Beautiful people. Technically gifted dancers. The occasional Lady Gaga appearance. Polish up them spurs, y'all, because not only is 37-year-old Round Up Saloon the best gay bar in Dallas, it's been voted, word has it, the best in the nation. Tim Smith, the statewide president of the Texas Gay Rodeo Association, tells us its original name was Magnolia Thunderpussies. This has not been verified, but dang it, of course it was. If you're a person with dance envy, no need to worry: The dance floor is huge, so you can join fellow onlookers around the edges and watch the people do their thangs. Don't let the comparatively timid pre-midnight crowd fool you; come 12 o'clock, Round Up turns into a cowboy's dream. Perhaps the best thing about Round Up is that it's a melting pot. You're as likely to encounter a den of straight cheerleading moms as you are a Stetson-sporting, belt buckle-polishing group of vaqueros.

Readers' Pick: Round-Up Saloon

This minimalist, high-end restaurant really knows how to create an ideal happy hour. Happy hours usually land within 3-7 p.m., but Gemma has a "reversed" happy hour that goes from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. It offers $6 specialty cocktails, $3 beers, $6 selected wines and $2 oysters. Raw, delicious and affordable oysters ... Gemma wins Best Happy Hour just for that. Gemma has a grasp on what is quality while making sure to not complicate a menu by listing too much. If your partner is a lover of Bob Dylan's music, grab the "Tangled Up In Blue," which has Tito's Vodka, fresh blueberries, blueberry shrub, lavender syrup, lemon, house vanilla and Vouvray sparkling wine. If you want a cocktail with more spice and burn, check out the Texas Heat, which has jalapeño-infused tequila, lemon, cilantro and lime. So treat yourself to a late night of delicious drinks, oysters and top-notch service.

When Free Play Arcade opened its first location in Richardson in 2015, it was the first video game arcade to offer a buffet of classic games to more grownup players. It also offered a true retro feel, from the neon striped walls to the sounds of '80s staples like Rush and Cyndi Lauper filling the air. Free Play Arcade's massive success brought a new level of competition among the local arcade scene and brought on some interesting competition with new entries like the Bishop Cider Company's Cidercade and the eSports-focused Versus Gameplay in Plano. Free Play Arcade fired back by expanding its empire to a second, much larger location in Arlington that provides more space to show off an impressive collection of classic video game machines that are set to open play without requiring those annoying credits to continue. The arcade chain takes a moral obligation to achieving greatness by refusing to install emulating machines that cram hundreds of titles into one cabinet. Owner Corey Hyden dedicates his time to making sure his customers feel like they've stepped into the same video game arcade they visited when their parents had to drive them there or they weren't old enough to order any of the adult beverages served by Free Play's bartenders. The only difference is that they don't have to carry around the $10 in quarters needed to beat the Evil MC boss at the end of Smash TV.

JT Donaldson is so much more than just a DJ. With his involvement with local vinyl holy ground Josey Records, Donaldson has the well-curated label New Math Records, a more than 20-year career as a producer and a string of reputable residencies around town. With his New Math Mondays Residency at Off the Record, he has also filled the role of talent buyer, featuring some of the most forward-thinking Dallas artists along with notable artists and DJs from all over the country, like house heavyweights Seven Davis Jr. and Honey Dijon. The connecting thread through all these roles is curation, one of the most important roles of any club DJ, and Donaldson's fine ear runs through everything he does, especially his actual DJ sets. Although his discography of music boasts more than 50 releases stretching back to the mid '90s, his expert cart-digging skills have served him well.

Readers' Pick: DJ Red Eye

Rock music has a home in Deep Ellum, and that home is Three Links. With a calendar that leans heavy toward the punk side of things, Three Links still covers all kinds of ground, from touring punk and indie acts to up-and-coming local bands of all stripes, along with a who's who of classic punk bands. Every Tuesday, it hosts a performance by funk and soul outfit Colab, curating one of the most consistent weeknight events in Deep Ellum showcasing bands from the groovier side of the Dallas music scene. The room is the perfect size for small road shows and local acts without skimping on top-notch sound. This makes for a standout experience for live music fans. In a neighborhood that seems to look less and less like the Deep Ellum we used to know, Three Links is a welcome constant for live music.

Readers' Pick: Gas Monkey Live!

In the outskirts of Fort Worth, Tomcats West offers local metal bands a more intimate experience with their fans. It's been called a true dive bar with a good stage setup and a great sound system. The location has been called scary, adding to the bar's overall underground feel. Customers have complained about the smoking but complimented the staff members on their ability to make a drink. "This place is great to catch some of the best local bands as well as national acts," wrote one four-star reviewer on Yelp. Some would say longtime Urizen bassist Rustin Luther was the key to the bar's success. He opened the bar about seven years ago and recently opened another bar in Dallas called the Dirty 30. He died in early August after a yearlong battle with a brain tumor.

Readers' Pick: Gas Monkey Live!

In its five-year existence, JMBLYA has quickly grown to become one of the city's biggest and most anticipated annual music festivals by blending top artists from hip-hop and EDM for a daylong festival setting with all the accouterments of mega festivals like ACL or Lollapalooza. This year, headliners Chance The Rapper, Steve Aoki, Gucci Mane and Migos drew an estimated 25,000 people to Fair Park, and anticipation for next year's edition is already ramping up. Presenter ScoreMore turned the annual music festival into a must-see event by tapping into the extensive network of rappers it's had relationships with since before they were stars. Teenagers are the priority of the festival, which has a motto of "for the students, by the students," offers internships to local kids and works with organizations to give tickets to the needy. Superstar performers and teen buzz have turned JMBLYA into one of the most popular music festivals of the year, but ScoreMore's concert expertise makes it the best festival in the city.

Readers' Pick: Deep Ellum Arts Festival

Lee Harvey's, nestled in a neighborhood just south of downtown, has won plenty of awards in the past for being a dive bar, but its patio remains a year-round attraction worthy of this praise. The wooden seating area is large, and sometimes bands play there. Even in the coldest of winter, no matter how short it is in North Texas, the heaters and sealed plastic make the place warm and friendly. The dog-friendly patio has plenty of room to move around with an excellent menu and substantial beer list. And it's a free place to get into, so if you haven't made it out there yet, what are you waiting for?

There's no better spot to watch the sun set over the Dallas skyline than on HG Sply Co.'s massive rooftop patio. With fireplaces, lengthy bar and herbs growing all around the rustic space, it's a gorgeous spot to settle in with a kombucha Moscow mule and vegan queso.

Readers' Pick: HG Sply Co.

The Cockpit has been an institution in the neighborhood north of Dallas Love Field for decades, but nowadays instead of serving the now (hopefully) outmoded stereotype of the hard-drinking airplane pilot, this neighborhood bar has become town square to some and a hidden gem to others. While the selection of craft brews and exotic liquors may be somewhat modest compared with most Dallas bars, The Cockpit makes up for its shortcomings with both atmosphere and price point. Like you've stumbled into an episode of Cheers, you see the clientele is largely local regulars looking to partake of the bar's $2.25 pints of beer and $3.75 wells between games of video golf and buzzing conversation. While The Cockpit isn't the best-known Dallas dive bar, it's definitely an overlooked gem that may leave you with a headache in the morning but plenty of cash left over for aspirin.