Do any of the old timers from Joe Miller's still hang out at Louie's? They probably all got sober like the great Jim Atkinson who literally wrote the book on dive bars.

I like how you labeled this blog post "Top 10 Food Dives in Dallas," yet your top 3 actually aren't dives. Makes me think you didn't put much effort into this list.

Way to give the Food Network ammo for a all Dallas show.

@warden62. I understand, but read the intro.

It's like making a top 10 list of domestic automobiles but including toyotas and hondas just because they're still cool. The whole blog is really a misnomer.

you don't include places with "diner" in the name, but All-Good Cafe was even on the maybe list? it's got cafe in the friggin' name!

Who said it was on the maybe list, Anon? In trying to nail down just what constituted a dive, cleanliness came up. Mentioned Allgood as an example of a small, relatively clean place, that's all.

@warden--great comment, because it brings up the problem of definition. So many fords, for instance are made for overseas markets in overseas plants. American nameplate, foreign car. Flaws, like we said, in choosing to emphasize "food" over "dive," in choosing not to consider taquerias, etc. So be it.

There were plenty of places to mention without having to give Midway Point a heads up. I wouldn't consider it to be a dive bar or restaurant. It was recently bought by a dude with a giant cowboy hat, and he charges 12 bucks for a pitcher of beer. The food is bad, and includes prime rib on certain nights. Both of these factors, at least to me, would preclude Midway Point from being classified as anything but a sucky place with massive amounts of octogenarians.

Vickery Park has too many fat chicks from SMU to be considered on any list. I know, I know, the fat chicks have to go somewhere. But if you are going to send the porky contingent, at least send a few hot ones to run cover.

A true food dive in the vacinity of Midway Point might be The Hole In The Wall. After all, look at its name. THITW has been there since I was a child, and had holes in the wall even then. Hell, it had enough holes at its inception that it earned its moniker. The burgers are out-of-the-park incredible and served in a plain brown paper grease soaked sack even when you dine in, the location is close to the vast assortment of hookers still on Harry Hines, the beer is cold and cheap, and they play incredible live blues music on the weekend.

You gotta love the Food Dives.

Thanks for including Adair's - a favorite with me and the C-man. Limited menu (burger or burger with cheese), and you have to wait a long time, but beer keeps coming, and you can read the walls!

So much better than the over-hyped establishment across the street!

@DallasDude - "and they play incredible live blues music on the weekend."

Sorry to say that THITW no longer has live music and is no longer serving beer or open at night.
They are still a daytime burger serving dive but some of the dive factor has been removed.

Too bad about the Hole In The Wall. A couple of dives I think of: Lee Harveys and Club Schmidt. Both have great burgers.

Not a bad list overall, but have to strongly disagree with the Old Monk and Vickery picks. Both are far too clean and polished to be true dives. Plus the clientele are not standard dive patrons.

Sad, I just called HITW and got the scoop. No liquor license.

I concur on Adairs. Met Randy Brown in Terlingua this past weekend that plays sometimes at Adairs, so I will be heading there soon for sure.

Good times.

leave it to dallas dude to post about a bar that doesnt even have a liquor license anymore!

@anonymous:If you would read his posts, you would see that the place that he mentioned DID have a bar and liquor license until very recently. He was unaware it had been lost.

No need to be such a prick.

@whatever

you sound a lot like the same dude. haha just an observation.

Nope, not the same dude. Just able to read...

Are you a certified writer? You pen very well.