This North Dallas bar has changed immensely in the last decade; long gone are the kitschy decor items and the Chuck Norris urban tales painted on the bathroom walls, and most disappointing, the promised presence of velvet Elvis artwork. Without all the hipster-friendly attractions, the Velvet Elvis has gone from a movie set's idea of a dive bar to a true dive bar that isn't pretending anymore. For starters, there are plenty of loners hanging around, and the crowd is such a Cheers-like selection of random humans that you're likely to never run into anyone you know. So this is the place to come to talk shit about everyone in your life without having to look over your shoulder. The place now looks like a standard bar in any average city, with a foosball table that nobody ever plays and rarely touched billiards. The only things that remain are cheap drinks and a cigarette machine. We're all set.

Even if country music isn't really your thing, The Round-Up is a fun environment where you can dance, grab a couple of drinks and let loose. If you're a little bit rusty on your two-step, there are nights when instructors will give you lessons on their spacious dance floor. Plus, there are karaoke nights when singers are invited to belt out their best notes and even compete for cash. In the mood to be entertained? The Round-Up hosts killer drag shows with curated themes celebrating all types of gender-bending performances. If Lady Gaga is in town, chances are you might catch her at The Round-Up after a show, as they were one of the first bars to book her before her rise to fame.

Every Sunday from 3 to 8 p.m., patrons pack the narrow walls of Single Wide for Liquid Courage Karaoke with DJ Javier Mendoza. Crowded though it might be, participants and onlookers are fervent in their Sunday Funday passion for a good song sung as well as it can be. The mix of songs is always as diverse as the mix of talent, and you can expect to hear some real pipes and some — well, frankly — really drunk girls doing their best to get through Bloodhound Gang's "Bad Touch." Whether it's the song quality, the mix and spirit of the people or the physical closeness that the Single Wide forces you into, what makes Liquid Courage Sundays unlike any other karaoke residency is just how infectious it is. Spots fill up quick, so be sure to get there and grab a Lone Star right after you wrap up your mimosas. 

It really doesn't get more rock than Reno's Chop Shop Saloon, a Dallas staple nestled in the shadows around the corner from Punk Society on Crowdus and July Alley in Deep Ellum. Don't let all the dyed-black hair, black clothes and dark make-up of its patrons scare you off; Reno's is friendlier and more welcoming than meets the eye. The only catch is that you absolutely have to be ready for the soothing sounds of the hardest metal and punk rock you will find in any bar in Dallas. Possibly in the state. Divided between a bar and a performance space, Reno's is also a great place to catch small and local bands that play anything from pop punk to powerviolence. Reno's doesn't mess with a lot of glassware, preferring bottles and cans and plastic cups to anything that might be perceived as elegant or dainty. And the drinks are some of the cheapest you'll find in Deep Ellum, served up with a sign of the horns and a few bangs of the head.

This past October, the NBC hit reality music competition featured Dentonite and University of North Texas graduate Katrina Cain. A few days after walking down the aisle, the lead singer for electronic band TOMKAT decided to take a detour from her honeymoon, veil practically flying off, and take a stab at auditioning. Cain's impossibly high notes in her rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" earned her the chair-spinning approbation of judges Jennifer Hudson and Blake Shelton, although Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine said it would've been a "four-chair turn" had the latter pair not used up their open spots. Cain ultimately chose team Blake, moved to Los Angeles and was eliminated a few rounds later, but her pitch-perfect cover has received millions of views and remains one of the show's best auditions.

Trinity Hall is perfect. Plenty of seating, the best Guinness drafts in town and pub food that's better than any chain. It caters to soccer, rugby and Gaelic football fans, but it happily accommodates fans of more traditionally American sports, too. It never overwhelms — thanks to its TVs only being on when there's a game — and never disappoints. Trinity Hall is a great place to spend a Sunday morning, Saturday night or anything in between.

For four days every September, Grapevine shuts down its historic Main Street to car traffic and throws what it bills as the largest wine festival in the Southwest. Admission gets you a wine glass and access to the wine tasting area, where more than 100 Texas wines are on offer. For a full glass and a shaded place to sit, head to the champagne terrace or the wine and brew pavilions. Food vendors offer pizza, kettle corn and other treats from booths along Main Street, and local artists are on hand to show off their work. Other highlights include a grape stomp, a Champagne cork-shooting contest and a tennis tournament.

It'll Do dominates this category by consistently providing a well-curated and world-class dance club experience. No bottle service, no VIP and no pretension — just a big dance floor and top-notch sound servicing a calendar of touring acts you would typically have to fly halfway across the country (or overseas) to see. The atmosphere has the old-school warehouse party vibe of the '90s minus the dusty floors. They lean heavy toward house music, but in the past year, they've hosted a diverse array of talent such as Danny Tenaglia, Dubfire, Nightmares on Wax, Dusky, Lee Foss, Leon Vynehall, Ben UFO, DJ Boring, Derrick Carter and even hometown superstar DJ Maceo Plex. On the off nights when there are no touring acts, resident DJ Red Eye keeps the dance floor moving with his Occupant night — which often rivals the high bar set by their touring acts.

If we're all being honest, we can agree that there are only about 15 days out of the year in Dallas when it's not too hot, wet, icy or tornado-y to sit on a bar patio with a drink. So when one of those 15 days comes around, it's important to make good use of it. Happiest Hour has enough space to allow you to do just that. With a ground-floor beer garden and a rooftop terrace, there's plenty of space to breathe without worrying about putting your elbow into someone else's IPA. And it's just a few blocks from the American Airlines Center, making it a great place to stop for a beer or a cocktail before a Mavericks game.

Founded in Bryan in 1977, Messina Hof added a tasting room in a historic hotel building on Grapevine's Main Street in 2014. There, visitors can sample reds, whites, rosés and ports the winery makes from grapes grown across the state, including in the Brazos River Valley and the Hill Country. Some favorites are the Estate Sagrantino, a ruby-colored red made from grapes grown at the winery's Bryan vineyard, as well as a Riesling from the winery's High Plains Vineyard. The winery also offers a full selection of ports and dessert wines. If they're pouring the tawny port during your visit, make sure you have a glass.