A Guide to Dallas’ Trendiest Neighbourhood, Deep Ellum

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the second largest airport in the USA. If you’re in Dallas for a layover, you could easily spend your time checking out the airport itself. However, if you have longer than 8 hours until your connecting flight, it takes an hour on public transport (Orange line) and roughly 25 minutes by car into the city and is well worth heading out to explore.

My partner and I stopped over in Dallas on our way home from Chicago to London. We had just under 24 hours to explore; we arrived around 11pm and flew out at 6pm. After a long day of travelling and being the early birds that we are, we decided the best way to maximise our time in Dallas would be to head straight to our hotel from the airport and get up early the following morning.

If You’re a Sports Fan

To reach our hotel from the airport, we hired a car. When I say car, I mean pick-up truck. We were, after all, in Texas! Waking early in the morning, our first stop of the day was the AT&T stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys and one of the largest stadiums in the USA. The stadium offers self-guided tours, available Friday to Sunday – speak to your Travel Concierge who can help you book this. Even just walking around the outside of the stadium, it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer size of it.

If You Love Good Coffee

Being limited on time, we decided to focus on one area of Dallas to explore. We drove into Deep Ellum, one of Dallas’ trendiest neighbourhoods. We stopped for coffee at Merit, a bright, open and inviting space with a friendly atmosphere. The coffee was incredible, in fact, so good, we bought some beans to take home. I had a drip filter which came with free refills and it was very much appreciated after our early start.

If You’re Into Arts & Culture

Since 1873, Deep Ellum has been known as the arts district in Dallas. In recent years, the 42 Murals Project was set up to provide an opportunity for local artists to showcase their talent whilst keeping the community alive by providing visitors with free public art. You can find the Deep Ellum murals on Main and Elm Street. We spent a little while exploring the street art and visiting little boutiques. Among my favourites were Jade & Clover, Petal Pushers and The Candle Bar. I wanted to take a candle home but as we only had hand luggage, it had to be under 100ml, yes, candles are classed as a liquid, who knew! If you’re in town on a Saturday and it happens to be the 3rd Saturday of the month, The Deep Ellum Outdoor Market takes place, hosting a range of local arts and craft stalls.

If You Want a Few Drinks

Walking around Dallas is thirsty work. It’s the kind of heat that calls for a beer. Luckily there are several options to choose from. If you’re in the mood for a rooftop bar, try Harlowe MXM or for cocktails try Ebb & Flow. We love a craft brewery and chose to visit Deep Ellum Brewing Company. The taproom and brewery is situated on St. Louis Street, a short walk from Main Street. It has a great atmosphere with live music, a beer garden and a wide range of craft beers - what’s not to love?!

If You’re Feeling Hungry

As the final stop before making our way back to the airport, we went to Pecan Lodge. Because no trip to Texas is complete without BBQ food. Pecan Lodge is an award-winning BBQ restaurant. With a queue out the door, we waited for about 40 minutes to get our food. Fortunately, we had allowed enough time and being from London, queuing didn’t really phase us. The whole experience was worth the wait. My partner had a ‘Two Meat Plate’; brisket, pulled pork and a side of ‘Mac ‘n Cheese’. I had ‘The Hot Mess’; a jumbo sea salt-crusted sweet potato, brisket and chipotle cream. They did not hold back on their portion sizes, so when you’re feeling extremely hangry at the end of the queue, remember not to over order.

If You Love a Museum

If you have time, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is an exhibit which explores the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The museum is located on the sixth floor of Dealey Plaza and is where a sniper’s perch and rifle were found after the assassination of President Kennedy. The exhibition takes around 90 minutes to complete and makes for a fascinating experience.