It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets... Drunk?!

It’s already freakin’ hot and there’s no doubt that summer’s on the way, so “let the games begin!” This month I thought that I’d write about DFW destinations that allow you to do more than just sit and watch sports or listen to music while you drink; this month it’s all about fun and games.

Who hasn’t played beer pong, quarters, beer hunter, the Star Trek drinking game, or Edward 40 Hands (my personal favorite).





According to Dr. Rupert Thompson, the Orator of The University of Cambridge, man has been playing drinking games for centuries, and in fact, the earliest reference to drinking games in Western literature comes from Plato's Symposium The Drinking Party written in the 5th to 4th centuries BC! The Ancients definitely knew how to throw down and we proudly carry on that tradition today!

Here in the present, Big D takes drinking games to a new level and Dallas has a considerable number of venues that allow you to drink while enjoying sports, driving, electronic, or pneumatically powered thrills. What could be more fun than that? C’mon, let’s party like Plato… Consume!

Here I’ve listed some places that run the gamut from the simple pleasures in life to extreme thrill rides. Starting on the lower key end of the spectrum we have…

The Beauty Bar - 1924 N. Henderson Ave. Dallas, TX 75206







Girls (…and guys) can drop by for a manicure and a martini, while listening to DJ-spun tunes here at the “B.B.” An extremely cool, retro interior harkens back to a simpler time when cocktail hour was a thing of “Beauty”. http://thebeautybar.com/dallas

Barcadia - 1917 N. Henderson Ave. Dallas, TX 75334









Right across the street from the beauty bar sits Barcadia, “Home of the Giant Connect 4 and Life Size Jenga, 24 beers on tap, a huge patio, HD Sports, killer bar food, vintage arcade games (like Asteroids, Joust, and Galaxa), and Skeeball”! A great place to play and watch the traffic pass by, on Henderson. http://www.barcadiadallas.com/

Speed Zone







11130 Malibu Dr. Dallas, TX 75229 – Who says drinking and driving don’t go well together? Well… OK, most people say that, and they would be right, but the gang over at Speed Zone (the old Malibu Grand Prix for us old-timers) have a different opinion. Get yer drink on and go race one of their dragsters or go-karts! And if you’re up to it, try one of the extreme thrill rides, play some miniature golf, or some video games. http://www.speedzone.com/

Billiards Den – 580 W. Arapaho Rd. Suite 136 Richardson, TX 75080





This large club, just West of I-75 on Arapaho, in Richardson, has 23 pool tables, a 10-foot Snooker table, 8 dart boards, video games, poker tables, board games, lotsa of TVs, and even a Ping Pong table! League pool and darts, and tournaments abound here, and they have a full bar with a decent kitchen. http://www.thebilliardden.com/

Whirly Ball – 147 E. Harwood Rd. Hurst, TX 76054

What the hell is Whirly Ball? Imagine a cross between basketball and lacrosse… with bumper cars… and beer. Originally on NW Hwy., this hell-on-wheels fun-fest has relocated to a new facility in the Mid-Cities. While it can be a bit pricy (check out their website for details), it’s great for bigger groups and team-building meetings. They also have laser tag. A location is now open in Plano too. http://www.whirlyballdallas.com/

The Main Event





With locations in Grapevine, Plano, Frisco, Lewisville, and Ft. Worth, a Main Event is near almost everyone in the Metroplex. Bowling, billiards, laser tag, an arcade, Glow Golf, and rock climbing, mean that almost everyone can find something to keep them sousefully entertained as well. http://www.maineventusa.com/

300 Dallas – 3805 Belt Line Rd. Addison, TX 75001







“Bowling With a Twist” A light and video show play while you’re bowling on one of their 36 lanes, and add a cool, modern element of distraction, making strikes and spares more sparse. They also have a six-lane suite for private parties. Six professional-sized billiards tables, big screen TV’s, and a full-service bar add to a slightly more classy ambience than some of the other destinations on this list. http://www.threehundred.com/

Dave and Busters





Dallas, Arlington, and Frisco locations make getting to a D&B’s a piece of cake. Play games, win tickets, and trade them for prizes. Funky interiors and copious amounts of games including billiards, shuffleboard, Super Shot Basketball, Skeeball, Golden Tee, and many, many more are waiting for you! Food and game packages are available. http://www.daveandbusters.com/

While there have been rumors floating around that Six Flags over Texas is considering selling beer, it hasn’t happened yet, but for those who want to experience the drunken thrill of the 70 mph, 200 foot, 180 degree inversion loop on Mr. Freeze, we’ll keep crossing our fingers.



Beer-y-Go-Round

 























Get out and enjoy some food and drinks in an atmosphere of fun and frivolity; exercise your body and mind while intoxicating your body and mind, but most of all, have fun! However, if you do find yourself stuck at home, unable to join the festivities at one of these havens of libatious fun, here’s a link to a huge list of drinking games, to help pass the time safely at home… http://www.webtender.com/handbook/games.










Party on Wayne… car comin’!