DRINK BEER AND LAUNCH GOLF BALLS AT BUSTED CARS AT THIS NEW FAIR PARK BAR
If you want to launch golf balls for fun within the city limits of Dallas, you can use one finger on one hand to count the applicable places. If you want to hit golf balls at busted and broken down automobiles beside a rustic beer garden with various billiards, you’re in luck — a former meat company and vacant lot were converted into a country-themed bar with a driving range by the same folks who opened Bowlounge.
Dillon McDermott and Craig Spivey took this dilapidated property near Fair Park and had a vision that this area would one day prosper under their game plan to bring fun to this neglected stretch of town. They really went out on a limb with the whole Field of Dreams line, “If you build it, they will come.” Part adult-themed park and part driving range, the Goat Ranch was thus born under their guidance.
The interior of the warehouse is scarcely decorated with a combination of beer signs and taxidermy, which is basically what every Texan wants in a bar. In the corner nearest the entrance is something you won’t find in any other barroom in town: an original Shootout Saloon bought from DFW’s own Six Flags amusement park. Next to that are a handful of arcade games and a pool table. If you feel warm and fuzzy with your date and you wanna ensure it’s not a buzz, there’s a vintage machine to test your true love for one another. If anything, this amount of excitement in one space will trigger your ADHD.
Everything at the Goat Ranch was built or welded by hand. The tables are former painter scaffolds and the urinals in the men’s bathroom are emptied kegs with two sinks situated in a Chevy hood to wash your germs. Since we know you’ll be drinking, there’s a full liquor bar and a generous 32 taps of Texas craft beer. The only TV beer you’ll notice on the menu is from Fort Worth — you can guess which one. You won’t find a kitchen here, but soon they’ll have a rotating lineup of food trucks to keep your gut in check. Regarding the killer mix of tunes playing overhead, general manager David Bazaldua said they purchased two crates of 45s and about 25 percent of them were playable. Vinyl ranging from Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash to Whitney Houston and The Cure will serenade you through the speakers.
As of now, the bar is open, with the golf course slated to be finished by summer. With all the events in Fair Park — like the State Fair, foot and bike races, and concerts at nearby Gexa — there should be plenty of business for this funky East Dallas watering hole. The only question that remains: Will there be a live goat on site? Stay tuned.
The Goat Ranch, 4000 Ash Lane, 214-293-3107