The 11 best clubs in Dallas

At 40,000 square feet, Escapade 2001 Dallas offers plenty of space for dancers to spread out and groove to the beat of ranchera, cumbia, and bachata hits. This vast area includes multiple levels with bars and dance floors that allow visitors to move around until they find their perfect jam. Escapade is open from Friday to Sunday.

The world-famous Station 4, located in Dallas’ gayborhood, is an LGBTQ+ nightclub with 15 bars and 24,000 square feet of space. From Thursday to Sunday, the venue boogies down with DJ sets, light shows, and plenty of reasons to dance. Expect a packed club from the time they open until the lights come on (which is 4am on the weekends), and if you’re looking to experience what put this place on the map, don’t miss one of its iconic drag shows.

Dallas may not have a colossal cowboy culture like Fort Worth, but that doesn’t mean Dallasites don’t like to two-step now and then. Cowboys Red River is a honky-tonk club that plays the best country hits every day but Sunday. The dance floor surrounds a bar, and many line up against wooden rails with beers in hand to watch couples spinning to live bands on the club’s mainstage. For those who want to learn country dance, Cowboys Red River offers two-step and free line dancing lessons every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7pm.

Head to Uptown, one of Dallas’ sleeker nightlife neighborhoods, where Theory Nightclub is the area’s go-to hotspot. Leather booths wrap around the club and cater to VIP patrons who order bottle service, while most visitors hit up the central bar for a good cocktail. There’s minimal space here, but patrons spread out amongst the booths (and around the bar) to dance, hang out, and mingle as hip-hop and pop music keep up the party vibe.

Sue Ellen’s is the premiere lesbian nightclub of Dallas—you’re bound to get sweaty after dancing, so thankfully, there are a few bars throughout the bi-level space to grab a drink before hitting the game room or one of the patios for a rest. While some Dallas nightclubs stay open late, Sue Ellen’s opens early at 5pm on weekdays and 3pm on weekends. Sue Ellen’s is also actively involved in the neighborhood and hosts events like weekly karaoke, DJ sets, social mixers, and live bands.

From the outside, Truth & Alibi looks like a closed candy shop. But with the correct password (found on their Facebook page), an attendant will open a secret passage and send you down to the club. On the smaller side, the cozy interiors go big with ritzy chandeliers and opulent chairs to create a luxurious atmosphere. Every Thursday to Saturday, guests order specialty cocktails from the sleek bar before hitting the small dance floor to sway and shimmy to Top 40 and hip-hop hits.

Bringing basement party vibes soundtracked by jazz, reggae R&B, and more, Sandaga 813 is beloved for its live music and seemingly boundless energy. The club is only open Thursday to Sunday, but this is definitely a case of quality over quantity, with events packing the calendar. Souljazz Thursdays is a Dallas institution at this point. There is a dress code at Sandaga, but it essentially consists of ‘don’t look like a slob.’

Drive through the popular Knox/Henderson neighborhood during the day, and you might miss Candleroom entirely—however, arrive at night (on Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday), and you’re sure to notice long lines at the entrance. Wednesday is perhaps their most popular night, drawing in crowds who don’t mind dancing to hip-hop shoulder-to-shoulder in an intimate space surrounded by booths and a long bar. The luxurious decor (mirrors on the wall, candelabra sticks, and a candle-lit chandelier) creates an upscale vibe that feels unmistakably Dallas.

It’ll Do Club fulfills its reputation as the best techno club in East Dallas, especially now that it has updated its design and light displays to complement its traditional warehouse vibe. Currently open Thursday to Sunday nights, It’ll Do Club is where sneakers and laid-back clothing are welcome while jamming out to house beats is undoubtedly required.

Sleek and sophisticated, TownHouse isn’t your typical all-night endeavor. Open Thursday through Sunday, the exclusive bar claims to turn nightclubs into works of art. It goes all-out to achieve this goal with a fantastic bottle service lounge downstairs accentuated by an upstairs bar with unbeatable views of the city skyline. Get dressed up and ready to go, TownHouse awaits. 

TMC is bigger and better than ever. The LGBTQ+ club draws a diverse and friendly crowd to its dance floor, not to mention local DJs and a quotient for all-too-attractive stage dancers. Outside, take a breather on two different outdoor patios and cool down before you head back inside.