The Essential Dallas-Area Breweries

Thanks to an abundance of top-flight breweries that call North Texas home, there's no shortage of frothy options. Narrowing those down to one short list wasn’t easy. So, forgive us if we missed a few. But these spots made it for a reason, namely great beer in a fun space. Scout out your target brewery and then head on over for a flight of locally brewed suds.

Celestial Beerworks

2530 Butler St.

With a focus on “hop-forward, approachable yet complex” beer options, Celestial Beerworks offers perhaps the most unique brewery experience of any on the list. The Celestial brand celebrates the arts, science and space — and its one-of-a-kind taproom is a testament to that. So is the beer selection. At Celestial, you can immerse yourself in a tall glass of Hazy Cosmic Jive, Chaotic Orbit or Andromeda. And if the atmosphere and brew names aren't enough to send you to space, the beers just might be (many of the beers at Celestial range from 7% to 10% ABV).

Community Beer Co.

3110 Commonwealth Drive

Community Beer Co.'s yeast is cultivated in-house with a top-of-the-line custom yeast propagation system that paves the way for an array of rich yeast strains. This allows the layering of complex flavoring and depth found throughout all of Community’s offerings. The menu includes eight core brews (including the highly popular Mosaic IPA), seasonal, small-batch, limited and nonalcoholic selections. The food is legit, too. Community offers a robust brunch on Sundays when you can find smoked salmon flatbreads, giant German pretzels, wagyu smash burgers and mammoth bowls filled with house-made buttermilk biscuits and Ascension coffee-infused gravy with sausage (or chorizo), then topped with a fried pasture-raised egg.

Four Corners Brewing Company

1311 S. Ervay St.

Starting with a small batch brewed over a kitchen stove and fermented in a bathtub — then upscaling the operation to a home garage — award-winning Four Corners Brewing has come a long way. With close to 20 beers to choose from, such as the Spicy Chela (a lime jalapeño lager), Mango Fresca, Sandia Fresca (watermelon ale), Notorious O.A.T. oatmeal stout and the house staple, Local Buzz (honey rye golden ale), Four Corners is a beer connoisseur’s dream. If you're looking for a fun time on a weeknight, go play loteria on Thursday night.

Lakewood Brewing Co.

2302 Executive Drive, Garland

After selling its first keg in 2012, Lakewood Brewing Co. has blossomed into a Dallas-area stalwart. You can find the Lakewood brand all over town, from grocery stores to bars and restaurants. The brewery in Garland offers an immersive experience where you can taste test everything the brand offers. The Lakewood lager and IPA are well-known local brews. When the weather turns cooler (which, supposedly, it will every year) go for the Pumpkin Spice Latte Temptress and S’mores Temptress, which both clock in at a stout 9.1% ABV. If you're partial to taking your kids with you to the brewery, Lakewood is your Huckleberry.

Oak Cliff Brewing Co.

1300 S. Polk St., No. 222

Five years ago, Oak Cliff Brewing opened in historic Tyler Station, a small retail space in Oak Cliff. Since then, this brewing outfit has taken off and soared. This 30-barrel brewery has a taproom with an ever-evolving and rotating set of taps that Oak Cliff Brewery views as their “playground.” The Black Lager, a German-style Schwarzbier that’s as refreshing as it is crisp, is arguably the headliner. But don’t stop there — like we said, there’s a playground of suds to swim in at OCB.

Outfit Brewing

7135 John W. Carpenter Freeway

For head brewer Jordan Young, it all started as a hobby, something he did in his garage so he could hook up friends and family with sudsy new concoctions he was tinkering with. Then, he realized he was pretty damn good at it. Now Young leads the charge for Outfit Brewing, where you can find glasses of Milky McStoutface (a milk stout aged on cocoa nips with tones of coffee and chocolate), Hoppy Longstockings (a West Coast-style IPA) and one of the most potent pound-for-pound beers you’ll find anywhere — a Russian Imperial called Barrel Tricks that checks in at an earth-moving 13% ABV.

Peticolas Brewing Company

1301 Pace St.

Located in Dallas’ Design District, Peticolas promises to “deliver you world-class passion in a glass.” There's a deep roster of beers — 26 that we counted, with another 14 former limited-release lines set to return. The Sure Bet Dreamsicle hefeweizen, with notes of orange, tangerine and vanilla, is the perfect summer beer. And many of us are already acquainted with Peticolas’ Velvet Hammer, an imperial red ale that’s dark and deeply rich. But go slow with them because they pack a 9%-ABV punch.

White Rock Alehouse

7331 Gaston Ave., No. 100

Located in one of the most picturesque areas of Dallas (hence the brewery’s name), White Rock Alehouse showcases 10 house beers crafted by award-winning brewer Blake Morrison along with a host of other brews from local and national breweries. The biggest seller, the Big Thicket, is Morrison’s take on a classic blond ale. Another to try (or just try them all) is the award-winning IPO IPA, a hazy, New England-style IPA. Then head out to the expansive patio to take it all in.

Turning Point

1309 Brown Trail, Bedford

Yes, Bedford. Don't hang up, hear us out. Since 2018, Turning Point has aimed to introduce underrepresented beer styles to North Texas. It has since made its mark with a flagship line of New England IPAs that has earned the brewery a loyal following from fellow brewers and imbibers. The cavernous taproom, which includes an expansive brewing system, boasts more than 50 beers on tap, showcasing diverse offerings, including hazy styles, sours and stouts.

Autonomous Society Brew Pub

1928 S. Akard St.

This neighborhood craft beer destination in the Cedars is in a 1940s building with a big taproom and outdoor patio with plenty of TVs for all the sports. The house line at Autonomous is Deanitude, the work of owner and certified cicerone Dean Weaver, who spent two years in Germany while in the Army in the late '80s, spurring a lifelong interest in craft beer. You can find about two dozen house beers plus a collection of other local "guest" beers, a true celebration of some of Dallas' best beer. There's a menu with some light bites and big bites, including a beer-candied BLT.

Oak Highlands Brewery

10484 Brockwood Road

In February, the United States Beer Tasting Championship held its annual winter competition. Oak Highlands Brewery walked away with five awards. Since 2016, it has placed 40 times in USBTC competitions. Is that good? Our sources say, yeah, that’s pretty damn good. OHB’s pup-friendly taproom has a 20-beer lineup of core brews, seasonals and small-batch features. The Vanilla Porter was a USBTC award-winner, and the Summer Shandy and What Limes with Cucumber are both elite choices with summer arriving. If you’re looking for something stouter, try the DFDub, a German dark wheat-style ale with heavy banana and clove aromas. There’s also pickleball, bingo (on Thursdays) and disco golf nights.