Category Archives: Deep Ellum

Deep Ellum Welcomes a Boozy Oyster Bar

There’s a new bar in town, it’s right at the edge of Deep Ellum where Elm meets Malcom X Blvd. Formerly Idle Rye, it’s now called Bitter End.

I experienced all of this for myself when I went to Bitter End for the first time last month. The first thing I noticed was that there is a solid patio which is where they hosted Puppies on the Patio every Sunday in April where they welcome your four-legged companion and kept free pupsicles in stock. But don’t worry … the patio is always pup-friendly and there’s a chance they will bring back Pups on the Patio for an encore. (Crossing my fingers!)

Inside, you can find vibrant art of famous rock legends along the wall which ties into the cleverly named cocktails—Walk the Line, The Madonna, and The Selena, to name a few.  You’ll also find a raw bar full of oysters on ice from all over. Bitter End will always carry Gulf and Blue Point Oysters, but there are other types on rotation like Sweet Jesus oysters. (Seriously.)

If raw oysters aren’t your thing, I recommend the charbroiled oysters or clams. They are wood-grilled with garlic herb butter and Parmesan and served with a toasted baguette that is excellent dipped in the leftover herb butter! The menu isn’t all oysters—they also have burgers, Nashville hot chicken sliders, salads, lobster rolls (on pretzel buns!), and other delicious pub food.

As far as cocktails go, you’re going to want to try them all! I am somewhat obsessed with the Ziggy Stardust (rum, maraschino liqueur, grapefruit and lime). They use a mini clothespin to fasten the garnish to the glass and it’s adorable (and very insta-worthy).  If you want something a little less sweet, I would suggest you Walk the Line (bourbon, spiced pear, lemon and egg white). It sounds like a weird combo, but go with it! I also discovered my new go-to coffee cocktail—I still love you, Twilight Lounge—called the Madonna (frozen coffee liqueur, espresso vodka topped with whipped cream). It’s going to be perfect for Dallas’s hot weather and late night patio season.

Now let’s talk about their events…
Mondays and Tuesdays, ALL DAY: $5 champagne and $1.50 oysters
Every day, 5-7pm: $5 wells, wine and beer
7 days a week, 10pm-2am: reverse oyster happy hour with $1.50 oysters

There are more than 20 TVs, so it’s also a perfect spot to watch your favorite sports team and there will be various specials for select games. Now would be a great time to check out Bitter End while cheering on your favorite Dallas team …

BITTER END DALLAS
bitterenddallas.com
2826 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75226
(214) 792-9888

I love Deep Ellum. Like.. I really really love it. I love all the quirkiness and the constantly changing bars, restaurants and local businesses. It’s not news that Deep Ellum has been the home to tons of new cocktail bars and restaurants in the past few years, and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The newest addition to Main Street is Vidorra, “Cocina de Mexico.” You can’t miss the bright yellow sign and the rooftop patio with killer views of the Dallas skyline.

Honestly, this place has so many insta-worthy backdrops, it’s unreal. I love sharing my experiences on social media with my friends, especially those that really take my breath away. I like getting inspiration from them too, I’ve recently heard about an app called storiesig that lets you save people’s stories, which would be perfect when I’m making mood boards for my next outing or trip. The décor here is Mexican-inspired with vibrant colors and unique textures throughout. There is a moss-covered wall, seating suspended on ropes to create swings, colorful couches perfect for all your group photos, and more.

(Oh, and it’s not just pretty … they also make some great food and drinks.) I’ll be the first to admit, I made a mistake right away when ordering my cocktail. I was so busy soaking in the atmosphere that I hardly had time to get through their extensive menu of margarita riffs. So, I panicked when it was time to order and went with “The Gold Digger”, their take on a frozen mango margarita. Don’t get me wrong … it was delicious, but I quickly discovered that they have an extensive cocktail list on the back of the menu that branches out beyond fabulous margaritas.

Their cocktail list plays around with recipes that feature a variety of mezcals and tequilas to make some seriously killer cocktails. After my margarita, I tried a cocktail called “Howl at the Moon” that has Lunazul Reposado tequila, Mandarin Napoleon liqueur, both orange and vanilla bitters, all barrel-aged for a week. It was so delicious that I had to have two. Whatever.

As far as food goes, you really can’t go wrong. For the appetizer, they sent out a massive bowl of their flaming fundito in a 400º Molajete dish. If it weren’t so hot, I probably would’ve drank the queso straight from the bowl. (No shame here … it was delicious.) For my meal, I got the pick two fajitas with steak and chicken and it was easily enough food for 2-3 people—especially because you need to save room to sample all of the delicious cocktails.

Speaking of cocktails, I ended my evening with a cocktail called “The Verdict” (tequila, Mezcal, agave, absinthe and bitters). The flavor was very intense but it was definitely the crowd favorite at our table.

So go for the drinks, the atmosphere, the food or the views. Whatever you do … just get there!

VIDORRA
vidorradallas.com
2642 Main Street (Deep Ellum)
972.215.0640

Deep Ellum’s Newest: DoHolics

Count your blessings that you don’t have to wait too long for DoHolics to officially open in Deep Ellum (right next to Chills 360)! The safe-to-eat cookie dough shop will be ready to host you on July 20th! I got a special sneak preview of some of their offerings so you can drool while you wait not so patiently.

First, you start by picking cup or cone, but I think these colorful cones are hard to pass up on! Then you choose from their 15 different flavors like Cookie Butter or Matcha … then add whatever toppings your heart (or stomach) desires.

What makes this cookie dough safe to eat? Well, it’s made with heat treated flour and pasteurized eggs, which makes it totally indulge-able. They’ve made something delicious that we really aren’t meant to eat totally edible … that’s kind of like making a unicorn.

And speaking of the fabled creatures … did I mention they have cookie shots with UNICORNS ON THEM?!

Had enough yet? Get ready for DoHolics to open up to the public on July 20th.

DoHolics
2646 Elm Street (Deep Ellum)
Facebook | Instagram

 

La Grange (Closed)

Being one who writes about bars is fun really fun. However, there is a slight occupational hazard that comes with the territory, not a kind of hazard you’d have to contact Yarborough Applegate Attorneys at Law
for though – 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! Not the angry, biting dog that might send you on a trip to Stewart Law Offices) and drinks. Not 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