Here Are 20 Bars in Dallas To Watch the Stars' and Mavs' Playoff Runs

It's playoff time in Dallas. Hot on the heels of Dallasite Scottie Scheffler winning the Masters, we now get to watch the Stars and Mavs start their playoff runs. Here's a roundup of great restaurants and bars around town to catch the games.

Angry Dog

2726 Commerce St.

This Deep Ellum restaurant and bar with dive vibes loves football season. The food here is better than it's supposed to be, but don't anybody tell them. The menu includes hot dogs, wings, burgers and brunch on the weekends. Angry Dog has been open for more than 25 years and is a lively place to catch a game. Parking tip: find The Stack parking garage.

Backyard

505 N. Good Latimer Expressway

Backyard is the wilder, younger sibling of Bottled Blonde. There's a giant outdoor space here with 45 TVs and a lot of games to play. Yes, they have mimosa towers and buckets of beer. Yes, you can bring your dog. If you want to have a table during the game, make a reservation at 469-984-3471.

Bryan Street Tavern

4315 Bryan St.

This low-key Old East Dallas neighborhood bar offers from-scratch pizzas, better-than-it-should-be bar food and Philly cheesesteaks, plus a great patio. Inside, Bryan Street Tavern has pool, darts and shuffleboard. In addition to TVs throughout the space, there's a large-screen projector for big game days. Oh, and you can bring your dog.

Chelsea Corner

4830 McKinney Ave.

This Knox neighborhood bar has been around since 1974 but has had so much Botox that it looks frankly stunning for being older than Jaws. Chelsea Corner has about two dozen large HD TVs around the space, both inside and out on the 2,500-square-foot, dog-friendly patio. Try the Buffalo Chicken Dip with smoky chicken, Buffalo sauce, queso, cheddar and cream cheese. Yes, seriously all that in one melty bowl. Join the online waitlist before heading over.

Christie’s

2817 Greenville Ave.

Christie’s is perhaps the most essential sports bar in Dallas. We can’t even count the number of TVs here (rumor has it that it's more than 60). Just know, no matter where you sit you can see several TVs at once. Follow Christie’s on Instagram for game-day specials. The menu runs from charcuterie boards to Frito Pie and dips galore. A party platter is loaded with game-day favorites for $30.

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FANZO Sports Bar

5977 Preston Road, Frisco

FANZO Sports Bar is a new 5,000-square-foot behemoth on all the sports steroids on Preston Road, just north of Lebanon Road. The two-story space has lots of seating and TVs for your crew. There are plenty of fun snacks, meals and more liquid than you know what to do with. Watch for game day and brunch specials.

Ferris Wheelers Backyard

1950 Market Center Blvd.

This large lovely outdoor space in west-ish Dallas hosts official watch parties, which clearly means sound on and no horsing around. You can make reservations online. Even if you're not interested in the game so much, the barbecue game here is on point. Get The Texas Trinity Platter for $26 with brisket, two smoked spare ribs, a sausage line and one side. Or the Full Ride, half a pound of all smoked meats with two sides served family style, all of which is enough for up to six people.

Frankie's Downtown

1303 Main St.

Frankie's is a longtime downtown sports favorite. It can get pretty busy on game days, but it's more fun that way. Service is always quick, and the food is always good. If you're downtown and want to be serious about your sports intake, this is your spot.

Happiest Hour

2616 Olive St.

Happiest Hour near Victory Park is a frat party without pretentiousness and self-loathing. Well, maybe a wee bit. Either way — for a big party vibe, this is the place to be. There’s a big bar downstairs and another on the rooftop, plus a restaurant and a few lawn areas. And foot-long fried cheese sticks. See? Big party vibes. More than 40 TVs around the space guarantee you can't miss a play (even if you want to).

Hero by HG

3090 Nowitzki Way

Hero sits in the shadows of the American Airlines Center. It fancies itself “a modern sports bar and restaurant with a vintage flair” and that’s fine: you can be whoever you want to be, HERO. There's a 24-foot HD screen and TVs throughout the really large restaurant and bar. This space is big, fits a lot of people and can get packed. Make reservations or you can just try your luck. I’m excited for you. You’re gonna have so much fun here.

Katy Trail Ice House

3127 Routh St.

The Katy Trail Ice House provides a cross-section of people-watching, great outdoor space and sports. The food is really good. Perched along the Katy Trail jogging trail, this large restaurant and bar will be packed any day the weather is even close to decent. They always have the sports games on the tellies, flowing throughout with sound on. Try a Deep Eddy lemon vodka Blue Moon Lemonade. Damn, that sounds so good right now. There' a full food menu and barbecue Thursday through Sunday until they run out. Amazingly for the large space, service is always quick.

Nodding Donkey

2900 Thomas Ave.

This neighborhood bar with a from-scratch kitchen has about 20 TVs. There's also some patio space that is open when the weather is nice. From brisket queso to stacked nachos, there are all manner of game-day staples, and some not-so-common items, like Donkey Balls. The Purple Nurple and Donkey Juice are sure to keep you hydrated (don’t even ask what’s in those, as if it matters). On Sundays you can (but shouldn’t) get $5 Fireball shots from 1 p.m. to close.

Old Monk

2847 W. Henderson Ave.

The Old Monk is a classic. It's a favorite. It's a beaut, Clark. The dark cozy pub is adorned with old lighting fixtures from a Pennsylvania monastery. On game days, there's a big screen with the sound on, so shhhhhh! JK. You can be loud. A beer drinker at heart, this pub keeps a curated selection of craft beers on draught, plus there are 50 selections in cans from England, Ireland Germany and Belgium. The fish and chips never miss and the burgers are superior.

Ozona Grill & Bar

4615 Greenville Ave.

Have you seen Ozona's new patio big-screen TV — from an airplane? Because if the flight pattern is right, you likely could. There's a new ginormous screen on the patio of this place, which we already have long loved for the brunch bloody mary bar. There are seasonal coolers and heaters outside to make game days pleasant. Plus the burgers, nachos and chicken fried steak are all spot on.

PHD – Pour House Dallas

1300 W. Davis St. 

This low-key sports bar has a large (temp-controlled) patio and 26 TVs great for watching all the sports. Prices at PHD are one of the many appealing features here; there's not a plate on the menu for more than $20. Get a five-piece tender combo for $12.50. They have nachos, burgers, wings and more, and most of the house cocktails are under $10. Check out the always updated specials for any other day of the week.

Stan's Blue Note

2908 Greenville Ave.

Certified one of the best places to watch sports in Dallas, Stan's is decked in TVs and big energy. This humble Lower Greenville joint has been open since 1952 and hasn't missed a single game in all that time — probably. Get burgers and big platters of appetizers. Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 p.m. if you want to pregame.

Sushi Marquee

3625 The Star Blvd., Frisco

First of all, Sushi Marquee at The Star in Frisco has 30 TVs with a fancy sound system, but have you seen the giant sushi specials? The "We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat" is $325 and feeds up to eight people. That's game-day fare, y'all. Let's go. This spot is fun because it's sushi with a side of hip-hop and pop culture. You might want to make reservations ahead of time.

Texas Live!

1650 E. Randoll Mill Road, Arlington

To call Texas Live! a sports bar doesn’t quite do it justice. It’s a sports bar conglomeration with a movie screen and fog machines. The food is what you’d expect at such a place; not from scratch or unforgettable by any means, but it will get the job done on a day when the game is the focus. Plus other eateries surround the command center, like Troy's (yes, that Troy) and Lockhart Barbecue. You can reserve a table in advance, and there’s a charge on some days, but that’s because it’s just such a big deal. Someone gotta pay for the fog machines.

Will Call

2712 Main St.

Will Call is a neighborhood bar in Deep Ellum with a boisterous local crowd and an amazing menu. Go for the football, go back for the wings and cheesesteaks. Party tip: Get the Kool-Aid and Ketchup, which is french fries soaked in pickle brine with from-scratch ketchup made with Kool-Aid powder. Tastes like summertime and wheelies. Service is fast and on point, and the drink prices won't make you regret life the next day.

Ye Old Scarlet Pumpernickel Tavern

1402 Main St.

The Scarlet Pump is a gritty but classy downtown neighborhood bar and restaurant. This is our favorite down-low spot because of the fantastic kitchen and chill sports bar vibes, with a good craft beer and whisky selection. They are partial to hockey here. The menu isn't typical bar food; it's hearty homestyle dishes from a curious selection of countries. For example: there's a chicken schnitzel, a meatloaf plate, Salisbury steak, loco moco and a Montecristo. Follow them on Facebook for food specials.