Author Archives: Susie O

villa-oh my gosh, yum

This organic cafe knows how to do brunch! I’ve been known to lose track of time when at bars, but this was a brunch that lasted 3-1/2 hours. Let’s be for real, though … how could anyone turn down brunch, nay, brunch with bottomless drinks for a reasonable price? Definitely not me.

While I waited a hot 2 minutes by the front door for the host to acknowledge me, he was very friendly when he did and led me to a plush booth toward the back of the blue-and-white restaurant. This restaurant has been host to many-a work dinners and various other meals and events, and I seem to have a completely experience each time.

On a Monday they offer a free 2-course meal (full servings, no kidding) and it will only cost you the tip. Though you can get caught with this by ordering drinks and dessert, it’s still a fantastic deal. Get one sfuzzi and your night is made – it’ll get you festive.

Sundays are brilliant because you can mix-and-match. Having to choose one drink to be your bottomless choice is almost like choosing a husband … one flavor for an entire meal? No, thanks. Luckily Villa O is liberal with their choices and their portions.

The food at Villa O is very good and, as I mentioned, the portions are large so an entree can fill you up and leave you enough to take home for a midnight snack. The bread, though, is the crowning glory of this restaurant. I could be happy for the rest of my life with their bread basket and bottomless choices.

Drink strength: 3 (except for the sfuzzi which gets a 4.5!)
Overall: 4

Villa O
villaorestaurant.com
4514 Travis Street
(214) 780-1880

Be careful to trust a person who does not like wine.

Karl Marx

smoke-d

Smoke replaced Cliff Cafe not too long ago and I couldn’t wait to try it. I should have, though. The tortuous route there due to two different wrecks started our day off on a bad note and the bbq restaurant had the potential to turn things around … but didn’t.

We were greeted by a host suited in overalls, a plaid shirt, and a sport coat – a surprising combination but he owned it. We were led to a table in the back corner and had to step over AV equipment. Sitting down, the tablecloths were topped with brown paper; a cozy touch but it proved to be annoying because it got caught every time I tried to move my arm.

We were delighted to hear that there was a mimosa deal so we each ordered a glass and began our mission to have a Sunday funday kicked off with bottomless mimosas. They were strong and pretty darn good … but weren’t refilled quickly; we had to ask twice to get refills. Finally, at the end of the meal we were given a pitcher.

Now for the service and food: the menus were awesome – if you want to order family style, you fill out a scantron sheet. Sounds efficient but we somehow got a wrong side, an extra 1/2 order of ribs, and were even charged wrong in the end. Skip the beans – they tasted disgusting (the waiter even pulled a face when he tasted one). Also, don’t bother with the “fresh out of the oven” biscuits because they came out cold in the middle and the pot holding the jelly they claim to make fresh every day was empty. To top it all off … it was really expensive.

A friend actually made the comment when they started setting up the AV equipment that if the music is as good as the food we had better get out of there quickly. Bottom line: I would have been a lot happier if they just left Cliff Cafe there.

Extras: large room with a pool table, plenty of parking, great view of Dallas from the Belmont Hotel, and a hotel conveniently located next door if you have too much to drink

Drink strength: 4
Overall: 2

Specials:
Monday-Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $1.50 off all drinks
Sunday | 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. | $11 bottomless mimosas

Smoke
www.smokerestaurant.com
901 Fort Worth Avenue (beside the Belmont Hotel)
(214) 393-4141‎

Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.

Homer Simpson

Chan Thai

Toting the best happy hour in North Oak Cliff on a sign outside, we saw “thai” and “free appetizers” and couldn’t get through the door fast enough to test it out. While the restaurant was much larger than we expected, we sadly have to shoot down that it was the best happy hour … even just in North Oak Cliff.

When we arrived, we were the only two people in the bar area so we had our choice of tables. The first one at which we sat was wobbly. So we moved. The second, wobbly. The third already had sugar packets under the offending legs so we settled.

While the drinks were cheap, they weren’t very strong at all and the free apps weren’t anything special. The only drink worth order is their rum concoction dubbed the Samui. Olivia’s only comment on our experience was, “That frozen rum concoction got our nights started off just swelllll!”

My best advice: Ask them not to bother with the appetizers and to keep the Samuis flowing.

Drink strength: 2
Overall: 2.5

Chan Thai Restaurant
www.chanthaidallas.com
312 West 7th Street (in the Bishop Arts District) | (214) 948-9956

Specials:
Monday-Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $3 house wine, $2.50 well drinks, and free appetizers

press box grill

I am writing while at the bar … this is the first review I’ve written in the moment. Thanks to their free WiFi, it’s a cinch. This is one of the more relaxing reviews I’ve done. Case and point: my sister and I are kicking our feet up after long days at our respective offices; she’s opening her mail and I’m writing this review. This place is certainly a no-pressure zone – and being downtown, that’s a blessing.

Parking is somewhat tough to find but if you do, meters aren’t active so you get to park fo’ free. WOOHOO, more money to spend on drinks.

We just ordered our meal: supreme queso blanco and house salad with sun-dried tomato vinegarette dressing – I’ll report back and let you know how they are. It took us a while to get our order in because the wait staff isn’t extremely attentive; but they get the job done.

As for the drinks you order … make sure they have what you want before you order. My friend ordered three differed beers and they didn’t have the first 2. It’s all about expectation vs. delivery.

If you’re here to watch a game, you’re in for a good view; there are flat screens all over the bar and restaurant with various news shows and games on. AND if you go to the bathroom, you don’t have to worry about missing anything; there are TVs in the bathrooms! If your game of choice isn’t on, just ask and they’ll change it for you.

(P.S. the food was good.)

Drink strength: 3.0
Overall: 3.9

Press Box Grill
www.pressboxgrill.com
1623 Main Street (at Elm and Ervay) | (214) 747-8226

Work is the curse of the drinking class.

Oscar Wilde

the “crappiest” hour

Well, at least they don’t call it something it’s not. Dick’s Last Resort’s “crappy hour” (their words, not mine) is exactly that. This place has always intrigued me because I can’t understand why anyone would pay to be treated badly.

The wait staff is just as irreverent as you’ve heard and it begins at the front door (no, really, it does!) The front door says “push” when you’re meant to pull – and the hostess laughs at you for pushing. The regulars here aren’t even really regulars so much as “irregulars”, there are bras on the bar, and it’s very loud.

The drinks are really weak and it takes forever to get another. At one point, I had to actually yell at my waiter to get him back to our table. When he brought my drink I asked for a water and got the response, “You should have asked my black ass for a water when you ordered your other drink!”

Positives: The food is cheap, even without the weekly special, and they portions are huge – try the gator bites and the onion rings. The bathrooms are extremely clean. The restaurant is quite large and there is plenty of seating, a patio, and a smoking patio.

I’m not going to rate this one because it’s not the kind of place I’d choose to spend my time, but if a purposefully rude staff is what you’re into … it’s great to grab a bite and a drink (heck, get 7!) here before a game at the AA center so you only have to pay for parking twice.

Drink stength: 1

Overall: ??

Dick’s Last Resort
www.dickslastresort.com
2211 North Lamar Street
(214) 747-0001

Specials:
Monday-Friday | 4-7 p.m. | 1/2 price apps, $3 wells, $2.50 domestic pints, $3.75 margaritas, $4 wine

SusieDrinks

Drink well. Travel often.