Well, I don’t think Dallas is that far from Plano; you should be able to get to most places within a half hour or so. Addison, basically, is nightlife central for the North Dallas area, and is thus easy to get to from Plano. Check out the city’s official website for a listing of restaurants and attractions (and, once again, use GuideLive as a starting point for ratings). For one-stop convenience, Sambuca is a decent restaurant that also has live jazz in the evenings. The menu doesn’t appear very veg-friendly, but I’m sure the restaurant will be happy to accommodate you.
If you’re near the Dallas North Tollway, there are a number of good restaurants along it. Blue Mesa Grill (menu), which is a local chain, has an outpost in Frisco. Maguire’s is also good, and though there’s nothing vegetarian on their menu, it’s no problem for the kitchen to work up veggie specials.
As for nice bars, Cru in the Shops at Legacy is a wine bar that also serves food. Of the other restaurants at that location, you can get vegetarian fare at Samui (Thai), and Naan (Korean) is another possibility (I haven’t been there, though). There are apparently vegetarian options such as spinach enchiladas at the Mexican restaurants Mi Cocina and Taco Diner (owned by the same group of people); their food is good, but you may need to find out if chicken stock and lard are part of their ingredients.
Depending on what kind of bar you’re looking for, here are some of your options in/near Plano:
[ul]
[li]Two Rows - N. Dallas Tollway @ Briargrove. Brews own beer, good food.[/li][li]Wizard’s - Sports Bar just north of Spring Creek in Richardson. Next door to Pappadeaux/Pappasitos.[/li][li]Sherlock’s - Bar in Addison- down Montfort from Flying Saucer. Younger crowd, live music, cheap beer.[/li][li]Duke’s- bar down Beltline in Addison. Bleached blondes w/ boob jobs and pumped up retards go here.[/li][/ul]
If you want to go “all the way” to Dallas (it’s maybe 20 minutes to downtown from Plano!), here are some good choices:
[ul]
[li]The Dubliner- fairly authentic Irish pub- Greenville Ave. & Vickery[/li][li]Stan’s Blue Note- block north of Dubliner, good place for burgers & beer.[/li][li]Trinity Hall -Mockingbird @ 75 (in Mockingbird station) Another Irish pub type place.[/li][li]Tipperary Inn - Another Irish pub- on Live Oak near Downtown.[/li][li]Old Monk- on Henderson @ 75 (east side). Nice pub type place.[/li][li]Barley House- another pub, down Henderson from Old Monk.[/li][/ul]
That’s about all I can think of in terms of places where you could probably have a conversation past about 8:30 pm.
If you’re going downtown, then The Ginger Man, 2718 Boll Street, is the place to go.
Michael Jackson has this to say about the original in Houston:
“I am on record as saying that Mr Precious’ first Ginger Man, in Houston, Texas, is one of my favorite pubs in the United States. This is not only because it has a fine selection of beers (a feature hardly ever found in Ireland, where Guinness suffices) but also because it is a true pub, where it is possible to indulge in conversation without having dubious entertainments or food pressed upon one. Despite its name, it has no oppressive theme, either as a literary bar or as an Irish tavern.”
Crapola… it was the first one on my list, and somehow I dropped it from the list! You’re absolutely right- it’s a great bar. Kinda similar to the Flying Saucer, but with a better building, and without the hot waitresses in miniskirts…
It took me a second to recall that there is another Michael Jackson - one famous for beer and not creepiness.
SteveG1
I think that Bill and Marty Martins no longer is around. They moved south of FW on 35 and I seem to recall seeing it closed. I don’t know if they have moved or not. As for Rancher Bill’s, I haven’t heard of it. Has it been a while since you were here?
I found the staff at The Ginger Man to be far more knowledgable about the product than the Flying Saucer’s. Everyone at The Ginger Man goes through intense training concerning their beers and can make recommendations to fit your tastes. The Flying Saucer seems to just hire wait staff that can deliever what you order.