I'm not sure why there are so many low ratings, I am sitting here right now and I am finding this place to be a fun little bar. I stumbled into this place while I was waiting for some repair work to be done to my car. Granted, it's in the middle of the afternoon and I cannot attest to the evening crowd, but I have had absolutely incredible service. The bartender made a perfect dirty martini and I'm very picky about my martini. I thought the place looked new and clean. I will come back with the girls on the weekend just for the great service alone. Friendly bar service is number one in a neighborhood bar for me, and I have found that in spades here.
Review Source:Third and last chance for this place.  I thought after a few months they would get it together but the food is as bad as their service.  20 minutes to put in a drink order is totally uncalled for especially when there's three people behind the bar.  It's more important for the staff  to look cool and chat with each other then take orders. DONE!
Review Source:I'm very impressed by the changes made at Loophole. Â I can understand that some aren't a fan of having to pay more for beer, but the selection is great! Â The switch from regular brews to craft drafts on tap (say that five times fast!) is in itself impressive. Â Throwing in a redesigned menu is a nice touch as well. Â Much of it is the interior is the same, but I feel like Loophole is headed in a great direction.
Review Source:The new Loophole seems to think it's on McKinney Avenue in Dallas. Â
While the old Loophole was quaint and divey as Denton bars should be, I was excited about the redesign. The old food and drink selection left some to be desired, but it was still a fun and welcoming place to hang out. Â I was expecting an improvement in this redesign, but it seems like it was all just a sneaky way to make people think their drinks are now worth far more than they are.
In addition to the beers being almost double the price you can get them at other bars in Denton, I'm not convinced my margarita wasn't a virgin margarita. I asked to sample a beer and was told they are now charging for beer samples. Seriously, Loophole, this is Denton. Â
And faux destruction on what was once beautiful exposed brick?  Gross. In the name of attempting-to-look-like-a-dive-bar, there are now huge chunks of concrete spackle  that are clearly not covering any sort of imperfection. Seems what was once a Denton gem is ruined.  And it's still smokey as ever. Super sad about the fact that The Loophole is now a bar I have no interest in visiting again.
I was excited to go to Loophole and see what they did in the redesign. I was definitely disappointed. The inside doesn't look all that different.
Oh, and definitely the worst thing about this place was the beer prices. The beers were the same price I'd come to expect when I was living in the DC suburbs, meaning they're way too expensive for Texas. The bar does have a  good beer selection, but Oak St right down the street has a better selection for much cheaper. Oh, and the margaritas were terrible and the bartender didn't know how to pour a beer.
I've been to the Loophole twice since it's had its soft reopen. It's calling itself a gastropub now, but this new Loophole doesn't seem wholly committed to the idea.
The beer selection is varied (Guinness, Spaten Optimator, Velvet Hammer, Sierra Nevada, and more) and is displayed on a chalkboard, along with the drink specials, on the right when you walk in. I had the impression that a cocktail menu would be added soon, and I think that's exciting. The cocktail I had was frou frou, but also strong.
The menu has been revamped and includes:
-- Appetizers starting at $5.99 (like Belgian-style frites with malt vin aoili)
-- Flatbreads starting  at $7.99 (like pear and blue cheese with caramelized onion, walnuts and aged balsamic)
-- Hot dogs or "XL Dawgs" starting  at $5.99
-- Burgers starting  at $7.99
-- Sandwiches starting at $7.99
-- Salads starting at $6.99
The white cheddar mac and cheese with pecan-smoked bacon was tasty, but the portion was small for the $5.99 price and I couldn't taste the truffle flavor that our waitress said was in there. My friend ordered the cheesy frites and the portion was small there as well and the fries weren't crisp.
The wild mushroom burger (with triple cream brie, red onion, bacon jam and arugula) came without the bacon jam (from what I could tell) and the arugula was actually spring mix. I'm dubious that the mushrooms were any wilder than what I have in my fridge at home. I prefer the mushroom swiss burger from the previous menu for the taste and the price. This burger wasn't worth $9.
The burgers don't come with fries (add $2.99), but with house-made chips. I went with the ranch flavor. For the most part they were good, but some were soft. However, I'd rather have a chip that was a little underdone than one that was burnt. Overall, the chips were really nice, but the ranch flavor on top was a waste. Not much flavor and not incorporated on the chip; it was just kind of thrown on there. Speaking of carbs, I couldn't find the mashed potatoes on the menu anymore, which saddens me. They were my favorite side before.
The atmosphere is clean, shiny and new. The fliers that used to line the windows when you first walk in are gone, taking with them any visible connection between the Loophole and the community. (It looks like any corporation could've just moved in to this space with no relationship with Denton.) The exposed brick gives a nice warmth, and there's lots of seating options between the tables, booths, bar and cocktail tables. However, this is where the new concept seems weak.
With the fancier items on the menu, the upscale prices, and branding itself as a gastropub, the Loophole lacks refinement. The menus are paper (some of them stained and creased), there are "XL Dawgs" on the menu (not super classy), TVs around the bar show sporting events, and there's a counter-top video game. It's like the Loophole isn't ready to let go completely of what it was.
The service was great, though. The waitresses were helpful when we had questions about the menu or asked for recommendations. I saw the bartenders try to greet everyone that came in the door, even knowing some of them by name.
This was my favorite place in Denton. I was by no means a regular, but it was where I went when I wanted to be comfortable and hang out. This new version of  the Loophole, this gastropub, doesn't carry the same vibe. I don't feel the need to return.
The Loophole is a staple in Downtown Denton. While there's nothing extraordinary about it, it does the basic things well: good atmosphere, good drink selection, good bar food. The service is always friendly, if sometimes a bit slow.
The only real complaint is the smoke. While one wouldn't be surprised with smokers in a bar, at Loophole you don't just have to tolerate a smoker a couple of booths down, you have to be ok with reeking of smoke when you leave even after a couple of minutes. Also, they're about close for a couple of weeks for a remodel, so I'm excited to see the results of that.
1. I am a none smoker who loves the fact that you can't smoke inside in the State of Washington. In Denton you can. So for you non-smokers this is not an ideal location. For the locals that are use to this, well I guess #1 doesn't matter to you.
2. You must like fried cheap meat. I don't, I ate the grilled chicken platter. Talk about a piece of thawed Tyson chicken with no flavor.
3. My partner asked for her turkey wrap w/o cheese. You'd think they would think twice about putting cheese all over her steamed veggies. Nope.
4. Had to order a soda (even though I hardly ever do anymore) the tap water was not so good. Hasn't been in most of Texas, compared with Washington water.
5. It was clean, the staff was friendly and for the nostalgia of a small town in Texas this could be your place. But for us, we couldn't get our check fast enough.
We've had better food from a gas station. My hubby ordered a turkey club and it was literally a hamburger bun with one peice of oscar meyer deli turkey, melted down with cheese. Gross! Even the fried onion rings were bland and oily. My chicken fried steak looked like bad cafeteria food. It was all gross. You definately don't come for the food. I would stick to no fail stuff like cheese fries or nachos if you are stuck here and really that hungry.
Review Source:Well, seeing that there are two locations for this to be reviewed under I picked this one. :)
Not going to lie, this little spot of the square is awesome for chilling and whatnot. Just a note, you can smoke inside, so if you're not game for that you might want to push towards the back or front.
The food, service and place was quick and nice. Our waitress was chilled (like the place) and helped us try a new favorite beer.
They have a huge tally board up of the daily drink specials and the menu is expansive in the American, pub food. Try the potato skins and you won't be disappointed. Well, maybe you're heart arteries, but not your taste buds.
The Loophole is a very cute little place. Â It has a great atmosphere, almost like you're inside a boxcar on a train. Â It's all wood with metal railings and pillars, smokey and split level. Â I would say the charm of this old restaurant/bar is enough to keep me coming back.
The food wasn't the best, but I blame only myself for what I ordered. Â I'm not such a huge fan of burgers or sandwiches, but I tried the veggie burger. Â You know, just about every veggie burger tastes the exact same... like cardboard. Â It's very difficult for even the most masterful of chefs to improve upon cardboard texture and taste of the veggie burger. Â On the positive side, the burger came out to me just as I had asked, with no onions or mayonnaise. Â I was expecting a pickle spear but instead received sandwich-style dill pickle slices for my burger. Â No big deal, because I wanted pickles for my burger, too. Â The fries that came with the burger were okay, but they weren't really that tasty... again, a little on the cardboard side. Â
Even though my veggie burger was sub-par, I would surely try this place out again... maybe not for the food. Â The Loophole has some great drink specials every day and if I were a regular in Denton, I might make this a regular hang out.
My absolute favorite bar in Denton. This was my regular hangout while I was at UNT and we still kick it here everytime I am in town visiting people. Great drink specials, especially on $10 bucket night. The bartenders are great and always remember my name and face. The waitresses are great and always on top of things. Nice alternative to the cluster that is fry street. If you want a good table get there a bit early as it is usually packed on weekends.
Review Source:Loophole is hands down the greatest place in Denton, TX!!
I sincerely believe that the food at Loophole is unbelievably great and ESPECIALLY when you factor in that is "bar food!!" If you are a fan of Chilis, Applebees, TGI Fridays etc. I believe that you'll really enjoy Loophole- They have made a truly remarkable effort to incorporate a uniquely named meal to satisfy almost any diet preference.From salads to enormous cheeseburgers, wraps to some of the best fried pickles on the planet, they try to make sure your needs are covered, and almost more importantly, the staff/ servers are all but religiously accurate when taking orders and are ALL genuinely easy to talk and get along with in the event that you need anything!
I moved to Denton about a year ago, but before that, I was living in Fort Worth and commuting to UNT. When I was commuting, I could sit at Loophole, grab a great lunch, and get my course work done.. Â Some of the reviews below seem to firmly support a change in the bar's target market, and as a result, the Loophole customer demographic... Â Granted, I do not know what Loophole used to be like, but I consider myself extremely impartial regarding college vs. town arguments (especially in Denton because the two worlds come together seemlessly for the most part), and I think there is fair balance of students, locals, and their guests at basically every time of day in the bar (with the exception of late- nite hours from about 11 pm- 2 am since most students have a little bit more lenient weekly schedule than working adults.. Even so, all demographics have always been evenly represented at closing time every time that I have gone for dinner and drinks with my parents and/ or friends).
The old wooden walls and location on the square across from the gorgeous Denton courthouse basically push Loophole's atmosphere over the top in a great way! Â I will miss that little bar and grill, the smell of its wood, its wednesday trivia nights, and all of the incredible people that work their more than my own apartment! Basically, my Loophole love- affair continues.... :-)
I never did come here while I lived in town nor when I've visited since but it's perfectly nice if you want a straightforward meal and a beer. Â I always love novelty named items on a menu and this place was full of 'em. I got a Deposition Dip. Â A french dip sandwich but do you get it? Â A deposition is some kind of legal term! And it's alliterative! It tasted fine - a bit better than the french dip I get at Arby's (that's not even a slight, I love Arby's.) Â I love dipping meat in meat juice. The waiter was on top of things and the only thing that upset me was that I know I had SO MANY coupons when I lived in town and never used them; I can only dream how much better everything would have been "buy one get one free." Â Also, I think the BF's burger and fries was like $4 (on special) which is a steal. Â
Very pleasant on a Sunday afternoon but I don't have any desire to go out at night in Denton anymore, everywhere is just Smoke City -I almost died the last time I went to Andy's and I can't imagine the Loophole is any better in that regard.
Yay! Loophole gained a star back. I revisited the bar this past Friday and it was packed! Actually, there were no seats at all. There were some dudes in santa costumes. There was no funky smell at the bar anymore. We had a good stop in before hitting up Lucky Lous. The only negative thing I have to say is that their waitstaff is not really on the ball. They don't clear old drinks off the table and they take their sweet time when its busy. I'm not sure that the counters were wiped down for the past few days. But hey, what do you expect? Its Denton.
Review Source:My wife and I used to make every Thursday night Loophole night..but haven't frequented as much recently. Â The place has a good vibe and usually a pretty good mix of people (after work crowd, college crowd, etc). Â After I grew tired of the "Fry Street scene" the Loophole was one place I could go to relax and have a good time. Â It's got a small town, neighborhood pub kind of feel.
The service has always been pretty good...and the staff is usually friendly and upbeat.
They usually run drink specials that vary night to night. Â The menu is pretty substantive and the the food here is pretty good for bar food . Â However, if you're looking for a great meal above all else than there's better options elsewhere.
I agree with Jordan T, if you sit toward the back of the restaurant than you can sometimes get a funky smell (seems to be coming from the basement...) Â Also, the place can get pretty smoky (after all, it is a bar and there isn't any smoking restrictions in Denton).
Overall, this is a good place to meet up with friends and grab some drinks.
The square in downtown Denton has a traditional small town feel to it. Local craft shops, a movie theater, county courthouse and several small diner style restaurants mark the territory. One of these smaller restaurants here is called Loophole, named after the term of getting out of a conviction. This is an appropriately named bar, considering it faces the county courthouse.
Loophole Courthouse Bar and Grill appears to have reinvented itself as a college bar for those thirsty students studying at nearby University of North Texas. The menu has many courthouse themed items, and many of the drink specials also carry on some sort of double meaning.
I grabbed a quick bite to eat, choosing the "Conviction" which was a very ordinary chicken burger. The breast of chicken came with the choice of grilling, bbq, blackened or fried. I went with the BBQ sauce, which was tangy but nothing to write home about. You have the option of fries, mashed potatoes, or mixed vegetables, and I opted for some good old fashioned fries. These were fairly large cut potatoes, which were much better than the sandwich. I topped it off with an iced tea.
Overall, I would give this place a pass in favor of the Old Fashioned Hamburger shop next door if you are going for a burger. If your main intent is beer however, this was the place to be.
The Loop Hole is a great place to eat on weekdays, especially if you're over 21 on Mondays (drink special night). Â The food is all great for the price and always satisfies. Â Each weekday they have an item on the menu on special for about $2 less than normal so you can easily walk away with spending under $10 on a meal if you order the special of the day and a soft drink.
The fish and chips keep me coming back above all else.
We had lunch there today and was somewhat disapointed in the level of service. Â We ordered cheese fries as a starter but they did not arrive until our entrees were nearly ready. Â The quantity of the plate of cheese fries was nothing to write home about. Â For the price, it was just only slightly larger than what came with a burger. Â Not that great anyway. Â Does anyone know how to make a great cheese fries? Â Yep, Â That would be Eskomo Joe's in Stillwater.
The fish and chips were ok. Â The grilled chicken was ok.
Not the best of experiences for lunch.
Back in my binge drinking days with was the place we would hit all the time. They had new management take over about four or five years ago, and everyone thought it was for the worst. Yes the came in redesigned the place cut back on free shots and after hour drinking but hey its still a good time. Monday is $1 draft cant beat that. And daily drink specials throughout the week.
The food there can be good depending on who is frying it my personal fav it the jailhouse club. mmmmmm i want one now. Great place to catch any game or just sit in a booth with an old friend and catch up. Oh and the touch screen computer game at the bar is so awesome. The nuddy game rocks and me and my boy have the highscore booya
Located across the street from the Denton Courthouse on the town square, the Loophole Courthouse Pub is a quirky eatery sure to fill you up, no contest.
Inside the Loophole Courthouse Pub there is an aged, cozy feel enhanced by brick walls covered in a local artist's work alongside the alcohol signs and dark wood accents and furniture.
Though smoking is allowed, there isn't that stale smokey quality in the air as you will find in so many other restaurant/bars. Â The waitstaff is friendly and full of menu suggestions, of which they are very knowledgeable.
The courthouse pub and grill carries its theme onto the menu with catchy section titles like "arraignment appetizers," "I'll take the wrap", "bailiff burgers" and "punitive potato skins".
I ordered one of the burgers and was excited to be given even more options: white or wheat bun and a choice of sides that included french fries, mixed vegetables or mashed potatoes. I went for the mashed potatoes, which turned out to be garlic, skins-on mashed potatoes proving that they hadn't arrived at the restaurant in a box. Â My burger, the "bail bond," was hot, juicy and definitely worth the $6.50 I paid for it.
The Loophole's kitchen is open from 11 a.m. until midnight every day, and the bar stays open until 2 a.m. If you can, try to go on a Monday; The Loophole donates 5 percent of its Monday sales to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. You can also purchase "Save the Ta Tas" apparel there, and 5 percent of the sale will be donated to breast cancer research.
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