Windmill Lounge

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5320 Maple Ave. Dallas, TX 75235

214-443-7818

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6 User reviews Write A Review

Best Dive Bar
Award Winner 2011

Hours: Daily 4pm-2am
Features: Smoking, Dance Floor
Entertainment: DJs

Description

There's a line in bartender Jason Kosmas' book, Speakeasy, that talks about the benefit of hanging out in the old man’s bar. Wisdom is passed down, advice is doled out, strong drinks are poured. Windmill owner and barman Charlie Papaceno is certainly no old man, but his bar seems to be the go-to drinkery for the area's best bartenders. The Windmill, located just beyond the outskirts of Uptown, finds its charm in its divey digs. The dark room is lined with second-hand tables, and the songs on the jukebox hit the spot almost as well as the drinks. And at the heart of the place is Papaceno, who makes each drink with a smile and friendly conversation.

2011 | Best Dive Bar

Every man needs a home bar. Every man needs that place he can slouch into, order a Shiner or a Maker's on the rocks and retreat into its dimly lit recesses to hide from Dallas' summer hellscape. The Windmill Lounge is that place. Once you park in the gravel lot behind the building and pass through the red door, you may notice that The Windmill exists in a state of perpetual night, which is by design. Don't give a man bright and airy. Wrap him in a cocoon of low lighting and blasting air... More »
2008 | Best Authentic Dive

From the tiled bar to the dark, mellow atmosphere to that ridiculous neon windmill on the roof, there's nothing contrived or even remotely close to pompous in this place. It's a neighborhood bar reminiscent of the little Manhattan dives where regulars know each other and call the bartender by name. And no wonder--the owner, Charlie, hails from the Empire State and makes the meanest New York deli sandwiches in the city. Seriously. We recommend the Reuben, but they're all perfection,... More »
2007 | Best Bar You've Never Been To

We are so gonna regret this. Look, just keep this little secret between us, OK There's this great little bar on Maple Avenue that's not called The Grapevine, which we love, but apparently so does everyone else. Sometimes you just need a drink, a friendly face and a quiet, cozy place to sit and ponder your beer bubbles. That's why we love The Windmill. Owned and operated by a friendly New Yorker who introduces himself simply as Charlie, this joint is sort of little place that drives home the... More »

At the Windmill Last Night, Dallas Bartenders Got Amped for New Orleans' Tales of the Cocktail

By Scott Reitz | Tue, May 8, 2012

Tales of the Cocktail will kick of its tenth year this July in New Orleans, and in addition to drawing professionals from around it's catering specifically to Texas bartenders. Ann Teunnerman, the f... More »
An Ode to the Coupe Glass

By Whitney Filloon | Mon, April 23, 2012

First introduced in the 1660s for Champagne, the coupe glass reached the height of its popularity in the 1930s with the introduction of Prohibition-era cocktails, and in recent years its popularity is... More »
Eat This Guy Fieri: A Photo Essay on The Dive Bars of Dallas

By Nick Rallo | Fri, March 9, 2012

We love dives. It's the feel of these places: the flaking-away booth chair, the wobbly stool, the Exile on Main Street on the juke box. And, oh sweet yes: late-night corn dogs. So, eat this Food Netwo... More »
Wisdom from the Windmill's Charlie Papaceno

By Lauren Drewes Daniels | Fri, February 24, 2012

Charlie Papaceno, originally from Warwick, New York, opened the Windmill Lounge with his partner Louise six years ago. In that time, they've both garnered reputations for making honest, strong drinks... More »
Charlie Papaceno, Progenitor of the Windmill, Runs a Damn Fine Bar. That is All.

By Scott Reitz | Thu, July 28, 2011

Tuesday night, sometime after 10. Charlie Papaceno, sporting vintage specs, was working the bar of the Windmill Lounge, a little dive on Maple. A couple huddled in the corner, and two more pairs sat ... More »
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dallasobserverbestof | Dallas, TX | 193 Reviews

| Wed, May 6, 2009

From the tiled bar to the dark, mellow atmosphere to that ridiculous neon windmill on the roof, there's nothing contrived or even remotely close to pompous in this place. It's a neighborhood bar reminiscent of the little Manhattan dives where regulars know each other and call the bartender by name. And no wonder�the owner, Charlie, hails from the Empire State and makes the meanest New York deli sandwiches in the city. Seriously. We recommend the Reuben, but they're all perfection, especially after a long night of Jack and Cokes. Not only is there rarely a crowd of annoyingly drunk and entitled patrons, but the jukebox is one of the city's best, with hundreds of discs including Iggy Pop, Prince, Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and John Lee Hooker. What more could you want for last call?
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schambers30 | Dallas, TX | 75 Reviews

| Tue, June 29, 2010

I had some delicious drink with raspberry and basil...ok maybe I had 4. Fun dive bar with lotso personality!
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sfranch | Dallas, TX | 244 Reviews

| Tue, February 16, 2010

A must-not-miss dive bar, with fantastic, innovative and delicious cocktails. Charlie has to be the best bartender in the city, and their jukebox has a wide range of tunes.
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Windmill Lounge

5320 Maple Ave. Dallas, TX 75235

214-443-7818

Description

Karaoke With Mr. Brad

9:30 p.m. every Thu.

2011 | Best Dive Bar

2008 | Best Authentic Dive

2007 | Best Bar You've Never Been To

At the Windmill Last Night, Dallas Bartenders Got Amped for New Orleans' Tales of the Cocktail

By Scott Reitz | Tue, May 8, 2012

An Ode to the Coupe Glass

By Whitney Filloon | Mon, April 23, 2012

Eat This Guy Fieri: A Photo Essay on The Dive Bars of Dallas

By Nick Rallo | Fri, March 9, 2012

Wisdom from the Windmill's Charlie Papaceno

By Lauren Drewes Daniels | Fri, February 24, 2012

Charlie Papaceno, Progenitor of the Windmill, Runs a Damn Fine Bar. That is All.

By Scott Reitz | Thu, July 28, 2011

dallasobserverbestof | Dallas, TX | 193 Reviews

schambers30 | Dallas, TX | 75 Reviews

sfranch | Dallas, TX | 244 Reviews

People Who Like Windmill Lounge