted eclectics supplemented by an unfailingly kind bar staff. Mable has upped its game lately by booking more bands to play, and costumes aren't just suggested, they're almost expected. Mable Peabody's Beauty Parlor & Chainsaw Repair, besides having the best bar name in Texas, is also the perfect spot for a drunken, crossdressing good time. To quote my good friend Hutch, "Pekers has the best karaoke, hands down, run by a wannabe Bette Midler." And he's right, it is the best karaoke in town, and after enough drinks you start to think The Rose herself is really in the room leading people through drunken renditions of "Wind Beneath My Wings." Bonus points for the occasional cash prize they give out during karaoke many a bar tab has been covered this way over the years. Jaime-Paul Falconĥ025 Bowser Ave., Dallas, You know that scene in Varsity Blues where the guys have been partying all night, and then stumble wearily into the sun? Yeah, that's what it's like after a Sunday at Hidden Door. There's also a fantastic jukebox and the bartenders make a mean drink, but really it's all about the 75-cent beer. So let's wave the flag for the 10 best gay bars in Dallas.ħ5-cent beers on Sunday! I repeat, they have 75-cent beers on Sunday! Along with killer bloody marys and, one more time, 75-cent beers! Sorry, I got a little excited I really, really, really, really like cheap beer. Once you do, you'll discover a crucial fact: Nothing beats a party at a gay bar. Get over whatever absurd misconceptions you've been holding onto all these years (yes, Texas, we're looking squarely at you) and get with the 21st century. Recently renovated during a 16-month COVID closure, the beloved melting pot is back on the scene and ready to serve up budget cocktails, trash disco, go-go dancers, drag divas and plenty more in between.It's 2016, people. While old-schoolers may whine that the Bonham doesn't feel as gay as it once did, the club's open-door policy has undoubtedly contributed to its remarkable staying power as a safe space for all to enjoy. Within LGBTQ+ circles of a certain age, everyone has a legendary story set in the iconic locale - whether it's dipping into a fishbowl of complimentary ecstasy (which was legal until 1985) or catching a live performance by one of the many acts that have graced the Bonham stage, from punk pioneers the Ramones to the Queen of Drag herself, RuPaul.
Ninety years after opening its doors, it transformed into a wildly different type of club at the hands of visionary San Antonio developer and gay nightlife instigator Arthur "Happy" Veltman. For starters, the downtown landmark is housed in a late 19th-century structure first used as a German athletic club. The Bonham Exchange, however, undeniably deserves those terms. Superlatives like "legendary" and "iconic" get tossed around far too often these days to describe people, places and things that arguably fall short of extraordinary.