Cedar Springs Road in Oak Lawn is Dallas’s LGBTQ+ district, and it has been since the 1970s. The half-mile stretch between Oak Lawn Avenue and Wycliff Avenue — known locally as The Strip — packs more bars, restaurants, and community institutions into a walkable corridor than any comparable neighborhood in the American South. It earned official state recognition as an LGBT neighborhood in 2018, the first in Texas. During the World Cup, when visitors arrive from countries where LGBTQ+ life ranges from restricted to illegal, Cedar Springs is the kind of neighborhood that reminds people what a city can choose to be. Everyone is welcome here. That is not a slogan. It is the operating condition of the place.
Oak Lawn sits about two miles northwest of downtown Dallas, just west of Uptown. The McKinney Avenue Trolley connects it to the Uptown hotel corridor. Rideshare runs constantly on weekends. Most of the action is concentrated enough that once you park, you walk everywhere. Bars in Texas close at 2 a.m. The scene picks up around 9 or 10 p.m. and runs hard until last call.
WHERE TO EAT
Lucky’s Cafe at 3531 Oak Lawn Avenue is the neighborhood’s all-day diner and one of the most reliably good breakfasts in Dallas. The ’50s-style room runs locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients through a menu of classic diner food done correctly: chicken-fried steak, chicken-fried chicken, hot cornbread, mashed potatoes with skins, and brunch all day on weekends. The Sunday crowd is loyal enough to wait. Open daily 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Phone: (214) 522-3500.
Hunky’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers at 3930 Cedar Springs Road is the burger institution on The Strip — old-fashioned burgers, all-beef hot dogs, house-made onion rings, patty melts, and milkshakes in a comfortable booth setting. The strawberry cake is a neighborhood fixture. Open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (10 p.m. Friday and Saturday).
Street’s Fine Chicken at 3857 Cedar Springs Road is a Southern comfort food concept — French-fried chicken brined for over 24 hours with Herbs de Provence, pimento fritters, deviled eggs, mac and brie cheese, garlic green beans, and the fruity pebbles ice cream sandwich that people come back for specifically. A little more refined than your standard fried chicken house and priced for the neighborhood. We reviewed it here. Open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Phone: (469) 917-7140.
Nuri Steakhouse at 2401 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 120 is the East-meets-West steakhouse from founder Wan Kim — a Korean-American restaurateur who built the concept around the belief that food is a celebration of cultural exchange. The kitchen is led by Michelin Guide-recognized Chef Minji Kim from South Korea alongside executive chef Mario Hernandez, whose background runs through New Orleans. The result is a steakhouse that earns its Wagyu credentials while doing things with Korean banchan side dishes and New Orleans-inflected preparations that no other steakhouse on this street attempts. It was named one of the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants. We reviewed it here. Open daily 5 to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. Friday and Saturday). Phone: (214) 888-0888.
Little Ruby’s at 2305 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 150 at 23Springs is the Australian-inspired all-day café that opened in February 2026 — the first U.S. location outside New York for the Wish You Were Here Group, which has been running the original on the Lower East Side for over 20 years. The room has red travertine floors, a custom cowhide wall installation by Texas artist Kyle Bunting, and a 950-square-foot patio overlooking 23Springs Park. Everything is made in-house including the pasta and salad dressings. The Bronte Burger, the Spicy Vodka Pasta, and the Ricotta Hotcakes are the standout orders. Open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Phone: (945) 468-2966.
Parigi at 3311 Oak Lawn Avenue is Chef Janice Provost’s Oak Lawn bistro — French-inspired, farm-to-table, and quietly celebrating more than 30 years on this street. Provost started here as a culinary student and ended up buying the place. The menu rotates with the seasons and the local farm partnerships with French technique. The Glob — a warm chocolate dessert served with ice cream that lands somewhere between molten cake and dense brownie — is non-negotiable. Come for dinner Monday through Saturday, or for weekend brunch Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday brunch only 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (dinner closed Sunday). We reviewed it here. Phone: (214) 521-0295.
Al Biernat’s at 4217 Oak Lawn Avenue is the most upscale dining option in the Oak Lawn corridor — the premier Dallas steakhouse since 1998, with Wagyu steaks, a seafood raw bar, and a room where Al Biernat still works the floor and knows most of the faces. Open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations on OpenTable. Phone: (214) 219-2201.
THE STRIP: BARS AND NIGHTLIFE
JR’s Bar & Grill at 3923 Cedar Springs Road has been the neighborhood’s gathering place since 1979 — part of the Caven Enterprises employee-owned group that has anchored Cedar Springs for decades. Two levels, a patio balcony with views of the entire strip, a kitchen running through midday, and the best spot on the strip for RuPaul’s Drag Race watch parties. Happy hour daily, themed nights throughout the week. Open Monday noon to 1 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday noon to 1 a.m. Phone: (214) 528-1004.
The Round-Up Saloon at 3912 Cedar Springs Road has been the country-western gay bar in Dallas since 1980 — voted the Best Damn Gay Bar in the United States by Instinct Magazine. Six separate bars under one roof. Free line dance lessons Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Karaoke six nights a week. The wooden dance floor is one of the best in Texas. Open Monday through Friday 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 2 a.m. Phone: (214) 522-9611.
Station 4 (S4) at 3911 Cedar Springs Road is the mega-club at The Crossroads — 24,000 to 29,000 square feet of dance floor, multiple bars, enormous patio, thundering sound system. Admission includes access to the Rose Room upstairs. Open Wednesday 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., Thursday through Sunday 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Phone: (214) 526-7171.
The Rose Room at 3911 Cedar Springs Road, second floor, is the most celebrated drag venue in the American South — producing shows inside what was then Village Station since 1986. Shows run Thursday through Sunday starting at 11 p.m., with a second show at 12:30 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Get there early. Open Thursday through Sunday 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Phone: (214) 526-7171.
Woody’s at 4011 Cedar Springs Road is the Cedar Springs sports bar — 28 screens, pool tables, a patio, and daily entertainment from karaoke to themed nights. Happy hour runs until 8 p.m. every day. For World Cup viewing on The Strip, this is the right answer. Open Monday through Thursday 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday through Sunday noon to 2 a.m. Phone: (214) 520-6629.
Sue Ellen’s at 3014 Throckmorton Street is Texas’s oldest lesbian bar — open since January 19, 1989, named after Sue Ellen Ewing of the Dallas TV series. Two floors with live music, dancing, karaoke, and a diverse crowd. One of fewer than 25 lesbian bars remaining in the entire United States. Phone: (214) 559-0707.
Alexandre’s at 4026 Cedar Springs Road is the neighborhood’s piano bar and live music venue — a slightly older, cocktail-focused crowd and the refined counterpoint to the dance clubs. Live performers throughout the week, strong drinks. Open daily.
The Tipsy Alchemist at 2101 Cedar Springs Road, Suite R125 in Rosewood Court is the award-winning cocktail lounge that has built its reputation on elevated drinks through science, art, and technique — smoke, vapor effects, fire displays, and handcrafted cocktails that are as much theater as they are liquid. Two levels with indoor and outdoor seating, a dress code, and a $30 minimum inside. Open Tuesday through Saturday 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. Phone: (214) 600-8913.
GETTING THERE
Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs are about two miles northwest of downtown Dallas. The McKinney Avenue Trolley connects the southern edge of Oak Lawn to Uptown and downtown — free, daily. Street parking is available throughout the neighborhood; paid lots on Throckmorton and Cedar Springs. Rideshare runs constantly on weekend nights. The bars on Cedar Springs are LGBTQ+-owned and operated, most have been here for decades, and all follow Texas’s 2 a.m. last call. Dallas Pride in Oak Lawn takes place Sunday, September 20, 2026, with a week of events leading up to it.
