Every fall, we publish our Best of Dallas issue, the Observer’s biggest print edition of the year. In those pages, we highlight an enormous amount of people, places and things that make living in North Texas so colorful, delicious and exciting.
But this isn’t that issue. Quite the opposite.
Welcome to the 2025 Worst of Dallas issue, just in time for Christmas, because that’s just the kind of people we are — smartasses. Even for those of us who love Dallas with all of our Katy Trail jogging, Peticolas drinking hearts, there are things we have a hard time looking past around here. Dallas and the greater North Texas region, beyond the city limits, are simply too expansive not to have countless opportunities for residents to be incensed, inconvenienced, and annoyed.
Some may say that the Observer’s effort to highlight such frustrations means we’re looking to divide or proffer rage bait, but that’s far from the truth. We want to connect with you, our readers, in a ‘misery loves company’ type of way, as you surely relate to many, if not all, of the following items on this list. If the Best of Dallas issue is a celebration, consider this issue a commiseration.
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Think about it. You likely have a favorite bar in town, right? In Dallas, that likely means you have to Uber there or valet park your vehicle. Both scenarios tend to bring about irritation on a busy Saturday night. Even if the fun you have once you’re sipping your drink inside is worth the hassle, it’s unavoidable that even a beloved experience starts with a pain in the ass.
What about that City Council member you helped get elected? They don’t always come through for you and your neighbors the way you wish they would, now, do they? And we know our local professional sports franchises have seemingly made it their mission to piss us all off in 2025. We’re forever fans, of course, but you know as well as we do that we get hurt most by the ones we love the dearest.
It’s OK for us to talk about that and maybe even have a little fun at that headache’s expense.
Many people have told us over the years that the Best of Dallas collection serves as a fun sort of to-do list. Below, the Worst of Dallas might offer you more in the way of things to avoid in Dallas, if you can.
Worst Hat
Upside Down Dallas Caps
At some point in the last couple of years, you’ve almost certainly had to do a double-take when someone walking past you is wearing a ballcap that seems to have “salad” boldly embroidered on it. It’s not a salad hat, but a True Brvnd “upside down” hat. Yes, even the brand’s name and logo do the upside-down thing with a v instead of an a. We get it.
So, cool, dudes all over town rock lids with SALLAD on them because why the hell not, we guess. The hats have taken over other cities and even colleges, too. They’re everywhere, but it doesn’t mean we have to like them.
Worst New Ritual
Yelling “Flag” During the National Anthem
Dallas Stars fans have been yelling “stars!” during the national anthem before hockey games for decades now. We’re not hating on that. Reports indicate a Marine helped start the tradition, and we’re all for calling out support for our team. But now, Mavericks fans, the ones who are left, have taken to yelling “flag!” in honor of star rookie Cooper Flagg when that word comes around during pre-game anthem singing.
As we said, Stars fans are lifting the team up with their voice, not a single player, and come on, Cooper’s last name isn’t even spelled the same way as it’s used in the anthem. Where does it end, people? Can we yell “light!” because the lights are on in the building? How about “air!” since we’re breathing while the song plays on? We might as well shout “home!” when the game is at the American Airlines Center. Besides, how long will Flagg be a Mavericks player anyway?
Worst Use of AI
Charlie Kirk at Prestonwood Baptist Church
People on both sides of the political aisle and from all religions were shocked and horrified by the September murder of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk at a Utah college event. Understandably, right-wing Christians, Kirk’s core constituency, likely took his death the hardest. Pastors across the U.S. mourned Kirk during their sermons the Sunday after his death.
However, one of the largest churches in the nation, Prestonwood Baptist in Plano, took a creepy turn when lead pastor Jack Graham introduced an AI-generated presentation featuring Kirk speaking from beyond the grave, telling congregants to “dry your tears, pick up your cross and get back in the fight.” Although Graham told the crowd he had decided to share the audio with them just before the service, when it was shared with him, Prestonwood was joined by a few other large churches in other parts of the country that same day in ceding the pulpit to Kirk from his heavenly home.
Worst Waste of Taxpayer Money
Legal Action Against Poker Room and Short-Term Rentals
We were tempted to anoint Mayor Eric Johnson’s African excursion here, but as superfluous as the dream vacation was, the city didn’t foot the part of the massive bill that allowed Johnson to book the deluxe accommodations. Instead, we’ll highlight here a pair of long-time battles that City Hall has continued to fight through 2025, even as the city continued to lose battle after battle, incurring hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
After banning nearly all short-term rentals in 2023, the city has been on the losing end of ruling after ruling, allowing Airbnb operators to continue booking guests despite objections from some neighborhood activists. Another lengthy and costly war likely came to an end in September when the Texas Supreme Court declined to review the city’s appeal of a previous ruling that allowed poker rooms to remain open. Making matters worse for Dallas is that the city was basically suing itself, fighting the poker room case against its own Board of Adjustment.
Worst Change of Mind
Dallas Marijuana Decriminalization
The November 2024 special election offered several proposed amendments to the city charter that garnered significant attention due to the substantial changes they would represent. A new police staffing requirement and the city’s potential liability for lawsuits were up for a vote. So too was Proposition R, which sought to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, and was overwhelmingly approved by voters.
Predictably, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton immediately filed suit against the city for allegedly subverting state law, a move he had been battling in court against several other cities. Just a few months later, the city teamed with Paxton to block the enforcement of Prop. R after a less-than-encouraging appeals court ruling. Perhaps Dallas needed the money to fight their legal battles in other areas.
The Preston Hollow Holiday House in full display.
The Preston Hollow Holiday House
Last Christmas, a Preston Hollow mansion went viral and absolutely no one was normal about it. Thousands of people came out to see the extreme light show, trampling through yards and running across roads. It became so chaotic that the Dallas Police Department had to intervene to provide traffic control, which cost taxpayers. The Dallas City Council was emphatic that this sort of mayhem can’t happen again. Except they sat on that idea for 12 months, and now, what do you know, it’s Christmas again.
This year, the homeowners leaned into a Grinch-themed display (Is that shade towards the City Council? Cindy Lou Who’s to say?), and while the fervor surrounding the home hasn’t seemed to reach last year’s level, a handful of Instagram reels showing off the lights have reached views into the millions. It is a bit crazy that the social media algorithm could suddenly skyrocket a home in your neighborhood into virality, leading to headaches for all.
The sad loss of Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
Worst Betrayal of the Dallas People
The Luka Trade
If the trade of Luka Doncic — the son of Dallas, the chosen one destined to lead the Mavericks to a championship — had occurred a year earlier, someone would have easily gotten enough signatures to get the firing of (now former) Mavericks’ General Manager Nico Harrison onto the Dallas City Charter. We dare say the voters would have passed the measure unanimously, so relentless was the vitriol Harrison’s decision to send Luka to L.A. inspired.
You didn’t think this travesty would get left off this type of list, did you? This is a town of toddlers and goldendoodles named Luka, and the middle-of-the-night send-off was something most Mavs fans haven’t, and likely will never, get over. Our only consolation, as this year comes to a close, is that Harrison was indeed fired. Still, we want Luka back.
Worst Policy Change
Southwest Airlines’ Two-Bag Policy
When Southwest Airlines announced the end of its long-time “two bags fly free” policy, a piece of our soul died. We warned that the decision to discard a policy at the heart of the company’s founding ethos was a harbinger of more dire consequences to come. And indeed, Southwest Airlines has since devalued its own points system, introduced assigned seating, and though we can’t prove it, we swear the flights are more expensive than they used to be.
For the Dallasites who had sworn fealty to our hometown airline, who spent decades believing that it flew above the rest precisely because of its people-first approach to travel, Southwest Airlines’ fall from grace was among the worst things to happen in 2025.
Worst Policy Change (Runner-Up)
Dos Equis Parking Passes
Earlier this month, Dos Equis Pavilion announced that, starting in 2026, it would charge separately for parking passes. Expectedly, Dallasites were pissed. The venue stated that the idea was to allow ticket buyers the freedom to be exempt from the fee if they preferred transportation through modes such as rideshare apps or DART. For us, it felt like free parking.
While we understand that nobility, we can’t help but wonder if it’s going to make a bad situation worse. Have you ever tried to get in and out of that lot for a sold-out show before? It’s a sanity-testing abyss to begin with, and we’d like to hope that the team at the venue has figured out a way to make parking passes smoother, but we’re less than optimistic.
Worst Speakeasy (Because It Isn’t Really A Speakeasy)
Ball and Buck
The speakeasy: a piece of American history stemming from the days of Prohibition, when all the miscreants whispered secret passwords and snuck through hidden doors to drink old-fashioneds and dry martinis with alcohol provided by the mafia. The need for secret back-alley bars ended when the 18th Amendment banning alcohol was repealed, but that has done absolutely nothing to stop stuffy, dim-lit bars with no signage from charging $21 for a Tito’s concoction with a twist.
Ball and Buck is like no other speakeasy, mostly because it traded the full-service bar for racks of expensive American-made men’s clothing. Don’t be fooled by the large and obvious sign on the side of the building that reads “Ball and Buck Sporting Goods.” That’s a front; it’s actually a store inside a store. The secret-ish flagship of the men’s clothing brand is conveniently tucked behind an unassuming buck-hunting arcade game in the corner of a fake tackle shop on Knox Street. At the very least, in an ode to the days of Capone, while you shuffle through $150 camo-print button-downs, the store offers complimentary beer on tap and bourbon, though it’s no bathtub gin.
The Skellig in holiday mode.
Worst (Easiest) Place To Run Into a Y’all Street Broker
The Skellig
If you squint, Dallas isn’t really all that different from New York City. We have a dazzling skyline, a sometimes scary public transportation system, at least a half-dozen rats and starting next year, our very own stock exchange. If you wanted even more finance bros in Dallas, you’re getting ‘em, and there’s no better place to run into one of them than at their unofficial after-hours headquarters, The Skellig.
What about the Irish pub in Knox Henderson attracts such a large quantity of just-graduated-from-SMU men after a long, grueling day of work at their father’s Fortune 500 company is beyond us. But the Skellig’s fish and chips almost warrant their reputation for bar-to-door Saturday night crowds packed with upside-down-Dallas hat wearers holding an AMEX.
Is there always a line outside Double Ds on Thursday nights?
Worst Line To Stand In
Double D’s on a Random Thursday Night
Picture this: The night is young, you’re feeling hot and the dancefloor calls, so you rally your pals for a midweek night out on the town. Who hasn’t clocked into a Friday shift hungover, anyway? You saunter to one of the best clubs in the city, Double D’s in the Design District, but to your utter shock and horror, there’s already a line wrapped around the corner at 10 p.m.
It seemed that the entire city heard the call of the discotheque, and they all responded. On a positive note, though, perhaps that’s just what happens when a bar has some of the nicest bartenders and the best DJs this city has to offer.
Worst Piece of Folklore
The Bullet Train
The Scots have the Loch Ness Monster. Mexico has the chupacabra. But here in Dallas, we have something far more terrifying: the Texas Central Railway. They say if you listen closely while stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on hour five of the should-be 3.5-hour trek between Dallas and Houston, you can hear the soft whistle of the Ghost of Texas Central Railway blowing in the distance.
The proposed bullet train, which was first conceptualized in the ‘70s, when Texas still had Democratic governors, has haunted the nightmares of those with any logistical (and budgetary) awareness of rail construction for the last 50 years. We should probably resolve our existing Dallas Area Rapid Transit system woes before we start seriously planning any more massive public transportation projects. But maybe if we say “bullet train” in the mirror three times fast, Amtrak and $40 billion will appear.
The worst highway is Spur 366 interchange with Interstate 35E.
Worst Stretch of Freeway
Woodall Rodgers Freeway
A septic artery runs through the heart of Dallas, pumping broken dreams and King Ranch Ford exhaust straight into your soul, and it’s called Woodall Fuck You Rodgers Freeway. Texas A&M’s Transportation Institute has ranked this east-west thoroughfare as the third most congested segment in the state.
Unfortunately, if you want to traverse to I-35, I-45, I-30 or Central Expressway anywhere near downtown, you’re bound to this park underpass. And once you get through it — where signs instruct you which way to run in case of fire — you’re faced with a moral crossroad: get in line and wait your turn like the sucker you are, or be one of the total a-holes blazing an outside lane to dive-bomb the front of the line. And for the people who break down every day (every! day!) inside that fluorescent smog-scape, they don’t deserve any special punishment (not that I’ve not pondered it): the tunnel has already done enough.
Worst Proposed Sports Franchise Move
Dallas Stars to the Northern Suburbs
Want nice Dallas sports things? TOO BAD! If this city had to get a face tattoo, that would be it. When the Dallas Stars brought hockey to the city in 1993, Reunion Arena was the perfect home: packed and loud. Local sports fans were instantly hooked. The American Airlines Center, which the team shares with the Dallas Mavericks and many touring shows, has been a wonderful second home for the team. The bars and restaurants in the surrounding neighborhood are great for a pregame dinner or postgame drink. Generational fun, dare we say.
But, no, we just can’t have nice things. The Stars are eyeing a $1 billion Collin County home as the American Airlines Center is allegedly outdated and they want to own the land around it. Hearing this news from the team this year was just gutting. And there’s a shortage of premium seating, which has nothing to do with the real fans in three hundreds.
Worst Politician To Receive Emails From
Ken Paxton
The subject lines of emails from the office of our state’s attorney general (and possibly next U.S. senator) read like a Fox News-branded Madlibs. “Attorney General Ken Paxton Launches Tip Line to Stop Woke State Entities from Allowing Mentally Ill Men to Invade Women’s Spaces,” read a recent press release from Paxton’s office. Another reads “Attorney General Ken Paxton Defeats Repeat Loser Beto O’Rourke in Court for Third Time.” If they weren’t so frivolously cartoonish, they’d almost be iconic. The soon-to-be divorced dad lives in McKinney when he’s not in Austin, so he’s more local than we might want to admit.
When he’s not “investigating” SHEIN, he’s making sure you know he’s “investigating” the Discord app because Charlie Kirk’s assassin enjoyed using it. He also finds time to sue everyone from the Biden administration to tech companies Sony and Samsung to — checks notes — gaming apps like Roblox. For all we know, he’s drafting up a subject line for a lawsuit press release with your name on it as you read this.
Influencers Who Call Popular Places “Hidden Gems”
Listen, we don’t even need to name any names here, because first, there are so many, and printing pages costs money. And second, if you’re from Dallas (or have even just called it home for more than a few years, really), you’ve already muted the worst offenders on your social media app of choice.
You scroll and instinctively groan at a version of “Come with me to check out this hidden dive bar that more people should be talking about,” and it’s literally the long-celebrated, beloved Lakewood Landing. Thanks for that esoteric tip. We’re excited to share our home with newcomers, to be sure, but we aren’t interested in being city-splained to by someone with a tiny mic and a CapCut Pro subscription.
Worst Idea That’s Only Going to Get Worse in 2026
Potentially Moving Dallas City Hall
The estimated cost to bring the iconic I.M. Pei-designed building — loved by some, hated by others — ranges from $152 million to $345 million. That’s a pretty hefty range for repairs. Imagine if your plumber gave you an estimate to repair a leak that ranged from $150 to $320. You’d call another plumber, right? The city now has a committee in place to obtain a more accurate estimate for fixing years of deferred maintenance. (Here’s a koan for you: If a building is torn down before the maintenance is done, was the maintenance deferred? Sounds like one long demo to us.)
However, the vibe on the City Council seems to be leaning toward finding a new home, which has already angered many people. Toss in talk of replacing City Hall with an arena for the Mavericks and/or a future casino. Consider the chance that city offices will be relocated to privately owned commercial properties and this promises to be the start of the municipal equivalent of a bench-clearing donnybrook at an MLB game.