DALGuide
5 Fun Rooftop Bars & Restaurants In Dallas
Rooftop restaurants and bars in Dallas are often only a few floors up. So while you might not be able to experience nursing a martini in the clouds, at least it’s only a few flights of stairs until food and drinks. Here are some of the best rooftops in town, whether you’re making small talk with coworkers about their upcoming vacations over a margarita or partying with friends with a side of queso fundido.
And if you’re looking for a great meal that’s not necessarily at an elevated altitude, check out our guide to the best restaurants in Dallas.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Gabe Bergado
HG Sply Co.’s huge rooftop is usually filled with college grad transplants trying to party, football fans looking to watch the game on one of the many TV screens, or people who live in Lower Greenville and want a nightcap. Come here on a second date and let them beat you at a round of cornhole or giant Jenga while drinking the Double Under cocktail made with beet-infused tequila. There are great deviled avocados and pulled pork nachos, and if you need a cool down from all the eating, you can stand in front of one of the huge misting fans like you’re bok choy in the grocery store produce section. Everyone here’s just trying to have a fun time, so go ahead and lean into that energy.
If you’re stranded downtown without a car for a work conference, come to The Woolworth to feel like you’ve entered the study from the Clue mansion (only without a wrench-wielding Colonel Mustard). Their Smoke and Ice tequila cocktail arrives in a burst of vapor thanks to some dry ice, and there are some great shareables like crab nachos served on taro chips and tater tots topped with crispy duck confit and egg yolk. The Woolworth might not be on top of one of the few tall buildings downtown, but the patio is high enough for a view of the Giant Eyeball from the top.
photo credit: Gabe Bergado
At this rooftop bar/infinity pool, you can wistfully watch cars cruise down the 30 while other people plop into the water and shake their bottoms. You’re coming here primarily for the pool and vibes instead of the food and drinks, whether you want to chill on a lounge chair or play buzzed Marco Polo. Yes, this place is absolutely chaotic, but it has a fire soundtrack of ‘00s and ’10s R&B bangers and a fantastic view of downtown. It’s the perfect place to enjoy the sunset, as long as you don’t mind smelling like chlorine when you leave.
photo credit: Gabe Bergado
The scene at Quarter Bar skews younger, and it's jam-packed on weekend nights with twenty-something-year-olds drinking Lone Stars and on the brink of making out. Their rooftop patio is pretty big, and you can sit near the front to watch barhoppers stumble up and down McKinney Avenue. Quarter Bar’s huge interior is also full of vintage antiques, which makes searching for the bathroom feel like walking through a haunted house, only with more youths gazing into each others’ eyes. Come by when you’ve already had a night out and need a 1am snack like cajun fries or margarita flatbread.
Vidorra’s one of the best Mexican restaurants in Dallas and also has the energy of an MTV reality television show about people who always say yes to a free shot. Their rooftop opens at 7pm and there are lots of excellent things to sip on, whether you want a guava margarita, sangria mimosa, or tequila flight. Your table might start fighting over the spoon for the flaming fundido, but make sure you’re the one that gets the last bite of the pollo su crema that’s topped with sour cream, ranchero sauce, and avocado salsa. Keep the party going at a bar down the street or one of the nearby music venues, like Three Links Deep Ellum or Trees.
