So you’ve made it to Dallas just in time for the total solar eclipse.
The “path of totality” will careen over the city on April 8 around lunchtime (1:40 p.m.). Luckily for you, Dallas is the perfect place to grab a bite while you catch one of the coolest celestial events in the galaxy: The city is known for its wide patios, warm weather, and more cheeseburgers than stars in the sky. Rev parsed through Lyft’s anonymized data on rides in Dallas to determine some beloved spots — so you can spend less time figuring out where to eat and more time enjoying the solar show.
Unpretentious gems: Truck Yard, Loro, Goodbye Horses, E Bar Tex Mex
Truck Yard is a no-B.S. watering hole with a huge backyard filled with scrap-metal decor, live musicians, and two to three food trucks. Get the cheesesteak — a melty, sticky, literal hot mess. If the weather is good and the sky is clear, you’ll be in heaven. (Plus, they’re hosting a solar eclipse party!)
Patios are, like, Dallas’ thing, and Loro, Goodbye Horses, and E Bar all have great ones. Loro serves up expert sesame rice noodles and book-thick slices of brisket with a sauce of pickled chiles. Goodbye Horses has a tin-roofed patio where you can enjoy stupendous burgers — if you've over-indulged on eclipse-related revelry, then the hangover special, draped with a sunny-side-up egg, is the order for you.
Nobody does Tex-Mex classics like Eddie Cervantes, who opened up E Bar 12 years ago. Fajitas come out steaming like an old train. Nachos with grilled beef are sublime. The E Bar Queso comes adorned with a scoop of sour cream, guacamole, and laurels of ground beef. Just keep a steady hand on the hot queso while you’re eclipse-watching.
Dim spots with stiff drinks: Lakewood Landing, The Peak Inn, One Nostalgia Tavern, Stoneleigh P, Double Wide
At some point, you may need a break from the weird sun (and Dallas’ warm weather). Lakewood Landing has Sam Cooke on the jukebox and burgers straight from your dreams. The Peak Inn has inexpensive drinks and the kind of reliable food that sticks to your ribs and your soul: Try the Lil Kahuna burger. And One Nostalgia Tavern is a real dive: Even if you didn’t plan it, you’ll be doing karaoke.
The only thing you need to know about Double Wide, a wondrous female-owned bar that opened in 2003, is that it serves booze-infused versions of frozen Yoo-hoo.
At Stoneleigh P, one of Dallas’ oldest bars, you’ll find a great burger and decades of stories. It’s about to move to a new location, and since the eclipse is a time for endings and new beginnings, it’s the perfect opportunity to check it out — and toast this local legend’s last days.
Local favorites: Las Almas Rotas, Sundown at Granada / The Granada Theater
Lower Greenville is one of Dallas’ best nightlife strips: Good bars, pizza by the slice until 3 a.m., and rooftops from which to cheer “Woo!” Most important to the ambience is the one-two punch of one of Dallas’ best music venues, the Granada Theater, conjoined with the tremendous, veggie-forward restaurant Sundown at Granada. A good show and a good veggie burger are about as reliable as the humidity here.
How about a flight of tequila instead? Las Almas Rotas is a gem embedded in the oft-overlooked Expo Park in East Dallas. Do not forget to ask about the tacos — and if the Spirits Room is haunted.
