Mari Pohlman has one of the most distinctive styles in Dallas. Her artwork covers walls and canvases across the city but primarily her work can be found in Downtown, Uptown, West Dallas, Mockingbird Station, and Deep Ellum. Mari’s journey to becoming a professional artist has certainly been unique, much of her artistic roots and inspirations can be found in Deep Ellum. 

Mari has resided and worked in Deep Ellum for several years and she can frequently be found patronizing local establishments. Because of this, we knew Mari would be the perfect person to curate the perfect day spent in Deep Ellum. Read on to discover Mari’s ideal Deep Ellum day and then head to the neighborhood to follow her path or blaze your own trail!

“I wake up in Deep Ellum every day, and I’ll usually walk to have breakfast and work at a cafe. AllGood Cafe has the friendliest staff and Cafe Brazil has great bottomless coffee. If I’m taking the day off from painting, I might head to Common Desk where I get my mail and do some designing. 

My go-to lunch spots are Uncle Ubers and Skyrocket Burger. For dinner, I’m a regular at NIWA Japanese Barbecue which has a great happy hour on Tuesday nights. Also on Tuesdays, Revolver Taco Lounge has amazing Al Pastor Tacos for $2 each. For a date, I love the atmosphere and food at Nori Handroll Bar (you just need to make a reservation). 

After dinner, I’ll walk around with a popsicle from Picole Pops and look at the street art – specifically check out Blues Alley, a new section of murals behind the Bomb Factory inspired by the history of blues in Deep Ellum (I have one coming there soon!)

Around sunset, head to the rooftop deck at Green Room for a drink and a sunset view of the downtown skyline. Once it hits late night, I’d head to Armoury (my favorite cocktail there is the Bonnie & Clyde) or Twilite Lounge, which both have great patios and live music on some nights. And it’s always fun to check out a show on Elm Street, even if it’s just from the street through the open garage door at Three Links!”

Thank you Mari for showing us how to do Deep Ellum right! Learn more about Mari’s artwork, murals, and upcoming projects by visiting her website and Instagram page.

Website: marpohl.com

Instagram: @marpohl