Irving Texas aims to be one of the best music destinations in the United States. Its premier venue is the Toyota Music Factory in the Las Colinas planned community, but we’ll tell you about five more great places to rock out.
Irving Texas is easy to visit. When you arrive at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, you are in Irving. The city is between Dallas and Fort Worth.
Visit Irving Texas hosted my visit, but all opinions are my own.
Toyota Music Factory
Las Colinas has everything, and The Toyota Music Factory follows its pattern. If you want entertainment, go to the Music Factory.
Blaze Brazilian Restaurant
Start your excursion at the Blaze Brazilian Restaurant. The Blaze was one of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve ever had. The delectable cheese and antipasti selections seemed unlimited. The waiter brought my picanha (top sirloin cap) with garlic on a spike. He inserted the spike into a stand on our table and sliced as much of it as I wanted.
As the meal progressed, waiters stopped at our table with various entreés and sides. When we liked the dish, they served as much as we desired to eat. Blaze’s cheese bread is spectacular, but a foodie cannot go wrong with any dish. Just come hungry.
I had to try the signature Caipirinha cocktail made from cachaça, sweet and spicy fermented freshly-pressed sugar cane juice. Cachaça is subtler than rum and must be made in Brazil.
If Blaze is not your pleasure, choose from 18 more eateries from Bar Louie to Yard House.
Pro tip: Make a reservation, especially before a popular event. The restaurant validates parking in the Toyota Music Factory Garage. However, on concert nights, hire a rideshare company.
Toyota VIP Lounge
After the Blaze, we went to the Toyota VIP Lounge. If you can afford the extra cost, I recommend the experience.
The lounge has its own door, bar, and restrooms. I never had to wait in line. Plus, the event shows on the in-house television network. I wanted to see the headliner Barenaked Ladies, but the other acts didn’t excite me. So we visited in the lounge until the band came on stage.
Music Factory Pro Tips
- Reserve parking here and here. If you don’t book beforehand, arrive early to park on the parking garage’s lower floors. Guests on the upper floors may endure a long wait to exit. Before paying at the parking garage, check street parking on Promenade Parkway.
- Use the
- Before you go, read the policies about bags, security checks, and other items.
- Doors open 60 minutes before the event for regular guests, and 90 minutes for suite and club seat holders.
- Unless you want to stand for the entire show, reserve seats in the 300 section to see over the people standing in the pit.
- To use mass transit, ride DART Bus Route 227 or DART Rail’s Orange Line
Texas Lottery Plaza
The Texas Lottery Plaza hosts the Music Factory’s outdoor activities. Events include yoga, footraces, outdoor concerts, fights, and festivals. Come early to secure the best seats. Seating is first-come, first-served.
Local, regional, and national talent fills the stage, with two Texas-sized bars beside it.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
The plush Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has seven screens with 4K digital projection. But the best part is the service. No missing parts of your movie because you want popcorn. You eat dinner at the movie. The “Drafthouse” means more than 30 craft beers await your choice, plus wine, whiskey, and cocktails. Entreés include pizza, burgers, and salads. For dessert, eat warm chocolate chip cookies or pineapple upside-down cake donut holes.
Whistlestop Plaza
The Whistlestop Plaza is in Historic Downtown Irving, Texas. Every year, the City of Irving holds its Concert Series there every first and third Friday from April through June. Each event contains live music, a festive atmosphere, food, beverages, and vendors. Local and regional musicians perform in a variety of genres.
In extreme weather, the shows move indoors. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair, but come early. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome. Admission and parking are free.
Pro Tip: Eat diner classics and soda fountain treats across the street at Big State Fountain Grill.
Irving Arts Center
Explore wonderful things at this visual and performing arts facility in Irving’s heart. Ten arts organizations call the center home, including live theater, orchestras, dance companies, vocal musicians, and visual artists. It’s a 10-acre complex with two theaters, five galleries, a classroom, meeting and rehearsal rooms, and a verdant sculpture garden.
This creative hub holds dozens of performances yearly, including comedy shows, concerts, musicals, and other performances. Check the calendar for upcoming events.
The Ranch at Las Colinas
The Ranch at Las Colinas is a lively, rustic, and fun place that feels cozy and cherished. The restaurant is rich in Texas tradition having modern and stylish decoration. You can taste various dishes that appeal to the highly delicious taste. It includes Texas Kobe beef, locally sourced vegetables, and more delightful dishes.
Start with the local meat and cheese board and continue with the roasted American bison filet with bourbon borracho beans on the side. Savor a Route 66 pecan pie for dessert.
If a band has rocked Texas from Amarillo to Austin, and Athens to El Paso, they’ll be playing at The Ranch at some point from Tuesday through Saturday nights. Hang out on the Porch to listen.
Learn about the Mustangs of Las Colinas in this post.
Texican Court Hotel
The Texican Court Hotel feels like a 1950s motor court, but it has all the 21st-century amenities. It’s one of my all-time favorite hotels. It is only a 10-minute walk from the Toyota Music Factory, and it’s across the street from the Irving Convention Center.
The hotel style is refreshing. The rooms’ decorations are Southwestern from the era of chrome-covered cars with big fins. My couch had serape-style designs, and my orange throwback SMEG refrigerator was full of drinks. A box of snacks sat on the hassock. The orange hanging lamp came to Irving through a 1970s time warp.The Junior and Presidential Suites offer claw-foot bathtubs. Unwind in the lovely porch rocking chairs.
Bands perform at the on-site Two Mules Cantina every Friday and Saturday. Buy the s’mores dessert, then go outside to the firepit to toast them. Experience the taste of tequila at the cozy Salt Tequila Bar across the hall.
At night, the courtyard feels magical. Strings of lights illuminate the pool and grass patio with a soft ambiance. Sit on an in-pool Adirondack chair and close your eyes.
Pro tip: Parking is complimentary. Sign up for the glamping package for two.
You will fall in love with Irving, Texas. How do I know? I did. And I cannot wait to return.
This article was written by Roxie Yonkey of RoxieontheRoad.com.
Read more by Roxie at:
