Quick Answer: Downtown Garland Square is the rebuilt public plaza at 520 W. State Street, ringed by locally owned restaurants, one brewery, a distillery taproom, and the Plaza Theatre. The Granville Arts Center sits a short walk away on North Fifth Street, and the DART Blue Line stops close by, so a full evening needs no car.
Downtown Garland Square reopened in October 2023 after more than two years of construction, and the blocks around it have filled in quickly since. Pizza, barbecue, Tex-Mex, and live theater now sit within a few minutes of each other on foot. Hickory Apartments, serving Garland renters from South Jupiter Road, is a short DART ride from the square, and you can see how close our community sits to downtown on our directions page.
What to Look For in Garland Texas Downtown
Look for three things: food you can walk between, something to do after dinner, and an easy way home. The square delivers all of them inside a few blocks. Restaurants line State and Main streets, the lawn hosts free concerts and festivals, and the Downtown Garland DART station is a short walk from the plaza.
The Square Itself
The city rebuilt Downtown Garland Square and 14 blocks of surrounding streetscape as one project. According to the City of Garland, the redesign covered more than 60,000 square feet and added a large event lawn, a children's play area with a water feature, and a shade pavilion for smaller shows. Fox 4 News reported the investment at more than $25 million when the square reopened on October 14, 2023. D Magazine named it Best Suburban Project in 2024.
It has been a gathering place for a long time. City officials trace the site back to a Thanksgiving Day fire in 1899, after which the community chose to keep the cleared ground as shared public space.
Where Are the Best Restaurants in Garland, TX Downtown?
Most of them sit on two streets. State Street and Main Street frame the plaza, and a Texas Monthly feature sponsored by the city counted more than 12 locally owned eateries downtown. Barbecue and house beer, New Haven-style pizza, Tex-Mex, Southern plates, and coffee are all within a five-minute walk of the lawn.
| Spot | Address | What It Serves | Good For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intrinsic Smokehouse & Brewery | 509 W. State St. | Wood-fired barbecue, house-brewed beer, homemade sodas | Groups, live music nights |
| Fortunate Son | 500 Main St. | New Haven-style pizza, cocktails | Date night |
| Dos Banderas | 614 Main St. | Tex-Mex, weekend brunch, full bar | Families |
| Lockwood Distilling Co. | 532 Main St. | Southern food, cocktails made with its own spirits | Dinner before a show |
| Rosalind Coffee | 107 N. Sixth St. | Coffee and a place to work | Mornings, remote work |
Lockwood is the newest of the group. CultureMap Dallas reported it opened in February 2026 in a 5,000-square-foot space, serving its spirits without distilling on site.
Breweries: One on the Square, One Across Town
Here is the honest count. Intrinsic is the only brewery on Downtown Garland Square. Garland's other well-known name, Lakewood Brewing Co., operates elsewhere in the city near the Dallas border, so plan on a drive if you want both in one day.
Is the Garland Grill and Bar on the Square?
We could not confirm it. As of October 2026, we found no official listing placing the Garland Grill and Bar among the storefronts around the plaza, so check its current address and hours before you head out.
Restaurants Near Firewheel Garland TX
Firewheel Town Center is a separate district in north Garland along the President George Bush Turnpike, several miles from downtown. It leans toward national chains and larger sit-down restaurants with easy parking. A search for restaurants Garland TX wide returns hundreds of results across both areas, so pick by mood: the square for local and walkable, Firewheel for familiar names and shopping in the same stop.
Things to Do in Garland: Arts Center Shows and Garland Events
After dinner, walk to a show. The Granville Arts Center at 300 N. Fifth Street has anchored the district since 1982, with the 720-seat Brownlee Auditorium and a 200-seat small theatre. The 350-seat Plaza Theatre, an art deco house that opened in 1941, faces the plaza on State Street.
Garland Civic Theatre, the Garland Symphony Orchestra, and Garland Summer Musicals all perform here. One caveat matters for 2027. Voters approved a $25 million renovation of the Granville Arts Center, the city expects construction to begin that year, and Garland Civic Theatre has said part of its season will move to the Plaza Theatre during the work. Confirm the venue on your ticket.
The lawn carries the rest of the calendar. The city's Juneteenth Celebration filled the square on June 20, 2026, with live bands, a car show, and a children's area, and Christmas on the Square returns each winter. The surrounding blocks also form the Bankhead Cultural Arts District, which the Texas Commission on the Arts designated in 2023. For current dates, the City of Garland website posts the official schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where is Downtown Garland Square located?
The plaza sits at 520 W. State Street in Garland, TX 75040 between State Street and Main Street. The Plaza Theatre is on its edge at 521 W. State Street, and the Granville Arts Center is a short walk north at 300 N. Fifth Street.
2. Can you get to downtown Garland by DART?
Yes. The DART Blue Line stops at Downtown Garland Station, and DART describes both Intrinsic Smokehouse and the Plaza Theatre as within walking distance of the platform. Riders coming from Dallas can skip parking entirely, which helps most on festival nights when the streets around the lawn fill early.
3. What food places in Garland are walkable from the square?
Several sit within a block or two of the lawn:
- Intrinsic Smokehouse & Brewery for barbecue and house beer
- Fortunate Son for New Haven-style pizza
- Dos Banderas for Tex-Mex and weekend brunch
- Lockwood Distilling Co. for Southern plates and cocktails
- Rosalind Coffee for a morning stop
4. Is Downtown Garland Square good for kids?
It was built with them in mind. The redesign added a children's play area with an urban water feature, an open lawn for running around, and shaded seating for adults. City festivals such as Juneteenth and Christmas on the Square usually include a dedicated activity area for children as well.
5. Is the Granville Arts Center open during its renovation?
For now, yes. The city has said construction on the $25 million renovation is expected to begin in 2027, and resident groups plan to shift some performances to the Plaza Theatre during the closure. Schedules can change, so check your ticket or the box office before you go.
Conclusion
Garland's downtown has become the kind of place where you can park once, or not at all, and fill a whole evening. Eat on Main Street, catch a show at the Plaza, and let the kids run the lawn in between. Not every spot will suit every night, and the arts center's renovation will reshuffle the 2027 calendar, but the mix is hard to match elsewhere in the city.
Living close makes it a habit instead of an outing. Hickory Apartments on South Jupiter Road puts the DART Blue Line about a 9-minute walk away, and you can browse our one and two bedroom floor plans or tour the community in photos to see what being minutes from Downtown Garland Square looks like.
