Deep Ellum Bars & Nightlife

It’s hard to tell that behind this Deep Ellum three-chair barbershop business there’s a really fantastic bar. During the day, cuts and shaves come with a free beer. At night, down a winding hall, a large, dimly lit back-room bar offers Prohibition-era-inspired cocktails and a stage where local musicians play everything from country rock to rap. The off-menu special—a vaporized shot of vodka—is potent and, oh yes, worth trying.

Inside this double-wide trailer you’ll find one of the strongest cocktails in the city. The deceptive vanilla-vodka-and-coffee-liqueur-spiked Yoohoo Yeehaw comes straight out of an old Slurpee machine, is topped with a Maraschino cherry, and tastes like a Tootsie Roll. Drink it on the patio, which is decorated with toilets that artfully overflow with plants, or on one of the couches inside. There’s also a small stage where DJs play vinyl and there’s fantastic live music.

We’ve developed a soft spot for Deep Ellum’s local, craft-brewed beers that you’ll find in a lot of the hipper eateries across Dallas. If anything, it’s fun to see a couple of twenty- and thirtysomethings make a successful business out of a passion project. If you’re in town with a beer connoisseur, the weekly brewery tours and open house are absolutely worthwhile.