BEST BIKE SHOP 2013 | Richardson Bike Mart | Best of Dallas® 2020 | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Dallas | Dallas Observer
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BEST BIKE SHOP

Richardson Bike Mart

Courtesy of Richardson Bike Mart

Good chance you're not going to ride that new bike for long, that it'll be collecting dust or clothes hangers in a couple of months. The folks at Richardson Bike Mart won't acknowledge that — they're too encouraging, too nice, too hopeful, which we thought was outlawed last decade — but they seem to intuit it, because they never steer to equipment you don't need or can't afford. They bring your bike to you, whether it's a $500 Trek Hybrid Shirt-Hanger or a $5,000 Cervelo Garage-Wall-Art, and they match it with only the accessories you need to keep you safe, and, against all odds, to keep you riding.

BEST YOGA STUDIO

Super Yoga Palace

Deep Ellum's lovely little yoga studio, tucked inside the Life In Deep Ellum building, made the decision this year to go donation-only. The suggested donation is around 10 bucks, but nobody's turned away; SYP is about promoting access to the practice of yoga, regardless of income level, physical condition or ability to smile and say "om" while bending your spine in ways you never imagined it would go. The environment is mellow, friendly and kind, a nice antidote to the packs of stressed-out, pinched-face Lululemon wearers you might find Uptown. Try the Super Vinyl class for the most kickin' yoga-doing soundtrack in town.

  • 2803 Taylor St., Dallas, 75226 Map

BEST MEN'S CLOTHING STORE

Billy Reid

If you're like most American men, your closet is a rough sea of mediocrity, filled with sale-rack specials and XXL charity-walk T-shirts. In there somewhere, jutting from the service like a life raft, is (or should be) that one piece you splurged on: timeless, perfectly fitting and worn every time someone dies. It is (or should be) from Billy Reid. The Highland Park outpost is small and tightly curated, but you'll still find yourself lugging nine things into the dressing room. The selection is on-trend but muted, so no one will accuse you of trying too hard. It's expensive — we're talking $150-plus for a shirt — but the clothes are timeless both in style and construction, and you'll be relying on them for years.

BEST EYEWEAR SELECTION

Payrite Optical

In the market for a new pair of specs? Check out this Greenville Avenue eyewear shop, where friendly owner Arman will take one look at you and present a selection of frames to perfectly suit your face — and his expertise will likely be appreciated, as the store has no less than one zillion options, whether you're looking for some funky cat-eye frames or a classic horn-rimmed setup. He's a hell of a wheeler-dealer, too, meaning you'll always walk out feeling like you got a sweet deal. Payrite also does fast and affordable repair jobs, whether you bought your glasses there or not, and they'll even outfit vintage frames with your prescription.

BEST SHOE SELECTION

Nordstrom

Just try to resist the siren song of the Nordstrom shoe department when strolling through NorthPark Center. We challenge you. When there's serious footwear-shopping to be done, the iconic department store is the first place we head for the unbeatable selection, whether you're in the market for a fresh pair of Toms or just want to drool over the never-gonna-afford-them Louboutins. The extremely liberal return policy doesn't hurt matters, either, nor does the top-notch customer service.

BEST GARDEN STORE

North Haven Gardens

Danny Fulgencio

There is no better judge of a garden store than a first-time homeowner, who needs everything and knows nothing. In Dallas, there's no better place for a first-timer than North Haven Gardens. The sprawling garden center has enough acreage to carry everything from basic backyard building blocks (soil, fertilizer, keg-sized buckets) to exotic plants and even some weird things they call veg-et-a-bles. There's plenty of space to maneuver and hunt on your own, but a friendly and knowledgeable staffer is always lurking just behind the corn gluten, ready to pretend your super-dumb questions aren't dumb. If there's something they don't know or can't do, just ask them to break open their binder full of contractors: After 51 years in business, they probably know a guy, and the guy's probably pretty good.

BEST HOTEL

NYLO South Side

The other NYLO locations in Plano and Las Colinas are a bit too contrived-hipster for our tastes, but the brand's newest locale in The Cedars is decked out in an eclectic industrial-ornate style that seems perfectly suited to the neighborhood. While the location of most of the city's top hotels will find you hailing a cab to get anywhere cool, the NYLO is located within walking distance of plenty of prime spots including The Cedars Social and South Side Ballroom. It's also eco-friendly and has super-comfortable beds, and did we mention the rooftop pool with a full bar and killer skyline views? Yeah, we did.

  • 1325 S. Lamar St., Dallas, 75215 Map

BEST PLACE TO GET A WILD (OR TAME) DOG

Dallas Animal Services

The best place to find your new furry friend — or, perhaps more accurately, let that dog or cat find you — is the municipal pound. The huge facility built in 2007 has dozens and dozens of dogs that you can get to know in play areas outside. And along with a huge selection, the city shelter has the lowest adoption fee we could find: $85 for any dog or puppy, $55 for any cat or kitten with greatly reduced fees for the more seasoned pets. Included with that fee is spaying/neutering, current vaccinations and microchipping. You can look online at pictures of adoptable animals, but there's no sense in committing, as you never know which animal is going to capture your heart once you start walking past their enclosures.

BEST PLACE TO GET HOPPED UP

The Winemaker's Toy Store and Dallas Home Brew

The "... and Dallas Home Brew" part of the name may make it seem like homebrewing supplies take a backseat to the needs of amateur vintners. Could be true, or at least that could be what most local homebrewers think. Whatever the case, we were recently looking for a few ounces of Nelson Sauvin hops, a relatively scarce New Zealand variety, and the guys at our usual go-to spot just shook their heads wistfully when we asked. But one visit to The Winemaker's Toy Store later, we had more than we needed and left some behind, too. If you're looking for a hard-to-find specialty ingredient or piece of equipment and come up empty at Homebrew Headquarters, there's a good chance it hasn't been snatched up yet at this sleeper store.

  • 1500 N. I-35E, Carrollton, 75006 Map

BEST E-CIG STORE

Vape Lounge

For the uninitiated, an e-cig is basically a battery attached to a heated atomizer that turns a more-or-less nicotine-laced liquid into a vapor that you inhale in place of smoke. Arguably much better for you than real coffin nails — the FDA would quibble over that point — e-cigs come in a mind-numbing array of shapes and styles ranging from the disposable, God-awful expensive Blu thingies sold at convenience stores to elaborate, rechargeable behemoths with refillable liquid tanks, lights, power meters and, we suspect, enough power to jump-start a car. Vape Lounge has all the gewgaws a serious gearhead could desire; a friendly, patient staff who'll explain how to use them; and an enormous menu of vapor flavors ranging from the vaguely tobacco-like to a whole host of candy- and dessert-flavored concoctions, for those inveterate smokers who have always wanted to put away those Marlboro Reds and try something a little more piña colada-flavored. (You can sample any flavor before you buy.) If you're looking to kick the smokes, a visit to Vape Lounge is worth a trip to Carrollton. It may or may not extend your life, but it won't waste your time.

  • 2741 E. Belt Line Rd., Dallas, 75019 Map

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