Cosmo's

Dark and eccentric with mismatched furniture, throwback art, and one of the better jukeboxes in town, Cosmo’s is a neighborhood treasure. Pizza shares menu space with GM Jackson Tran’s signature Vietnamese dishes, like bánh mì, pho, and vinegar-spiked dumplings, plus some of the best wings in Dallas. Grab a stool, request a draft beer with a whiskey chaser—or, alternatively, try one of the solid, straightforward cocktails—and lose yourself in a steaming bowl of pho while an old movie plays on the small TVs stashed behind the bar.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

At the edge of luxury-minded Lakewood, there’s an intersection that’s home to not one, but two fantastic dive bars making it easy to create your own mini pub crawl between Lakewood Landing and this joint boasting a faux fireplace, vintage furnishings, and a library filled with movies on VHS. What truly makes the brother/sister-owned Cosmo’s stand apart from the rest of the homespun pack is the chef-driven Vietnamese dishes sharing menu space with fried chicken skins and pizza by the quarter-pie (because, of course). Cocktails tilt classic with prices that veer closer to those in non-dive bars, but they’re so well made that the higher price can be forgiven—especially after a bowl of chef Tran’s oxtail pho.

Known for Vietnamese fare, friendly service, and lovably divey aesthetic, Cosmo’s also serves some of the city’s best chicken wings. Rather than dousing them in sauce, the kitchen fries the bird until delectably crunchy, seasons them with a Cajun dry rub, and serves them with a couple of dipping sauces (one’s spicy, one’s sesame-ginger-soy) on the side. The end result is savory, addictive, and a great reason to grab another ice cold beer.
How to order: Stop by for first come, first served seating or call 214-826-4200 for takeout.

It should come as no surprise that the first cocktail at the top of the Cosmo’s drink menu is a traditional Cosmopolitan, but plenty of other surprises await at this beloved, kitschy dive bar near the Lakewood neighborhood. Settle near the faux fireplace and warm your soul with an eclectic selection of food, from large create-your-own pizzas to a variety of amazing Vietnamese dishes from chef Jackson Tran. The oxtail pho’s worth traveling for, but you might need to get there early to ensure it’s still available because when they run out, they run out