Spike a fried cheese ball over a net weaved from French fries with today's batter-heavy Groupon. For $10, you'll get $25 worth of bar fare and beer at Barley House, a long-standing Dallas institution renowned for its suds, sounds (Dallas Observer listed it as having the best rock bar), and spritely ambience.

Leave cares and diets behind when selecting from Barley's "totally fried" menu. You'll find crispy onion rings ($6.95), spicy or mild chicken strips served with dipping sauces ($6.95), and fried pickle baskets ($4.95) among the bar-hearty options. Add a little greens to your grease with a Buffalo fried chicken salad ($7.95) served with your choice of dressing. Barley House also serves draft and bottled beers, wine, and mixed drinks.

A patio that always feels like spring break (any books on the patio will be confiscated and destroyed), a well-stocked jukebox, and a lively crowd lend a fun feeling to the energetic eatery. Barley is also well known for its ability to attract the best bands blazing through Dallas and for being mentioned in Laura Bush's 2009 commencement address at SMU. Stop by on Fridays and Saturdays and pair a live show with your sips.

Reviews

The Dallas Observer has listed Barley House as having the best rock bar:

• Great jukebox, even better shows, and if you want to talk to a local musician, just tap the guy next to you on the shoulder. OK, maybe it would be more accurate to call this the Best Roots Rock Bar, but let's not split hairs. Rock is rock is rock, and the Barley House has more than a quarry. – Dallas Observer

Three Citysearchers award it four stars, and most PubCrawlers give Barley House top marks:

• The Barley House is a great place to go on an all night bender or have a couple of beers with friends. The people are friendly and the music is great. – Douglas, PubCrawler
• With a good beer selection, I could see this being a great neighborhood bar if one lived in the area. – Matthew L. Buteyn, PubCrawler