The best place to be on a Summer evening is a rooftop patio with a cold frozé, in my opinion. I’ve done thorough research and found all the best rooftop bars in Dallas. Of course, as usual, I personally vouch for each of my recommendations and had to stop by all of these rooftop bars to make sure they were worthy of the list. It’s tough work, but someone has to do it 🙂
For brevity and variety, I have excluded all hotel bars.
Top Rooftop Bars in Dallas for the Summer:
Harlowe MXM, Deep Ellum
Harlowe MXM probably has the largest rooftop of those rooftop bars on the list. It’s such a fun spot to casually hang out with friends and day drink or stop by at night while barhopping. They have live DJs and bands on Fridays and Saturdays in the Summer. You can check the music schedule here.
They serve their full menu as well as a full bar upstairs. I’ve been several times for brunch or dinner, and everything I have had to eat has been fantastic. Last time I was there I had a bloody mary with oyster shooters and a lobster roll. At night, Harlowe MXM turns into a hot spot with loud music and a DJ, but you’ll never be packed in too tightly.
Happy Hour: 11am-7pm, T-F
HG Sply Co, Lower Greenville
HG Sply Co was one of the first rooftops I found in Dallas. The downtown views mixed with the beautiful sunsets have me coming back often! My go-to drink here is a Moscow Mule. They make one of the best! I don’t usually eat here, they serve clean food which is good, but I usually prefer a cheeseburger. For food and drinks, there is a separate rooftop menu. This is a great afternoon-evening place, note you can stop here while bar hopping, but make it an early stop because the whole area shuts down at midnight due to the Greenville Noise Ordinance.
Happy Hour: 3-6pm, M-F
Happiest Hour, Harwood
When this cool spot popped up in the Harwood district I could not have been happier, because it was within walking distance from my old apartment (now I have to uber like everyone else). Happiest Hour has a massively large patio, which it’s known for, but they also have an amazing indoor/outdoor rooftop balcony. The rooftop is lined with comfy patio sets to lounge on with a cocktail.
You can head there any day of the week, but keep an eye on the game and concert schedules because before and after AAC events the masses flood Happiest Hour in their concert tees or jerseys.
Note: They do not serve food on the rooftop, but my favorite drink of theirs is a frozé, theirs is the best in Dallas, in my opinion!
Happy Hour: 4-6pm, Su-F
The Henry, Victory Park
A brand new Dallas restaurant with a gorgeous rooftop bar located right between Downtown and Uptown in a growing neighborhood called Victory Park. This new spot quickly grew in popularity, and I think I would have been shunned if I didn’t call them one of the best rooftop bars in Dallas! Their second floor is an indoor/outdoor setting with the bar dead center and cut through the middle to split between the indoor and outdoor areas. The atmosphere is busy, fun, and exciting, a perfect after-work drinks spot in the center of town.
The cocktails are good, but the potstickers are what you really want. They are short-rib potstickers (think Asian dumpling) and are drool-worthy. Between Kale and I, we usually get two orders, no sharing here. In all seriousness, all of the appetizers I’ve had are great, but I would stop there. I wasn’t overly impressed with dinner, but don’t let me stop you from trying it. It’s along the lines of HG Sply Co in terms of their meals and just not my cup of tea.
Happy Hour: 4-6pm, M-F
Terilli’s, Lower Greenville
Good Italian restaurants are hard to find here in Dallas. When I first went to Terilli’s this winter, I was thanking the lord that I finally found one! It was fantastic, but what I didn’t even realize was they had a whole amazing rooftop just up the stairs, which means it had to be on my best rooftop bars in Dallas list! We went this week to experience this Lower Greenville rooftop. They serve the entire menu on the rooftop, which is full of tables and a couple lounge sets complete with televisions to watch all of the Dallas sporting events on. There is also a full bar upstairs perfect for happy hour after a long day, and the service is always fantastic!
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of the options, but some of my favorite appetizers are Italachos, Crab Claws, and Bruschetta. I usually choose a good wine for my drink when I’m at Terelli’s. They’ve got tons to choose from, and I can’t resist wine at a good Italian spot. Make sure you call ahead though, the rooftop is open Thursday through Saturday evenings, weather permitting.
Happy Hour: 4-7pm, Everyday
The Woolworth, Downtown
In recent months I’ve been heading downtown more and more. It’s always nice to have a great place to stop in each part of town! The Woolworth has a great menu, and is actually all upstairs, so their “rooftop is technically a “balcony,” but I’m not that picky, and consider them one of the best rooftop bars in Dallas anyway.
Surrounded by skyrises, The Woolworth is perfect for drinks with a view. The benefit to being downtown is that in the evening you don’t get the direct sunlight which can be harsh, to say the least, in the summertime. They have tons of fun cocktails and great appetizers. I recommend the Ahi Poke, Nana’s Toast, and Crab Nachos.
Happy Hour: 11-2pm, M & 11-7pm, T-F
