First of all, I should probably fess up and confess right from the start that I probably go out to a bar fewer than a dozen times a year. That being said, The Lounge is my favorite bar in all of Dallas. Why? For starters, it's in the lobby of the Inwood Theatre, an art deco movie house built in 1947 that today features independent and foreign films. I've seen movies such as Amelie, Like Water for Chocolate, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and the re-release of Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window at the Inwood over the years.
So the flicks are cool; what about the bar? The uninitiated might unknowingly walk right by the entrance, since it's under the marquee of the movie house but inconspicuously off to the left, opposite the ticket window. A small neon sign with the single word "Lounge" in pink script over a portholed door tells you you've found the right place. Once inside, The Lounge doesn't disappoint. Walk in and you'll find a dark lounge that harks back to earlier, simpler times. The bar itself has kind of a subtle curve to it, there are murals overhead in the theater lobby, and you might pick up the scent of buttered popcorn wafting over the partial wall that is also a waterfall, which serves to separate moviegoers from bar patrons.
Towards the back you'll find another surprise. There's a small room with booths and a few tables, and if you're lucky enough to sit in just the right spot, you can look through a large picture window and watch the projectionist do his thing, and also catch a reasonably good view of the main screen on the lower level. This is your father's movie house. I remember going to see Palookaville with a couple of friends several years ago. Afterward, we bought our beers and found some seats in the back of The Lounge and watched some of the hilarious scenes in that movie a second time.
The crowd, or lack thereof, tends to ebb and flow as the movies approach start time and then again when they're over, especially if a really popular movie is playing. The Lounge might be packed one minute, virtually empty the next, and then packed again after the movie is over or as the next start time approaches.
One of the things I like best about The Lounge is the clientele. It tends to draw a very eclectic crowd, from Gen-Xers to well-to-do residents of nearby Highland Park and University Park, and most things in between, which usually translates into some good people-watching. I suppose since the theater shows what some might call "artsy" movies, you can guess as to the type of patrons who find their way into The Lounge. So check it out, and enjoy the movie!
Atmosphere: lounge, martini bar
Hours: Mon 5pm-2am; Tues-Thurs 5pm-1am; Fri-Sat 5pm-2am; Sun 5pm-1am
Phone: 214.350.7834
Website: n/a