Best Places To Eat Before The Game In DFW
If you are looking for a bite to eat before a game in DFW, your best bet is in one of two areas. For a Cowboys or Rangers game, there are a variety of choices in the surrounding Arlington area. Before a Mavericks or Stars game, there are plenty of options right by the American Airlines Center in the Victory Park area. Whether you're looking for dinner or just a drink and an appetizer, here are some of the best places to eat before a game.
Birraporetti's
668 Lincoln Square
Arlington, TX 76011
(817) 265-0555
www.birraporettis.webs.com
Birraporetti's is an Arlington staple and has been for over 40 years. You will find pizza, pasta and sandwiches on its Italian menu. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, select bottles of wine are half off, which makes it convenient to share one with your spouse or friends before a weeknight Rangers game. If you live in the Arlington area, you can also avoid the restaurant crowds altogether and enjoy dinner at home before the game. Take advantage of Birraporetti's online ordering. Just visit birraporettis.webs.com to place an order for delivery before 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Olenjack's Grille
770 Road to Six Flags E., Suite 100
Arlington, TX 76011
(817) 226-2600
www.olenjacksgrille.com
Olenjack's Grille offers a more upscale dining option with items like wild mushroom pappardelle and jalapeno cream soup. The cuisine is home-cooking with a twist. It has drinks too of course, from beer on draft to a list of signature martinis. When looking for a special night out in Arlington, this is the place people go, but it welcomes sports fans too. Anyone who comes in their Rangers gear on game day receives $2 domestic draft specials and half-price appetizers.
Related: Best Food Trucks In DFW
J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill
400 E. Abram
Arlington, TX 76010
(817) 274-8561
www.jgilligans.com
If you are looking for some typical bar food to get in the mood for a game, J. Gilligan's has exactly that. It serves more than beer too with drinks like Coronitas, margaritas with a little bottle of Corona stuck in it. It's good for groups because of the variety of bar spaces divvied up over a few rooms. The best part is that is has a Cowboys game shuttle for $7 per person. You have to fit a lot of people in your car before coming close to the price of parking at a Cowboys game, so it's definitely worth it.
Luna de Noche
2300 Victory Park Lane
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 420-3050
www.lunadenochetexmex.com
Luna de Noche is a Tex-Mex grill located a few blocks from American Airlines Center. It isn't always as busy as closer restaurants before a game, but is still not a long walk to the action. The menu offers all the Tex-Mex favorites including nachos, enchiladas and fajitas. Keep in mind that the Victory Park location is closed on Sundays though.
Victory Tavern
2501 North Houston St.
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 432-1900
www.victorytavern.com
The cuisine at Victory Tavern is more like that of a steakhouse than a tavern. The atmosphere though, is more laid back, especially on a game night. A bonus for eating at Victory Tavern before a Mavericks or Stars game is that you can valet park for $10, enjoy your meal and pick up your car after the game. It's better than the price of traditional game parking and closer than most too.
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Emilie DesJardins currently works in Dallas television and worked with KRLD Restaurant Week for several years before that. She is always trying new places around the Metroplex to find the best food and unique things to do. See her work at Examiner.com.
