Inwood Lounge

 

23

77

Rickster C.

Dallas, TX

While it still has the vibe of a 1950's NYC cocktail lounge, the Inwood has lost some of its cool factor over the years.  Or maybe it's just me.

For years, this was where I started or ended many a night on the town.  

You never knew who you might elbow up to at the bar on any given visit .  The ultra-hipster, an SMU prof, ex-Dallas homeboys and girls that made it big in Tinseltown, the basketcases and the intellectuals, or even a few ex-flames that I had introduced to the place...they were all there.  

As for the adult beverages, a brimming vodka martini was always the house fav.   And for the bar crew ... if I sauntered in alone after a bad day slaying dragons...there was always someone behind the bar who would sling me a frosty cocktail and lend an open ear.

While I still love to visit the Inwood (after all, there are so many ghosts from my past that haunt this place, I could never totally give them up), some subtle changes started to happen three or four years ago.  

Some of the long-time staff left and then the really tragic event occurred ...they threw up television sets on both ends of the room.  

(Why does 80% of the freakin' bars in Dallas think they have to be a sports bar!!!  If I wanna sports bar or someplace to watch TV, I can find it on the next street corner.  Don't get me started ...)

So, some of the luster has worn off just ever so slightly from years back.

But, don't let that stop you from going.  It still is one of the coolest places in that part of the world.

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1

25

Hans K.

Dallas, TX

One of the coolest bars in Dallas is the martini lounge in the Inwood Theater, built in 1947. It's all wood and leather and neon - and you can take drinks into the theater itself.

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5

2

Jeff C.

Addison, TX

Extraordinarily city-like. More like Manhattan than University Park. This has always been my favorite bar in Dallas once the Green Room/Art Bar lost its title for me. It's really even a great Tuesday bar, if you are so inclined. You are likely to encounter few patrons on off-nights, but that makes it even better. If you are looking for a scene or a love connection, move on 'til later when you haven't found either and want a good drink to remember.

The drinks are always just right, from Margaritas to Cape Cods. The music is excellent, a blend of trip-hop, deep house or otherwise pleasant tunes. The Lounge is inside the classic Inwood Theatre and has always been a real destination, whether coming from down the road, as we used to do when we lived in the UP, or from north or south. The Lounge is a great place to end-up, or a great place to start.

Cascading waterwalls, and the best art-deco ceiling in Dallas makes for serious retro ambiance for this old soul. I really can't come close to the experience anywhere else in town.

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54

42

Catherine C.

Dallas, TX

Cocktails for cinephiles, or those who just want a historic backdrop while they imbibe. The Art Deco Inwood got a face lift a few years ago after locals Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner got hold of its parent Landmark Theater chain. A water wall and glass blocks separate patrons from lobby concessionaires. For intimate gatherings of five to 20 friends, the bar's hidden-from-sight "back room" is a gem...offering a glimpse of whatever's on the big screen next door.
[Confession time: I've spent every Christmas night since I turned 21 at this bar. Not that I don't love my family, but by nightfall we've had enough together time, and I'm ready to rendezvous with the rest of my loved ones.]
That said, if the next time I'm celebrating a friend's birthday and the back room is full ... or it's Standing Room Only on a holiday (because, in keeping with movie release dates, this place never closes)  -- I will hurt you if you don't make room for me and my pals.

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