Backbeat Cafe

This placed closed in December.

Thursday night 10:00 show.
Cool spot. Just really chill, low-​key, mature (read: late 20’s ++) crowd. Cute little date spot if you are into neo-​soul.
I don’t think they have a waitstaff at night, we had to go up to the coffee bar to get a glass of wine, which was a little different… I can tell they are still growing and I think it’s definitely catering to a sophisticated audience that has been somewhat overlooked/​neglected in the Dallas area. I’ll go back to support it for sure!

I went here for some breakfast sandwich after the taco joint says «we don’t have any bacon»… no bacon? Seriously? This is breakfast! The cra-​sandwich was fabulous and this is a really hip joint. Wine, Coffee, Live music… what more can you ask for?

I’m waffling between three and four stars on this one. I have a distinct feeling the more I go there I’ll bump it up a star, but to be fair, my first visit was a 3-​star experience.
A coworker and I decided to escape the office to do a little off-​site brainstorming and found that Backbeat was just a couple of blocks away, located in the bottom of the Mosaic building. SCORE! I totally loved the vibe when I first walked in… the design thematic is sort of hipster-​meets-​mod, which I thought was different and kind of cool, especially in a downtown overrun by Starbucks.
We went to go order coffee, and we saw they had some breakfast items, sandwiches and smoothies on the menu board. No coffee. Now I don’t necessarily need a menu to order coffee, but without it I somehow felt lost. I mean, I at least need to know my options, right? Apparently not. Oh well.
The girls behind the counter were incredibly sweet if a little clueless… we both decided we wanted iced coffees and asked if they had any sugar-​free syrups, to which we got a couple of blank stares. (I’ll cut them some slack, they may have been new.) One of the girls proceeded to look up the syrups in the computer, which seemed odd seeing as they were lined up right next to the register, but hey. To each their own.
They’ve got sugar-​free vanilla, which we both ordered, and the coffee was pretty good. Definitely not the best I’ve had, not the worst either. We scored a couple of comfy oversized chairs and proceeded to get to work uninterrupted.
The bathroom situation is a little weird… I ended up wandering around like a lost puppy and then had to ask some people in the gym next door where it was, and of course, it was right behind me. Durrrr.
Thought it is was pretty cool that they had a separate bar with beer and wine (awesome!), but seeing as it was about 10:30 in the morning and a workday, I stuck to coffee. I’d definitely like to check it out for happy hour, especially since it’s so close to the office, and there’s a little stage in a connected room where they play live music. I’m a sucker for live music even if said music arguably sucks, so I’m looking forward to seeing what that’s all about.

love love love it! i can’t wait to go back.
i agree with the comment below that the wine selections could be more adventurous. great customer service. nice menu.

I came here for an open mic night last night and fell in love with it. The staff is so friendly, and the atmosphere is amazing. I love this place.

Reminds me of something I would run into in San Fran. Its off to the side, its not next to some expensive hotel, better yet a really hipster loft building. and has tons of neato events like free lance rapping, open mic, bands and etc. There is always something. Its a coffee bar but has a full menu of wines and beers! Actually a really good selection as well. Tons of sandwiches with deserts and etc. BUT that isnt why Im writing this review. its mainly because I love the smoothies! I always get the alarm clock — it has tons of strawberries and I think rasberries. ITS SO GOOD! So if you want a quiet and relaxing time and a good spot for a smoothie. go here!

Pleasant place to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon.
DART trains were perpetual but could be tuned out. Sucks that downtown Dallas charges for metered parking on Saturdays, but that’s not Backbeat’s fault. It was a little hard to find since Pacific is inaccessible by car.
Restrooms were a bit out of the way, and dark, and I dislike plumbing fixtures that make me feel stupid. :)
Couches were comfortable and ambiance quiet.
Nice to have beer & wine as an option, and a happy hour, though the wine selection could be a little more adventurous. Espresso was good and made-​to-​order.

Can’t tell you about their coffee or beer but as a live music venue you’re better off walking a couple blocks either way. As of June 09 there’s construction right outside which isn’t ideal.

I want to like this place, I do since there are not a lot of independent coffee houses in downtown Dallas. However I was disappointed on the day I went here. It was hot outside, it is Dallas. I dont know if the air conditioning wasnt working or what, all I know is the apt lobby was cooler. Also we kept trying to get online and the wifi kept crashing. They did have great coffee and I was impressed they have an open mic night. Dallas needs more places like this. I would give it a second chance. :-)

Love the location, love that they sell beer and coffee, love open mic night, love the theme of this coffee house, and so does my stock broker hubby! Comfortable, clean place, plenty of friendly faces and yummy drinks and cookies!

Want to go somewhere and feel like you live in a big city… Come down to Opening Bell and have a cup of coffee. Hang out for a while and watch the people walk by and the DART trains run… Then stroll down to Thanksgiving square and hang out for a bit surrounded by big buildings on all sides.
The coffee is good I always enjoy whatever brew i order but the location is killer and cost a lot less then a trip to Boston or Chicago.

Thumbs up for not being a Starbucks!
I’ve been wanting to check this place out and I gotta say that I like the convenient location of this joint and it’s right across the street from Dart’s Akard rail stop.
I came in early evening and enjoyed my house coffee in a nice quietness and all the while enjoying the free wi-​fi.
Now what sparks my interest is the stage on the other side of this place. Hopefully I check out some live music here in the future.