Updates.

I just wanted to give a shout out to all the people who have helped me do my reviews so far!  You have all been incredibly helpful and the company doesn’t hurt.

Last night I ran into a reader who said they went to that bar because of my review … love it.  Anytime you can work it in, mention me!  Maybe we can get to a point where some specials are only available through my blog — it’s win/win!

This morning I was looking at the places where my traffic is coming from …most of my traffic has come from the US (what a shock!); however, I was quite surprised to find the following:

Japan – 1 visit
Germany – 1 visit
Chile – 1 visit
Canada – 1 visit
Belgium – 4 visits!
Brazil – 7 visits!!!

I’d really be interested to know why people in these countries have been reading my blog about happy hours in DALLAS, TX, USA!!!  So – if any of you are reading this, I would love to come do a review in your country … simply pay for me to get there.

Once again, thanks to everyone who has contributed — stay tuned for some fun, new reviews next week.

vodka and kisses – Susie

Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen (closed)

 

We all know that Kent Rathbun can cook … little did we know the man who defeated Bobby Flay on “Iron Chef” is also a master of mixology behind the bar.

After sloshing through the rain, walking through the rotating doors into Blue Plate was like walking into a (classy) cabin – I almost expected to see a crackling fire and hear a triangle beckoning me for dinner.  The sidways rain outside begged a drink and our bartender, Autumn, served them up with a smile.

I had a Raspberrytini, Passionate Kiss, and the Rip Tide (Autumn’s creation).  All three were fantastic (and not only because of the price tag) and the various wines ordered around the table were enjoyed, nay, savored.  Special commendation should be offered for the Dirty Blue Martinis, a martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives (sadly, I am allergic to blue cheese so can’t give my personal opinion on this drink).

We ordered appetizers, chowed down on the bread basket, and sipped our cocktails without realizing 3-1/2 hours slipped by.  Nine o’clock on a Friday night cut our night short but we enjoyed every second in Kent Rathbun’s world … even though the plates weren’t blue.

Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen
6130 Luther Ln | (214) 890-1103
www.kentrathbun.com/blueplate/dallas | @chef911

Specials:
11am – 6pm | half off $8 wine selections by the glass
11am – 6pm, 9pm – 11pm | specialty cocktails $5, traditional cocktails $4

Gloria’s … glorious.

After a long day of swimming at J Pepe’s, I needed something with fruit, ice, and more fruit.  My pool buddy, Matt, and I walked over to Gloria’s and sidled up to the bar.  The attactive bartender snappily brought our drinks, sangria for me and the usual Crown and soda for my friend.  The drinks were strong enough to make it worth dragging our tired bones across the street.

Gloria’s is perfect for a few drinks before a concert at the Granada, date night, or a chill drink at the end of a long summer day.  The sangria has fresh fruit chopped small enough to suck through the straw and avoid awkwardly fishing out the fruit with a spoon.

The best thing about Gloria’s????  Not having to remember when or what day has what special with what purchase.  It’s as simple as this:  Sunday – Thursday, all day, same price.  Another reason Gloria’s is … glorious.

Gloria’s Greenville Ave
3715 Greenville Ave. | Dallas, TX 75206 
www.gloriasrestaurants.com
(214) 874-0088

Specials:  ALL DAY SUNDAY-THURSDAY
House Margaritas $3.00 
House Wines  $5.00 
Domestic Beers  $3.00 
Imported Beer  $3.50 
Mango Margaritas  $5.00 
Swirls  $4.00 
Strawberry Margaritas  $5.00 
Meltdowns  $5.00 
Mojitos  $3.00 
Sangria  $3.00

I went to brush something off my cheek and it was the floor.

Raymond Chandler

Cru Wine Bar

Thursday nights were always a big to-do.  My friends and I would get dressed up and roll over to West Village for Cru’s Thursday night special of half price bottles of champagne and sparkling wines.

The atmosphere in Cru is relaxed but quite formal and the people sipping their glasses of wine are movers and shakers.  The bartenders are always up for a quick chat as are the people perched at the bar.

Saunter over, sip a bottle of bubbly, and try some of their amazing cheeses … don’t forget to take your crew.

Cru Wine Bar
www.cruawinebar.com
3699 Mckinney Ave | (214) 526-9463

Specials:
Thursday | 1/2 price champagne

Pluckers Wing Bar

image

Pluckers claims that they are the official home of the freshman 15 … mine happened to be the senior 15 since I wasn’t 21 until then to partake in the Wednesday night tradition of the motherplucker.  My life (and my physique) was changed when the daily specials at Pluckers came into my life.

This particular Sunday, I braved the rain with my fearless companion for the evening, Jeff.  We sat and began to contemplate which of the drink specials we would take advantage of first.  I chose the bloody mary to ease in to the night (bad choice, it was incredibly thin and didn’t have any spice) and Jeff went for a Crown on the rocks (a mere $4 for a delightful helping).

imageSince shots were only $2, we decided we had to partake and chose of the twenty-odd shots on the list.  We went for Girl Scout Cookies – delight.  The shots and drinks come with quite a kick to wash down the brilliantly fried food they offer.

Since Pluckers is open late, expect to be entertained by the other patrons and the interesting wait staff.  Sadly, my waitress screwed up my order and the service was somewhat slow, so filled up on french fries and vodka (not a bad night).

Contribution from my guest reviewer, Jeff: there is an abundance of large TVs and it’s a great place to watch a game (or three).  And the motherplucker … is 34 oz.

Pluckers
www.pluckers.com | @pluckers
5500 Greenville Ave
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 363-9464

Daily Specials:
$3 premium well (Tito’s, Wild Turkey, Bacardi, Sapphire, Dewars)
$4 Crown, Grey Goose, Jack Daniels, Patron, Don Julio
$3.50 Jager shots

Monday | All you can eat wings $14.99, specialty drink specials
Tuesday | Kids eat free (limit 2! ha!), Texas Tuesdays: $2 Titos, Ziegerbock,Lone Star
Wednesday | TRIVIA!, motherplucker night (basically, a gigantic beer for a tiny price)
Thursday | All you can eat boneless wings $12.99, $2 Margaritas, $2.50 selected Mexican beers, $4 Mexican martinis
Sunday | $2 speciatly shots, $3.50 Jager, $4 Patron Silver

Hurricane Grill (CLOSED)

Wednesdays are the best days for a happy hour.  It’s hump day, the day where you realize you still have two more whole days of work until the weekend.  For me on Wednesday, the happy hour to look forward to was at Hurricane Grill.

Walking in the door, a rush of all of the fun nights spent there listening to the live music and playing Big Buck Hunter entered my mind.  Snapped back to the present, I joined my party and ordered a $2 well vodka water.

The strong drinks encouraged conversation and a good time.  Our waiter, John, was a blast and cracked jokes to entertain.  Dinner was ordered and we all agreed that, while it tasted good, all three meals were overpriced.

Overall, a great evening.  Try it on a Wednesday for a night out — you won’t regret it (though you may regret some decisions made after having strong drinks!).

Hurricane Grill
hurricane–grill.com
2831 Greenville Ave
Dallas, TX 75206-6238 | (214) 827-2112

The Hully and Mo Re-review

I’m at Hully and Mo and … I’m feeling the strength of these drinks.
It’s ladies night and the feeling is certainly right (drinks are half off on Thursday for ladies!). This place will be a repeat offender.

More opinions on this amazing place:
1. The drinks are STRONG.
2. The appetizer food is GOOD.
3. Ladies night = amazing.

Read my original review of Hully & Mo with a complete list of specials.