Parker Barrows

Good vantage point to have a drink but… Service is lacking — was there with a friend, about four people in the bar, and bartender was just rude. Drink menu is lacking and the self-​proclaimed «best Manhattan in Dallas» is just not the case… Much better places nearby to grab a drink.

I actually liked the place for what it was — decent beer and cocktail selection, nice atmosphere overall and I would give more stars except for one very peculiar thing that happened, that I have never experienced before. After several cocktails, and great rapport with (most of) the staff, I ordered another and one of the bartenders asked «how many have we served you??» Then a little later — completely out of the blue — the same bartender stopped in front of me and asked «may I get you a glass of water?» No thanks. And that was pretty much the only interaction with him all night. Wow, it was a little like drinking with my mother (sorry Mom lol). Personally I don’t care to be scrutinized when I’m relaxing and having quiet conversation with a friend of mine, and others at the bar. Sadly there’s obviously more potential for this bar but it really left a bad impression on me. I hope to never experience it again.

Anyone who knows anything about the Dallas food scene will tell you that while the city is stacked on burgers, tacos, tex-​mex, and japanese, there’s a bizarre white space where good delis and sandwiches should be. Sure, Uncle Über’s can dish up a great sammie if you can somehow get your gaze off of their burgers, and East Hampton has certainly made their mark on the city, but here and there I’m craving something out of a New York deli. Parker Barrows may well be the chosen one to fill the sandwich void.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
I’m not entirely sure how, but Parker Barrows has secured some of the best real estate in Bishop Arts if not in Dallas. They take advantage of this fully with some hybrid indoor outdoor seating that nicely suits the dual brewhouse sandwich shop business model. Service is fast and friendly, and my sandwich came out in roughly 10 minutes. Just one thing of note here is that Parker Barrows only has one average sized television by my count, so it might not be your ideal spot to catch a game especially with well stocked Lockhart Smokehouse across the street. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
I’ll admit, when I first saw the $ 15.00 price tag slapped onto my Texas Pastrami Sandwich I experienced a bit of sticker shock, but all of that and more was alleviated when I saw the size of this sandwich. My picture doesn’t do it justice, but this was an absolute behemoth. I know I probably all too often throw around the whole «this meal could really be two meals» phrase, but I mean that here in the most literal sense. Two meals. Two sandwiches, and a side of chips in this case to boot.
That being the case, I need to throw an accurate price of $ 7.50 on what were really two «sandwiches», and $ 7.00 for a meal is more than reasonable especially with a side. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
So the sandwich selection here at Parker Barrows isn’t necessarily huge, but goodness me was this a good option. One question from the get-​go was, «what is Texas Pastrami anyway? Is it just pastrami from here in Texas or is there something unique about it?» In this case, it appeared as though Texas Pastrami is… well… Corned Beef. If you don’t know the difference, it’s that corned beef is soaked in salt water brine and spices before being boiled while pastrami is traditionally cured and soaked before being encrusted in peppercorn and smoked. While I don’t know for sure, this tasted as though it was brisket that had been soaked in salt water and spices before maybe being smoked without the peppercorn portion of the equation? I’m curious as to the actual answer. The meat, piled high, was very good, although I’ll admit it could have been ever so slightly more moist, as the large quantity got a bit dry at times when you took a bite.
The bread was excellent, the chips excellent, and overall this was the perfect option to satisfy a NY Deli craving. I need to return to sample another sandwich to really put Parker Barrows to the test, but for now, Dual Stars Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
So here’s what I’m going to do. In the next we’ll say two weeks, I’m going to return to Parker Barrows and order a different sandwich. Should that sandwich hold up, Parker Barrows just might claim this fifth star, but for now, the Texas Pastrami fell over so slightly short of securing it on its own here. Time will tell! No Star Granted.

Love! Stopped for a beer and break from xmas shopping. Great food, great vibes! Awesome service, bartender was super friendly and chatty.

A very retro looking bar reminiscent of a speak easy front store. Plenty of beers on tap and craft cocktails. And if you are hungry the sandwiches are incredible. A welcome addition to Bishop Arts!

Was here last month for the first time. I went with a friend to check out their grub bub. At first their band was performing outside, which was doable for conversation and a happy vibe. Sandwich ordered. Drinks in hand. Everything was swimming just peachy.
Then for some unexplainable reason, the band moved inside, and I couldn’t hear my date next to me, less than 1 foot away… MAJOR ugh! I am okay at lip reading, but I am not an expert. We happily devoured their generous pastrami sandwich with homemade chip fries. Loved every bite. Split it between us cause it was huge. But the lack of silence or heavy loud noise made for a quick retreat out the door. The singer was great. The music was lively. But they should consider on a weekday, not everyone wants to rock out 100% to the band. Just saying.

Good cocktails (but a couple bucks too $$) and great décor and vibe… until you notice that big screen TV that throws it off. With its great corner location and cozy décor, this place is *almost* just right for a classic cocktail and a nice conversation. Why ruin it with the TV – there are plenty of sports bars in town but few small bars like this one.

Although this place has been opened for two months… it’s fantastic! I went with friends on a Sunday afternoon to watch the Cowboys game. Although the venue is small, they had a great atmosphere that fit right in with Bishop Arts district.
I had the Dastardly Duo which was absolutely delicious. The combination of the smoked bacon along with braised pork belly plus the sauce was on point. It came with homemade chips (both regular and sweet potato). Delicious! They are also known for their rice and beans which my friend had and loved it. They are the real foodies!
Joseph and Adrian offered to let me try their homemade root beer, which was yummy! Reminded me of Fitz’s rootbeer in St. Louis.
Then we tried quite a few of the cocktails. It holds true… they have the BEST old fashion in Dallas. I don’t even like old fashions but this one… I LOVED! Also, tried the Chrysanthemum, Davis St. Fizz, a chocolate stout (I forgot the name) and a special drink he made for my friend. ALL TASTY! Adrian, the bar manager, was kind enough to give us a little history and super helpful of what drinks we should try.
We will definitely be going back again!
P. S. I will say that the price is somewhat pricey, which is why they get a 4-​star.

Stopped here for lunch. The food was delicious and the service was warm and friendly. Could not have asked for a better lunch. I would gladly recommend this place to others!

I stopped here on a whim while out on business in the area. The food here was great. Tons of bacon on my fried green tomato sandwich.
I was alone and the bartender was unfriendly and closed off. You can see it’s just his personality. I don’t think this guy should be bartending and stick to whatever he did before. Most boring 30 minutes of my life so I got my sandwich to go. :S
By the time I got my other ½ of my sandwich home to more pleasant surroundings it was soggy. So $ 20 lunch check for a ½ a good sandwich, a beer, and bad service. Yay!

Great food, large enough portions to split for sure! Nice environment-​very laid back! Highly recommend!

Not a big fan of the prices. $ 15 sandwiches and not a great variety to choose from either. My check for 3 beers was $ 22, pretty ridiculous. The atmosphere is cool but wish it was more affordable especially for a place on Bishop Arts.

Great place for a beer and root beer. Super friendly staff. Wonderful atmosphere. Strong draft beer selection.

This place is so nice! Sit outside with a glass of wine and take I the beautiful Texas sunshine. Service is excellent!

Been in twice so far. They are open everyday so you have somewhere to go on Monday too. I’ve had the barrow sandwich and the dastardly duo. Both we’re tasty but dastardly duo was by far the best. Coleslaw I loved. The potato chips are a mix of potato and sweet potato. Great staff, very organized for having just opened. They had a guy Sunday night playing music outside at the picnic tables. Fun place to hang out. The mixed drinks are pretty pricey though. Two drinks and a sandwich was $ 50 with tip, one sandwich and one beer was $ 24 with tip for perspective. I will definitely be back.

Speakeasy atmosphere. Good food, pricy for sandwiches but big portions. Laid back attentive staff.