Owned by the same company as Station 4, JR's Bar and Grill and Roundup Saloon, TMC is one of the only clubs on the Cedar Springs strip that actually feels like Dallas. From the music played, the bartenders and go-go dancers, the people you'll find represent folks from all walks of Dallas life. It's not all that spacious inside, giving it a divey feel. The staff are in touch with people who vibe to more than EDM and Top 40 music. It's the type of bar where you can start your night, or the place where you can finish it. That is to say, the bar is versatile.

Ever thought about going back to school? This is the way to do it. Offering "an education in the art of food and beer," Los Angeles-based Public School takes kitsch to a whole new level. The gastropub serves up Southern favorites alongside spirits and craft beer. From decor evoking grade-school nostalgia — typewriters as wall art, menus masquerading as notebooks, et al — to adult "recess" (aka happy hour), every detail speaks to the scholastic theme. Look for craft brews, including a rotating list of regional favorites, and A+ deals on brunch.

Who knew a DART Train day pass could lead to some of the best people-watching ever? Each stop, no matter how seemingly jejune, is never short of top-notch fascinations, whether it's the opportunity to smell the breakfast of a woman with the smallest feet you've ever seen on an adult or feel the tweed fibers of a well-dressed academic type on your arm as you're squeezed uncomfortably together during rush hour. You'll get a small sample of what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes, if only for a stop or two.

It's vulgar, funny and there are $3 wells and domestics. Hosts Travis Taylor and Nathan Adams are witty, and the questions this trivia night pose are culturally relevant, plus they have meme categories, which we love. You can tell Taylor and Adams care about showing people in Dallas a good time while simultaneously making people think about the world around them. The duo hosts a couple trivia nights in town, but we recommend the one at 8 p.m. every other Monday at The Nines in Deep Ellum.

In a world of oft-underwhelming bar food, Ivy Tavern on Lemmon Avenue stands out. All dark wood paneling, wild game heads, and vintage (or at least vintage-looking) art, the bar itself is pretty great. But its menu is something to behold. In 2015, a year after the bar opened, its owners decided to up the ante on their food offerings. And boy, did they deliver. This isn't the first award this hidden gem has received for its food. The chef-driven menu is full of bar standards — french fries, burgers, nachos, etc. — made better.

Full disclosure: Your first Vapshot can be a bit scary. But get past the initial "Oh my god, I'm inhaling vaporized alcohol" internal dialogue that occurs, and you're sure to enjoy. As far as flavor goes, there's little to speak of. But the experience ... that's worth bragging about. Order the Vapshot, and a cloud of vaporized alcohol will come presented to you in what looks like a large water bottle. The barkeep will pop the cap, stick in a straw and instruct you to begin inhaling right away. Unlike shooting Everclear, the process is quick, painless and guaranteed to leave you standing upright (prior indulgences notwithstanding).

One would be hard pressed to find a DJ in town with more hustle and chutzpah than Blake Ward. With his long-running Saturday night residency at Beauty Bar, Ward has built a small empire around his many residencies. Ward established Four Four Agency a few years ago to help facilitate his ambitious DJ and party-planning agenda. He has turned that ambition into a consistent string of successful parties. Ward's Sunday Jams have become a go-to end-of-weekend spot for hip-hop heads. This past summer he put roots at the Statler with day parties at Waterproof, popped up for support slots behind touring DJs at It'll Do and threw his ambitious and usually over-the-top Disco, TX parties. And he still manages to fill in the schedule gaps with corporate and party gigs. One has to wonder when Ward has time to sleep.

Martinis and manicures? What's not to love? Like its sister locations in New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas, Beauty Bar is reminiscent of a 1950s hair salon, complete with retro salon chairs, hair dryers and pink, well, everything. DJ-driven dance parties and theme nights are the norm here. But it's the bar's weekday happy hours featuring martinis and basic manicures that make it the ultimate destination for girls night out.

Lounge Here opened to much fanfare in 2016 and has yet to disappoint. Bringing a bit of fun to the up-and-coming Garland Road area, the ultracool haunt has some legitimately cool names behind it. The brainchild of Julie Doyle, co-founder, singer and manager of The Polyphonic Spree, and Tony Barsotti, designer and Hagfish drummer, Here (as it's commonly called) is inspired by airplane lounges of the 1970s. Libations include classic and craft cocktails, beer and wine, and chef Megan Foley (formerly of Meddlesome Moth and Smoke) helms the menu.

The name says it all. Located in the heart of downtown near American Airlines Center, Happiest Hour boasts Dallas' largest patio bar, a rooftop deck with fabulous views, and four — count them, four — full-service bars. There are signature cocktails and beers aplenty, but we recommend gathering the crew and trying one of the bar's "team drinks." The Tour de Lillet, for instance, is made with red, white and blush sangria and requires 8 to 10 people to share. In similar form, the food menu features "team happytizers" with shareable plates feeding four or more.