Anonymous asked: Anvil Pub in Deep Ellum
DONE! :)
Here is my article in QUICK that just came out today.
Third Time’s the Charm
Being one who writes about bars is fun really fun. However, there is a slight occupational hazard that comes with the territory - forgetting to take notes and having to make multiple visits to a bar to remember enough to write about it… hence the title.
La Grange is one of the newer bars-slash-restaurants in Deep Ellum that has grabbed quite a bit of attention out of the gate (it was voted 2010’s Best Bar in Dallas by the Dallas Observer). The lucite, illuminated deer heads give you a preview of the attitude of La Grange upon walking in - cheeky and a little hipster. The owner, Stephanie Schumake said right, “It’s not uber cool, it’s cool enough.”
Created to be a live music venue, the acoustics are amazing.
Since they have live music almost every night, the custom-designed stage and sound system give The House of Blues a run for its money. I have enjoyed what I’ve heard so far but couldn’t tell you what the heck their names are. So, take a gander at their lineup here.
Among the randomness, there is a little cafe connected with a yummy-sounding menu (sadly, I only had a chance to try the queso — so good!), adorable restrooms (the women’s, of course), and a patio that is to-die-for. Couches, benches, and other assorted chairs make for a great atmosphere and could be one of the best patios in Dallas (for a small group).
The clientele is very Deep Ellum and the bartender that served me all three times was a tall drink of water and had a cheeky ‘tude on him. I’ve never been on a weekend (the one time I tried there was a band and cover and, well… I don’t pay cover!) but the happy hour crowd is thin so take your own fun with you.
Now, let’s get down to the fun part … the drinks. I started off two of my visits to La Grange with a 32°, their adult snowcones that are de-lish. Have them freshly shave one of them and douse them with their syrup and stick a test tube of fun in it. See mine on the left complete with rum shooter.
Their drinks are strong enough to get your night movin’ and the conversation flowing. The last time I was in, I learned a little more than I wanted to about my coworkers (and vice-versa), and my second visit was on a 2nd date - since I’m still seeing him, I guess that means the drinks helped break the ice. Get what you want because the drinks are quite reasonably-priced and well made. The bartender even put forth the extra effort to make my friend a vodka gimlet with FRESH lime - lots of lime and squeezing required.
I’m going to wrap it up because, for me, this is a verbose review. So, in short: make La Grange a must-try.
Drink strength: 4
Overall: 4.2 (if you’re inside), 4.6 (if you’re on the patio on a nice night)
Last word of advice: they have movie nights and, if you go, make sure they don’t have the two loudmouths doing their commentary because there aren’t strong enough drinks in this world to make that bearable.
La Grange
www.lagrangedallas.com | Facebook
2704 Elm Street | (214) 741-2008
Specials:
Happy Hour | Monday-Friday, 5-7 p.m. | $3 wells and domestics
Brunch | Sunday, ‘til 3 p.m. | happy hour prices and a brunch buffet
Occasionally they want to spoil their patrons and will do 1/2 price food and all-night happy hour on a Wednesday!
angry dog
All the way down in Deep Ellum, beside St. Pete’s, a quiet evening amongst friends began with cheap wells and drafts and a plate of chicken wings. As we recapped our days, our blast-of-a-waiter, Vincent, entertained us with his attempt at a German accent.
The night was filled with Angry Dogs (the namesake of the chow joint, a fully loaded hot dog complete with a side of beans!) and drinks. Their alcohol spread is impressive but know that they don’t consider Franconia domestic - even though it’s made in McKinney!
The crowd wasn’t what one would expect from Deep Ellum because Angry Dog is loved by all and it’s reputation reaches quite far. Give it a chance and definitely make sure you put plenty of nickels in the meters, though … the meter maids in that neck of the woods are vicious (two of our four cars got $35 parking tickets for expired meters - one only by 8 minutes!).
Drink strength: 3
Overall: 4
Angry Dog
www.angrydog.com
2726 Commerce Street | (214) 741-4406
Specials:
Monday - Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $2.50 domestic drafts, $3.50 premium drafts, $3 house wine, $2.50 house cocktails
monica’s aca y alla
We’re in a recession, right? Well, whether your wallet is hurting or you just like to get a lot of bang for your buck, you need to head over to Monica’s. We brunched on Sunday and for the three of us to share queso and each have three drinks and an entree, we only spent $11 each!
The prices aren’t the only appealing thing … the food was to DIE for. They had white queso that’s the best queso I’ve had in Dallas - hands down. We all loved our meals and our waiter, Pedro, was very friendly and hooked us up with an “extended” happy hour.
The clientele was INCREDIBLY varied. There were Nebraska fans watching the football game (there are 2 TVs), a couple tables of Deep Ellum residents, and an older couple. At the end of our meal, we were the only people in the restaurant which was nice because we had full run of the TV!
Definitely try this place! Good food, amazing drink specials, free valet on the weekends, and dancing after dinner on Saturday. What more could you want?
Drink strength: 3
Overall: 4
Monica’s Aca Y Alla Restaurant
www.monicas.com
2914 Main St | Dallas, TX 75226
(214) 748-7140
Specials:
Tuesday | all night | 1/2 price food (selected items only)
Wednesday | $0.75 margaritas (with purchase of entree - limit 3)
Thursday | all night | $4.50 Tex-Mex, $3.50 happy hour
Friday | all night | $3.00 happy hour
Saturday | Live Music and dancing
Sunday | (til 3 p.m.) $1.00 Mimosas & Margaritas, $2.50 Bloody Mary & Screwdriver (night) $4.50 Top shelf Margaritas, Flavored Margaritas and well drinks
