5 Best Spots in Dallas for a First Date

Photo Credit: Richard Foster

First dates can be awkward whether you are a 17 year old member of the chess club or a 35 year old CEO of a blue chip corporation. You don’t want too romantic a spot but you don’t want to sit in McDonalds, either. Dallas has just the spot for you no matter what you’re looking for. Here are what we think are the 5 best spots in Dallas for a first date.

Alamo Drafthouse

Photo Credit: Alamo Drafthouse

Craft beer, geek culture, sing-alongs, meals, amazing cocktails, and movies make Alamo Drafthouse a great first date spot. It’s fun, it’s upbeat, and what’s not to like about being able to share an order of herb Parmesan and aioli fries?

Children are not allowed except during special nights, talking and cell phone use is not tolerated. In other words you romantic evening won’t be interrupted by the screams of a teething baby or someone giving their best friend a verbal play by play of the action on the screen. The seats are well padded and comfortable, plus you get a server who is attentive to your every need from fried pickles to a refill of your craft beer. Since there are four locations (Downtown, Richardson, Little Elm, and Las Colinas) you don’t have to drive for hours to get there, either.

Times Ten Cellars

Photo Credit: Times Ten

Looking for a more classically romantic evening? You can’t go wrong with wine and chocolate. Times Ten Cellars has a nice variety of wines, including local wines. There are locally crafted chocolates as well as a selection of small plates (our personal favorite is the Mediterranean assortment). If the weather is nice, and in Texas it is pretty much always nice, sit out on the patio and watch the stars come out while sipping a spicy zinfandel. If it happens to be rainy or too hot then the lounge is comfy-cozy with soft seating that’s far enough apart to allow for private conversation.

Gondola Cruise in Las Colinas

Photo Credit: Supreme Dream

Yes, it’s pretty romantic for a first date but Gondola Adventures brings all of the romance and ambiance of Venice right here to DFW with their gondola cruises on the Mandalay Canal. You can choose a basic cruise and just drift along talking and watching the sun go down or choose a dinner cruise and dine on gourmet fare, sip wine, and listen as the gondolier sings or plays romantic music. If you want to impress someone this is the way to go. It’s not a bad way to spend a 200th date, either.

Elm Fork Shooting Park

Photo Credit: Elm Fork Shooting Sports

We’d not suggested this anywhere but Texas!

Elm Fork Shooting Park is a 458 acre facility with rifle ranges, pistol ranges, skeet, trap, and dove flushes plus two sporting clay courses with clay target games. You can rent guns so there’s no need to bring your own. First timers can get lessons, too. The grounds are beautiful with large trees and a picnic area where you can compare shot patterns and discuss the benefits of a Glock over a Colt Mustang.

The Meadows Museum

Photo Credit: J Lawton Theis Architects Incorporated

For the artistically inclined the Meadows Museum is the perfect spot for a Sunday afternoon date. Every other Sunday through September you and your soon to be significant other can enjoy an afternoon of informal drawing instruction right in the museums galleries. You’ll need to bring your own materials.

It’s a great opportunity to learn something new while getting to know someone new!