Historic Hotels of America is the trust's program for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels across the country, and for the first time this year, they're showcasing the Top 25 Most Historic Bars, Taverns and Speakeasies of America that operate inside historic hotels.
Our own Bourbon & Banter, the elusive speakeasy beneath The Statler Hotel in downtown Dallas, made the list. Those selected can be well-known or well-kept secrets, but they must preserve their original architectural styles, interior design and historic ambiance. The Statler Hotel was completed in 1956, and at the time, it was the first major hotel built in Dallas in over three decades. It helped establish Dallas as the business center of the Southwest, and after undergoing renovations in 2001, it re-emerged in 2017, and the old underground barber shop was transformed into Bourbon & Banter.
Bottles of shampoo and conditioner were replaced with bourbon, the lights dimmed, but the spirit of the '50s remains, starting with the bars' whisper of a grand entrance.
Seeing a dead end beneath the word "bar" written in red LED lights is not a signal to turn around, but to explore further.
There's no door, a 1950s-era telephone booth and a vintage shoeshine stand.
How do you get in? Pick up the phone and it'll tell you the five-digit code to type in. To the left, a piece of the wall will open, and you'll step into a dimly lit library of bourbon and spirits.
The menu is small but interesting enough to spend the evening exploring it. The bar opens at 7 p.m. daily and has a reverse happy hour from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Historic Hotels of America named the Porto Old Fashioned the bar's signature drink. It's made with Basil Hayden dark rye, Sagamore small batch, port wine reduction and chocolate and orange bitters.
The Pompadour is another exciting choice that's made with Jim Beam Black, Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva rum, Demerara sugar cube, and the same chocolate and orange bitters. The top of the cocktail is bruleed, and they serve it with a small hammer for you to break it.
San Antonio Too
Two other historic bars in Texas were chosen, and they're both in San Antonio. The first bar is very obviously the bar at The Menger Hotel, located in the heart of the city, adjacent to the Alamo. It was founded in 1859 and was inspired by the House of Lords Pub in England.
At the turn of the 20th century, Colonel Leonard Wood and future President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, recruited over 1,250 men to form the historic Rough Riders regiment during the Spanish-American War. Inside, there are still bullet holes where Roosevelt fired his gun, and while you ponder that, sip on the signature drink, the Old Fashioned.
The other is Bar 414 inside The Gunter Hotel (which, according Google is closed right now). This historic hotel dates back to 1909, and the bar is a living tribute to American music history. Tucked behind an ornate gallery wall in the hotel lobby, it oozes jazz, blues and Prohibition-era secrecy. While military generals, presidents, musicians and celebrities have all gathered here, iconic blues artist Robert Johnson is the name most famously known here.
The bar name pays tribute to his legacy, and the guestroom inside the hotel where he recorded "Sweet Home Chicago" and "Cross Road Blues," two recordings that became foundational to American blues and rock music.
