Meddlesome Moth

How in the name of all that is unholy does one survive this madness? The heat hits you like a sucker punch from the devil himself—a blistering 107 degrees in the shade, if you can find the damn shade. Hell, maybe I'm already in hell. Dallas, this godforsaken concrete purgatory, stretches out like some cruel cosmic joke. I swear, the blocks are conspiring against me. Each one a clone of the last, a never-ending loop of torment. Am I moving forward or just running circles in the inferno?

Sweat drips off me, sizzles on the pavement, and vanishes like it's been raptured. Lucky bastard—I'd trade places with a drop of sweat right now. At least it gets an escape route. But me? No exit signs here, just an endless gauntlet of scorching misery. Is this it? Is this where it ends? Some poor fool finds me sprawled out on a Dallas sidewalk, my obituary a punchline: "Man melts on the street, never found a cold beer."

But no—there must be salvation, a place of refuge, of sweet, ice-cold nectar. Beer, goddammit, beer must be found. But every time I think I've spotted a Shiner Bock sign gleaming in the distance, it dissolves into dust, a mirage taunting my desperate soul.

Then it hits me—like a half-forgotten fever dream. A fellow traveler in this wasteland mentioned a mythical haven, a sanctuary from this infernal heat. Yes, that’s it! If I can just retrace my steps, recalibrate my internal compass, maybe even rig up a makeshift sundial, I might navigate my way there. I will not die here, a casualty of the Texas sun. No, I will thrive.

I find the place, some dark wooden doors hiding my salvation. But as I burst in, I'm immediately out of my depth. My sunburned face and sweat-drenched shirt scream "lost soul" in a place that reeks of class and cool. I might as well be wearing a neon sign. "Open seating at the bar," she says, trying not to flinch. Yeah, she wants this sun-stroked lunatic off her hands, out of her sight. I shuffle to the bar, where the real damage is done.

"You need a towel?" The bartender’s voice cuts through my haze. How long have I been sitting here, five minutes or five hours? I can't tell anymore. "Beer," I grunt. "Just... beer." I’m almost beyond language now. My brain tries to focus on the menu—40 different brews to choose from, like I've stumbled into some beer-soaked paradise. Austin brews, out-of-state brews, IPAs that could wake the dead. In this wasteland of Dallas, there’s a bar with a selection that actually makes me salivate? I don’t have to choke down another Shiner or suffer through a Deep Ellum?

It’s a cruel joke, a sick mirage. But no, the beer list is real, the hops are real, and the decor—it’s like a church and a nightclub had a debauched, wood-paneled baby. Stained glass, rich wood, metal accents—it might actually be a church. And I’m having a religious experience. The universe, in its twisted sense of humor, decided to cut me a break.

I don’t remember much after that. Woke up the next morning, head pounding, belly full, the aftertaste of something divine still on my tongue. If I could just find my way back there, it might be the ticket. If only...

 

This was a very pleasant surprise this weekend. We ventured to Dallas for a dance competition during some of the coldest, snowiest days seen in Texas for a while. It was only a mile or so from our hotel and it looked promising.

Excellent food and an outstanding beer list, with an excellent selection of local, Texas, national and international beers. It was hard to pick! The waitress was very helpful and the service was very good with just one or two minor lags. This is definitely someplace I will return to when the occasion arises!

 

 

The Meddlesome Moth is a pretty good restaurant serving a good selection of craft beer. I was impressed with their offering of Jester King beers. The service is friendly and knowledgeable about the beer and the restaurant has a good upbeat vibe and the nice décor. Their concept of sharing samplers is neat and I think a good idea, it makes it fun, but the food was sometimes greasy and not always of top notch quality.

 

 

 

 

 

Went on a Tuesday evening and while crowded was seated as soon as we arrived. 40 taps with a decent variety, nothing spectacular but not a single tap devoted to any BMC. Bottle list quite extensive with a good variety of locals and regional selections. It is obvious that there has been a cicerone involved here. Was told he longer is there but still "helps out occasionally". Staff is pretty knowledgeable and helpful. By farms favorite stop so far in the big D. Will return on my next trip. Food was upscale, self described GastorPub, but reasonably priced.

5 beer sampler- 5 oz each for $20.00 was a bit steep but they also freely provide1 oz tasters so overall well worth a stop if your in Dallas.

 

Go here. You can't lose.

 

V-The Moth is a upper scale restaurant with a nice, long bar up front and about 35 taps sitting behind that nice, long bar. I visited for dinner on a Wednesday around 8 pm and the place was slammed, so be prepared for people if you go. The Moth tries hard to be hip with tattooed servers and people milling about. It mostly works and isn't offensive, but this place is not mellow.

Q-The beers on tap were all craft and mostly American with lots of Texas influence. The selection was pretty solid for a restaurant with higher end food.

Ser-Service during the heat of the dinner rush was pretty good: reasonably prompt, food timed well, etc. The beers were poured into beer-specific glasses and the pours were pretty close to correct (I could have used a little more head on my hefe than the half finger that I got).

Sel-For a higher end restaurant, the tap list is great. I didn't notice a bottle list, but with 30-plus taps you can probably find something you want. It is Dallas and it was mid-June when I dropped in, so the beers understandably skewed to towards lighter options, but there were a few darker beers offer too.

F-My beet salad was good, but a little overdressed. The lamb skewers with yogurt and chickpeas, however, were dy-no-mite. The other food around me looked good too.

O-The Moth is a nice spot for good food and good beer. It may be a little hectic for some, but I would come back for the lamb and more food anytime.

One of the best places in big D to have quality beers, and the food is far better than most other locales

Very cool place. My wife described it as having a "yuppster" vibe, too fancy for true hipsters but very obvious with its over the top efforts to be cool. It's a bit much, but fun and very Dallas. The food looked promising, though we didn't eat. The beer was well kept and the staff seemed very legitimately knowledgeable. The draft selection was very good and the bottle selection is approaching epic, though you apparently have to know to ask for certain things that aren't advertised on the menu. I'd put this on the must do for any hardened beer geek visiting Dallas.

A trendy place that balances both the tap selection and food. Was there on a Tuesday at about 6. No wait for a table, but the place filled up soon after. Make reservations! High quality tap list with about 40 items. Not enough locals (2 or 3) and too much Dog Fish Head (at least 10), but good stuff, none the less. The food was superb.Small dishes, all very well prepared. I was with three others and we shared the mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, mussels Diablo, and meat board. The sprouts, with its tasty bits of caramelized pancetta and the mussels with plenty of garlic, spicy broth were the standouts. Service could have been a bit speedier, but not that big a deal. Very little parking, plan on valet. Would I return? For just the food, no. For just the beer, no. Having both, though makes it worth the trip.

 

Good selection within the 40 taps. Plenty of bottled choices if the taps don't excite you. Friendly and knowledgable staff. Kind of loud but not overpowering. Great place to go when you're in Dallas.

 

I was in Dallas for work and was able to stop by for an enjoyable customer dinner.
This is an attractive space. As you enter there is the hostess stand and then the bar is off to your left. The dining area and washrooms are off to the right.
I liked the stained glass Elvis, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. The ceilings are angular and of varying heights. There is also a patio which is always nice.

The waiter was friendly and knew the beer & food menus.

The beer list is large and varied by brewer and style. I had a great Gose and a really nice Pale Ale. Beer was served in the correct glassware.

The food was very good. We enjoyed a lamb appetizer, some good salads and entrees. Dessert was an awesome Blueberry Crumble with Ice-cream.

It was crowded and had a nice buzz. You will have to speak pretty loud as the music is played a pretty high volume.

This is new favorite place in Dallas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Must visit if you are in Dallas. Amazing food, great beer selection.