Black Swan Saloon

Deep Ellum hasn’t been known for culinary creativity, nor has it made a name for itself in the area of mixology. But Gabe Sanchez, who opened Black Swan Saloon in 2010, seeks to change all that. In 2011, he earned the coveted Dallas Observer Best of Dallas “Best Bartender” award, thanks to his proficiency with a cocktail shaker and a conversation. The bar, built into the old Thin Room, is exactly that: a long thin room with black walls and a lone flat-screen television that sits high above the bar. In the corner opposite the door sits a stage, barely big enough to hold two musicians, but that’s all the racket you need at Black Swan – just enough to pad a conversation with a little background noise.