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This may seem like a silly question—especially for those of us who clutched our IDs, breathlessly counting down the hours until we turned 21—but what is the function of a bar?

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United States

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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

Trick Pony

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


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.

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.

Yellow Rosa

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

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