She first climbed the steps six years ago. She and husband Teddy Davey had been performers in Las Vegas, where he’d been named Entertainer of the Year, headlining shows and performing on Royal Caribbean cruise lines, and they’d since moved to Dallas to settle down. When they landed here once again —Teddy is a University of North Texas grad who has performed with the Dallas Theater Center and got his professional jumpstart at the Undermain Theatre — there was a neighborhood bar that he was dying to show off to his wife.
“Are you ready to see the greatest thing in Dallas?” he asked her. Lorena Davey took the stairs up the Balcony Club, an 18-step set that’s hosted musicians and martini-soaked lovers for 29 years, and opened the door.
“I just started crying,” she says, remembering the glow of the art deco.
At Balcony Club, there’s no mistaking the energy: This is a place where you drink simply and dance sweetly. There are no clever bar entrées, and a menu doesn’t truly exist; you devour history and music. Above the door, a dual-paneled sign reads “applause” and “on air” like on the old variety shows, and scalloped sconces illuminate the walls. Elbows on the bar, all you’ll need to do is speak: Tell the bartender what you like, and he’ll drop it in front of you. The beers are all from Lakewood Brewing Company, and when you tell the bartender you like your martini dirty, what's set before you is as beautifully filthy as they come.
Actress and vocalist Liz Mikel, a Dallas native and company member at the Dallas Theater Center, belts into the microphone.
courtesy Lorena Davey
The Landmark opened in 1947. The first movie projected in the movie palace was Love Finds Andy Hardy starring Mickey Rooney.
“Dallas doesn’t necessarily honor old Dallas,” Lorena Davey says. “We’re trying to keep that. ... We know how special this is.”
You'll find killer music and strong drinks at this cozy, romantic East Dallas bar.
courtesy Lorena Davey
“It’s a great neighborhood bar, and instead of food, we serve music,” says owner Theodore "Teddy” Davey. “It’s like dealing with 15 executive chefs. Everyone brings their own tastes into the club.”
As you’d imagine with a neighborhood bar that feels very Rocketeer-esque, martinis are worthy of the applause sign. The chocolate martini is a hit. When the music plays, all you’ll need to do is turn in your chair. There are no ceiling-reaching amps, and the seashell lights don’t change their tone.
Patrons at the Balcony Club span all ages, races and backgrounds, and you never know who you'll see. Keith Anderson, a saxophonist who’s played with Prince and Kanye West, has taken the stage. Actress and singer Liz Mikel (Friday Night Lights, Get On Up) has stopped in, too.
“You never know who you’re going to bump shoulders with at the Balcony Club,” Lorena Davey says. At a bar like this, you’re just as likely to run into the ghost of someone grand.
Balcony Club, 1825 Abrams Road
