DFW Brewery Guide: Local Craft Beer Spots Worth Exploring

One of my favorite things about living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is that there is always something new to try.

A new restaurant opens. A neighborhood gets a new coffee shop. Someone finds a hidden gem of a local business that you didn't even know existed.

And if you enjoy craft beer, North Texas has plenty to explore.

The DFW brewery scene stretches from Dallas to Fort Worth and well beyond the city centers. There are neighborhood taprooms, large breweries, brewpubs, family-friendly spots, places with live music, patios and breweries that have turned themselves into full weekend destinations.

And you don't necessarily have to drive downtown Dallas or Fort Worth to find one.

If you're in Mansfield, Arlington, Burleson, Grand Prairie or somewhere else in South DFW, there are options much closer to home.

So grab a designated driver, call your favorite ride service and let's explore some of the DFW brewery scene.

Start Close to Home: South DFW & Arlington

If you live in the southern part of the Metroplex, you don't have to make a day trip out of finding a local brewery.

Mansfield, Texas

Mansfield has an interesting brewery option that combines beer with another favorite pastime: going to the movies.

Flix Brewhouse Mansfield combines a first-run movie theater, full restaurant and on-site brewery. It's a little different from the traditional "sit around the taproom and sample beer" experience, but that's also what makes it fun.

You can have dinner, order one of the house beers and settle into a movie without making three separate stops.

For a date night or an evening when everyone in the group wants to do something different, that's a pretty convenient combination.

Flix Brewhouse - Mansfield

Arlington, Texas

Arlington has its own craft beer history, too.

Division Brewing is a locally owned brewery in downtown Arlington and is one of the city's established craft beer destinations. Arlington's tourism organization describes it as the city's first locally owned craft brewery, with a rotating selection brewed on-site.

Division Brewing

Its downtown location also makes it convenient if you're already heading into Arlington for a concert, sporting event or another activity.

And that's one thing I love about the DFW brewery scene: you can build an entire evening around it rather than simply going somewhere for a drink.

Pantego, Texas

If you're in the Arlington area and haven't ventured over to Pantego, Dr. Jeckyll's Beer Lab is another neighborhood option.

Dr. Jeckyll's Beer Lab

It's a smaller neighborhood-style taproom with live music and a casual atmosphere. This is more of a "find your local spot and become a regular" kind of place than a destination brewery requiring an elaborate itinerary.

Fort Worth: A Whole Brewery Weekend Could Happen Here

Fort Worth has one of the more established brewery scenes in North Texas, with breweries spread across areas including Near Southside, the Stockyards and other parts of the city. Current 2026 brewery listings identify roughly a dozen breweries in the broader Fort Worth area.

A few worth knowing:

HopFusion Ale Works

HopFusion Ale Works

Located in Fort Worth's Near Southside area, HopFusion has the kind of setup that works well for a casual night out. The brewing area is visible from the taproom, and the brewery regularly incorporates events and activities into the experience.

This is a good example of why I don't think brewery guides should be only about the beer.

Sometimes it's about the atmosphere.

Sometimes it's about the people you're with.

And sometimes it's about finding somewhere you can hang out for a couple of hours without feeling rushed.

Cowtown Brewing Company

Cowtown Brewing is another Fort Worth name worth putting on your list, particularly if you're spending time around the Stockyards.

The brewery's location makes it easy to combine with other Fort Worth activities, which is part of what makes the Stockyards such a popular destination for locals and visitors.

Second Rodeo Brewing

If you're already planning a Stockyards outing, Second Rodeo Brewing is another option to consider.

The brewery has leaned into the Stockyards atmosphere with live music and a Western-inspired setting. Current 2026 listings continue to feature its entertainment programming.

That's one of the things Fort Worth does particularly well: the brewery experience feels connected to the personality of the neighborhood.

Bedford: A Great Mid-Cities Stop

If you're looking for something between Dallas and Fort Worth, don't overlook the Mid-Cities.

Turning Point Beer in Bedford is one of the breweries I would put on a North Texas craft-beer list.

Turning Point Beer

Bedford is an interesting location for brewery hopping because you can explore this area without committing to a drive all the way into Dallas or Fort Worth.

And for people living in Hurst, Euless, Bedford and surrounding communities, that's exactly the point.

You don't always need a destination.

Sometimes you just need a good local place.

Dallas Has a Lot to Explore

If you're ready to turn brewery hopping into an actual outing, Dallas gives you plenty of choices.

Current 2026 brewery guides identify roughly 30 breweries in Dallas, making it one of the largest brewery concentrations in the DFW area.

Here are a few different experiences to consider.

Peticolas Brewing Company

Peticolas Brewing Company / Taproom

Located in Dallas' Design District, Peticolas is a longtime name in the local craft beer scene.

The taproom has a large industrial-style setting and a substantial beer selection, making it a good choice if your group wants to sample different styles rather than everyone ordering the same thing.

Celestial Beerworks

Celestial Beerworks

Celestial is near Dallas' Medical District and has built a recognizable identity around its art, science and space-inspired theme.

The beer lineup tends to lean toward hop-forward styles, including hazy IPAs, while rotating lagers, stouts and other styles give people who aren't IPA fans something else to try.

Four Corners Brewing Company

Four Corners Brewing Company

Four Corners is located in The Cedars just south of downtown Dallas and has been part of the Dallas craft beer scene since 2012.

It's a good example of a brewery that feels connected to its Dallas location rather than simply being a taproom dropped into a random industrial building.

Community Beer Co.

Community Beer Co. Taproom & Restaurant

If you're looking for something that feels more like a complete night out, Community Beer Co. combines a brewery with a full restaurant, biergarten/patio and regular events.

That makes it especially appealing for groups where not everyone is necessarily there just for the beer.

Westlake Brewing Company

Westlake Brewing Company

Located in Deep Ellum, Westlake offers another way to combine craft beer with the larger Dallas experience.

The brewery also hosts recurring activities such as yoga and run-club gatherings, which is a good reminder that today's breweries are often functioning as community gathering spaces as much as places to make beer.

What About Grand Prairie and Burleson?

This is where things get interesting for those of us who live in South DFW.

The brewery scene is smaller than Dallas or Fort Worth, but there are still local options.

In Grand Prairie, Rios Brewing Company combines an on-site brewery with a full restaurant, live music and sports-bar atmosphere.

Rios Brewing Company

And in Burleson, Village Creek Brewing Co. is another local option to keep an eye on.

Village Creek Brewing Co.

For people living south of Arlington, having local options like these means you don't always have to drive 30 or 40 minutes north for a brewery experience.

And honestly, that's part of what makes living in a growing area like South DFW fun.

The list of things to do close to home keeps getting longer.

A Brewery Doesn't Have to Be Just About Beer

This is probably my favorite part of the DFW brewery scene.

Today's breweries can be:

Date-night spots.

Places to meet friends.

Live-music venues.

Food destinations.

Sports-watching spots.

Family-friendly gathering places.

Dog-friendly patios.

Weekend destinations.

And that means you don't have to be a craft-beer expert to enjoy them.

You can go because you like trying something local.

You can go because your friends want to go.

Or you can order something non-alcoholic and enjoy the food and atmosphere while everyone else samples the beer.

The experience is often just as important as what's in the glass.

Planning a DFW Brewery Crawl?

If you're going to visit more than one brewery in a day, a little planning goes a long way.

Pick one area

Don't try to visit breweries scattered from Dallas to Fort Worth in one afternoon.

Choose a neighborhood or corridor and explore it.

Check the hours first

Brewery hours can be different from traditional restaurants and bars. Some open later in the week or have limited Sunday hours.

And breweries sometimes close for private events or special occasions.

Check before you go.

Look at the food situation

Some breweries have full kitchens.

Others bring in food trucks.

Some have very limited food options.

If you're planning to spend several hours brewery hopping, know where you're going to eat.

Plan your transportation

This one should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway.

Have a plan before the first beer.

Designated driver, rideshare, taxi—whatever works for your group.

Don't make the transportation decision at the end of the night.

One More Thing: Check Before You Go

The DFW brewery scene changes.

Breweries open.

Breweries close.

Taprooms change their hours.

Food trucks rotate.

Events come and go.

Even established breweries can change their offerings.

Current 2026 brewery data shows just how much the scene continues to evolve, with new openings and closures reflected in the latest regional listings.

So before heading out, check the brewery's own website or social media for current hours, events and food information.

That's especially important if you're driving across the Metroplex for a specific brewery.

The Bottom Line

One of the things I love about living in North Texas is that you don't have to go far to find something new to try.

Whether you're looking for a neighborhood taproom in Arlington, Texas, a night out in Fort Worth, Texas, a brewery experience in Dallas, Texas, or something closer to home in Mansfield, Texas, Grand Prairie, Texas or Burleson, Texas, there are plenty of ways to explore the local craft beer scene.

And if you're new to the area, this is actually one of the things I recommend doing when you're getting to know your new community.

Don't just learn where the houses are. Learn where people spend their time.

Find your favorite coffee shop.

Find your favorite restaurant.

Find a local brewery.

Find a park you love.

Those little discoveries are what turn a place you're living into a place that actually feels like home.

Thinking about moving to Mansfield, Texas, Arlington, Texas, Burleson, Texas or another North Texas community? Contact me, Stephanie Deeds, and let's talk about what life is really like in the areas you're considering.

Source & Attribution

This article was prepared using current 2026 DFW craft-beer information and individual brewery/business information. Regional brewery counts and current status were cross-checked against current DFW brewery listings, while Arlington tourism information and individual business listings were used to verify selected local breweries.

Brewery hours, menus, events, food trucks and beer selections can change. Check with each brewery directly before visiting.