Why Mesquite Makes the Perfect Spot for a Guys’ Weekend

Guys don’t need a lot to have a good time. Give ’em a sports bar, and a couple of their closest buds, and they’ll be entertained for hours. That’s not to say they don’t also enjoy the more active side of life as well—after all, a round of 18 holes or a full day on the water with a rod and reel can give a man a feeling of ease that’ll last for weeks. Luckily, Mesquite, Texas, is not only located just 15 minutes east of Downtown Dallas, but it’s also filled with activities for a fun guys' weekend. With finger-licking barbecue joints, beautiful outdoor destinations, and thrilling events, here’s why your next golf trip, bachelor party, or just spur-of-the-moment guy-centered getaway should be in Mesquite.

The Texas Fly Fishing and Brew Festival takes place in Mesquite each year in February. Fly fishing gurus from all over the country come by to impart their wisdom over a cold one. Local and national breweries also come by to show their stuff. Whether you're a fishing aficionado or a beer enthusiast, you are sure to have a great time!

For the more extreme adrenaline junkie, the Mesquite Arena hosts the Monster Truck Wars. This high energy show pits drivers against each other in a storm of metal and thunder. Want to get even closer to the action? Sign up for the PIT PARTY and meet the drivers! There's also a post-show where you can get autographs.

Enjoy the Outdoors

For golfers, the Mesquite Golf Club is “Real. Texas. Golf.” to its core. An 18-hole, city-owned-and-operated course with 50 years of history and a challenging collection of water features and obstacles, this spot is always good for a few rounds. Losers buy the beer after! If water activities are in the cards, you and your friends can’t go wrong with a little fishing excursion to City Lake Park. Periodically throughout the year, the lake is stocked with foot-long catfish by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Neighborhood Fishin’ program. If you’re lucky, you may just catch the big one who’s somehow managed to outlive all the other re-stocked fish. If speed boating is more your speed—or any other lake activity for that matter—head to the sprawling 22,000-acre Lake Ray Hubbard. This place has everything: boating, fishing, water skiing, hiking, and even biking.

Another excellent activity for a guys' trip is to take a bike ride on the Mesquite Heritage Trail. This 4.25-mile, multi-use concrete trail connects some of Mesquite’s best destinations, including the Golf Club, City Lake Park, and multiple sports fields where you can play some football or pick-up soccer.

Special Events

Texas Fly Fishing and Brew Festival

Take full advantage of what Mesquite has to offer by catching one of its major events. Mesquite features a number of unique organized running events that are a great way to earn your barbecue. In June, the Rodeo Road Rally is a road biking event that’s been rolling for more than 20 years. (Due to COVID-19 this event will not take place in 2021).

The next must-do is the Mesquite Championship Rodeo—the birthplace of Mesquite’s moniker as the “Official Rodeo Capital of Texas” and a guaranteed exciting time. It’s home to one of the most professionally run rodeos in the country. It also hosts an increasingly lively lineup of live music acts, ranging from country to classic rock to funk and soul.

Rodeos are exhilarating, and bucking bulls are fast. But what really gets the adrenaline pumping in Mesquite is a trip to the Devil’s Bowl Speedway. With a half-mile, tacky black clay track and 10,000 seats, this place is always a high-energy, rip-roaring, loud, pulsating, electric, good time. Take advantage of the Pit Pass experience, where you can go to the center of the track to take pictures of the cars and drivers and watch the race from the infield.

For the guys in the group whose minds race faster than their legs, the Xcape Adventures escape room offers a jigsaw lineup of challenging and interactive mind puzzles to solve. There's Urban Legends Comics for all your comic books and collectables.

Night Out

Enjoy your local sports bars.

After a full day of exploring a new place, there’s not much better than some belly-filling, heart-warming, soul-gratifying grub. Good thing Mesquite is in no short order of any of these descriptors—especially when it comes to barbecue. Porky’s is the place to go for burgers and chicken wings. The list of burgers—from salmon to mushroom to jalapeno—gives a new meaning to the word “extensive.” And the chicken wings are ridiculously tasty.

Baker’s Ribs is a St. Louis-style barbecue joint with a full range of all the BBQ favorites, but with especially delectable ribs. Oh, and fried pies, too. Soulman’s Bar-B-Que is another no-frills joint with several locations in Texas that’s been slinging out “low and slow” hickory-cooked barbecue since 1974, so they know a thing or two about that. Texas Roadhouse doesn’t need any introduction; it’s a standard, never-disappointing steakhouse that always delivers the medium-rare goods.

Watch the Game

When times call for the sports bar, a bucket of beer, and a big game on TV, Mesquite has lots of fun spots. Sports City Cafe has a television on every table and big-screens throughout the restaurant. It also serves up killer food and drinks. Knockout Sports Bar has over 20 beers on draft and American food mixed with some multi-regional flair. Hooters is an all-American classic with world famous wings, and daily happy hour specials. Twin Peaks is a popular chain that’s great for watching sports, drinking barrel-aged whiskey, and enjoying beer served at the restaurant’s signature 29 degrees. And Buffalo Wild Wings, the tried and true chicken wing chain, is always a good time for sports lovers, beer drinkers, and wing aficionados.

All in all, if you’re looking for a place to have a guys' weekend—somewhere you can enjoy the outdoors one moment, a rodeo or car race the next, and then all the BBQ and beer your belly could ask for—then you’d be hard-pressed to find a better place than Mesquite, Texas.