Visiting for the Pitt-SMU game... what should we do?

[HailToPitt725]

Hello my SMU friends. Congrats on an impressive start in your first season in the ACC. We have a group of four travelling in for the Pitt-SMU game on November 2nd; we pick a game each season to attend, and this year was an easy decision.

We'll be staying at The Highland Dallas and will arrive at DFW on Friday afternoon. We plan on using the "DART" train to get around and will not be renting a car. I'd love to hear any recommendations you have for what attractions, bars, and restaurants we should visit while in town. From an outsider's perspective, Dallas has a ton of history and is a city of cultural significance, so we'll try to pack as much as we can into a Friday-Sunday trip. So far, we've been told to visit the 'Boulevard' on gameday (perhaps the site of a College Gameday visit?) and to stop by the George Bush Presidential Library on SMU's campus. It's too bad we'll have missed the Fair by a few weeks.

[BUS]

Welcome to our new friends. I hope you find our fans as friendly as the ones we found traveling to Louisville last week.
Yes, the Boulevard is the Saturday thing. Go 3 hours before the game and watch it fill up and get the party started. The Bush tour is also a must.

If you continue on foot east on SMU blvd, there are a lot of bars and food to check out. We tailgate with people from the Barley House - Collage hangout.

Historically, the 6th floor museum for the JFK shooting. Yes, sad about the Fair grounds. For Friday, you might try to look up a high school game. Highland Park might have a game super close, but there are MANY others. Lake Highlands and Berkner play close to campus. You would have to Uber or Lift as the DART is not the most convenient.

Back to the Boulevard - Come to the corner of Bishop and Binkley and see what we have going on. This has been an ongoing effort to step up the gameday party.

God's Peace - Other than game time

[Sewanee Stang]

You are staying in a good location. Dallas has a lot of good restaurants and things to see and do. Here are some of my favorites:

Restaurants:
S&D Oyster Company on McKinney
Cafe Madrid on Cole Ave
Pecan Lodge BBQ on Main in Deep Ellum.
Avila’s Mexican restaurant on Maple
Kuby’s for breakfast in Snyder Plaza

I agree with Bus about visiting the 6th floor museum downtown

The Meadows Museum on the SMU campus has a nice collection of Spanish painters if you’re into that type of thing

Lower Greenville Ave has some good bars and restaurants

If you are in or around Deep Ellum or Fair Park then I recommend going to the Sons on Herman Hall for live music and if you are into a cultural experience and are open minded head to RL’s Blues Palace on Grand Ave. They really have it going on down there.

Finally, my favorite radio station is KNON FM 89.3. They play the best music in town.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you feel welcome and have a great time. Good luck.

[SMU Pony Mom]

Hello my SMU friends. Congrats on an impressive start in your first season in the ACC. We have a group of four travelling in for the Pitt-SMU game on November 2nd; we pick a game each season to attend, and this year was an easy decision.

We'll be staying at The Highland Dallas and will arrive at DFW on Friday afternoon. We plan on using the "DART" train to get around and will not be renting a car. I'd love to hear any recommendations you have for what attractions, bars, and restaurants we should visit while in town. From an outsider's perspective, Dallas has a ton of history and is a city of cultural significance, so we'll try to pack as much as we can into a Friday-Sunday trip. So far, we've been told to visit the 'Boulevard' on gameday (perhaps the site of a College Gameday visit?) and to stop by the George Bush Presidential Library on SMU's campus. It's too bad we'll have missed the Fair by a few weeks.

My husband and I live in Delaware and travel often to Dallas to visit our SMU grad daughter who loved Dallas so much she stayed after graduation. We will be traveling down for the Pitt game as well (we also have a niece who’s a Pitt grad). I agree with not renting a car but really recommend using Uber as Dart tends not to be overly convenient. Bush Library is a great visit as is 6th Floor museum. Couple of other fun restaurant/bar suggestions would be Banditos in Snider Plaza close to SMU and Katy Trail Ice House is fun to hang outside while enjoying adult beverages and cheese fries. There are so many great restaurants around!! You will love The Boulevard and people are very friendly!! Enjoy the trip!

[Dukie]

You are staying in a good location. Dallas has a lot of good restaurants and things to see and do. Here are some of my favorites:

Restaurants:
S&D Oyster Company on McKinney
Cafe Madrid on Cole Ave
Pecan Lodge BBQ on Main in Deep Ellum.
Avila’s Mexican restaurant on Maple
Kuby’s for breakfast in Snyder Plaza

I agree with Bus about visiting the 6th floor museum downtown

The Meadows Museum on the SMU campus has a nice collection of Spanish painters if you’re into that type of thing

Lower Greenville Ave has some good bars and restaurants

If you are in or around Deep Ellum or Fair Park then I recommend going to the Sons on Herman Hall for live music and if you are into a cultural experience and are open minded head to RL’s Blues Palace on Grand Ave. They really have it going on down there.

Solid restaurant list; now I want S&D shrimp salad. Definitely agree on Lower/Lowest Greenville. For true old-school Dallas vibe though I’d hang a right on Henderson and go a couple blocks to Louie’s. Amazing pizza and the coldest martini in town.

[ponyte]

You can't go wrong with any recommendation.

I have seen all the previous SMU Pitt games. SMU Pitt in the Cotton Bowl and SMU Pitt in the Birmingham Bowl ( feel bad because of the Pitt's coaching situation). I also pulled for Pitt in the Sugar Bowl in Dan Marino's last game against Georgia. I was in seats in the Pitt section thanks to Marino's Sugar Daddy. What an experience! And as a TE myself really love the winning TD was to a TE. And it was right in front of us!

It's just down the street from the stadium on Mockingbird Lane and casual. I would highly recommend Campisi's Egyptian restaurant. Don't worry about the contradiction in the title, it is most definitely an Italian restaurant. Don't waste time looking at the menu, get the pizza of your choice. It is beyond superve!

I have tickets to the game and plan to attend. The Blvd. is very friendly and most will gladly welcome visiting team fans. Remember we sucked for generations and we welcome anyone that shows up.

Dallas if a fantastic city so experience the 'modern West'.

[bubba pony]

Thank you for selecting SMU as your away game visit. SMU campus is beautiful and will be the safest campus you ever visited.
Taking the light rail dart from DFW to SMU could not be easier.
It is a direct ride taking 1 hour and 9 minutes according to google.
You buy your ticket at a ticket machine at DFW. Just board the train. Sometimes someone checks for the ticket. Most of the time no one does. But buy the ticket to avoid a fine.
Exit Mockingbird Station and you can walk to your hotel.
You will go right through downtown Dallas on the dart, go is good to see.
There is a small shopping area next to the campus called Snider Plaza. There is a good Mexican restaurant called Banditio’s. I’m adding this because you can walk there and its good Mexican food.
https://banditostexmex.com/

SMU is not really in Dallas. It’s in an enclave called University Park. Next to another enclave called Highland Park.
Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones lives in Highland Park as does many other affluent people. President George Bush use to live there. You get the idea

[Arkpony]

I second Ponyte’s recommendation of Campisi’s! I’ve been loving that place since 1955. The pizza is outstanding!

[DiamondM75]

If you just want burgers and other "bar" food, you can walk to Ozona's. It is not a short walk, but is walkable from campus and your hotel. It has a great outdoor patio area.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

I regularly take DART from DFW into town. I usually get off at Victory. If you are taking it all the way to Mockingbird, be advised that your train will stop at the downtown DART stops and looking out the windows at those stops you may start to wonder if visiting Dallas was a good idea. They can be very "gritty". All I can say is don't be deterred, I promise that when you get to Mockingbird Station it will be A LOT nicer.

Also, if you don't want to mess with the ticket machine at DFW, you can download the GoPass app on your phone and buy all your DART passes through there. A one-way ride from DFW to Mockingbird will cost you $3 per person. I mention it because the machine can be a bit of a pain.

[leopold]

The Meadows Museum on the SMU campus has a nice collection of Spanish painters if you’re into that type of thing

Seriously, this is considered to be the single best collection of Spanish art on the planet outside of Spain, and it sits directly next to the stadium.

Can't recommend visiting this museum enough.

[BUS]

Ditto the Meadows Musuem.

[giacfsp]

The Sixth Floor Museum is an absolute must for any new visitor to Dallas. I was a terrible (and largely uninterested) student in history classes, and could have stayed there for days. It is nothing short of amazing. Skip the Bush unless your flight gets delayed a day and you have nothing else to do. Meadows Museum isn't huge, but ... wow -- extraordinary and well worth the visit, even if you're like me and only lukewarm on the idea of spending a couple of hours looking at art.

- Ozona has a big patio, and yes, it's within (long) walking distance, but you need to drink a bit to enjoy the food.
- Campisi's is good. Grimaldi's is better.
- If you feel the urge for Tex-Mex (and why wouldn't you?), Javier's is pricey but fantastic. Meso Maya is a short drive away and also really good.
- Sewanee Stang is right about Cafe Madrid and Avila's. Both are outstanding.
- If you want the late-night experience that every current and former SMU student share, go to Snuffer's. You might want to bring a cardiologist along, but the cheese fries are legendary.

[SMU15]

If you’re still here Sunday evening, Mavs games are always a good time.

Lower Greenville definitely for the selection of chill bars. If the weather’s nice, I like the vibe at Truck Yard. And GAPCo for late night pizza

[PonyTime]

Agree with others -

Go to Campisis (you can walk there from your hotel - so there is no excuse) and before you go, read the following to get the historical background of that place - from Jack Ruby to Joe DiMaggio and everything else.

https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2016/november/how-david-campisi-keeps-growing-the-family-business/

Ask to sit in the original section of the joint and you will really get the feel - the addition is not the same.