Susie Drinks Dallas

ain't Patrick's Day

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:40:00 -0600

Saturday isn’t officially St. Patrick’s Day… but it seems everyone is celebrating like it is! Here are some fun choices where you can find green beer and beads.

Greenville Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade | begins at 11 a.m. | parade route | after party at granada theater

Rok Republic | 12 p.m. - 2 a.m. | Uptown | DJs from 4-8 p.m., $3 green drafts, shot specials all day

Idle Rich | 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. | Uptown | TENT PARTY! Concerts at 2 & 9 p.m.

Trinity Hall | 7:30 a.m. - 2 a.m. | Mockingbird Station | Start your day off with a bang(er and mash)

SMU area | Milo’s, Barley House, Ice House, etc. are all having parties - Barley House will be serving breakfast tacos and bloodys starting at 9 a.m. with cover bands playing throughout the day

Urban Taco | all day | Mockingbird Station | free green margarita if you mention this postcard

Quarter Bar | 4 p.m. - 2 a.m. | Uptown | 2 for $10 Irish car bombs, $3 Irish beers and whiskey shots

Shade | Lower Greenville | 12 p.m. - 2 a.m. | DJs all night, $4 Jack, Soco, and Tuaca shots from 4-7 p.m.

If you’re not wanting to party like a lepruchan on Saturday, you can venture over to the Dallas Flea or into PokeyO’s for a $2.99 Leprechaun milkshake!

For the real St. Patty’s Day - Wednesday, March 17th:

Old Monk | 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m. | Henderson | traditional Irish food and drink served all day with a side of live music (Homespun Remedies and RTB2), traditional Irish dancers, and bagpipers!

Ginger Man | Giving away limited addition Guiness glasses while supplies last, Killian specials, happy hour specials from 4-7 p.m., live music 7 p.m. until- midnight

Idle Rich | 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. | Uptown | Concert by The Killdares at 9 p.m., bagpiper at 7 p.m., traditional Irish food and drink served all day

You down with O.E.P.?

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:00:00 -0600

Let’s just start with this: they have a penguin mascot costume that anyone can wear. Does this bar not already sound like the best place ever?

Hidden a couple doors down from City Tavern and above Dr. Bell’s, all you can see from the street is the door and a sign that reads, “NO COVER, PENGUIN FREE”. Simply navigate the needless ropes that govern the nonexistent line, ascend the stairs, and you’ve arrived. The walls are “industrial chic” and the bar is commandingly large for the space with corrugated steel paneling on the front and nets on the ceiling strewn with bras and starfish. There is just enough patio to sit comfortably with a few friends and watch the madness of downtown below. There is a pool table, plenty of flatscreen TVs, video games (no Big Buck Hunter, though), and a basketball hoop above the bar.

Tim, the “Emperor” as dubbed by his business card, lives up to the name; he’s badass! This guy knows how to make a bar fun and keep it real (yes, cliche, but it fits here) - he even played “one eyed basketball” with us … and provided the eye patch! Just don’t ask him where he got the bar’s name.

Their bar specials are the things fun nights are made of: a shot and a big boy for $10. We had an Irish whiskey that was pretty darn smooth followed up with a Shiner for me and then my usual poison, a vodka water.

Still to come is a full menu of what Tim promises to be great food - I can’t wait to try it! This bar has so much potential and I’m greatly looking forward to spending more time at the penguin.

Drink strength: 4
Overall: 4.5

O.E. Penguin 1404 1/2 Main Street
(214)744-1393

Specials:
Monday-Saturday (until 11 p.m.) & Sunday (all day) | $3 wells, domestic bottles, and select drafts

$10 waddles: a tall boy (25 oz. draft beer - all but Blue Moon) and shot (Crown and down)

oui oui, lee harvey!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:00:00 -0600

This is one place that I would happily drive through a rough neighborhood to get to. Smack dab in the middle of nowhere south of Dallas, Lee Harvey’s is a neighborhood bar that everyone wants to call his own. You can smell the fires blazing from three blocks away - it’s definitely one of my favorite smells so I let the wafting scent beam me in.

Picnic tables are spread all over the front yard of the bar guaranteeing that you will never have to stand around at Lee Harvey’s - and it’s a darn good thing because you can’t eat a burger and drink a beer while standing up! The crowd is SO varied; South Dallas residents, Deep Ellum dwellers, older gentlemen who you can tell have been regulars for years, and the young Dallasites are peppered throughout the bar or outside enjoying the crackling fire and live music.

We were there for birthday drinks on a Tuesday and were delighted to find that there were half price burgers and happy hour drinks all night. The kitchen closed at 10 so we all placed our orders and grabbed a drink to wait in suspense for our viictuals. I almost had a heart attack each time I saw a server walk out with a mitt-full of burgers and fries hoping it was my plate of a medium plus burger with jack cheese and 1/2 and 1/2 fries and onion rings. Long story short: the burger was excellent and the basil aioli was superbly refreshing teamed with my vodka waters. Take your own smore stuff, though - they are trying to charge $15 for a bag of fixins!

The bar itself has some serious character. Old beer backlit ads hang around reminding you of every dive bar you’ve seen in movies. The bartenders are very friendly and eager to serve you or provide you with a suggestion for what to drink. Don’t bet on a seat inside; there aren’t many booths or barstools and the ones that are there are all but duct taped together.

Take a group of friends and spend some time getting to know South Dallas with the locals - you’ll be glad you’ve found a new watering hole despite the long (and somewhat scary) drive there.

Lee Harvey’s
www.leeharveys.com
1807 Gould Street | (214) 428-1555

Monday-Friday | 3-7 p.m. | $2.50 wells and domestic bottles

kudos!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:18:10 -0600

If you read my review of Vickery Park last week, you undoubtably can tell that customer service is incredibly important to me when reviewing a bar. That being said, I have to give props to the owner of Vickery Park for his stellar follow-up.

He contacted me soon after I posted my review to see what he could do to “make up for” my experience. Not only did he offer to take care of the drinks upon my next visit, but he assured me that he spoke with his staff to make sure they were educated in how to handle the situation more appropriately if it arose again. While I don’t think I’ll collect on the free drink offer on my next visit to his establishment, I greatly appreciate his olive branch!

Nice work, guy! :)

"I never drink water; that is the stuff that rusts pipes."

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:30:34 -0600

“I never drink water; that is the stuff that rusts pipes.”

- WC Fields

vickery park

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:56:00 -0600

Alas, the time has come to write another less-than-positive review - but this one is still nowhere close to as bad as Elbow Room. I will try to be fair.

Each and every time I drive down Henderson, the patio of Vickery Park calls my name; it’s spacious and usually boasts a decent crowd. The patio has to be one of the best in Dallas. While I’ve had drinks here on weekends, this is the first time I’ve really hung out in the bar and spent an evening taking it in.

Our waitress was friendly, sweet, and prompt with our food and drink. The food was really good and was a little bit too fancy for it to be classified as typical bar food. It just so happened that Mondays are buy one sandwich, get one free - what a deal! The atmosphere is incredibly laid back and the music is great. The owner (who works behind the bar, also) loads her iPod up with her favorites and presses play.

However, they apparently do not go by, nor teach their staff, the familiar adage, “The customer is always right.” At the end of our meal and after a couple rounds of birthday shots, our checks came and we were nearly positive that we had less drinks than were billed. We asked our waitress and she was incredibly defensive while we were quite calm - whether we were wrong or right, the proper response for someone in the service industry would be, “I apologize for the confusion, let me look into it at the bar.”

She got the owner/bartender involved and she wasn’t any more helpful than the waitress. At least appease the customer by being nice and not by listing your credentials or telling them they shouldn’t argue two drinks because they already got something else for free (mind you: it was buy one, get one free sandwich night).

Once again, whether I was wrong or right, there is no need to be nasty to a customer. I paid for the extra drinks mainly because I didn’t want to fight with the staff anymore … but let’s just say, if we had all the drinks we were billed for, we may have at least gotten a buzz.

Even with the bad taste the small tiff left in my mouth, I will be back to Vickery Park to try the all you can eat mussels and relax on their porch (the mussels are meant to be some of the best in the city!).

Drink strength: 2.5
Overall: 3.7 (I give them this many merely for the food and atmosphere)

Vickery Park
www.vickeryparkbar.com
Dallas location: 2810 North Henderson Avenue | (214) 827-1433
Plano location: 1011 East 15th Street | (972) 423-6205

Specials:
Monday | buy one sandwich, get one free
Tuesday | all you can eat mussels for $15
Wednesday | 1/2 price bottles of wine when you order a cheese plate or a large order of mussels

Monday-Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $1 off domestics, wells, and drafts
Saturday & Sunday | 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. | $10 carafes of mimosas, bloody marys, and sangria

Owner to Rebuild on Greenville Ave., While City Promises to Expedite Permits - Dallas News - Unfair Park

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:37:18 -0600

Owner to Rebuild on Greenville Ave., While City Promises to Expedite Permits - Dallas News - Unfair Park:

Hallelujah!

the delight of a discount.

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:57:03 -0600

the delight of a discount.:

Sigel’s is having an inventory reduction sale.

Visit the Addison location and stock up on some vino!

research this

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:45:00 -0600

Incredibly hungover, I slung myself out of bed to vacate my house for a showing that was to arrive within the hour (p.s. shameless plug: if you’re looking for a townhouse in University Park - I have one for sale!). Luckily, I had a brunch at R+D Cafe to occupy my mind and motivate me to get dressed despite my pounding headache (I had forgotten to take The Hangover Cure again … you’d think I’d learn).

Upon arrival, we had a reservation and actually had to wait (that’s a good sign - follow the crowd to the good food, right?). Looking around, I was reminded of the incredible meals I’d had in this restaurant on previous occasions and my stomach grumbled, begging for the gastronomic orgasm that it knew was imminent. Any restaurant by the developers of Houston’s is worth it’s weight (in drinks).

Sitting down, drinks were ordered to serve as the hair of the dog - we were delighted that there were drink specials for brunch. I ordered a bloody mary and sat back in anticipation. When the drinks came … well, to say the least it was an expectation hangover. Their bloody mary tasted like cocktail sauce with a touch of clam and was pretty thin and had big chunks of peppercorn. Usually, a little clam juice is fine, but this just wasn’t right. The waitress told us that they make their own BM mix … and that answered my question. I ordered a screwdriver and the waitress was nice enough to take the offending drink off the bill.

All of the other drinks we ordered were delightful and strong enough to make a difference. The food was fantastic as was expected. Definitely try some of their mango sushi and the dips - the meals are large so be prepared to roll yourself to your car after a meal. Watch how much you order, it adds up quickly.

The atmosphere is very older Park Cities mixed with the more laid-back and obviously hungover young Dallasites. The decore of Cafe R+D is delightful - modern and clean and has just the right amount of pretension.

Sadly there isn’t a happy hour here, but they are “researching” a new strategy: any alcoholic drink that comes in a regular glass is $8 and anything in a martini glass is $9. I can’t decide how I feel about that but … it is what it is.

Drink strength: 3
Overall: 4

R+D Kitchen (or Cafe R+D)
www.hillstone.com
8314 Preston Center Plaza Drive | 214-890-7900

Specials:

ALL DAY EVERY DAY | $8 all drinks, $9 martinis
Saturday & Sunday | til 4 p.m. | $4 bloody mary, mimosa, greyhounds, and screwdrivers

barcadia

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:04:00 -0600

I thought it was about time to write up one of my most frequented spots in Dallas… I’ve been afraid I wouldn’t do it justice - but here it goes.

Barcadia is a formerly-hipster hangout that has been invaded by the usual Dallasites. You can still find some tattooed, plaid-clad, bearded/pink-haired people, but I am afraid to say most of them have moved on … except for on a Wednesday when they return to Barcadia to play Street Fighter II and Skee Ball with a PBR in hand.

If you haven’t yet been to Barcadia and live in Dallas, shame on you. This bar has so much character and even offers free games on a Tuesday … that’s right … free 80s arcade games. They have a bevy of game choices: Astroids, Mario Brothers (both original and new), Donkey Kong Junion, Ms. Pac Man, Q*Bert, Millipede, Star Wars, Spy Hunter, Robotron, Phoenix, Joust, Galaga, Defender, Tempest, pinball, and, not to be outdone, three giant jenga sets with entertaining graffiti.

I can only think of one bad night I had at Barcadia and it wasn’t the bar’s fault at ALL. The drinks are strong, induce a fun party atmosphere, and inspire irresponsible behavior. The music is fanTAStic along with the fun bar art, TVs are HD and easily seen, and the porch is HUGE and encourages you to meet your table neighbors.

Barcadia tips: watch your feet when playing Jenga in sandals, never give the bartender a hard time but DO flirt, don’t talk to strangers in the bathroom, drink PBR

Drink strength: 4
Overall: 4.8 (I can’t give up the 5 yet!)

Barcadia
www.barcadiadallas.com
1917 North Henderson Avenue | (214) 821-7300

Tragedy for Lower Greenville

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:07:00 -0600

Tragedy for Lower Greenville:

As if Dallas’s bar and restaurant scene hadn’t seen enough heartbreak so far this year with the closing (in some cases “reinvention”) of La Cubanita, Fuse, Urbino, Cuba Libre, and Trader Vic’s, at 5:45 a.m. four bars on Lower Greenville joined the ranks of the restaurants being bid adieu.

Greenville Bar and Grill, Terilli’s, Hurricane’s, and Mick’s are now being called a total loss after 72 firefighters (one for every year Greenville Bar and Grill has been open - painfully poetic) have been battling the flames since the early morning hours. A statement was released that their tragedy wouldn’t impede the St. Patrick’s Day parade scheduled for Lower Greenville next Saturday - true partiers to the end.

a capital idea

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:50:00 -0600

Great food? A great beer selection? Head into Capitol Pub …

We only caught the hind end of happy hour, which, as it turns out, wasn’t much of a loss. Drink “specials” wouldn’t really describe what they offer during happy hour. I can pay $4.50 a lot of places and get a stronger well than they serve. I guess yesterday I actually drank 2 of the 8 required glasses of water because water is about all that my cocktail consisted of.

The food at Capitol Pub is what one would expect from one of the people responsible for Old Monk, Idle Rich, and the like, Peter Kenny. All have great food and know how to serve it hot (mine was piping!). The pizza is pretty darn good, as is most of the menu - and all of the selections come in hearty portions. See their delightful food selections here.

There was a good number of people happy houring - most were on the enclosed porch enjoying the nice heaters and fireplace (which is always nice to gather around). The location is fantastic - we enjoyed dinner and a couple of drinks and then strolled into Veritas for a glass of vino.

I’ve always enjoyed this place because it doesn’t get too crowded on the weekends and I’ve never been disappointed with the amount of people during the week. They have darts and TVs … something for everyone. My only hangup is their meager happy hour specials. But, as I said before, head into Capitol Pub … but only if you have the capital. (not a bad pun if I do say so myself!)

Drink strength: 2.5
Overall: 4

Capitol Pub
www.capitolpubdallas.com
2401 North Henderson Avenue | (214) 887-9330

Specials:
Monday - Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $1 off all drafts, domestic bottles, and wells

not a lemon!

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:25:03 -0600

Thanks to a reader’s urging, I finally got my butt into Lemon Bar. Walking in, I was delighted to see how many people were happy houring at the newest watering hole in West Village. A few restaurants have tried this spot but none have succeeded as Lemon Bar already has seemed to do after only a few months being open.

While the specials are somewhat limited, the drinks are pretty darn great … and not too overwhelming. I had to cut happy hour short to get to dinner and I wish I didn’t have to have done so … and I would have given my left ear lobe to have whatever food’s smell was wafting from the kitchen.

The crowd is very “West Village” - in a good way - and seemed to be a fun place to meet a new friend or two. However, returning to Lemon Bar at night is a different story. People begin to trickle in for the night shift around 8:30 and bring the party. Friday and Saturday nights it’s almost impossible to move let alone get a drink.

Thanks for getting me into Lemon Bar, @tgospel!

Drink strength: 3.5
Overall: 4

Lemon Bar
www.thelemonbar.com
3699 McKinney Avenue Dallas, TX 75204 | (214) 443-6043

My heart breaks for Trader Vic's :(

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:07:41 -0600

another one down. what a pity - my Tuesdays will be empty without the promise of $3 mai tais.

"Jobs: the annoying 8 hours before happy hour."

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:25:25 -0600

“Jobs: the annoying 8 hours before happy hour.”

- Kristie “Special K” A.

another one bites the dust ...

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:20:49 -0600

this is all that is on their website. not very encouraging…

get stone-d with an elephant

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:05:00 -0600

For months on the way to my gym, I saw the promise of a new sports bar. The large sign that stated Stone Elephant would soon open was exciting beyond belief … and I hate to say that it was mostly because I loved the name. So I ventured in.

The food is pretty darn good and the drinks were alright. I’d made the decision to give up fried food but seeing the goodies on the menu, I couldn’t pass trying some of the dee fried goodness up. Definitely try the chips; they are made in-house and delicious. Sadly, we didn’t venture into any drinks other than wells because … well, it’s a sports bar. Make sure you specify what drink had when you reorder because, while the waitresses are incredibly nice and efficient, they are spread thin.

There were quite a few happy hour-goers of all types and ages (some are pretty darn attractive at that). To tell the truth, I wouldn’t have minded meeting a few of my fellow drinkers at Stone Elephant - it seems a whole different group than I have seen around; some were older, some were younger, some had tattoos, some had suits, and some were suited up and bald.

The decor was simple and quirky; there were spots in the walls, ceiling, and bar where we were told the stone elephant ran amuck. There is a stage for live music, plenty of televisions, and a pool table in the back. Overall, a typical sports bar with an atypical location and plenty of fun to be had.

Drink strength: 2.86 (sometimes a girl can’t go with a multiple of .5!)
Overall: 4

Stone Elephant
www.stoneelephant.com | @Stone_Elephant
6750 Abrams Rd. #105 | Dallas, TX 75231
(214)342-9200

Yelp brings you city-wide happy hours!

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:32:49 -0600

Yelp brings you city-wide happy hours!:

Yes, I am plugging my competition. I thought it would be a detriment to you of I didn’t post. That’s right, always thinking of you.

"A drunk mans words are a sober man’s thoughts."

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:06:48 -0600

“A drunk mans words are a sober man’s thoughts.”

- Steve Fergosi

drive into the light.

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:05:00 -0600

Mondays are my day off. Monday is my day to clean. Monday is my day to work out. Monday is my day to buy healthy food at Central Market. BUT this Monday somehow turned into a quick (too short) run, a button-bursting dinner at Matt’s Rancho Grande, and drinks drinks drinks at Arcade Bar.

Their recession Mondays are brilliant. $2 for anything? YES, PLEASE! It’s so nice to walk up to the bar with a $5 bill and be able to buy a drink … and a drink for a friend … with tip.

The drinks were strong for $2 a throw. After our randomly expensive Sunday night at Stan’s, a cheap night was needed and we seemed to get the same buzz for $24 for the two of us (that included dinner at Matt’s) as Sunday’s $98!!

Arcade Bar is a good place to be a regular. When we walked in, there was a table in the back with an intense poker game going on and two dogs roaming around the tables begging for a sip of beer (yes, it’s dog friendly … and no, we didn’t give them any beer). The restrooms are delightfully clean, the music was fully of guilty pleasures, Trivial Pursuit cards were on each table for entertainment, and there was fresh popcorn beckoning us from the back of the bar.

To top it off, we got a private tour of the Lakewood Theater which is under the same owners as Arcade Bar. If you haven’t been inside, get there soon. Open since 1938, everyone in Dallas knows the bright neon lights of the Lakewood Theater tower. If you see it … drive into the light.

Drink strength: 4
Overall: 4.2

Arcade Bar/Lakewood Theater
www.lakewoodtheater.com
1825 Abrams Parkway, Dallas 75214 | (214) 821-7469