Your Game Day Guide to Dallas

Home to America’s Team and a large base of dedicated fans from football powerhouses like University of Texas and Oklahoma University, few cities are more rabid for football than Dallas. Weekends in the Big D bring out the ultimate football fans supporting their favorite college and NFL teams.

Want to join in on the fun? Whether you prefer a mega-posh sports bar with TVs everywhere you turn or a hipster-fied garage with an airy patio and dogs roaming around, there’s no wrong way to watch football in Dallas. Maybe you want a juicy burger during halftime, or perhaps you prefer to sip a craft beer with a pour of Jameson? We’ve got all that — and more — covered.

Nickel & Rye

Dallas’s best whiskey bar also happens to be the biggest hangout for Wolverines that have made their way to Texas. As the official watch bar for University of Michigan alums, Nickel & Rye is awash in a sea of blue and maize every Saturday during football season. The best part? The bar donates 10 percent to the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan — so that Jameson Irish Mule will taste even better on game day.

Nickel & Rye, 2523 McKinney Avenue, Dallas; nickelandrye.com

Henderson Tap House

Home to the OU Club of Dallas, Henderson Tap House has more than 7,000 square feet in which to spread out and watch the game. Four different alumni watch groups call the bar home, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Arizona State. In addition to regular game-day fare like wings and onion rings, Henderson Tap House also slings gourmet pizzas like the Flying Pig, which features pulled pork, pepperoni, mozzarella, and spicy marinara.

Henderson Tap House, 2323 North Henderson Avenue, Dallas; hendersontaphouse.com

Courtesy of Henderson Tap House

Courtesy of Henderson Tap House

Scruffy Duffies

It’s easy to feel left out if you’re trying to catch the game in North Dallas. Most of the city’s buzzing sports bars are clustered in Uptown and University Park, but for northerners, try Scruffy Duffies. The bar is a favorite hangout for North Dakota State Bison fans and alums, who appreciate the inspired pub grub and creative cocktail menu. (Try the quirky Middleton Finger, a blend of Jameson Caskmates, ginger ale, lime, and bitters.)

Scruffy Duffies, 5865 Kincaid Road, Plano; harderconcepts.com/locations/scruffy-duffies/

Backyard

This open-air Deep Ellum bar draws football fanatics who appreciate a rustic, relaxed space that is a departure from your typical dingy sports bar. With more than 30 TVs and two 20-foot LED screens, the odds are good that your game of choice will be shown. Unlike other bars, Backyard is surprisingly family- and pet-friendly, packed with ping-pong, Jenga, shuffleboard, and more.

Backyard, 505 North Good Latimer Expressway; Dallas, backyarddtx.com

The Truck Yard

Describing itself as a “come-as-you-are beer garden,” the Truck Yard hosts a rotating cast of area food trucks, ranging from Easy Slider, a truck dedicated to those eponymous (and addictive) mini-sandwiches, to Guava Tree, a Cuban food truck serving lechon asado, ropa vieja, and other favorites from the island. Game day here is a casual affair, but you won’t miss any of the action — there are TVs everywhere. When the weather is nice, there are few better places for a casual football fan.

The Truck Yard, 5624 Sears Street, Dallas; texastruckyard.com

Cold Beer Company

At first glance, Deep Ellum’s Cold Beer Company looks more like a hipster-chic boîte rather than a Texas football bar, with its rustic, wood-hewn decor and gourmet hot dogs topped with mac and cheese or brisket. But on game day, the CBC, as it’s called, attracts Dallas Cowboys fans and alumni from nearby Southern Methodist University. True fans of the latter team will love the Pony Up, a mini-bottle of Miller High Life served with a shot of Jameson.

Cold Beer Company, 3600 Main Street, Dallas; coldbeerco.com

Ringo’s Pub

A British-inspired pub seems like an unlikely place for football fans, but Ringo’s, the sibling to Scruffy Duffies, pulls it off well. Yes, there are tons of old English beer signs and flags representing various soccer (ahem, the other type of football) clubs, but there are also plenty of TVs, loads of beers on draft, and abundant specials, including flights of Jameson.

Ringo’s Pub, 5865 Kincaid Road, Plano; harderconcepts.com/locations/ringos-pub/

Courtesy of Ringo’s Pub

Christies Sports Bar

There are big-screen TVs as far as the eye can see at Christies, still one of Dallas’s most-revered game-day hangouts 27 years after first opening. The bar’s known for its rowdy University of Texas and Oklahoma watch party when it brings in a 15-foot screen every year to supplement the 62 TVs that are on offer year-round. Combined with sloppy, juicy burgers, cold beer, and abundant daily shot specials, there are few better places to watch a ball game.

Christies Sports Bar, 2811 McKinney Avenue, Dallas; christiesportsbar.com

The Owner’s Box

The Omni Dallas designed its swank Owner’s Box for those looking for a more upscale game-day experience. The bar has private booths with sound isolation, more than 70 HD TVs, and a standalone 18-foot screen. You won’t miss a touchdown here — there are even TVs in the restrooms. Adding to the “they thought of it all!” vibe, the bar has an innovative icy cold strip for keeping your beer or cocktail cold while you watch the game.

The Owner’s Box, 555 South Lamar Street, Dallas, omnihotels.com/hotels/dallas/dining/restaurants-on-lamar/the-owners-box

Vernon’s Gastropub

We know what you’re thinking: Gastropub? Aren’t these supposed to be football bars? But cheeseheads will find few better places in the city to cheer on their beloved Green Bay come Sunday. Vernon’s, which gets decked out in green and gold every Sunday, also serves Wisconsin favorites like fried cheese curds and beer brats, topped with grilled onions.

Vernon’s Gastropub, 5290 Belt Line Road, Dallas, vernonsgastropub.com

Cole Giordano