If you're planning a short weekend stay in Dallas, we have you covered with this ultimate weekend guide. We've created the perfect 2-day travel itinerary to have you tasting a flavour of everything Dallas has to offer, from the hipster neighborhood of Deep Ellum to the Dallas Arts District, Uptown Dallas and more. We share all of the top things to see and do in Dallas, best restaurants and cafes to eat and more!
We recommend staying in the Deep Ellum Neighbourhood of Dallas, especially if you don't have a car while travelling as there is so much to see on foot. We LOVED it here, it felt like we'd stumbled on the most hipster area of Dallas, packed with local breweries, amazing coffee, live music, rooftop bars and the perfect selection of restaurants. The area is also within walking distance to Downtown Dallas and the Dallas Arts District.
We stayed at the Kimpton Pittman Hotel in this area, a fully renovated upscale hotel in a historic heritage-listed building. They offered free bike rentals during the day and had an amazing wine bar to kick off the evenings.
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The perfect itinerary for a weekend in Dallas, Texas:
Friday Night - Enjoy a steak dinner and drinks at Nick & Sam's Steakhouse
If you're looking for one of the best steaks in Dallas, you have to visit Nick & Sam's Steakhouse. Do not expect this to be a family restaurant it's not, it's as much a nightclub as it is a steakhouse. You'll need to pre-book and be prepared to wait at the bar for a few drinks before your table is ready, this place gets packed! If you don't want to eat in the middle of the dance floor, ensure you book your table in the quieter dining room too.
Be sure to add the truffle butter to your steak! They will showcase to your table the latest selection of steaks on offer for you to choose from. Also don't miss the sushi menu and pre-booking their signature 7 layer rainbow cake and cotton candy for dessert.
Saturday Morning - Coffee at Merit Coffee Co, Deep Ellum
Start your next morning with a coffee from Merit Coffee Co, which has to be the most popular cafe's in Deep Ellum. Be prepared to queue. If it's a sunny day we recommend taking a seat outside to enjoy your drink, where you'll often find live music playing in the outdoor arts space next door. It is also is a great central location to enjoy the feel of the neighbourhood.
Explore the Deep Ellum Neighbourhood of Dallas:
Stop to see where the first-ever Coca-Cola was bottled:
We had no idea that Coca-Cola originated in Dallas Texas. As you wander through Deep Ellum, look out for the car park pictured here with the street art on the wall. Be sure to stop and read the sign as you'll be standing in the exact location where the first-ever Coca-Cola was bottled.
Visit the Deep Ellum Outdoor Street Markets:
If you're visiting Deep Ellum on a Saturday be sure to stop by the outdoor street markets along North Crowdus, which is open from 12-pm to 6-pm every Saturday
Saturday Lunch - Have Texas Barbecue at Pecan Lodge, Deep Ellum
Given it was our first time visiting Texas, we felt like having a Texas Barbecue meal was an absolute must for this itinerary. We recommend the Pecan Lodge in the heart of Deep Ellum, this place is award-winning and known for having some of the best pit-smoked meat in Texas. On a sunny day, enjoy the outdoor garden seating. Again be prepared to queue, we waited around 40 minutes to be able to order.
Saturday Afternoon - Wander through the Dallas Arts District
After you've finished lunch walk it off with a stroll through the Dallas Arts District, around a 15 minutes walk from Deep Ellum. Choose from a wide variety of museum options to visit including the Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas Museum of Art, The Crown Museum of Asian Art and much more. Be sure to take a wander past the Arts District Mansion of the Dallas Bar Association and the stunning Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe
Take a visit to Nasher Sculpture Center and gardens
While you're in the Dallas Arts District take a visit to the Nasher Sculpture Center and gardens, open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 am to 5pm, tickets are only $10 per person. This museum is full of unique and contemporary artworks. Our highlight walking through was modern sculptures in the beautifully landscaped outdoor gardens.
Saturday Evening - Attend a Dallas Stars game at American Airlines Stadium
Being new to the United States, we wanted to experience the culture of live events during our time in Dallas. If you're looking for a sporting option close to the centre of Dallas (around 15 - 20 minutes from Deep Ellum) head to the American Airlines Stadium to watch a Dallas Stars NHL Game.
Saturday Late Night - Attend a Dallas Stars game at American Airlines Stadium
Deep Ellum seems like the place to be on a Saturday night, with rooftop bars pumping, live music everywhere and the party spilling out onto the streets. Pick a bar and have a great night out. End the night with one of the largest slices of pizza you will ever see from Serious Pizza.
If you're looking for a local drink from Texas while out, you can also look for tasting Tito's Vodka.
Sunday - Watch a Dallas Cowboys NFL Game at AT&T Stadium
For a Dallas cultural experience don't miss attending a Dallas Cowboys NFL game at AT&T Stadium. The stadium is massive, seating over 80,000 people which is something worth witnessing in itself. It makes for the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a game.
It takes around 40 minutes to 1 hour to reach the stadium via Uber and there are not a lot of public transportation options available. If driving we recommend to pre-booking a car park. If taking an Uber we recommend to finding a bar after the game to drink as it can take time to be able to book one.
Experience a VIP Tailgating party:
You can also pre-book a tailgating party before the game, another American cultural experience we felt was a must try coming from Australia where this doesn't exist. We attended the Bill Bates Tailgating Party around an hour an a half before the game started. Tickets were around $75 per person and included a full open bar, buffet meal including amazing Texas Barbecue food and a chance to meet some former Dallas Cowboys Players.
Sunday Night - Try Tex Mex food from Las Palmas, Uptown Dallas
Another must-try for a visit to Texas is Tex-Mex food. We opted to try Las Palmas in Uptown Dallas, around 10 minutes by uber from Deep Ellum. We loved their signature Fajitas, queso and crispy tacos. Also don't miss their craft cocktail menu.
We hope you enjoyed our weekend guide to Dallas, Texas. To see more of our other USA destination guides click here.
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LITTLE SHERPAs
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