The Gold Standard

I just heard that they’re closing its doors tonight. This is truly a sad day for me since it’s the second time a great bar was closed on this corner. I’m going to miss the great people, drinks, and atmosphere. Who else can make A Boy Named Sue? No one. An end of an era, indeed. I’ll miss you, Gold Standard. You’ve treated my friends and I very well. I hope this corner will reincarnate greatness again.
Until then, goodbye.

What a find! In the snootery that has taken over 7^th Street The Gold Standard is a welcome throw back to what a bar should be.
Complete with a friendly, knowledgeable bar staff, plenty of seating and bar stools, video games (Golden Tee, Centipede, Mortal Kombat), digital juke box, and ashtrays aplenty The Gold Standard is as comfortable as they come.
No pretense here, just cold 16 oz PBR «Tall Boys» and plenty of bar chatter to keep you interested. Brad’s about as approachable a bar owner as you’ll ever meet, and he remembers everyone he’s met before, or so it seems.
Best part was when we asked about food (it happened to be a night without any of the food trucks parked outside), Brad politely explained that while they did not have a kitchen, there was a ‘snack machine’ in the corner. Awesome… how a bar should be.
Next time we’ll actually venture past the main bar and grab a seat on the patio. And we’ll take a swing at the signature cocktails. Don’t want to rush things, this place will be in the rotation for the foreseeable future.
Note for those who are bothered by smoking — this isn’t your place, at least not on the inside.

Same owner as The Usual and The Chat Room– I can say this place is a mix of those two bars. You get the well crafted cocktails from the usual (without the hefty price tag) and the laid back crowd from the chat. Win Win. The music is good. Thursday nights it’s cheap bomb shots and old school hip hop! Love. If you are fans of The Gold Standard on Facebook they do a friend of the day contest where you win a free drink. The bathrooms are distinguished by a She-​Ra and He-​Man poster. I really want to steal the She-​Ra one :) If it goes missing, it was me!

This place would be 5 stars if it weren’t for the smoking, I just hate leaving a bar smelling like smoke, no matter HOW awesome said bar is.
Needless to say, we won’t be back until FTW catches up with DAL & bans indoor smoking, but we did luck out to be there early enough in the afternoon that only one person had lit up. So, we did have a couple of drinks & they pour them strong here. They know their way around a classic cocktail, the jukebox is great, the bartender is welcoming & friendly & the crowd (on this afternoon) was completely devoid of the tragically hip & young. A mature crowd, music not too loud, solid drinks. [Bathrooms are titled «Poles» & «Holes»… but they were clean!]

When I came here on a Friday night (5−6ish) it was very chill. I sat at the bar with a friend, Karen was our bartender and she was very pleasant and made us good drinks and good conversation. I had the Boy Named Sue, which was a nice Bourbon based cocktail. The second one I had was Taxation Without Representation, which went down so nice — it is flavored with elderflower, a taste with which I was not previously familiar but very tasty! There was one that sounded interesting but it was out of stock — I forget the name of it but I think it had boargrass-​infused vodka but I may be wrong — I was definitely curious about it because it sounded really good. The barkeeps were making a playlist on the fly and they took our requests. It was a good time and I know I’ll make it back over here another time.
Ambiance — it’s divey but fun! The place is painted dark but the sparse lighting fosters good conversation in my opinion. I chuckled when I went to the bathroom — Mens’ is «poles» and Womens’ is «holes». The place was not too smokey, I don’t like smoke but it wasn’t a problem.

While my history here in the Fort doesn’t go back decades, I can remember well when the selections of places to go in this town seemed to be pretty much limited to dive bars, Irish pubs, and glorified dive bars — and that includes West 7^th before the onslaught of parking garages and towing enforcement and martini bowling alleys with dress codes and fancy pizza places with a perpetual hour and a half wait for a table.
So with the re-​imagining of West 7^th that’s gone down over the last few years, it’s nice to see a few mainstays remain in the area, if not by name, certainly by style and substance. It’s small, it’s poorly lit, it’s friendly, it’s pieced together in the most haphazardly perfect of ways, it employs all your favorite bartenders from all the places you used to love.
So picture a combination of the Chat Room and The Usual — cheap beer if you want that, but decent cocktails if you want that, friendly folks, and a cozy absence of pretense no matter when you happen to wander in.
Bonus points for Minotaurs. Because Minotaurs.

I want to give this 3.5 stars ( Unilocal: we need that option!), so I’ll lean to the side of mediocre rather than fabulous, for a bit of realism.
Look: it’s a bar. I can’t say the atmosphere is anything special in and of itself. From the reviews I read before going, I expected some really awesome wall treatments. All it is is painted cinder-​blocks, in teal hue, with some gold painted mortar around the blocks. The colors are great, but it’s nothing to write home about.
There’s a good amount of table-​space in the small bar, with at least one couch + coffee table space up front that I noticed. A few video-​game machines towards the back (near restrooms) include Centipede and, I think Golden Tee? The ladies room was cool looking in that they painted the stalls bright white and then took what I imagine to be a handful of sharpies and doodle all over them. And, I mean DOODLED. Not that «for a good time call» crap. So, that was impressive.
Now… the important part: service. FANTASTIC. I forget his name, but the bald italian guy with the mustache, can I just say AWESOME? I’d go back just to hang with him. Great conversation and a wealth of knowledge about liquor. And the woman on duy (tall-​ish, long brown curly hair — sorry, I didn’t get her name) seemed genuinely happy to be there, always a big smile on her face and nice and attentive. All in all, felt like a good neighborhood bar.
The drinks were interesting and the bartenders were happy to adjust if I didn’t like what I was tasting. It’s easy to see how this is from those at The Usual. It’s not as close as The Chat Room, The Usual, or even Finn MacCool’s, for me, but… I may take a drive over to The Gold Standard again.
Doesn’t hurt that Taco Heads is right out back, either.

Not fancy, but funky — The drinks are great. The bartenders are friendly, fast and adept. The TVs are always on the sporting event of the day. There is no food service, but there are food trucks and other food available right out the back door and down the street. This is a great date spot. It certainly is not a family destination, but not many bars are. I noted unescorted girls and single men enjoying the atmosphere. You probably can make acquaintances here without much trouble.

Top of the Line Dive Bar with a friendly staff
This is the best dive bar in FW, where not only can you buy a candy bar from a kid or homeless person, but have a great drink and be served by a friendly staff member. The bartenders are the best keeping everything real, and they serve fantastic beverages. When you are done drinking, there are food trucks in the parking lot, so all is good, drinks and dinner! For being a dive bar, the bathrooms are clean and the big screen tvs keep the place interesting. This is a true gem in the FW area.

I doubt that too many people are reading reviews on bars to hear about wall treatments and décor, but I’m going to talk about that for just a second… The Gold Standard has these awesome walls of large bricks, colored in hues of blue and yellow. Of course, there’s a couple metallic gold ones peppered throughout, and I just love that! The other walls are deep-​brown, bucolic and wooden. There are golden accents thrown about which brighten up this otherwise mostly dark space. But dark is good, it is a bar after all. A bar with tables that fit together like puzzle pieces and bathrooms covered in narrative paintings!
Moving on… the drinks are well-​delivered and there’s a large selection of craft beers to choose from. Service is fast and friendly, the music is festive, and a herd of food trucks is usually parked right outside, which can make going to The Gold Standard a more active event than visiting your typical bar! This isn’t a cutesy-​cute place, but it’s not seedy in the least. Maybe a bit smokey (what can you do?), but overall, The Gold Standard is a comfortable, merry, and ornate little spot for a darn-​good drink with a friend!

$ 5 for domestic bottles? hipster and preppy crowd? no thanks!!. seems like its become fashionable to be social and be seen at a bar like this.

Thanks to a little CDYE action I was given a very solid reason to check out the former home of 7^th Haven. A place I always wanted to go to, but never did… Oh those lights on the roof top tempted me, but the timing was never quite right.
Well lucky for me I was in the area on Wednesday and was able to catch up with some friends, make some new ones, and to check out this dive bar… Which was curious to me, as it was divey… Even though I know it’s connected to the very un-​divey The Usual (
), I wasn’t expecting this place to be quite the way it. It wasn’t fancy mind you, but it wasn’t frightening either. Maybe I have the wrong idea of what a dive bar is, but this place was not it. It was actual very inviting, and the people I talked to behind the bar very nice.
It was smokey inside, but not that bad. Even later, when the place more crowded, the level of smoke never rose much, which I was thankful for. If the smoke does get to bad, there are a few tables outside and in front. There is also the rooftop. I’m glad to see the rooftop area was preserved. There service on the roof, but only bar on the weekends. I was told you can schlep your own drinks for downstairs any time you want.
Bottom line a very pleasant surprise. It definitely works, and the drink prices, at least during happy hour, are quite agreeable. Now I want to check out the roof top!
My only regret? I never got to try the mixed drinks that you can get on tap… But alas, it’s just another great reason to return.
PS. And there are food trucks out back for those late night munchies.
PPS. Just saw this on their fb page: «Done with lunch? Stop on by for a quick drink. We’re smoke free until 3pm so no one will ever know… =)»

I really enjoy this bar — I was able to peruse their menu and they have a lot of great looking mixed drinks, shots, and a good beer selection. This place has a relaxed and intimate feel with their mood-​setting holiday lights lining their bar menus. I really enjoy their music selection as well! They also have a pretty good happy hour and I look forward to getting my 5 dollar fancy drink next time around!
What I also love about this place is its close proximity to the taco trucks/​shacks in the back. I am in love with Taco Heads so any excuse to go there after a fun night is awesome! I definitely recommend this place for a chill night out — and hit up tacos afterwards… you won’t be disappointed.

Okay, so the best I can gather, the owner/​proprietor of the Usual/​Chat Room has reopened the old 7^th Haven location with their traditional flair of creating goodness and flavors out of non-​traditional means. This location however seems a little more geared towards the college drinker in the level and class of the drink, but not the technique.
Some arcade games in the corner and a slightly dark, kind of traveling carnival look to the interior– I’ll update this review and rating once I get a chance to sit down and peruse the menus, and okay… twist my arm… have a drink

They’re dialing up some magic at The Gold Standard, the re-​imagined kitsch-​fest now inhabiting the former stomping grounds of 7^th Haven. While the no frills attitude of the former space is still palpable, subtle touches throughout make this spot a festive one, starting with the fact that ownership (heavily populated with folks from The Usual) know their way around drink. The beer list is well curated and there are, among other things, dive bar set ups on tap. That’s right, on tap, which is, come to think of it, kind of awesome.
They’ve embraced the burgeoning food truck culture in Funkytown, and to that end there are regular hours where those on the hunt for mobile grub can find their way to the parking lot. Often it seems the trucks are here late.
Ultimately, it looks like The Gold Standard has risen with the idea that it doesn’t take itself too seriously but intends to do what it does well. Those on the make for a craft cold one or a well executed drink will do just fine, and the room’s been hopping both times I’ve been in. Note that it’s still okay to smoke in here (though I’ve certainly experienced worse in town), so I’ll reserve a star to that end. But still, in a pinch, a great place to imbibe and grab some grub besides.

It’s coming, and I’m pretty excited.
The Gold Standard will be opening in the former spot of 7^th Haven… the main difference being… it will actually be a sweet place to hang out!
I checked it out during the sneak preview a few weeks ago. Owner of the Chat Room and The Usual, Brad Hensarling, has completely gutted the old bar, and somehow made it airy and breathable. They have accomplished a grand mix of dive bar, sports bar, and hipster bar. There is shoddy paint on the walls dotted with gold brinks that really brighten the place up, high ceilings, the right amount of high top tables and standing space (as opposed to the old booths that made it rather anti-​social), and the same great patio and roof deck. Similar to the Usual, the bartenders know how to make your favorite drinks better, and like The Chat, the beer is still cheap. It’s a mix of the best of both worlds from Magnolia… AND its on 7^th St. Somewhere to pre-​game and afterparty from Lola’s, which is really the only other bar in the area with the same kind of vibe. Hooray!