'Tis the season for holiday drinking and merry-making, so it seems only responsible that we give some attention to bar snacks. After all, it's important to have a buffer against all that booze. Almost every bar has food of some kind, whether it be a bowl of peanuts on the bar or a full menu of deep-fried frozen fare like cheese sticks and potato skins. But if you want something a little more, shall we say, advanced to go with your cocktail, there's plenty of places around Dallas taking bar food to the next level. Here, we've compiled a map of 10 of the tastiest bar snacks available in the city. While a few are holdovers from last year's list, most are new selections, and all of them are worth your time next time you find yourself in need of a stiff drink or a beer and a tasty bite.
Did we miss your favorite bar snack? Chime in on your favorites in the comments below.
The fried pork skins are the unsung jewels of the Belly & Trumpet menu, and arguably one of the best deals in town as far as bar snacks go. Three bucks gets you a plate piled high with freshly fried, still-crackling pork rinds sprinkled with an addictive secret seasoning.
The housemade pimento cheese at this new hot spot inside the Joule is incredible: Creamy, rich and just a little spicy, it comes spread thickly over fantastic housemade sourdough bread that's toasted to crispy perfection. Pair it with a house martini made with pickled peach brine, or go low-brow with the Tex Trinity, a shot of bourbon chased with a pickleback and a Lone Star.
It's hard to go wrong with any of the menu options at this Deep Ellum bar, but the standout is without a doubt the mini corn dogs: Delectable little sausages dipped in a huckleberry-studded corn dog batter, deep-fried to perfection and served with a sweet-and-tangy maple dijon mustard. (It'd probably be wise to get two orders, lest a fight break out at the table.)
The Libertine's hog wings (which are actually pork shanks) leave most chicken wings in the dust: huge and meaty, with a piquant buffalo glaze and a tangy blue cheese sauce for dipping, plus a nicely acidic little side salad to cut through everything.
What the hell are bierocks? At this Trinity Groves craft beer haven, they're mini pastry pockets stuffed with a flavorful mixture of beef, cabbage and onion and served with sides of meaty au jus and a beer-cheese sauce for dipping. It's hard to think of a better snack to pair with one of LUCK's many craft beer options.
The Thai chili-garlic glazed wings at Malai are some of the tastiest in town: Juicy, meaty, messy, and ideally paired with a cooling cocktail like the Vietnamese Limeade with green tea-infused vodka.
Everyone knows the crispy skin is the best part of any chicken. The Moth gilds the lily by serving up a bowl of wonderfully crunchy, sweet-and-spicy chicken skins dotted with a creamy, pungent blue cheese for an absolutely genius twist on chicken wings.
Queso is queso, right? Well, mostly, but the kitchen crew at this new Shops at Legacy beauty is clearly utilizing some sort of witchcraft, because the queso here is so can't-stop-eating-it delicious, you'll be scraping the bottom of the bowl with the freshly fried chips. (It's reasonably priced at $6, too.)
What's better than sipping a local craft brew at this laid-back Uptown spot? Pairing it with an order of the chorizo empanadas, gloriously crispy little dough pockets stuffed with spicy housemade sausage and potato and served with a little ramekin of corn-studded queso for dipping.
If you're working your way through Strangeways' impressive craft beer menu, you're probably going to need a snack or two. The elotes here are creamy, spicy, and frankly beat the pants off the ones you buy out front of Fiesta or Fuel City -- they also come generously portioned, which is a good thing because your drinking buddy is going to want some.
The fried pork skins are the unsung jewels of the Belly & Trumpet menu, and arguably one of the best deals in town as far as bar snacks go. Three bucks gets you a plate piled high with freshly fried, still-crackling pork rinds sprinkled with an addictive secret seasoning.
The housemade pimento cheese at this new hot spot inside the Joule is incredible: Creamy, rich and just a little spicy, it comes spread thickly over fantastic housemade sourdough bread that's toasted to crispy perfection. Pair it with a house martini made with pickled peach brine, or go low-brow with the Tex Trinity, a shot of bourbon chased with a pickleback and a Lone Star.
It's hard to go wrong with any of the menu options at this Deep Ellum bar, but the standout is without a doubt the mini corn dogs: Delectable little sausages dipped in a huckleberry-studded corn dog batter, deep-fried to perfection and served with a sweet-and-tangy maple dijon mustard. (It'd probably be wise to get two orders, lest a fight break out at the table.)
The Libertine's hog wings (which are actually pork shanks) leave most chicken wings in the dust: huge and meaty, with a piquant buffalo glaze and a tangy blue cheese sauce for dipping, plus a nicely acidic little side salad to cut through everything.
What the hell are bierocks? At this Trinity Groves craft beer haven, they're mini pastry pockets stuffed with a flavorful mixture of beef, cabbage and onion and served with sides of meaty au jus and a beer-cheese sauce for dipping. It's hard to think of a better snack to pair with one of LUCK's many craft beer options.
The Thai chili-garlic glazed wings at Malai are some of the tastiest in town: Juicy, meaty, messy, and ideally paired with a cooling cocktail like the Vietnamese Limeade with green tea-infused vodka.
Everyone knows the crispy skin is the best part of any chicken. The Moth gilds the lily by serving up a bowl of wonderfully crunchy, sweet-and-spicy chicken skins dotted with a creamy, pungent blue cheese for an absolutely genius twist on chicken wings.
Queso is queso, right? Well, mostly, but the kitchen crew at this new Shops at Legacy beauty is clearly utilizing some sort of witchcraft, because the queso here is so can't-stop-eating-it delicious, you'll be scraping the bottom of the bowl with the freshly fried chips. (It's reasonably priced at $6, too.)
What's better than sipping a local craft brew at this laid-back Uptown spot? Pairing it with an order of the chorizo empanadas, gloriously crispy little dough pockets stuffed with spicy housemade sausage and potato and served with a little ramekin of corn-studded queso for dipping.
If you're working your way through Strangeways' impressive craft beer menu, you're probably going to need a snack or two. The elotes here are creamy, spicy, and frankly beat the pants off the ones you buy out front of Fiesta or Fuel City -- they also come generously portioned, which is a good thing because your drinking buddy is going to want some.
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