Category Archives: Bar Review

Mellow Out at Mellow Mushroom

There’s a holiday for everything. Pizza lovers, mark your future calendars for May 15th, National Pizza Party Day. I went to one of my favorite pizza restaurants in Fort Worth to celebrate, Mellow Mushroom. My usual drink of choice is beer, but this time I decided to let summer come early and try a specialty mixed drink. All of the Mellow Mushroom drinks make you feel like you are relaxing on a beach (without the hassle of sand in your crack and sunscreen streaked across your face).

They told me that their most popular speciality drink is the Shroom Tea (vodka, gin, rum, Triple Sec, Razzmatazz, Blue Curacao, sweet n’ sour, and Sprite); it’s their version of a Long Island iced tea. Not only is this a great deal at $4.00, but it was deeeeelicious and it reminded me of an adult cherry limeade.

My next two drinks were very similar. The first, was named the Head Bitch in Charge and the Pearl Jam. HBIC is Myers Rum, Captain Morgan’s Parrot Bay Coconut, Apricot Brandy, orange and pineapple juice. It was a very frothy, orange juice cocktail with a coconut aftertaste. My favorite drink of the night was the Pearl Jam. This is a mix of Smirnoff Orange and Vanilla Vodka, club soda, and orange juice. A dreamsicle in a glass with some oomph!

Stop by Mellow for some pizza (obvi) and choose from their bottled, draft, or canned beers ($4-6), wine list, or specialty drinks ($4-7) while enjoying their laid-back atmosphere. Great music and staff made this an awesome visit that I would highly recommend a visit.

Mellow Mushroom
3455 Bluebonnet Circle, Fort Worth, Texas 76109 | 817-207-9677
OTHER LOCATIONS

Current Happy Hour Specials:

Sunday-Friday (4-7pm) $2 Well Liquor and House Margaritas
Texas Sundays- $1 off Texas Beers all day (excludes High Gravity and Seasonal Beers)
Margarita Monday- $2 Margaritas
Trivia Tuesdays- Extended Happy Hour until 9pm
Wino Wednesdays- $2 House Wines from 4-7pm
Thrifty Thursdays- $2 off Pitchers (excluding seasonals) from 4-7pm

Don’t Be a Square, Check out Full Circle Tavern

Last night I attended Full Circle Tavern’s cleverly named “360° One-Year Anniversary” party down in the Cedars area. Owners and winners of Food Network’s “Food Court Wars”, Lara Whittington and Jennifer Bonner, celebrated with an 80s cover band, prize giveaways and 360° drink and food specials, including $3.60 Stoli drinks, $3.60 Brooklyn Lager beers and $3.60 Full Circle sliders.

I arrived right after 5pm when the festivities were scheduled to kick off. They were still setting up the band and I couldn’t really tell if the event had started yet. Nevertheless, I grabbed a seat outside on their patio, which was very pleasant on a beautiful spring day.

I had a great server, Tamara, who was friendly and attentive. Even though I don’t normally drink vodka before sundown, I ordered one of my favorite vodka cocktails—Stoli Blueberry with soda and a splash of cranberry. I also ordered the Cheese Curds, a first for me. While I waited, Tamara brought me a bowl of their homemade chips, which was a nice touch. My cocktail was nice and strong and was delivered quickly, which was appreciated as I was parched. The cheese curds were, as promised, very tasty but I’m not a huge fried foodie, so I only had few. I was intrigued by their menu, which is pretty extensive and includes several gluten-free substitutions/options, (which I greatly appreciate since my husband has a gluten allergy).

In my opinion, Full Circle Tavern just makes sense. It’s located in South Side/the Cedars in the same complex as Bill’s Records and is next door to the NYLO hotel and down the street from Gilley’s.

Full Circle Tavern is comfortable, friendly neighborhood spot with what I found to be great people watching. It seems like a perfect spot for NYLO guests and South Side on Lamar or The Beat residents to kick back and enjoy happy hour or a lazy Sunday. Since it’s not close to my neighborhood, I might not necessarily go out of my way to return unless I have something going on down in that area, but when I do, what better place to grab a cocktail and fill up on some carbs before a concert than Full Circle Tavern?

Full Circle Tavern
1319 South Lamar Street
Dallas, Texas 75215

Happy Hours (as of 5/20/14)

Tuesday – Thursday (11:00 am – 10:00 pm)
Friday – Saturday (11:00 am – 12:00 am)
Sundays (11:00 am – 4:00 pm)

Kitchen closes 1 hour prior to closing times

This Place Doesn’t Bite

Being a Virgo, I don’t often step outside of my comfort zone, but one stop to Bite City Grill in Fort Worth changed that.

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Bite’s signature cocktails are all named after the twelve astrological signs. The menu lists characteristics and celebrity for each sign. Additionally, each signature drink comes with a eye dropper of the bitters that they suggest you add to the drink to your liking (the bartender said to experiment and only add a little at a time). I decided to try a Scorpio, Sagittarius, and a Capricorn.

The Scorpio included tequila, mango puree, lime, jalapeño, and mint. It was described as “determined, powerful, magnetic, emotional, and passionate”. (Sounded to me like the guy in high school that had a crush on me but didn’t understand the word “no”.) The famous Scorpio listed was Bill Gates. The drink was presented with the jalapeño and lime on a toothpick as garnish, and I went ahead and squeezed the lime and dropped the jalapeño in for full effect. The first taste was great; not too sweet, the mango was non-existent, and the small slice of jalapeño provided a little bit of spice that this drink needed to kick me in the mouth. The Scorpio came with their fruit bitters, and I went all-in and squeeze the entire dropper in my drink. The bitters acted as a neutralizer and completely overpowered the sweetness of the original drink. Overall, the Scorpio was a new twist on the simple rocks margarita. I’m surprised there was no mention of Scorpio’s high sexual energy, that being said I wonder how many adult actors that feature on sites like www.fulltube.xxx and many more, are actually Scorpio’s?!

The best drink of the night was by far the Sagittarius, and if you’re a Bourbon drinker, it’s a must-try. It’s smoked bourbon, sweet tea, limoncello, and St.Germain, but will say the main attraction is the smoked bourbon. The drink was delivered in a mason jar with a lid on, which I thought was a bit odd; once I opened the mason jar, I quickly realized the logic of the lid. They use a special gun that smokes tea leaves to fill the mason jar with smoke. As soon as you unscrew the lid, a wave of smoke engulfs you. (This is some second-hand smoke I’m totally OK with!) The first taste is definitely a surprise … the drink truly does taste like it was smoked. As I mentioned earlier, this is a must for any bourbon fan.

Bite is tucked into the back corner of Montgomery Plaza, a place where several restaurants/bars have tried before, but not succeeded. The atmosphere at the bar is the perfect spot to unwind during happy hour (4-6pm) after a hard day at the office. And, to top it all off, the bar has a few televisions if you are interested in grabbing a few drinks during the big game.

Bite City Grill
2600 West 7th Street | Fort Worth, Texas 76107
(817) 877-3888
www.bitecitygrill.com
facebook.com/bitecitygrillFW | @bitecitygrill (Insta & Twitter)
Happy hour: Monday – Friday, 4-6pm

Current happy hour specials:

$1 Off All Draft Beers…

$6 Zodiac Sign Of The Month…

White By The Glass
5 Arca Nova Vinho Verde, Portugal
5 Dr. Loosen Riesling, Mosel, Germany
5 Sterling Aromatic White, Central Coast, CA
5 Bouchard Aine & Fils Chardonnay, France
5 Zonin Prosecco, Veneto, Italy

Red By The Glass
5 Bouchard Aine & Fils, VDP Pinot Noir, France
5 Joseph Castan Cote Du Rhone, France
5 Trevinto Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
5 Pacific Sur Cabernet, Central Valley, Chile

Small Bites…
5 Baba Ganoush / Caramelized Onion / Sour Cream / Fine Herbs / Naan Bread
5 Beef Jerky / Seasoned Beef Jerky
8 Lamb Meatball / Foie Gras Cream Sherry Reduction Sauce / Manchego Cheese
8 Charred Octopus / Peppadew Peppers / Ginger Aioli
6 Shishito Peppers / Sea Salt / Romesco Sauce
10 Braised Short Rib / Caramelized Onion / Horseradish Cream
9 Margherita / Roasted Tomato / Basil / Fresh Mozzarella Cheese / Tomato Sauce

The Second Floor Bistro – Introduction

After a couple meals at 2nd Floor sans drinks, I was happy to finally get over to 2FB for an alcoholic libation. My coworkers and I decided to take a quick break and grab a drink last night while waiting for Fashion’s Night Out festivities to commence at the Galleria, and we we had a nice assortment of drinks. There were glasses of wine, straight-up Jack, martinis, mojitos, and Moscow Miles, OH MY!

I always ask my waiter for his/her suggestion and this time, it worked. I was told to get the ginger gimlet with vodka … and it turns out, it was a Moscow Mule. That girl knows what she’s doing. I could tell that they didn’t use Rose’s lime juice and the ginger beer was just bitter enough to keep me from downing the entire glass in one gulp.

The coworkers in my immediate vicinity had:
– 2 mojitos: not too sweet and incredibly refreshing, mint leaves large enough not to be sucked into the straw
– Jack OTR: 3-1/2 fingers, a generous helping
– a Ruby Red: even though I don’t like grapefruit, it was tolerable and I was fine with having two small sips

All were good. Their drink list looked well thought-out with a nice selection of different liquors, flavors, and sweetness levels. Signature cocktails will run you a whopping $12 and martinis $13, the wine list starts at $8/glass, and the scotch list is $7-140. The drink prices may be steep but they’re somewhat worth it since they’re decently strong, well-made, and generous portions.

The decore is modern and luxurious, all “leather” seating at the tables, the bar, the lounge (complete with awkward fireplace – pictured on right), and the back room. The staff is (REALLY) friendly and provide snappy, efficient, and CORRECT service.

The food …oh, the food. Try the roasted corn soup, the French Dip, and just about anything else – including brunch. (Hint: they do trivia each Wednesday at 11am for a $25 gift card … you can try to beat me.)

In short, The Second Floor Bistro is second to none. Go for happy hour, but only shop after if you have a DP (designated purchaser).

Strength: 3.75
Overall: 4

The Second Floor Bistro
www.thesecondfloorrestaurant.com | @2ndFloorBistro
13340 Dallas Parkway (in the Galleria – Westin entrance)
(972) 450-2978

Specials:
Thursday & Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $2 off martinis and beers
Friday nights | 1/2 price appetizers
Saturday nights | 1/2 price desserts

Bailey’s Prime (Closed)

Bailey’s, the Cedar Hill transplant that opened a couple years ago in the brand new Shops at Park Lane, is HANDS DOWN one of my new favorite fancy happy hour spots. I’d say it’s right up there with Perry’s, only trumping it with its longer hours.

After visiting Bailey’s for a “working” lunch and Mother’s Day brunch, I was eager to try their famed all-night happy hour. I was glad I finally made it in because my time there was one of the more fun nights I’ve had in a while. (I’ll attribute that a little to the company and a little to the location.)

The whole staff seems to be there to make your experience amazing. Perfect example: my mom invited me to meet her when I was walking out of the grocery with items that needed refrigeration. On the way to the resto, I called and asked if they could free up some fridge space for my groceries and they gladly obliged. The bartenders (Pedro and Kelly) will get you anything you want and will even take you for a swing on the dance floor if you so desire; on that note, Kelly is one of the better bartenders I’ve seen in Dallas from a service standpoint.

The drinks are delicious and STRONG. Try some of their signature cocktails offered on the happy hour menu like the Cosmotini, Pomegranate Martini, or the bourbon-based, Forty Apples. I enjoyed the VERY cucumber-y Cucumber Martini and would have died to try the French Seventy Five Martini – I didn’t want to venture into champagne on a school night.

The food is equally as good (and equally as discounted). We got an order of their homemade chips and they were delicious as was their fresh-baked bread. You know a restaurant is good when you see Kent Rathbun stop in for a bite!

Last word: Make sure you check in on Foursquare because they have one of the most generous check-ins specials I’ve seen – a free glass of their house Malbec, no strings attached.

Drink strength: 4
Overall: 4.5

Bailey’s Prime Plus
www.baileysprimeplus.com
8160 Park Lane #130 (Shops at Park Lane) | (214) 750-8100

Specials:
Monday-Thursday (4-7 p.m.) and Friday (4-11 p.m.)
$5 house wines, $6 signature cocktails, $2 domestic beer, $4 well drinks

Live bands: Friday and Saturday nights

Perry’s Steakhouse | Uptown Dallas

Let’s start with some education: the restaurant on Routh many Dallasites know of as Perry’s has changed its name to The Place at Perry’s. Don’t be confused because they are both steakhouses – however, I am giving my thoughts only about the newly opened Perry’s on McKinney. That being said, here we go!

My visit to Perry’s was one of the most enjoyable happy hours I’ve had in quite a while. I have been back since my initial visit and loved it as much as I did the first time around – maybe even more actually.

Picture courtesy of Perry’s Steakhouse

From now on, you will be able to find me here most Fridays starting around 3:30 p.m. partaking in their Friday lunch special of Perry’s Famous Pork Chop served with whipped potatoes and homemade applesauce for only $13.95 before 4 p.m. If a pork chop doesn’t tickle your fancy, take part in one (hell, two, three, or even four) of the Social Hour appetizer options. My favorites were the fried asparagus with lump crab meat*, homemade Polish sausage, and the Kobe burger. My friend Casey made the following comment after eating the Kobe burger: “THIS burger for is on happy hour?”* Glances at girlfriend and says emphatically, “We’re comin’ back!”

After eating your fill, stay for a couple hours and enjoy the cocktail offerings they have for Bar 79 Social Hour. There is a cocktail for everyone here. If you can’t decide, try the flight of cocktails which includes three inventive concoctions in sippable sizes. Their mojitos are the perfect drink for summer, hands down. In addition they have a drink that is Perry’s take on a Manhattan that the men at the table thoroughly enjoyed (a few times over). Their fruit is incredible and is prepared fresh daily; head chef Danny does fruit quality control daily to ensure it’s at its best.

Aside from the fantastic discounted food and drinks, the atmosphere is relaxing and inviting with live music to lighten the mood in the bar and entertain. There is an air of sophisticated relaxation in the bar area and the patio boasts a giant inverted umbrella with plenty of seating. If you want to catch a game without spending time at a dive bar, they have a TV behind the hand-etched glass bar (with hilarious quotes about drinking) so you can nosh on their brilliant food while watching. If you can, try to get the middle table, though, you’ll feel like you’re in the VIP section!

The wait staff at Perry’s is unmatched; they offer VERY helpful suggestions, crack jokes, and are incredibly attentive. Between Mark, Howard, Rich the bartender, Kennan, and Martin, our waiter, we were never in want for another drink or a even a napkin.

I’ll see all of you there on Friday!

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille
www.perryssteakhouse.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
2000 McKinney Ave., Suite 100 | 214-855-5151

PERRY’S NOW HAS A LOCATION IN FRISCO, TX ALSO. CHECK OUT RACHEL’S REVIEW OF THE NEW SPOT!

Drink strength: 3.8
Overall: 4.4

Specials:

Social Hour | Monday-Friday, 4-6:30 p.m.
discounted seasonal cocktails, wines, and appetizers

Live Music | Monday-Thursday, 6-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday | 6-11 p.m.

*Initial post written quite a while ago. Pricing has been updated to reflect changes!

Muddy Waters

This Dallas legend has been around for quite a while and is a bastion of the Dallas local music scene. If you ask any of the guys from the Local Yokel show, this is one of the places in Dallas you MUST go … just so you can say you’ve been.

The night we went, we sadly didn’t do our homework; it was open mic night. No one was playing when we were there but a DJ was setting up (it looked like it would have been entertaining to stay!). So, we did the next best thing and fed our dollar bills to the jukebox and played a few rounds of pool.

The drinks were pretty misleading … I had a few and was quite festive though I thought they tasted weak. The drinks were so misleading that I felt confident enough to order jambalaya (very out of the ordinary for this girl!) when we ventured over to Alligator Cafe to grab a bite when we discovered Muddy Waters didn’t have any food offerings.

The bartender was efficient and the regulars were bizarre to say the least (and one was a bit smelly). This wouldn’t be a bad place to grab a round of pool or listen to a great local band … try it sometime. 🙂

Muddy Waters
1518 Greenville Avenue | Dallas, TX 75206-7413
(214) 823-1518

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

SusieDrinks

Drink well. Travel often.