What a great find! I just discovered this bar last night, and I will definitely be back. I was being indecisive about what I wanted to drink, and the bartender was not put out at all - after a couple of quick questions he mixed up a vanilla/pecan-infused whiskey drink that hit the spot. The old fashioned my husband got was also really good. We sat out back on the patio and could hear live music from next door - what a great time!
Review Source:Black Swan is hands down my favorite bar in Deep Ellum and one of my favorite bars in all of Dallas. Nearly every visit to Deep Ellum for me includes at least a stop at Black Swan. The patio out back is my version of the ideal urban Texas backyard.
Once you can find the sign-less, hidden front door (its' directly across from Trees on Elm), you're welcomed by a crisp little saloon with friendly staff. The interior is fairly small with limited seating along the bar with a small stage in the front corner. Out back is a pretty spacious patio that may possibly be bigger than the interior. Their in-house infused vodkas are something to write home about. You can actually see the vodka containers with the fruit behind the bar.
Black Swan is the perfect combination of a non-pretentious bar with friendly bartenders who shake your hand, great drinks, and a great space. Be sure to check out the mooning Mona Lisa in the men's restroom!
I just love me some Black Swan. Easy, laid back, low key... it's Deep Ellum at its finest.The staff is spectacular, talented, and beyond attentive and the drinks... oh those drinks. So yummy. Especially their infused vodkas that are made in-house.
This place is unmarked and shady as hell from the outside. But once you've been, you will know that it's homey and easy and you'll never miss the black tinted door again. The patio is awesome and they have TVs for games if you're into it.
Deep Ellum is back and Black Swan Saloon is the embodiment of why.
You will never see this place unless you are looking for it. No signs on the outside of the building, tinted storefront, and Eddie guarding the door. To say its low key would be fitting but during the weekend why would there be a line?
Well several reasons, but the biggest is the staff. Their drinks aren't just good, or great; they are spectacular and everyone behind the bar is friendly and hardworking. Â
I know, calm down: I understand that you're in shock that there are "friendly" bartenders in Deep Ellum but there is a reason why over half the people reviewing this bar know Gabe by name. Do you find that at any other bar? I think not.
This pretty boy is a smartass with a good sense of humor but will shake your hand, wipe down where you are sitting, and talk over your drink all with a smile. Not just that but he is an amazing "mixologist" which is an overused term for someone that studies drinks and doesn't stop learning once they understand a Long Island Iced Tea. Once again something that is rare in Ellum but Mr. Sanchez truly is a craftsman of beverages.
Atmosphere: Super relaxed bar that keeps the low key vibe inside the doors and out to the patio. You'll hear a eclectic mix from jazz to rock being played while there are sports played on the four large TVs. Framed concert art and a large picture of Clint Eastwood decorate the walls along with the shirts for sale that are parodies of the Nets, Black Flag, and Mr. Eastwood himself. Most of these actually go unnoticed because the vibe is primed for conversation and so you see everyone talking and not blankly paying attention to the entertainment.
Drinks: I'm not too manly to enjoy fruits in my drinks and if you are then you've never had one of the infused beverages at the Swan. A plethora of different flavors are available and if you can't decide ask for a surprise and you won't be let down. Get something exotic or grab one of a HUGE selection of canned beer and just enjoy that you're not at a metal haven or at a bar full of pretentious asshats.
Overall: I'm gonna say it, this is my favorite bar not just in Deep Ellum, or Dallas, but anywhere. The drinks are amazing, the staff is outstanding, and the atmosphere is a pleasant change that allows you to relax and still have fun. Seek this place out.
I went here with my girlfriend after a concert at Trees. It was packed, took a while to get a drink but as they say, "nothing good comes easy". There is a reason why its packed. The drinks are great! between The great concert at trees and the after drinks here, I will be back. I bought a T-shirt too!
Review Source:The BLUEBERRY infused vodka is mos definitely *item9
There are no signs on the outside, so just know, it's directly across the street from TREES (the intimate concert venue, not 'Mother Nature.')
Its much smaller than you would expect.
I'm very anti-narrow-bar. Its extremely annoying to have people "slide past you" all night. "Lemme slide past you real quick." No! Stand still.
With all that said. I'm glad they're in the neighborhood.
The bartenders are hospitable and the crowd is strangely attractive.
It's borderline annoying. You want to almost ask yourself, "where's the diversity?"
It is what it is, and whatever it is, it attracts attractive folks. Get in where you fit in.
*So I left and went to the It'll Do.
Music: 7
Service: 10
Cleanliness: 9
Aesthetics: 6
Atmosphere: 8
Comparative: 8
OVERALL: 8 (B-)
There is a reason that everyone slathers praise onto Gabe. He is an amazing bartender, and a really nice guy. I've only been in a few times, but each time, and despite teeming crowds of patrons, he's figured out how to serve everyone in the bar their own custom cocktail. Not only are his mixology skills second to none, but he actually cares whether you like the drink he made for you. Gabe is like a grand master sushi chef, watching your eating tempo to adjust your nigiri size so that you and your friends can finish each piece together. He's not actually making smaller drinks for people who drink more slowly - so the analogy falls apart there, but the point is he does what he can to make sure no one has an empty glass, or want for a different drink (unless it's your next one).
Review Source:Love this place! It's definitely refreshing to go to a bar in Dallas that's just a bar...no food here, bring on the infused liquor. From the vanilla pecan whiskey to the blueberry vodka it does not get much better than this. Both drinks I got there were awesome, the Bloody Mary with their house infused vodka was deliciously spicy, and the old fashioned with the mole bitters was like nothing I've had before. Def check it out next time your in deep Ellum.
Review Source:Probably my favorite bar in Dallas. I almost want to write a bad review so that this place doesn't get too popular and crowded, thus losing it's appeal. But, I can't. It's amazing. Good location, cool atmosphere, and the drinks are unreal. Just tell Gabe your favorite liquor and he'll create a masterpiece in a glass
Review Source:Aww, crazy that Sean A's review is the first one on the page I just saw. Â : ( Â I agree that it's the best bar in Deep Ellum. Â I basically love most of the bars in the area, and all for completely different reasons. Â Black Swan is sort of that neighborhood bar at times, but then not. Â Like on the weekends this bar is at capacity most times, which is good for them, but sucky when you want to go. Â Mostly I enjoy coming on Sundays to watch football when you can still find a seat, and say hi to your buds hanging out. Â I finally caught one of the shrimp boils, and that was great! Â $20 all you can eat. Â And the regulars like to bring snacks in and share, which is just cool. Â Tell Gabe what you are feeling and he'll whip you up something to drink. Â And the Jameson/pickle juice is now even better as Jameson/ginger beer. Â Ahhhh so good. Â I just really cannot say enough good things about this bar, and about Gabe. Â There's a reason he and the bar have so many local awards.
Review Source:This is a cool little joint and the Bar Tenders have got mixology down.
I've brought friends with me on a few different occasions and the feed back is always the same " great drinks" Â If you are not sure what your flavor is these guys will take a minute to help you figure out what type of drink you will enjoy. The Drinks always taste fresh and are served with smiles and pride, the staff is very informative and extremely nice. The Swan can get pretty busy on the weekends and it's pretty much all standing except for the bar.
Black Swan is easily one of the top five bars in Dallas. It has this amazing speakeasy vibe, from the lack of signage out front to the narrow layout to the off-duty cop watching the door (who's also pretty cool, he stopped me from putting quarters in the meter once when I didn't have to). Gabe is a genius when it comes to mixology and just an all-around badass. He's like an alchemist of sweet sweet booze, prescribing it like some magical nectar you'll find nowhere else in town. Try the extra-spicy pineapple--my favorite. Don't know exactly what's in it, don't care, just get me another. Generally a minimum of like a half-dozen different spirits infusing on the shelves, like a pecan bourbon or a "wtf is in that jar?" for you to ponder.
Review Source:I was looking forward to hand-crafted cocktails...but I was sorely disappointed.. maybe I'm spoiled with LAs cocktail craze over the past few years..and Dallas hasn't figured it out yet...like many other things. Â I was referred to Black Swan for the sole reason to have great cocktails...and I was totally turned off the minute I saw that the bartender was adding "a splash" of club soda. Â I haven't had a cocktail topped off with anything in a few years. Â So I asked the bartender why and he basically said he was filling up the glass because he didn't want to serve me a drink in a plastic cup...I guess that was a plus, but if you're going for a mixologist/hand-crafted cocktails...you should be serving cocktails in the appropriate glasses...and ice. Â Maybe I was looking/asking for too much...but nonetheless, I was disappointed. Â Try again, Deep Ellum.
Review Source:This is by far my favorite place to get a cocktail in Texas! I've been spoiled with talented mixologist friends back in Colorado and when I moved here I hunted for that perfect place that offered the same. With the Black Swan you have that. Each cocktail is hand crafted by a talented mixologist and I was lucky that Gabe was making mine. I loved my Hemingway! I also experimented with the watermelon vodka that is infused in house and asked Gabe to make my favorite summer cocktail, Watermelon Vodka Cooler. Â The ambiance is also what led me to this establishment and enhances the cocktails.
Review Source:Nothing fabulous about the place itself, small, dark, bluesy music, stepped in at 11.00pm for the final drink of the tour. Â Hello I'm gabe what can I get you (and its all about Gabe), A Last Word said I - no hesitation and perfect it was to.
No sign outdoors just a beefy looking very pleasant guard. Â Love the Clint Poster Over the Bar.
The bartender must be a really great guy, because this is the most over-rated place on Yelp. Â The place was marinated in some sort of cleanser - it smelled like a hospital, only much stronger. Â We could hardly breathe in there - not sure how anyone could taste their drinks. Â Also very little usable space in the place - some seats at the bar and that's it. Â We walked in and walked out, so I can't comment on the cocktails. Â Wasted trip to Deep Smellum for this hole.
Review Source:One word - Awesome
Gabe is not only a really good guy but an outstanding bartender. Â You tell him what kind of flavors you like and he does the rest...let him surprise you.
Black Swan plays either Jazz or Blues...which is a welcome difference compared to many other 'loud' bars that I'm used to going to. Â Great ambiance but just as important...the place was really clean. Â You can tell that this man cares about not only his liquor/drinks but about everything in his place.
Loved it.
Found this bar with one of my meetup groups and it is truly a gem! When you first walk in the ambiance is that of a cigar lounge.... Dark, sultry, and jazz music flowing.
In addition to the ambiance the drinks are to die for! Gabe, owner and head bartender, is a creative genius! He just comes up with the tastiest and most creative drinks.
I was in PR last year and was introduced to a ginger mojito. I have yet to find a bartender TX who can make a good ginger mojito, that is until I met Gabe. The Mojito he made me was fresh, light, and even had a bit of smokyness to it. He won me over with that.... I'm in love.
Specialty drinks run 9.00 and are worth the price! Â No cheap hurt your stomach booze here!
This is officially my favorite bar in Dallas hands down
-Coffee
Imagine every enjoyable fruit on this beautiful, lush planet of ours. Now, imagine the second best thing in the world - vodka. If you can fathom this - imagine every berry and succulent fruit so infused with vodka that it tastes like an incredible fresh fruit juice with maybe a hint of some booze. In reality, this cocktails are not your average fruit juice. They are some serious cocktails in the guise of delectable flavors of fresh strawberry, pineapple, blackberry, cucumber, raspberry, and more.
Black Swan Saloon masters, not only the craft of cocktails, but of the fruit infused cocktail, as well. The narrow bar fills up fast, but still manages to be a place everyone under the sun frequents. No frills, other than a beautiful large-scale art piece designed specifically for the bar, a small stage conducive for local, live music, hefty glass jars packed tight with fruit infused vodka, and the high-end collection of liquor that line the back of the bar - the bar sticks to the basics. Good drinks and good times.
I have overlooked Deep Ellum for a few years but I'm now falling in love with the sketchy- hipster- artsy part of Dallas.
I'm a huge movie buff, and def have no complaints about the movie- Black swan. When you think of Natalie Portman, and Mila Kunis, and their roles in the aforementioned flick, I sense, darkness, escape, fun and slight weirdness.
A good buddy of mine and his gf go to concerts in Deep Ellum a ton. And on this certain day, they asked "have you been to Black Swan"? I was perplexed, thinking this was some kind of trick question in an attempt to mock me. I have never ever heard of Black Swan Saloon until they asked me the question... Moving forward, they weren't kidding, there's such a place in Dallas called Black swan.
I was excited about going, and actually ditched one of my fav spots in uptown to explore this area and bar.
Likes: Pecan Bourbon, the dark atmosphere (not too many lights), regular people, not too dressy.
If you're not familiar with these parts of town, be warned, it does look sketchy but really nothing happens, it looks safe.
It's def a good place to escape from the big city lights and other fancy assets of Dallas (uptown).
I'm still trying to determine if my love for this place is because of the movie or maybe the first night I went with friends I ran into old friends and a fellow yelper. Actually when I ran into old friends, I thought: uh-hmm, so this is where the cool people hang eh?!
It's a great place in general, and it's even better when you're with good company.
For a little weekend getaway, my sweetie and I went to Dallas recently. You might ask why someone would go on a break from Austin to Dallas, to which I'd tell you that sometimes you just need a change of scenery. In preparation, I spent some time with a few "best-of" lists, and came up with the name Black Swan Saloon. It had been named best somethingorother by several papers, and since we both enjoy a libation every now and again, I put it on the list of places to visit. What an outstanding choice.
First, you walk up to an unlabeled door with a bouncer standing in front of it. I asked him "Black Swan?", to which he just smiled and opened the door. The tiny bar that was revealed looked part dive, part glamour and part mad scientist laboratory. Along the side wall where the bar occupies half the space, there were several large jars with chunks floating in liquid. Two stools were free on the end closest to the jars, so we just grabbed a seat and enjoyed the ride.
First, the bartenders were both quite friendly and happy to explain their potions. Jake took care of us the whole night, never letting either water or liquor glasses drain completely. They specialize in liquor infusions, and here's what we tried:
Vanilla Pecan Bourbon - Very sweet with a tannic aftereffect. The skins on the pecan really draw the moisture out of your mouth afterward.
Ginger Pear Bourbon - Oh my. This was sweet and delicious, with absolutely no afterburn. My fiance even liked it, and she hates bourbon.
Watermelon Vodka - with a little added watermelon puree, this drink was very fresh tasting.
A Strawberry/Blueberry Smash - My sweetie is quite the berry hound, so she had both mixed into a sweet concoction. Put it in the blender with some ice and you'd have a great slushie.
Bloody Mary - I admit, I'm not a bloody mary fan. At all. I don't care for tomato juice. However, I tasted my sweetie's bloody mary, which was made from a vegetable-infused vodka, and it was spicy and tasty. Now if only something could be done about the texture.
This place should be on your list if you're looking for a fun, friendly bar in Dallas with some interesting and fresh-tasting drinks. If you're looking for pretension, don't go here. The people are laid-back and easy to talk with.
As the rappers say.. I have not written a review in a minute (which apparently means a long time).
but when I noticed I had not written a review for the Black Swan I was so ashamed I told Mila Kunis to stop going down on me so I could write that shiz. (another rapper term).
Black Swan is pretty simple to grasp. no sign, no bright lights, no $1.50 jager bombs served in an Affliction glass equals no Douches (however there is still plenty of things pickling in vinegar, more on that later, but you see what I did there, that right there is the stylings of smart man humor).
Yes it's small, and skinny (do I really have to go there steve carell?) but that helps with the charm. Â You get to know your barkeep, and he gets to know you as well. Â Not an introduction goes by without a handshake. Â there is not a menu in sight of the place as your menu is Gabe's mind. Â Tell him what you like and out comes the fruit liquor, herbs, nuts and whatever else he can think of. Â
(special note: Gabe is a big fan of the smell test, every drinks comes with free smells, the guy smells everything so you figure it is fresh)
Don't ask me what it is I drink as I think it changes every time, and most of them don't have names. Â Some of the ones I can remember that are must trys are:
The pickle shot (jameson and pickle juice, I think there is a specific order in which to do these but I forget) (this is what is what was foreshadowed in the pickling mention above)
Corpse reviewer part 2 (the part 2 part is important) I don't remember what is in this but I remember it was really good,
Bloody mary - speaks for itself
Watermelon smash - sounds ghey but watermelon, liquor and sucking down on a cucumber is not ghey.. ok maybe that is not the best verbiage there.
and they do carry a good selection of canned beers.
but best of all just ask Gabe what's good today and he will give you the hook up.
It does get somewhat crowded in spurts but I have never had to wait too long for a drink.
Good drinks, interesting space, a bit over-priced.
We made our way to Black Swan at the end of the night recently, and were faced with the first challenge - finding it. Â With nary a sign on the blank-black exterior, it is VERY easy to pass by. Â Look for a lone man standing outside by an unmarked door. Â That's probably it. Â If you reach Anvil Pub heading East you've gone too far.
Inside, the space is warm and inviting, but a little on the smallish side. Â At least with the crowd that was there on the evening in question (many wearing top hats and fake mustaches of various types...don't know why...Hmmmm), it was difficult to navigate. Â The bar takes up one whole wall, a short ledge the other. Â With people perched on both sides there is room for one person to pass at a time. Â There is a smallish patio out back with a few scattered picnic tables and a beautiful Black Swan mural along one wall that would have been entirely better-suited out front. Â Maybe we could have found the place on the first pass then.
The drinks were good. Â And in an interesting twist their beer selection appeared to be limited to cans (and it was a pretty good selection for cans - from Bud Light to Shiner to Blue Moon to Stella Artois and Guiness). Â But at $8.00 for a Crown and Coke I felt the prices to be on the high side.
Don't even dream of going in here with a drink in mind... what you want is what Gabe gives you... believe me! I don't even like cinnamon and he made me cream in my skirt with that damn holiday drink... including the cinnamon on top. I was like "shit, I don't like cinnamon" as my friend was saying "I'll drink it" and reaching for the drink... I'm sipping by now and would have stabbed her hand with a fork if she didn't get away from my drink! It was reDICKulous... hot damn!
I love the dark atmosphere here and there is nothing better then something way beyond the usual drink. This is like a sexy ass meal in a glass you'll never forget... trust me, I won't... hot damn!
The saloon is probably one of my favorites in Deep Ellum. It's a simple bar with nothing environment-wise to make it stand out. However, I like the diverse crowd and extremely friendly bartenders. They are known for their infused drinks suck as the pecan-infused bourbon or vodka infused with blueberries. The prices are very reasonable, and they have a fully stocked bar. I am a bourbon fan, and they have several finer ones like Basil Hayden.
It is a small place with bar stools along the bar on the inside with planty of standing room. There is a patio with tables and chairs and where you can smoke. Like I said nothing flashy, but a solid, reliable, friendly bar.
Went into this place for a drink. Â They have fruit infused liquors and whisky. Â It's an interesting idea. Â I ordered the strawberry infused vodka with sprite. Â I thought it was missing something but this was my drink choice. Â I definitely tasted the strawberry but wished I'd gotten something to make it sweeter or more sour. Â The drink was $6 which I thought was reasonable. Â
The place is small inside with a bar that runs along one side of the venue and a few barstools on the other. Â They do have additional seating outside which is where we sat. Â The bar was lined with people the entire time I was there (form about 8:30 - 10p) on a Friday night. Â I don't know how busy they get. Â Sitting outside we got to enjoy music from a neighboring bar for free and it wasn't too loud, you could definitely hold a conversation and hear everything being said.
The bartender I dealt with was quick to serve and really friendly.
Going back I am going to ask what they recommend with the strawberry vodka, I am sure they are capable of something better than what I thought was going to be good (I am no bartender)!
My friends and I were visiting Dallas for the weekend and decided to barhop in Deep Ellum. After eyeing down the scenes at various bars we Yelped on Elm Street, we decided to check out the Black Swan Saloon for its infused alcohol.
It didn't have a huge sign outside (which is probably to give it a speakeasy feel), so it took us a minute to figure out where exactly it was. But when we went in, it wasn't loud or crowded at all, and the bartender (we later found out her name was Chelsea) was really friendly and greeted us right away.
All of their infused drinks that we tried were awesome! Our favorites were the infusions with pineapple, strawberry, Â and watermelon, which were exactly what we needed after spending the day in the sun at the State Fair of Texas.
Black Swan Saloon also had a good collection of whiskeys if you fancy yourself a whiskey drinker. If you say you just want to try something different, Gabe (the other bartender that night) will gladly share his knowledge on the novel whiskeys that they stock. That night, he actually let me have a taste test of three very different whiskeys. I ended up loving one of them and probably will start keeping it readily in stock at home.
Other random things that happened that night that make this place memorable:
- I checked in on Foursquare and got a free beer
- I almost beat the high score on Mrs. Pac-Man
- Random drunk girl talking to me and my friends whom they eventually kicked out
- Interesting little books at the bar that make for good conversation (e.g. Stuff White People Like)
I absolutely love this place. It's my new favorite bar and it's bike-able from my new apartment!
Pros:
1. No douches
2. Delicious fruit infused vodkas
3. Relaxed, chill vibe
4. Not ever too crowded. I've always been able to sit at the bar, but I always go on weekdays.
5. Gabe is so cute!
Black Swan serves beer from cans/bottles (no draft), but I always get a strawberry/ginger vodka beverage that is to die for. Highly recommend!
Last night I had the chance to finally hit up this hidden gem due to the bar hosting DFW Burlesque.Com's Industry Mixer. It took my friend and I a moment to try to figure out which place it was due to no real signage, but it is literally across from Trees right next to Anvil Pub.
Anywho, my friend and I went in and the first thing I noticed was just how clean it was. I know that is a weird thing to notice, but some bars just have a skuzzy feel and I only want that in a good punk bar. It was almost awesomely nondescript in there. After all the performers arrived, it seriously bent to our flavor very quickly without even trying. That is pretty cool. The bar had great drink specials and I was really blown away by their various infused vodkas. They were simply delicious. My favorite still had to be the blueberry infused vodka with a splash of sprite. As one Yelp member pointed out, the drinks are in plastic cups, but seriously at the price your paying, you should be happy it was not poured in your hand. It was really super inexpensive, which fit my recession hit pockets just fine.
The venue does have a stage for performances that has really good acoustics (had a speaker there), a retro sit-down video game and a surprisingly awesome and inviting patio. We ended up sitting outside and was laughing so hard, people looked over the fence and asked if the event was open to everyone because they wanted to join in the fun. They had plenty of new picnic tables for people to sit at, not counting the chairs, plus it has great trees back there to give it this really homey flair. I could really see doing a cookout there. It was really a lovely evening.
Overall, I would say this place was quite fantastic and fun. The bartenders were nice, bathrooms were clean,drinks were delicious, and we did not have to yell over music to have a conversation. If you are looking for just a great place to meet with friends to just have a good time, I would highly suggest Black Swan. And also, 10 cool points for them allowing us to bring in food from Anvil with no problem. That was really sweet of them. :)
Black Swan serves the greatest cocktails in Deep Ellum, I might even venture so far as to say the best cocktails in Dallas, and at excellent prices. Though you can get your average Jack and coke here, the big selling points of the Black Swan Saloon are their infused liquors. From vodkas to bourbons, sweet to spicy, you can always count on a creative (and tasty!) concoction. I rarely even order an actual drink, I just tell Gabe (the owner and bartender) to make something delicious, and he always delivers. The last time I was in I fell in love with an apple cinnamon bourbon and soda, my friends claimed it tasted like Christmas.
Though the interior is small, the back patio is pretty sizable. I actually really love that Black Swan Saloon is small, I'm not a fan of big crazy bars.
Note that this place is really easy to miss- there isn't an overhead sign and you can't see in the bar from the outside. I walk past the bar often, and I've been here quite a few times. There recently has been a street sign outside the bar that helps. Trust me, Black Swan Saloon is definitely worth looking for.
Just when I think I couldn't love Deep Ellum any more...in walks Black Swan Saloon. I guess, technically, I walked in. And thank the Deep Ellum gods that I finally did.
Gabe is the owner/bartender extraordinaire who pours magic out of Mason jars. Sure, the bar is stocked with the usual alcoholic suspects. But the show stoppers are the infusions that sit next to the bottles of regular (i.e. boring) bottles of hootch. In Mason jars. I think I'm in love.
The long bar takes up most of the space but since I prefer to sit at the bar, this totally works for me. Not to mention the tight quarters make for a very intimate, cozy feel. Â There are enough TVs to satisfy sports lovers but they don't take over the vibe at all.
There's a smoking patio out back that is attractive as well as functional and the bathroom was clean. Â Two areas that some bars think of as after thoughts just add to Black Swan's appeal.
It may have taken a few tries to get my foot in the door, but Black Swan just became an instant Deep Ellum favorite. Â And that, my friends, is a very good thing.
Clean, small, simple and slightly generic bar, read not much personality, Â that was dead on my early Friday night visit. Â We had our own fun. Â The fruit infused vodkas stole the show. Â Both big screen TVs for sports watching and groovy tunes vye for background music.
Come here for a quite talk before hitting up the louder settings on Elm.
Stop 7 of 10 in our adventure 'Summer splash: 10 great drinks you need to try' as featured in the July 15th , 2010 edition of <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FQuickDFW.com&s=773147e455fe802232e2e08feb1242f64f8710534fa775b98baadcbcd43ad633" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://QuickDFW.com</a> was a fantastic visit to the Black Swan Saloon. Â
This being Deep Ellum at 8:45 on a Saturday, we found ourselves to be the only four customers in the joint, but honestly, that gave us time to enjoy some of the mastery that Gabe Sanchez, bartender and owner, was about to present. Â
The featured drink, a clearly seasonal "watermelon mash" was not available, however, in Gabe's obvious "let me get this right" spirit, he excused himself for about two minutes (while we re-arranged all the bottles in the bar...er, just kidding) and came back with a supply of watermelon to make said featured drink. Â I knew we'd heart this guy. Â In addition to the watermelon smash (Watermelon-infused vodka, soda, muddled watermelon, cucumber garnish, although the vodka didn't have ample fusion time, we were fine with what we got) he got us to sample some of his wonderful infused whiskey as well as what I think is the best bloody mary I've had in recent, er, ever. Â
Gabe also mentioned the newly redesigned patio that will be renovated starting this week; can't wait to come enjoy it.
I can only hope the Black Swan will be on it's way to greatness; it has all of the appeal and charm of a well-worn watering hole you might find in Austin (or the Deep Ellum of days past). Â
About the plastic cups: although didn't bother me in the least bit, I figure that he uses plastic because he doesn't want to mess with washing/drying glasses at this point (because bar is so small)...I didn't ask, don't really care, but anyone know?
Go Gabe!
Good bar bar. Â No fru fru's. Â I like that there's a book "Sh*t My Dad says" on the bar and that they just fire up the grill on the back patio to make some burgers & dogs.
Gabe was the barkeep the couple times I visited and is a great guy. Â Friendly and makes some mean drinks. Â Check out the infused liquors (ie. pineapple infused vodka) in big vats at both ends of the bar. Â
I don't recommend the Ray Charles, which 3 random bottles, chosen by a 3 blind tosses of ice, whichever bottles you hit, mixed into a shot. Â "Not even Ray Charles would pick these 3." Â It was a birthday shot so yippee. Â
If you're like me and consider yourself impervious to spice because your from Texas, I challenge you to try the pepper infused vodka in Bloody Mary form. Â Didn't bring me to tears but one of the hottest BM's in Dallas. Â
Remember to feed your meter ...
If you are old enough, lived in Dallas around 2000, and have not lost too many brain cells from drinking, you'd remember the Thin Room. The Black Swan has taken over the space and made it into a cozy neighborhood bar.
I stumbled into this bar by accident while I was at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival. I was pleasantly surprised by the decor and outdoor patio. They take their cocktails very seriously and use fresh ingredients and infuse their own vodka. If you are lucky, Gabe will be working. He makes a mean Vodka Gimlet with real lime juice.
This is a perfect place to spend a quite Saturday afternoon, happy hour, or take a date. I know I'll be back.
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