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Travel Article	Travel Article Archive

By Eddie Sanchez

Revelers at Roundup Saloon, Dallas We Have 87 Photos From Dallas! View Thumbnails View Slideshow

Click on the link for a handy PDF version of our August 2007 Texas travel feature!

The US's ninth-largest city, Dallas is cosmopolitan and beautiful, with world-class architecture, a booming arts district (soon to be the country's largest!), and, like all of gay Texas, a sense of duty when it comes to giving back to their community. What truly amazed me is how inclusive gays are in Dallas. Sure, there are gay bars and lesbian bars and Hispanic bars, but people feel free and comfortable going from one to the next. Dallas's gay life is concentrated mainly in the Oak Lawn area with bars and clubs catering to varied gay tastes, along with stores and restaurants.

Bars and clubs

Woody's (4011 Cedar Springs Road) is a sports and video bar with three outdoor patio areas on its two levels-- great on clear Dallas nights. The non-smoking environment upstairs is a definite plus. A strip contest on Mondays, pool tournaments on Sundays and Tuesdays, and show-tunes night on Tuesdays are some of the value-added events. The three in-house video jockeys and a polite, personable staff ensure a good party all throughout the week. Visit Dallaswoodys.com for the latest on what's what.

Dallas Eagle (2515 Inwood Road, rear) is a hardcore Levi-and-leather hangout, busy after 11pm. The main bar leads on to a back bar with a pool table. A balcony overlooking the main bar heightens cruise potential. Bears, big men, and their admirers feel much at home here.

Round-up Saloon (3912 Cedar Springs Road) is dubbed the home of "good times and good people." This large establishment contains many bars tucked within, as well as a Tequila Shack with its own "tequila master" (almost too much fun). Stop by the martini bar and meet Link, a scrumptious and funny bartender who will make your day. There's country dancing (free lessons Mondays through Thursdays) and country cruising, not to mention music videos. A game room with pool tables, video games, pinball machines, and photo booths makes for much fun. Entertainment also includes lots of karaoke, Sunday through Thursdays. An ATM machine on premises makes things easier.

Wedged between Black Eyed Pea and Cafe Brazil, Mickey's (3851 Cedar Springs Road) is a video bar with multiple plasma- and flat-screen TVs playing current dance videos. Mickey's sponsors many of Dallas's gay sports teams and webcasts its own two-hour variety show every Monday with Wayne Smith as Cher. The show is watched worldwide and can be viewed at Singtoamerica. Mickey's Retro Sunday is legendary for its $1 well drinks and custom retro remix videos that can only be seen here.

Hidden Door (5025 Bowser) has been a favorite Dallas bar for many years, and retains an "old school" flair. The Hidden Door's secret is its friendly staff, community involvement, great drink specials, and a laid-back atmosphere.

Hideaway (4144 Buena Vista) is a piano-bar heaven for mature men and their admirers.

Other neighborhood watering holes include Zippers (3333 North Fitzhugh) and Crews Inn (2315 North Fitzhugh), both with plenty of hot, stripper action.

New on the scene is Pecker's (2615 Oak Lawn Avenue), just a couple of blocks off the strip and boasting drink specials and cute bartenders.

Under the aegis of Caven Enterprises, Station 4 , (better known as S4), Throckmorton Mining Co. , Jr's , and Sue Ellen's collectively draw many visitors, both men and women, to the area. JR's (3923 Cedar Springs Road) comprises three levels and a balcony that dares any weather and affords a bird's-eye view of Dallas's gay crossroads. S4 (3911 Cedar Springs Road), Dallas's hugest hurrah, vaunts an outdoor patio, front and back balconies, a steel dance floor with intense sound and moveable intelligent lighting, plus the Rose Room theater and lounge, the Southwest's premiere show bar. You'll swear you were in a Vegas showroom. Don't miss their amazing drag shows, some of the best you'll ever see. The bi-leveled Throckmorton Mining Co. (3014 Throckmorton), originally meant to attract those into leather/Levi, seems to draw people of all ilk. There's even a dance floor. Sue Ellen's (3903 Cedar Springs Road) is geared for gals. Caven Enterprises has also created what they call "Cruisin the Crossroads" where for 30 minutes at a time each of their four bars have $2 dollar drink specials-- all part of their dastardly clever plan to keep you circulating and enjoying yourself.

Other well-trod nightspots include the mixed Afro-Caribbean and Latin Havana (4006 Cedar Springs Road), and Kaliente (4350 Maple Avenue), with an enthusiastic Mexican-American clientele.

Shopping

Leather Masters (2525 Wycliff Avenue, Suite 124)-- also of San Jose, California-- is now in Dallas. This unique store offers quality leather custom clothing and more.

Remarkable piercing, wearable art, and tattooing are at their best at Obscurities (4000-B Cedar Springs Road), where safety is the prime concern.

Crossroads Market (3930 Cedar Springs Road) touts literary treats and gay knickknacks, the latter also available at several other queer stores in the vicinity. A cruisy coffee shop tucked within is a focal meeting point in the Oak Lawn area.

The whole spectrum of rainbow shopping is also for sale at Tape Lenders (3926 Cedar Springs Road), Skivvies (4001-C Cedar Springs), and Outlines (3906 Cedar Springs Road).

Eat, drink, and be metro

Hunky’s (4000 Cedar Springs Road) is notable not just for their cheeseburgers but also for abundant two-legged eye-candy. Other than Crossroads, this is the one place that affords great cruising potential in a virtually breeder-free gayborhood. The newest location on Bird Road in trendy Oak Cliff is larger than the Cedar Springs outpost, which usually has a line for their great fare-- but it's not a problem as it's a great place to meet people. The staff is incredibly sweet, and their Hula Burgers are heavenly.

Buli (3908 Cedar Springs Road), an acronym for "Because U Love It," is the cutest little coffee shop around. This is where desserts are born. Forget the diet and dive in.

Accommodations

Dallas currently has no gay guesthouse per se, however many of the nicer hotels and B&Bs are quite gay-friendly.

Melrose Hotel (3015 Oak Lawn Avenue at Cedar Springs Road; 214-521- 5151) is a ritzy hotel in the thick of it all. This luxury hotel also contains a restaurant and bar on premises.

Alternative gay-friendly lodgings include Best Western (915 West Dallas Street), a budget choice close to the scene; and Holiday Inn Select Love Field (3300 West Mockingbird Lane).

Getting physical and more!

Midtowne Spa (2509 Pacific) offers innumerable rooms and secret caches throughout the facility, which includes a gym featuring a Nautilus Time Machine, a two-tiered hot tub, and fantasy/theme rooms. At the top is a superb rooftop view of downtown Dallas. At this recently remodeled area, complimentary weekend cookouts are common. Whatever you do, make sure to check out their 500 gallon grotto (shades of Blue Lagoon!)-- if that doesn't put you in the mood, nothing will.

Club Dallas (2616 Swiss) is a physical fitness center with a regular gym and trainer on premises, along with many other amenities.