Plenty of Dallas-area breweries chase the newest hazy IPA. Oak Highlands built its name on a 10 percent Belgian Tripel and a taproom full of pinball, and the regulars keep proving that the bet paid off.
Published March 18, 2026 · By Daniel Okafor
Oak Highlands Brewery pours at 500 Lockwood Drive in Richardson, on the northern edge of the Dallas brewing scene. The team started as homebrewers, and their first competition win came with a Belgian blend called Freaky Deaky. That beer named the whole project's ambition before the doors ever opened.
Freaky Deaky is still the flagship and the bestseller. It is a Belgian Tripel that lands near 10 percent alcohol, and it was a regional champion in its category back in the homebrew days, a detail the brewery still flags on its own taps. Untappd reviewers keep it among the most-checked-in beers on the list, which tells you the locals agree.
The taproom plays as a beer garden built for staying a while. Shuffleboard, pinball machines, and open tables fill the space, the patio is dog-friendly, and live music shows up on weekends. The feel is family and community first, closer to a neighborhood clubhouse than a tasting bar.
Order with the house in mind. Start with the Freaky Deaky if you want the beer the brewery is known for, then work toward the rotating taps and seasonals for a fuller read on the range. A pour or a flight sits in the $$ bracket, fair for a taproom this generous with the space and the games.
The range rewards a second pour. Beyond Freaky Deaky, the lineup runs through hop-forward ales, darker seasonals, and limited taproom-only batches that rotate through the year. Flights are the smart move for a first visit, since the brewery treats its board as a reason to linger rather than a quick stop.
Timing matters because the hours are tight. Oak Highlands opens Wednesday through Friday at 2 p.m. and on weekends at noon, closing at 9 p.m. most nights and 6 p.m. on Sunday, and it stays dark Monday and Tuesday. A weekend afternoon is the sweet spot, with the games busy and a band often setting up.
The crowd reflects the room. Families with kids and dogs share the patio with shuffleboard rivalries and after-work groups, and Google reviewers return to the same notes about the welcoming staff and the spread of taps. It reads as a place people fold into a weekend rather than a one-time stop.
What earns Oak Highlands a spot on a Dallas list is its identity. It is not trying to be the trendiest brewery in the metro. It is trying to be the most fun room with a Belgian heart, and a Saturday afternoon with a Freaky Deaky and a shuffleboard puck in hand makes the case on its own. The homebrew origin story is still the point, and the taproom keeps that scrappy, community-built spirit even as the beers turn professional.
Oak Highlands fits neatly into a wider Dallas craft beer crawl. For the Deep Ellum brewing core, Deep Ellum Brewing, Peticolas Brewing, and Community Beer Company set the bar. Out toward the same northern suburbs, Four Corners Brewing and Lakewood Brewing round out a day of taprooms, with Craft and Growler good for a fill on the way home. For the full picture, see our roundup of the best craft beer bars in Dallas and the best bars in Dallas, or browse every craft beer bar in Dallas.
