A new place to imbibe has arrived.

The Element Cocktail Lounge opened on May 1st, taking over the former On Tap spot in Downtown Arlington. I visited on Sunday afternoon of opening weekend, and the place has potential. They have 20 beers on tap, with a decent mix of locals, regionals, and imports. Though their craft cocktails are probably the main draw, they actually had more beers than mixed drinks. The server was friendly and offered me a charcuterie-type box with munchies while I was there—though that was probably just an opening weekend perk!

Element Cocktail Lounge—Grand Opening Weekend

Guinness is my favorite beer, and I’m always looking for a good local spot to get one. Since I saw they had it on tap, I decided to check them out. Their Guinness, which was my sole reason for visiting, was better than average and more than adequate. Priced at $6.24 for a 16-ounce glass—I’ve paid more, I’ve paid less—it is easily one of the better pours I’ve had in Arlington.

When I ordered it, the bartender (who I think was the owner) warned that it would take seven minutes because he wanted to do it properly. I thought he was joking, but it really did take that long. While seven minutes might be a bit excessive, when it comes to Guinness, I appreciate a place taking its time to do it right. He took his time, executed the two-step pour, and used the proper glassware. I especially liked that he turned the glass toward me so I could see the final cascade. It was a much better pour than Mellow Mushroom across the street, not to mention cheaper and higher quality.

Element Cocktail Lounge has a cool, laid-back vibe with about a dozen seats at the bar, along with a few tables, booths, and vintage couches. The walls are a dark green, complemented by unique glassware and furnishings. They were playing a loud, raucous, style of jazz music at the time—it reminded me of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire—which was a great touch.

My only complaint is that they have an excessive number of TVs all playing sports, which detracted a bit from the lounge atmosphere. This was a Sunday afternoon, so maybe the vibe shifts a bit at night. Nonetheless, I plan to return for another Guinness, and more photos! The sign outside wasn’t even up yet.

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Element Cocktail Lounge
200 N. Mesquite Dr. #105
Arlington, TX
www.facebook.com/ElementCocktailLounge

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Blog post by Jason S. Sullivan, 05-03-26