Looking For Dallas Sports Bars With a Little Less Asshat

Frankie's is fun, but weekends are a shit show

​ Football season is here. Sure, the college teams started their games a few weeks ago, but I'm most excited to watch the pros play. Last night, because it's close to the office and they've added a bar-food menu I've been working my way through, I watched the game on the Grapevine's patio. I yelled at a projected image of the game as Drew Brees marched his team down the field in a failed attempt to force a tie, and ate some of the best chicken tenders I've ever encountered.

I should preface this claim by clearly stating that aside from the school lunches that forced the fried chicken strips on me as a child, I've probably eaten chicken tenders a total of five times my entire life. That said, the Grapevine's are perfectly fried, sporting a deep golden brown crust reminiscent of Chick-fil-A, and tender, seriously juicy flesh.

But, more importantly: the football.

The Grapevine is not a sports bar, but with cooler weather, a nice breeze, a big screen and space to spread out, it made for a nice place to watch the game. Actual sports bars are fun, with their collection of televisions showing multiple events and huge crowds, but there's something to be said for watching football in a smaller bar with a small crowd that's collectively focused on a single game.

The Time Out Tavern up on Lovers Lane strikes me as another cool place to watch football with a handful of friends. And Ships Lounge, in Lowest Greenville, with its blue bar rail and Cowboys banners, seems like a good spot to meet lifelong, old-timer fans while rooting for the home team.

While the season officially started last night, this weekend marks the first full Sunday of NFL games. With Dallas' awesome collection of patios and the recent cooler weather, I'm quite ready to watch some football this fall.