Deep Ellum

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.

The wait can be a long one, especially because Pecan Lodge sticks to a schedule that’s dictated by meat quantities. In other words, if they run out of meat in their on-site smoke pit that day, you won’t be enjoying Dallas’s best BBQ. We were, however, lucky enough to get our hands on their world-renowned brisket, and it was perfectly smoked, absolutely decadent, huge, and totally delicious. The ribs are equally insane.

A quick intro to Japanese: "Tanoshii" means fun; "oishii" means delicious. You’ll want to throw them both around at this buzzy eatery slinging noodle bowls and a mix of Asian street food. A few other key words to know: tonkotsu (breaded and fried pork cutlet), ramen (the noodles you know and love), yakitori (chicken skewers from the grill). Braised pork belly steamed buns sound tasty in every language.

The décor choices here—an Oriental rug, couch/chair/coffee table seating vignettes, big wide garage-style windows—feel residential, which makes it a comfortable place for work. The coffee is pretty Goldilocks perfect (strong, but not too strong), though the real draw here are the sandwiches, served on olive-oil-toasted ciabatta.