As the weather finally turns crisp, Dallas bars and restaurants are serving up new reasons to raise a glass this November.
This edition of Where to Drink, our monthly roundup of the best bar specials, spotlights five Dallas-area restaurants and bars that are blending sophistication with holiday cheer. Whether you’re chasing happy hour deals, sipping something seasonal, or getting into the spirit(s) at a festive pop-up, here’s where to drink in Dallas this month:
The Capital Grille
The day has finally arrived: This upscale steakhouse chain has debuted its very first happy hour, Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm in the lounge. Bites ranging from $6-$9 include sliced Kona-crusted dry aged NY strip, porcini-rubbed lollipop lamb chops, oysters Casino, Caesar salad bites, and mushroom truffle arancini. Wines by the glass are $8 and cocktails are $10, including the Greyhound Martini with grapefruit and basil, Straight Up Martini with hand-stuffed bleu cheese olives, and Peach Bourbon Smash. It’s available at all DFW locations: Uptown Dallas, Plano, Southlake, and Fort Worth.
The Dream Taco by Chetra
Chef-driven taco concept has unveiled a serious new daily happy hour from 3-6 pm, plus Friday-Saturday 8-10 pm, with half-off cocktails and beer, including old-fashioneds, frozen margaritas, lemon drop martinis, and lychee martinis. The half-off also extends to their most popular tacos: bulgogi Korean BBQ regularly $8.39, now $4.20. Fajita chicken regularly $7.34, now $3.65. Catfish regularly $7.61, now $3.80. Plus supreme beef nachos, regularly $15.74, now $7.87. They have two locations: Plano and Lewisville.
Ford’s Garage Plano
The vintage car-themed burger-and-craft-beer concept inspired by Henry Ford himself is bringing big value to afternoons at its location in Plano with a new happy hour. Available Monday through Friday from 2-6 pm, and all day Saturday and Sunday, it featuring drafts and drinks starting at $4 and food specials starting at $6. For $10, you can get a 16 oz. draft beer or non-alcoholic beverage and your choice of the Woodward burger, the pulled pork sandwich, or the crispy chicken sandwich.
Ocean Prime Dallas
The swanky steak and seafood restaurant is taking a cue from the TV show Somebody, Somewhere and launching Tiny Tini’s, a selection of miniature martinis at a tiny price. From 4-6 pm daily in the lounge, guests can enjoy any of Ocean Prime’s signature cocktails as a Tiny Tini for $5, served solo or customized as a personalized flight of three for $15. The tiny sips can be paired with new petite lounge menu offerings priced at $5 each, including single fish tacos, two miniature crab cakes, single Prime beef sliders, two goat cheese raviolis, and a 1/4 order of Point Judith calamari.
Ojos Locos Sports Cantina
There’s no such thing as too much of a good thing at this Dallas-founded, Latino-focused sports cantina, which boasts a whole roster of daily drink specials in addition to a regular happy hour. The list is long, so here are some highlights: $2 Shorty house margaritas on Thursdays, $5 Palomas on Mondays, $10 buckets of 6 Shiners on Thursdays, and $10 Corona-ritas on Sundays. For happy hora, which happens Monday through Friday from 2-7 pm, expect — and this is just a partial list — $1 off draft and bottled beer, half-off Paleta shots, and discounted balónes, the restaurant’s signature soccer ball-shaped beer towers.