It’s 5 o’clock and a $500K month somewhere.
By Brooklyn Rodgers | July 16, 2025 | 10:30 AM
There’s a surprising amount of fun in parsing alcohol sales reports- at least if you’re someone interested in the hospitality scene of your city. Why? Because alcohol sales are the single most public data point that gives regular people insight into a bar, restaurant, or venue’s profitability. And the places making the most money aren’t just serving the most people—they’re often the ones best positioned to expand, whether it’s opening new locations of their existing concept or launching something new entirely. At the end of the day, these bars and restaurants are printing money, and when has that ever not been fascinating?
Enter: Dallas Bars That Bank. Every month from May through August, I’ll be doing a (somewhat unscientific but fairly thorough) opinion-based analysis of the Top 25 Dallas Businesses by Monthly Alcohol Sales, compiled by www.alcoholsales.com, with one caveat: I’m filtering out hotels, clubs, and music venues. This is a food and drink blog, after all.
When summer’s over, we (we’re holding hands) can look back at who won the summer in alcohol sales. I’m defining summer based on peak Texas heat: May through August. Why that window? Despite claims that everyone flees Dallas in the summer (okay, maybe the Park Cities do), I’d argue this is one of the busiest times of year for normal people, second only to the winter holidays. Which makes it prime time for restaurants to capture customers- and their alcohol dollars.
As for the grand prize? Besides the free press on this blog, maybe I’ll make an award out of glitter and cardboard and leave it in the Las Palmas bathroom (I’m rooting for y’all—rooftop patio when?). It’s only July, so there’s still time to figure that out. For now, let’s dive into the first month of summer: May. Here’s who got Dallas drunk:
Disclaimer: As noted, I’ve excluded hotels, clubs, and music venues from the Top 25 list below (sourced from www.alcoholsales.com). This analysis focuses strictly on bars and restaurants.
4. Katy Trail Ice House (Dfb Capital LLC) – $1,006,611 Total Alcohol Sales May 2025
The first actual bar/restaurant on this list is the beloved Katy Trail Ice House. Cracking the Top 5 overall is impressive, considering heavyweights like Dos Equis Pavilion and the American Airlines Center dominate the rankings. But this backyard beer garden holds its own month after month. My personal contribution (summer beers and Michelob Ultras) probably helped, so I’ll gladly accept a pat on the back from whoever’s running my favorite backyard patio.
13. Javier’s -$603,079 Total Alcohol Sales May 2025
I finally made it to the maze that is Javier’s this past April, and nearly had a panic attack trying to secure a patio table for 12 as a walk-in (I did it). Javier’s has that “in-the-know” energy, which ironically, you can only feel if you’re not in the know. Their menu leans more traditional Mexican (I’m a Tex-Mex fan, personally), and while their margaritas didn’t blow me away, they did the job, which is really all a margarita has to do. With $603,079 in alcohol sales for May, Javier’s trails Ice House significantly, but considering their much smaller square footage, I’m just happy to see this iconic spot show up at all.
16. Al Biernat’s – $557,286 Total Alcohol Sales May 2025
Al Biernat’s continues to thrive after the passing of its legendary owner late last year. It’s unclear which location this liquor license is tied to, but I’d like to assume it’s the original in Oak Lawn, the only one I frequent. May’s sales suggest one thing: if you’re at Al Biernat’s, you’re drinking wine (presumably expensive wine). The only restaurant selling more wine in Dallas that month? Baby Dolls, a strip club, which, huh?
18. Catch – $542,972 Total Alcohol Sales May 2025
Say what you want about out-of-town restaurant groups, but sometimes their formulas work. Case in point: Catch. Since debuting in Dallas from its birthplace in New York City, Catch has already cracked the Top 25 in alcohol sales, bumping off everyone’s favorite other nouveau riche out-of-towner: Monarch. Maybe people got tired of paying $125 per head for window seats? I haven’t been to Catch yet, but the seafood seems to align with our omakase obsession as a landlocked city, and it’s on my list.
20. The Skellig – $526,189 Total Alcohol Sales May 2025
The Skellig gets bad press- and honestly, it earns it. The crowd is insufferable. But if you’re into suffering, like I am, you’ll still find yourself there. I’m not surprised to see it on this list: it’s one of the most popular bars in Dallas and easily the busiest spot in the slow-growing Henderson area. What I’ll be watching is whether any of its newer neighbors- Lawnie’s, Hendy’s on Henderson– manage to siphon off some of its traffic this summer. They have one key advantage the Skellig doesn’t: they don’t suck.
22. HG Sply Co – $499,021 Total Alcohol Sales May 2025
HG Sply Co lands at number 22 thanks in part to me personally- my numerous frozen Double Unders counted, I’m sure. HG is foolproof for all of the above: day drinking, people-watching, rooftop vibes, no dress code. I’ve previously listed it as one of the best places to break up in Dallas (easy exit strategy), and now I’d add it to the list of places to take out-of-towners for a rooftop hang. Liquor-heavy sales make sense here- don’t skip their clean cocktails, even if you’re mid-breakup.
23. Las Palmas – $497,051 Total Alcohol Sales May 2025
Las Palmas showing up here makes it feel like someone compiled a list of my personal favorites. My frozen swirls certainly contributed to this month’s placement- this is, without a doubt, my favorite restaurant in Dallas. Take your parents, your birthday party, your ex, or go alone on a Tuesday- you’ll be fine. Unsurprisingly, Las Palmas is liquor-heavy: beer and wine barely factor in.
24. Nick & Sam’s – $491,186 Total Alcohol Sales May 2025
Rounding out the list is Nick & Sam’s- interestingly, their alcohol sales are evenly split between wine and liquor. This long-standing Dallas institution is slowly slipping down the rankings, just barely beating out a sports club for the last spot. Maybe their new neighbor Catch’s seafood glitz is drawing customers away. Maybe they should just make the rainbow cake taller.
June’s alcohol sales report should drop soon (as of this mid-July post), and I’ll be back to break it down. Stay tuned.
Brooklyn in Dallas 