Porttia Portis
A Handy Guide To Which Dallas-Area Bars Are Open On Thanksgiving.
For better or worse, you’re probably going to be seeing a lot of your family this Thursday.
Hey, that’s just how Thanksgiving goes, folks. Save for maybe Christmas, it’s the holiday that forces the most family interaction upon us all.
And it’s not just drunk uncles, either. If your family get-togethers are anything like ours, your turkey-eating moments will be soundtracked by the cries of the youngest, newest members to your tribes, too.
Those kids really have it good on this holiday: From perpetually cartoon-based helium balloon parades that start the day to the time that Charlie Brown loses his shit when his ungrateful friends invite themselves over to dinner, it seems as if every Thanksgiving-related event worth its salt always has some child-friendly influence.
Well, unless you’re a football fan, in which case Thanksgiving isn’t so bad. Assuming your team wins, of course.
Point is, great as Thanksgiving <em<can be, it can also be quite stressful. And, in some cases, your family-focused celebrations on this day can feel like a a prison sentence.
Fortunately, though, more than a few Dallas bars happen to be open on the holiday — and these spots are sure to provide you with some much-needed relief if you can get out of the house relatively unscathed by the dreaded effects of tryptophan.
To that end, we’ve compiled a list of just a few of such spots. Just remember to be careful out there.
• Beauty Bar. This Henderson Avenue dance spot too remains open on the holiday, playing host to its weekly VIBE party. This week, DJ Colly T welcomes DJ Redsean to the decks. Oh, and they’re also giving away a pair of tickets to see James Murphy DJ at the It’ll Do Club this Saturday night. Doors are at 9.
• The Crown and Harp.
Crown and Harp will be providing two events this Thanksgiving evening: Upstairs will play host to the weekly Lost Generation affair from DJ Wanz Dover and some guests; downstairs will feature the new weekly Fresh Beats series of hip-hop beat battles. Doors for both events open at 9, with each affair formally kicking off at 10.
• Bryan Street Tavern.
Can’t wait until 10 p.m. to get your karaoke on over at the Double Wide? Bryan Street’s karaoke affairs get going at 8. Also, their pizza is a pretty solid option if your mom’s turkey isn’t.
• The Travis. OK, so basically all of Dallas’ Thursday night parties are staying on this week, and DJ Sober’s weekly Big Bang party is no different. Expect a whole lot of out-of-towners dropping by for pseudo-reunions at this one. The party starts at 10.
Hanging with your family got you feeling nostalgic? Barcadia will open at 7 p.m., with its vintage arcade games ready for your playing pleasure.
• Capitol Pub.
This Henderson Avenue spot will be open, but with a slightly later start date. Service starts at 7 p.m.
• Blackfriar Pub, The Idle Rich Pub, The Old Monk and Renfield’s Corner.
All four of these Feargal McKinney-owned, mostly Irish-themed Uptown pubs will be open at 8 p.m., with food service running until midnight.
• The Standard Pour.
For a more intimate and quiet option, consider The Standard Pour, which is a fine a place as any for showing off your newfound love of mixology to your friends visiting from out of town. It opens at 6 p.m.
• The Single Wide.
The Double Wide’s Lower Greenville sister spot too opens at 7 p.m.
• City Tavern.
This favored Downtown watering hole — updated tap system and all — opens at 4 p.m.
• Lee Harvey’s.
Not only is Lee Harvey’s open, but its happy hour is on, too, from 3 to 7 p.m.
• The Black Swan.
Deep Ellum’s favorite cocktail joint will be open starting at 8:30 p.m. Tell Gabe we say what’s up and, if you’re feeling seasonal, ask for a shot of their apple- and cinnamon-infused whiskey. It tastes like Christmas!
• Three Links.
Speaking of Deep Ellum: This Deep Ellum spot will be open by 3:30 p.m. — or, as you might guess, just in time for the Cowboys’ game against the Raiders. While there, order a Pyramid Weiss Cream, which the bar keeps on draft. Its tap handle is shaped like an ice cream cone, and it’s bonkers tasty.
• Cook Hall.
Cook Hall isn’t just open on Thanksgiving. This Victory Park spot is offering a full Thanksgiving menu, as well as its usual handcrafted cocktails and on-tap brews.
Like Cook Hall, this Plano spot is offering a full Thanksgiving menu all day long, in addition to the usual various draft and bottled beer options for which it’s known. If you’re gonna wanna eat, though, they suggest you make a reservation.
• Moonshine Bar.
Stuck in the suburbs north of Dallas and looking for a place to escape? The Moonshine Bar in Lewisville remains open on Thanksgiving, just as it does every day of the year.
It’s arguably Dallas’ best dive bar, so is there any doubt that Ships remains open on Thanksgiving? Nope. As expected, doors open at 10 a.m.
• The Goat.
C’mon. Of course it’s open. Starting at 7, too. No, not p.m. We’re talking a.m. here, folks. Amateurs need not apply.