The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is home to an ever-growing list of top-shelf craft breweries. Along with worthy beer flights, these tap rooms showcase local food trucks, promote dog-friendliness and family-friendliness, and have a sense of community that’s hard to find in bars or public spaces. From tap rooms in trendy city locales to tucked away neighborhood gems, you’ll find suds for every palate. There are dozens of breweries in Dallas worth checking out, and exploring them all can easily be an ongoing journey. Here is a guide that serves as a good starting point.
False Idol Brewing
About 10 miles northeast of Fort Worth, False Idol is producing consistently high-quality Weisses, IPAs, and stouts, as well as a slew of high-APV barrel-aged selections. Always equipped with a couple dozen beers on tap, the tap room is out of the way and immediately gives you the feeling that you’ve stumbled on a hidden gem. The vibe is laidback and lively, with sports playing on the TVs, indoor and outdoor seating, and four-legged guests galore. 7924 Maplewood Ave. North Richland Hills, falseidolbrew.com
Celestial Beerworks
The Dallas beer scene can get a bit IPA-heavy. While there’s no shortage of hazies at Celestial Beerworks, these aren’t the same ales you’ve sipped a thousand times before, so grab a table in the colorful taproom and order a flight. The “IPA Day” is brewed with three hops and the hazy “Pool Shark” is particularly strong and tasty. Celestial brews a nice selection of non-alcoholic beers too. 2530 Butler St., Dallas, celestialbeerworks.com
Bear Science Sour House
Anyone who likes to nerd out on sours will love this sour-specific brewery beside the Truck Yard in the Colony. Owner, Dennis Wehrmann, grew up in breweries, has a Master’s degree specializing in the brewer’s business, and is something of a sour-brewing mad scientist. He’s serious about everything from the particular bacteria he employs for fermentation to the oak-barreling process. Go for the sours served in glass beakers, stay for the food trucks and daily live music. 5959 Grove Ln. Ste. B, The Colony, truckyard.com
Martin House
There are beer nerds who obsess over brewing particulars, and there are those who drink beer to party. The folks at Martin House in Fort Worth are a fun mix of both, known for their raging backyard bashes and famous special-release brews, like the Hot Dog Seltzer and the pizza-flavored Space Pizza. The Salty Lady is many a Texan’s go-to summer refreshment, while the brewery’s 12-15% ABV stouts will keep you toasty during the frigid winter months. In short, Martin House makes some of the Metroplex’s best beers. 220 S. Sylvania Ave, Fort Worth, martinhousebrewing.com
Three Nations Brewing
Three Nations Brewing boasts industrial-style tap rooms in Carrollton and Anna, and is all about variety. You won’t find 20 straight taps of IPAs in these joints. The Royal Blood, an ale with notes of blood orange is a local favorite, and German-style lager, Go Time, is also a hit. The seasonal and rotating beers branch out from the basics. During the holidays, the Gingerbread Ale is cozy, but not cloying, and the Mexican Chocolate Stout manages to be indulgent, without feeling heavy. 1033 Vandergriff Dr., Carrollton, 3nationsbrewing.com
Oak Highlands Brewery
Head to this spacious taproom in Richardson to enjoy local musicians on the weekends, the Brix Barbecue food truck, and an ever rotating tap selection. Oak Highlands always turns out nice German beers, like the light-bodied Kolsch-style ale AllGood and the crisp and cloudy Weizenbock DF Dub that has notes of banana and clove. 500 Lockwood Dr., Richardson, oakhighlandsbrewery.com
Pegasus City
This brewery doesn’t distribute, so if you want to taste a Pegasus City brew, you’ll have to check out its Downtown tap room, where the menu includes not just pilsners, ales, and Belgians, but a list of natural wines. Go for a beer flight, so you can sample the 12.5% Century Gold without falling over. It’s a champagne-inspired beer, dry with notes of apple. This might be the only place in Dallas where you can order a beer that tastes like champagne. 1508 Commerce St., Dallas, pegasuscitybrewery.com
903 Brewers
All the way up in Sherman, this family business has some of the most delicious beers in North Texas, including the crisp, refreshing, and aptly named American lager “The Crispy One” and the rich Scotch Ale “Kilt Switch.” Friday night Bingo brings in the regulars from around the neighborhood. And, so does “Wing Wednesday” when a pound of wings costs $12 and pairs nicely with a $9 pitcher of 903 Blonde. 221 W. Houston St. Ste. 100, Sherman, 903brewers.com
Cowtown
What makes this Fort Worth brewery stand out is that it caters not to beer snobs, but to beer drinkers who aren’t willing to part with their Budweisers and Miller Lights. In other words, you’ll find plenty of easy-drinking, yet beautifully constructed brews that even the most anti-craft beer guzzlers can’t resist. The vibe in the tap room is very Texas (you’ll see a lot of cowboy hats) and always lively. 1301 E. Belknap St., Fort Worth, cowtownbrewco.com
Westlake Brewing Company
This popular Deep Ellum brewery is worth checking out just for the Peter’s Porter, named for head brewer Peter Hemmingsen. In 2021, it won the gold in the Brown Porters category at the world’s largest annual beer competition, the Brewers Association’s Great American Beer Festival. Those who like a lighter beer still find plenty to drink at Westlake, where a wide selection of ales and lagers pair with giant soft pretzels. 2816 Commerce St., Dallas, westlakebeer.com
Odd Muse
The walls at this Farmers Branch-based brewery are adorned with the works of local artists, a local comedian hosts Wednesday trivia nights, and you might find local musicians playing, or local food trucks parked outside. In short, it’s a happening joint. The taps are ever-changing, but always include a wide selection of sours, IPAs and lagers. 4488 Spring Valley Rd., Farmers Branch, oddmusebrewing.com
Peticolas Brewing Company
It’s impossible to write about North Texas beer without mentioning Peticolas. For one thing, it’s rare to find a bar or restaurant in Dallas that isn’t offering the brewery’s Imperial Red Ale “Velvet Hammer” on the menu. For another, Peticolas rakes in the awards, with plenty of fanfare both locally and nationally. Perhaps most importantly, lawyer-turned-brewery-owner Michael Peticolas famously joined forces with two other breweries and sued the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for trampling on craft brewers’ rights. His subsequent win helped pave the way for Dallas craft breweries to thrive. Visit the brewery’s three-floor tap room, and experience all that there is to love about Peticolas. 1301 Pace St., Dallas, peticolasbrewing.com
Turning Point Beer
Head to Bedford to check out this hidden gem of a brewery, where there’s always a cool event. Hosting Trivia Nights, Open Mic Comedy Nights, art classes, and more, the tap room is a consistently good time, and the beers are innovative. Turning Point specializes in IPAs, sours, and crazy-strong stouts, like the 16.2% Blackout Brunch that’s aged in bourbon barrels and tastes like chocolatey maple syrup. 1309 Brown Trail, Bedford, turningpointbeer.com
Trinity Cider
Everyone knows this Deep Ellum cidery with the great patio and the Dominican street food menu. Because most hard ciders have a lower APV than most beers, they make for refreshing, sweet summer brew options. Even the triple-hop cider Tricerahops only comes in at 5.0%. Those who like a little spice go for Unholy Ghost! shots made of cider fermented with ghost peppers. 2721 Main St., Dallas, trinitycider.com
