Dallas’ Five Best Bars for Drinking Alone

Oh, you sad sap. Why are you sitting on your sofa nursing a whiskey bottle in solitude? Has your significant other suggested you take some time to grow as a person? Have all of your friends booked a weekend trip in tandem and left you? Maybe if you got out a little bit more you’d actually have a few more friends to choose from.

Or maybe you’re on business travel and you’ve found yourself flying solo in Dallas. There’s no need to lie in bed with airplane bottles and vending-machine mixers, catching up on Netflix reruns so you can remain culturally relevant back at the office. Get out of your hotel room and do something. And by something, we mean drinking at one of the following bars, which are perfect when you find yourself drinking on your own.

Nova (pictured above)
Nova’s bar is a mostly straight run with a turn at the end. The last handful of stools almost face each other. Have a seat here and you’ll find yourself in a conversation with one of the regulars before you even get a beer, or sit out on the patio where smokers fill the air with eau du vintage barroom.

After you’ve put down a few, order a pizza before you call it a night. You’ll have all your bases covered.

*****

The Loon
The Loon is a loner’s bar and a drinker’s bar. You can strike up a conversation with a random, or squirrel yourself away in a corner next to a fire that will warm your bones. Either way, you’re going to need a cab to get home. When these bartenders pour, they pour heavy. Don’t make plans for too early tomorrow.

And don’t forget about the crispy tacos when you get hungry. Look at those tacos.

*****

Cosmo’s
Cosmos is an East Dallas haunt with one of the best bars in Dallas. You don’t see many horseshoe bars here, which is a shame because they facilitate discourse among strangers. No matter where you sit, you’re looking at everyone else. And no matter who’s working the bar, you’ll have a drink in your hand. You’ll never see the bottom of a glass at Cosmo’s unless you’re holding it upside down.

It’s up to you to determine if that’s a good thing or not.

*****

Goodfriend
Goodfriend offers another horseshoe bar, and this one is massive. Factor in good burgers and one of the city’s better beer lists and you have a place you can comfortably spend more time than you should. Goodfriend is one of those places that always seems filled with happy people having a good time. With any luck you’ll catch on.

*****

Zaza
Any hotel bar is a good place to drink when you’re alone because, well, you know. And if that’s your thing you might as well try it at Zaza. The quirky room and dim lighting set the tone, but it’s up to you to close the deal.

But if you don’t, just look at this burger. There are certainly much worse consolation prizes.