Nashville

Thrillist Weekend Guides

Thrillist's guide to everything you can do this weekend and this month—from hot new restaurants to art exhibits to outdoor activities.

Thrillist Weekend Guides: Everything Happening This Weekend and This Month

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Events

Your Guide to a Totally Festive and Super Fun December in Nashville

Nation

SusanWoodImages/E+/Getty Images

Travel

Explore adventure guides and design a custom itinerary for the destination of your choice in and around the city.

Best Travel Guides, Cool Hotels and Interesting Events - Thrillist

These Breathtakingly Beautiful Small Towns Will Make You Want to Go Off the Beaten Path

Weed

Everything You Need to Know About Legal Weed, Smoking, Edibles, CBD and More

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

It’s hard to imagine now, but legal cannabis only became a thing in the US in 2012, when Colorado blazed the trail to more enlightened legislation.

The Best Cities in America for Next-Level Cannabis Experiences

Christopher M. Taylor/Moment Open/Getty Images

Maybe you happen to live in some fairytale ski town where your winters are a perpetual state of après-ski.

Every State, Ranked by How Miserable Its Winters Are

Houston

Courtesy of Houston First Corporation

Blessed with the best of both worlds—a big, urban concrete jungle and an abundance of natural landscapes—Houston bursts with exciting things to do and thrilling places to explore.

Spend Your Weekends Go-Karting and Speakeasy Hunting in Houston This December

Dallas

Courtesy of Wild Turkey

There’s always something going down in the Big D. A look at the city’s offerings might leave you dizzy: record shops, vintage shops, museums, bar arcades, nerdy bookstores, restaurants, bars, brunches, sports aplenty, and a thriving music and arts scene.

This Weekend in Dallas: Shakey Graves, Ugly Sweaters, and New Brunches

Philadelphia

Photo credit: Gab Bonghi, photo courtesy of 48 Record Bar

December is your last chance to fulfill all those New Year’s Resolutions that went, well, unresolved.

December Weekends in Philly Are All About New Bars, Sports, and the Holiday Paranormal

Los Angeles

Photo courtesy of Heritage Fire

It’s winter in LA; you may not be able to tell from the weather, but at 4:30, long after the sun has set, there’s an unmistakable hush around the city.

Get Cozy at a Pop-Up Chalet or Heat Things Up With Live-Fire Cooking This Weekend in LA

New Orleans

Photo courtesy of Miracle Pop-Up

It’s the most wonderful time of year, and New Orleans pulls out all the stops to celebrate the holidays.

Pop-Up Bars, Bonfires, and More Cozy Things to Do in New Orleans This December

Atlanta

Photo courtesy of IHG Hotel & Resorts

As we enter the month of December and our hearts begin to fill up with holiday cheer, there are several events in Atlanta this weekend that will help you foster your festive spirit.

Holiday Markets, Big Freedia in Concert, and More Ways to Get Festive in Atlanta This Weekend

Boston

Photo courtesy of The Envoy Hotel


Green is trending this month, and not just because it's a popular holiday hue.

Enjoy December Weekends in Boston with Music, Sports, and Seasonal Pop-Up Bars

Las Vegas

Photo courtesy of Illuminarium Las Vegas

December is here and most of the fun surrounds the winter holiday season with festive events happening all over Las Vegas.

 Santa Is Delivering Food, Booze, and Endless Fun this December in Las Vegas

United States

Trick Pony

Truth & Alibi, High & Tight, Thompson’s Bookstore, and more Dallas speakeasies inspired by the Prohibition era with hidden entrances to the public.

Photo courtesy of Rare Books Bar


Some bars welcome you with neon lights and an “open” sign. Other bars take a more subtle approach, with hidden entrances guarded by bookshelves, laundromats, or other unassuming façades. The activities happening within aren’t illicit, but you can still channel some of that Prohibition-era secrecy and pretend you’re a scofflaw as you sip drinks in Dallas speakeasy bars—in a modern fashion. 
 
Before you can do any of that, however, you need to get inside. To that end, here are 17 of the best speakeasy-style bars in DFW, plus your instructions for gaining access. Keep your head on a swivel, and don’t forget the password.

Some bars welcome you with neon lights and an “open” sign. Other bars take a more subtle approach, with hidden entrances guarded by bookshelves, laundromats, or other unassuming façades. The activities happening within aren’t illicit, but you can still channel some of that Prohibition-era secrecy and pretend you’re a scofflaw as you sip drinks in Dallas speakeasy bars—in a modern fashion.

Before you can do any of that, however, you need to get inside. To that end, here are 17 of the best speakeasy-style bars in DFW, plus your instructions for gaining access. Keep your head on a swivel, and don’t forget the password.

Some bars welcome you with neon lights and an “open” sign. Other bars take a more subtle approach, with hidden entrances guarded by bookshelves, laundromats, or other unassuming façades. The activities happening within aren’t illicit, but you can still channel some of that Prohibition-era secrecy and pretend you’re a scofflaw as you sip drinks in Dallas speakeasy bars—in a modern fashion.Before you can do any of that, however, you need to get inside. To that end, here are 17 of the best speakeasy-style bars in DFW, plus your instructions for gaining access. Keep your head on a swivel, and don’t forget the password.

Tucked alongside Houndstooth Coffee in the Sylvan Thirty development, Jettison is one of the best-looking bars around, with dim lights, leather bar stools and sofas, and wood accents. It’s also where you’ll find an ever-evolving menu of seasonal creations from award-winning barkeep George Kaiho. Drinks include an eclectic mix of spirits and ingredients, with inspiration pulled from Texas, Mexico, and Japan. If you’re new here, try the BLVD P.O., which combines Japanese whisky with Campari, sweet vermouth, and pour-over coffee. Come on Tuesday, when vinyl is played all night, or on Wednesday for half-price mezcal. How to book: Reserve via <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/jettisonaway/" target="_blank">Tock</a>.

Photo by Mark Leveno, courtesy of Jettison

Jettison

The massive Grandscape development isn’t the most obvious spot for a cocktail bar, let alone a cocktail bar with a phone booth for an entrance. Then again, maybe it’s the perfect spot—hidden in plain sight. Look for the red phone booth, then dial a secret number to gain entry. That number can be obtained from past patrons, a hotel concierge, or nearby businesses, so ask around and you’ll get in. Once inside, you can partake in classic cocktails like the Sazerac, Aviation, or a Smoked Old Fashioned. Pair that last one with a cigar from the walk-in humidor. How to book:<a href="https://redphonebooth.com/memberships/" target="_blank">Become a member</a> for priority access, or stop by for first come, first served seating.

Photo courtesy of Red Phone Booth Dallas at The Colony

Red Phone Booth

At first glance, Atlas is a pretty standard cocktail bar. Moody vibes, good drinks, and a global food menu. But on select nights, the bookshelves in the back of the space open to reveal a second, smaller bar dubbed the Library, wherein bartenders pour cocktails that explore rotating themes like Tiki or “tour of Japan.” How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Photo courtesy of Atlas

Atlas Bishop Arts

Step inside this unassuming laundromat and, unless you need to wash some clothes, head straight to the machine with the “out of order” sign. Yank on the door, and it’ll open to a bar, with laundry pinned to the walls and retro lounge furniture. Rather than Prohibition-style drinks, the menu leans fully into the environs and features laundry-themed cocktails like the Fluff ‘N Fold (an Old Fashioned with maple cotton candy) and the Hot Iron, a mango-habanero Margarita with a Tajin rim. How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Photo courtesy of Dirty Laundry

Dirty Laundry

This bar is set in the back of Chimichurri restaurant and can also be accessed from the alley—look for the red door. The menu was created by local bar star James Slater to highlight the convergence of Argentine and Italian cultures. Cocktails are served in unique glassware and include Order of the Foresters, with Fernet-Branca, green chartreuse, pisco, pandan, lemon, and basil, and the Rosae Crucis, with mezcal, amaro, turbinado, lemon, and lavender. The bar also makes its own amaro and vermouth, a meticulous process that results in drinks you can’t find anywhere else. How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Photo courtesy of Chimichurri Bishop Arts


The Branca Room

The Sova Hotel has small but comfortable rooms, perfect for nights out in Downtown and Deep Ellum. Most pertinent to the matters at hand, there’s also a secret bar. Ask the front desk for keys to “room 520,” which isn’t a guest room but a cocktail bar hidden in plain sight. Once inside, you’ll find creative drinks, like the Prototype with brandy, rum, lemon, ginger, honey, and black peppercorn, and Flight of the Navigator, with rum, calamansi, pandan, and coconut. How to book: Reserve via <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/room-520-dallas" target="_blank">Yelp</a>.

Flickr/Michael Korcuska

Room 520

When Hotel Vin opened in Grapevine, it brought with it a host of new eating and drinking options, including Bacchus restaurant and the attached Harvest Hall food hall. But for a quiet drink away from the crowds, make a reservation at Magnum, an 18-seat bar that can be accessed by placing a call from the phone booth outside the hidden door. Order a cocktail or glass of whiskey from the menu, or opt for the Dealer’s Choice, and leave your fate up to the bartender.

Photo courtesy of Hotel Vin, Autograph Collection


Magnum

Magnum Bar

Neon Kitten is an izakaya serving cocktails and dim sum. Blackbird Society is an intimate bar serving cocktails and snacks. And the latter can be accessed through a bookshelf inside the former. Blackbird Society was named for a manga series and stays on theme with its decor and drinks—think brick walls, gilded mirrors, and leather couches set in a dark and moody room. Take in your surroundings, then order a cocktail or splurge on a pour of hard-to-find Japanese whisky. How to book: Reserve via <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/blackbirdsociety?tock_medium=search_nav&amp;tock_source=tock" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">Tock</a>.

Photo courtesy of blackbirdsocietydallas


Blackbird Society

Most restaurants don’t appreciate you taking a stroll through their kitchen, but the team at Musume won’t mind. Because that’s how you enter Akai, the dimly lit cocktail lounge serving Japanese-inspired drinks. Early in the evening, the bar’s atmosphere is fairly relaxed, then as the night goes on, the vibe turns toward bottle service and sparklers. How to book: Text 214-444-5357 for reservations.

Photo courtesy of Akai


Akai

A tiny sign on the patio railing is all that alerts you to Apothecary’s existence. Through the unmarked door is a dimly lit den of velvet furnishings, vintage chandeliers, and gilded mirrors, with a handful of bar seats and low-slung couches. The menu is filled with creative finds, including an Oyster Rockefeller shot with hollandaise-washed vodka, lemon, parsley, and a smoked oyster garnish. Does it sound kinda wacky? Yes. Is it good? Also yes. How to book: Reserve via <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/apothecary" target="_blank">Tock</a>.

Photo courtesy of apothecary_bar


Apothecary

Apothecary Bar

Trick Pony has doors right on Main Street in Deep Ellum. You can’t miss it, but you can absolutely miss Pony Tail, because this bar-within-a-bar is stashed behind a nondescript door in the back of Trick Pony. The tiny room features a communal table and shelves lined with amari, small-batch bourbons, and coveted whiskeys. Taste your way through a few unfamiliar bottles, and you might discover a new favorite nightcap. How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Photo courtesy of Trick Pony


Pony Tail

Located one floor below the Statler Hotel lobby, Bourbon &amp; Banter marries Prohibition-era speakeasy vibes with the romantic aesthetic of the 1950s and 1960s—when The Statler version 1.0 was a destination for visiting film stars. Housed in what was once an onsite barbershop, the bar’s covert cred is supplied by a phone booth that opens a hidden door. Inside, the couches are inviting, the shelves are lined with bourbon, and the cocktails range from strong and straightforward (Barrel-Aged Manhattan) to visually striking and hands-on. Channel the space’s barbershop past and order the Pompadour, an Old Fashioned riff made with bourbon, Venezuelan rum, bitters, and vanilla tincture that’s crowned with a creme brûlée candy top—access the liquid by breaking that top with a tiny hammer.

Photo courtesy of Bourbon & Banter Dallas


Bourbon and Banter

The unmarked door next to Basic Taco doesn’t look like much, but that’s the point. Rather than a dark, moody bar, the nondescript entrance hides a friendly enclosed courtyard plucked straight from the beaches of Tulum or the cantinas of San Miguel de Allende. Vines snake up the stone walls, Latin music arrives via a live musical act or DJ, and the menu features a variety of tacos, small plates (elotes, aguachiles), and refreshing cocktails made with agave-based spirits, including mezcal, tequila, sotol, and raicilla. How to book: Reserve via <a href="https://www.opentable.com/r/yellow-rosa-cocktaileria-a-speakeasy-dallas" target="_blank">OpenTable</a>.

Photo courtesy of Yellow Rosa


Yellow Rosa

It’s another bar using the old phone booth gag. Approach the red phone in the back of J. Theodore restaurant and dial the “librarian” to request entrance. You will need to give a password before the door opens, but don’t worry, you were born for this (and the password is posted on Instagram and Facebook each week). The swanky room hosts live music, and the bar stocks its shelves with a few hundred whiskeys, so you’ll never run out of things to do. How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Rare Books Bar

There’s an unwritten rule that any place declaring itself a speakeasy is probably not a speakeasy. However, self-billed as “Fort Worth’s worst kept secret,” there’s still something secretive about entering a bar through an unmarked convenience store refrigerator door. Once you get inside the unexpectedly large space, bask in the red glow of the neon “WanderLust” sign while partaking in signature cocktails, local beers, and select wine. If you need more to occupy your time beyond sitting and drinking, the bar also sports darts, shuffleboard, pool tables, and big screen TVs broadcasting most major sporting events. How to book:&nbsp;Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Photo courtesy of Bodega W. 7th


Bodega Speakeasy

Bodega Speakeasy & Grocery

Don't let the wedding dress in the window here fool you. Instead, follow the clues: The shiny, black, faceless mannequin in the window looms like a specter, or maybe a black widow (“la viuda negra” in Spanish). Located next door to sister establishment El Come Taco (do yourself a favor and line your stomach with a couple tacos beforehand), this agave-centric bar highlights lesser-known spirits from small-producer mezcals to sotol and bacanora. Cocktails are nicely balanced and often served in whimsical glassware, but you can also sip those spirits straight if that’s more your vibe. How to book:&nbsp;Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Photo courtesy of La Viuda negra


La Viuda Negra

Boasting a vibe that is equal parts mysterious library and whispered-about underground lair, Thompson’s Bookstore, located in the historic Vybek Building in downtown Fort Worth, is a two-story ode to good drinks. Upstairs you’ll find a perfectly lovely bar. Within that bar lies a bookcase that’s really a door, and said door leads down to the underground speakeasy, complete with classic cocktails, creative originals, and a solid whiskey selection. How to book:&nbsp;Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Photo courtesy of Thompson's Bookstore


Thompsons Bookstore

<a href="https://www.thrillist.com/authors/kevin-gray">Kevin Gray</a> is a freelance writer and editor covering all things food, drinks, and travel. He’s written for&nbsp;The Dallas Morning News,&nbsp;Forbes,&nbsp;Liquor.com,&nbsp;Men’s Health, and&nbsp;Wine Enthusiast, and his extensive home bar is turning into a real&nbsp;Hoarders&nbsp;situation.

Drink

Find the best spots daily to eat and drink in hipster neighborhoods. Hit the roof, drink a beer and eat delicious at top-tier restaurants. Plan your nightlife adventure with maps and reviews of unknown micro-brews, rooftop parties, and independent drink.

Best Restaurants & Bars - Places to Eat & Drink - Thrillist

Bars

How to Get Into Dallas’s Best Speakeasies and Secret Bars 

Best Speakeasies in Dallas: Secret Bars to Grab a Drink

In search of libation? Look for phone booths, moving bookshelves, and a laundromat.


Some bars welcome you with neon lights and an “open” sign.

Trick Pony

Featured In

How to Get Into Dallas’s Best Speakeasies and Secret Bars

More From Thrillist

Your Guide to a Totally Festive and Super Fun December in Nashville

These are the must-hit festivals, openings, concerts, events, and general happenings to check out in Nashville.

These Breathtakingly Beautiful Small Towns Will Make You Want to Go Off the Beaten Path

Go ahead and get lost.

The Best Cities in America for Next-Level Cannabis Experiences

Because there's no better travel companion than Mary Jane.

Every State, Ranked by How Miserable Its Winters Are

Chicago's just the tip of the iceberg (literally).

Spend Your Weekends Go-Karting and Speakeasy Hunting in Houston This December

Your guide to weekend events in Houston this month.

This Weekend in Dallas: Shakey Graves, Ugly Sweaters, and New Brunches

Here are the fun things to do in Dallas this weekend.

December Weekends in Philly Are All About New Bars, Sports, and the Holiday Paranormal

Fun things to do in Philadelphia this weekend (and every weekend throughout the month).

Get Cozy at a Pop-Up Chalet or Heat Things Up With Live-Fire Cooking This Weekend in LA

Celebrate the end of the road for an iconic rock band, and everything else to do in LA this weekend.

Pop-Up Bars, Bonfires, and More Cozy Things to Do in New Orleans This December

There’s plenty of non-denominational fun for everyone.

Holiday Markets, Big Freedia in Concert, and More Ways to Get Festive in Atlanta This Weekend

Plus, winter-themed cocktails galore.

Enjoy December Weekends in Boston with Music, Sports, and Seasonal Pop-Up Bars

Fun things to do in Boston this weekend (and every weekend of the month).

Santa Is Delivering Food, Booze, and Endless Fun this December in Las Vegas

The month is busy with new resorts, free pizza, a whiskey festival, and winter holiday celebrations.