Photo by Lauren Drewes Daniels
Audio By Carbonatix
By now, it’s clear that any place with a big screen will be packed with fans from the country playing. Klyde Warren Park, Happiest Hour, The FIFA Fanfest at Fair Park, Halperin Park, AT&T Discovery District and any place with a large TV qualify. Take that as a warning or an invitation.
Die-hard soccer fans will be looking for the best places to celebrate their teams. Here are the best places to watch the World Cup, per your favorite team.
We’ll continually update this list. If your restaurant or bar is going all in on one country, let us know: Lauren.Daniels@DallasObserver.com.
Argentina
Argentina 163
918 E. Harwood Road, Euless
This spot opened last year and was built for this moment. The walls are painted with Messi. It bleeds soccer. On Monday before Argentina’s first game in Dallas, the place was packed by 11 a.m. Make a reservation for the next game if you want a seat. They have authentic Milanesa and pizza if you’re interested in the food.
The Branca Room
324 W. Seventh St., Bishop Arts
This speakeasy in the Bishop Arts (behind Chimichurri) will have the game on and Fernet in hand. They have a big-screen TV and empanadas with chimichurri sauce for everyone. You’ll want to stay for the after-party too.
Austria
Jörgs Cafe Vienna
1037 E. 15th St. (Plano)
Jörg Fercher, a native Austrian, and his wife, Cathy, have been serving the spirit of the Old World in Historic Downtown Plano since 2002. Their cafe and outdoor biergarten serve an extensive selection of German, Austrian and Belgian beers with a full menu of regional comfort foods. With all the nostalgic memorabilia on the walls, it’s the perfect place to watch the Argentina vs. Austria match being held on Monday, June 22. It will likely draw a tiny but mighty local crowd who are ready to get familiar with that long list of beers. Word of advice, though, get there earlier than you think.
England
Harwood Arms
2823 McKinnon St.
Harwood Arms is one of Dallas’ quintessential British pubs. All World Cup matches will be shown at this bar, but the England vs. Croatia game on Wednesday, June 17, will have that extra zest for England fans. It will also be part of an Around the World bar crawl hosted for soccer fans by the Harwood District on Saturday, June 13. The pub will represent Great Britain among the seven other venues and show all the games that day. Get tickets to the bar crawl here, and for any England game this summer, get there early to secure a seat, but also to ensure you get your hands on the fish n’ chips.
The Londoner
5321 E Mockingbird Lane (Dallas), 5120 State Highway 121 (Colleyville) & 14930 Midway Road (Addison)
Everyone, and we mean everyone, will want to be at The Londonder to watch the World Cup in Dallas. The Addison location is a gem, but the one in Dallas is just as charming. England and the USA games will make this a hotspot for soccer fans. Due to the expected volume, a limited menu will be offered on the days the teams are playing. The atmosphere is always exciting, and if you don’t get there early enough, you may end up watching the games from the TVs outside, but it’s still a vibe.
Queen’s Head Pub
2713 Elm St.
Is it bold for the Queen’s Head Pub to be opening in Dallas right before the World Cup? Yes, but if it’s willing to take the risk, so are we. This will be a new, proper British pub in Deep Ellum. We expect there to be plenty of TVs inside to watch the game, and they just put the finishing touches on the upstairs patio, which has its own cooler and hopefully more TVs. It will be an exciting destination to watch the games when it opens, especially with the energy of Deep Ellum. Keep up with the progress on the Queen’s Head Pub Instagram.
Jaquval Gastropub & Brewery
312 W. Seventh St.
There is no single identity at this gastropub and brewery, but the setting is rugged enough to have a British-like feel when you’re inside. Jaquval is dim with a ton of wooden fixtures and memorabilia, so it can be whatever you want it to be. For the World Cup, the great house brews on tap and chef-forward plates are more than enough to set the mood and tone. Grab a seat at the bar or in the dining room for the best views of one of two sizeable TVs.
Japan
The Black Swan
1623 N. Hall St., East Dallas
The Black Swan is an East Dallas cocktail dive bar staple, and for the World Cup, co-owner Gabe Sanchez (with Japanese lineage) is hosting a pop-up for each game. You can read about each in our full story.
Harwood Tavern
333 S. Harwood St.
Harwood Tavern is the official Dallas base for Ultra Nippon fans. Asahi Ueda, who founded Ultra Nippon in 1992, announced the news on his Instagram page, stating that he wanted to create a permanent base in Dallas where Japanese soccer fans could come together to watch matches. “It would be amazing if this place becomes a real hangout spot for Japanese supporters. And on top of that,” Ueda wrote, “you’ll also be able to drink ULTRAS beer, made in collaboration with the popular local brewery Peticolas.” Harwood Tavern has plenty of TVs and the perfect sports bar atmosphere for Japanese soccer fans in Dallas. Catch the Netherlands vs. Japan game here on Sunday, June 14, and all other Japan matches this summer.
Peticolas Brewing Co.
1301 Pace St.
Beer and soccer are both passions for Michael Peticolas, the owner of Peticolas Brewing Co., and for the World Cup, he is going all out at the brewery. His prep started years ago, making three signature beers for the event: Melee In The USA, TKO in Mexico and one other that hasn’t been announced, but we believe it’s the beer in collaboration with ULTRA Nippon, the official fan club for Japanese soccer fans. The taproom has been transformed into a full photo exhibition with acclaimed sports photographs by Marcelo Guelber Goes. In the coming weeks, a massive exterior installation featuring Marcelo’s award-winning image “Ronaldo in the Rain” will be unveiled. Peticolas has plenty of beer and room for anyone tuning into the World Cup this summer.
McCall Plaza
998 E. 15th St.
On Saturday, June 13, the night before Japan plays the Netherlands, Plano will host a free event called “Japan Day,” in partnership with co-hosts ULTRA Nippon and Dallas Beer Guardians. It’s a kickoff event for Japanese soccer fans featuring Japanese musicians and DJs, a cultural exchange experience, food and drinks and a full bar for kicking off the match. Get all the details on this website. It’s a free event for everyone to attend.
Mexico
Mexican Bar Company
2405 Dallas Parkway
Mexican Bar Company is showing all the World Cup matches live in its space with more than 20 TVs, authentic Mexican food and plenty of drink specials. The owners are soccer fans and will extend the restaurant’s hours to show early and late games throughout the summer. There will be a huge watch party for the World Cup opening match, Mexico vs. South Africa, on Thursday, June 11 at 2 p.m.
Ojos Locos Sports Cantina
11382 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, 375 Rodeo Center Boulevard (Mesquite), 1620 E Copeland Road (Arlington) & 4473 Dallas Fort Worth Turnpike
Known for its 29-degree cervezas, Ojos Locos Sports Cantina has established itself as a go-to for World Cup games all summer long. It has a roster of specials every day, like $5 Mexican candy shots on Sundays, $5 off beer buckets on Fridays and $2 street tacos on Tuesdays. Each day has nearly 10 different specials. See them all here. Wall-to-wall TVs will broadcast games, and the bar will serve its popular “balón”, which is a tall soccer ball cerveza dispenser.
Tequila Social
3100 McKinnon St.
Tequila Social is among the Harwood Hospitality spots cementing themselves as World Cup watch destinations. This Katy Trail hot spot will broadcast every match, with its full menu of tacos, tequila and Texas vibes. The back patio will be especially poppin’ with plenty of large TVs, misting fans and high-energy vibes for the world’s biggest sporting event. On Saturday, June 13, it will be a part of the “Around the World” Bar Crawl that Harwood is hosting with Dallasites101. Tequila Social will represent Mexico on the day and host the official after-party from 5-7 p.m. For tickets or more information, visit Eventbrite.
USA
Stan’s Blue Note
2908 Greenville Ave.
Stan’s is Dallas oldest dive sports bar. The new owners recently updated some areas (like the bathrooms). There are more than 50 TVs across its large space. During every game, they’ll have sections of the restaurant dedicated to a specific game, so fans of those teams can congregate in one place. They’re also going to have plenty of Fernet and Diet Coke.
Christies Sports Bar
2817 Greenville Ave.
Over 60 TVs, three bars, two floors, a rooftop patio and a full kitchen? Christies is the spot, World Cup or not. The energy along this stretch of Lower Greenville will be a hub for World Cup fans this summer, so if you can’t squeeze your way in here, Stan’s Blue Note and the Dubliner are only a short walk away. It will be streaming all 104 World Cup matches this summer, and during select games, there will be food and drink specials, high-energy from fans and exciting giveaways.
Soccer Spectrum
1251 Digital Dr., Richardson
This is a soccer facility, restaurant, bar and party place all rolled into one. There are indoor bars, outdoor bars and big screens everywhere. They’re showing every game, and you can make reservations for your whole crew through their site. And word on the street is the pizza is better than it has any business being for a sports-and-entertainment complex. (They chef and pizza oven are both from Italy.)
Texas Live!
1650 E. Randol Mill Road, Arlington
Is there a more American destination to watch the USA World Cup games than Texas Live? We don’t think so. Texas Live will be streaming all the matches during the World Cup, and you can reserve tables or tickets for all of them. Certain matches have spending requirements, but the amount depends on the game being streamed. You may have to throw some elbows to get in here, but they weren’t kidding when they made the slogan here, “The only place better than the stadium.”
Electric Shuffle
2615 Elm St.
Electric Shuffle is turning itself into a watch party destination for the World Cup this year. Every match will be shown during opening hours, and whenever the England or USA teams play, it will offer $25 beer and margarita pitchers all day. On its own, Electric Shuffle is an interactive place with high-tech shuffleboard and plenty of great drink deals, and once you factor the World Cup into the mix, it will be electric. Get it?
