Tag Archives: state and thomas

Boxwood Tap (closed)

Dear John (err … TABC),

I’m sorry that things ended the way they did. I know we had something really great … but you had to go and ruin it. Was it me? Was I getting fat? Did I nag you too much? For whatever reason you decided to leave, good riddance. I’ve met someone else, and he’s really sexy, gets me drunk, and never makes me wait on him.

Love,
Susie Drinks Dallas (and the rest of Dallas)

My new love is Boxwood Tap & Grill, one of Dallas’ newest bars in the beautifully remodeled 80-year-old TABC space. With hardwood floors, large area rugs, and soft lighting, you may feel as though you’re in your own living room noshing on snacks and sipping cocktails (but with an extremely loud party all around you and cocktails better than you could hope to make yourself).

The crowd it very Uptown, but skews older Uptown. You’ll find plenty of dudes in suits after work and locals who schlepped the few blocks to the new neighborhood “hot spot”.

The menu by (the extremely pleasant) Chef Jason Wade is approachable, consists of sandwiches, salads, cheese plates, snacks, and entrees with some locally-sourced ingredients. (The cheese plate comes with these pillows of herby goat cheese heaven that aren’t to be missed.) Portion sizes seem pretty decent, but the “snacks” seem a bit small (though they’re pretty inexpensive, so they’ll still do … since they’re snacks and all).

The drink menu, while short, was created by Bar Manager Eddie Panozzo with a bit of help by cocktail master Jason Kosmas. Here are my thoughts:

Nada Colada (roasted pineapple & cinnamon-infused rum, lime juice, coconut puree) | almost a non-frozen version of a pina colada, the cinnamon really comes out and give it a warmer taste
Peche 75 (gin, pureed peaches, lemon juice, prosecco) | the peach flavor is quite refreshing, but the prosecco seemed a bit like overkill. I liked the touch of lemon juice to add a bit of complexity
Mule Thyme (vodka, thyme, lime juice, ginger beer) | BRING ME ANOTHER! Zomg. I do love a Moscow Mule, but the added herbiness made this a bit more exciting than the new staple
The Woods (rye whiskey, elderflower liqueur, Creole bitters, orange bitters) | Another drink that knocked it out of the park. I wish I’d have had one all to myself, but my drinking buddy for the night had the extreme prowess to order it. I wasn’t sure if the two different bitters flavors would fight too much, but they ended up blending beautifully and complimenting the whiskey. GET THIS DRINK.

The beer menu offers a wide range of local, domestic, and import beers on tap and bottled. Red and white wines along with a few sparkling wines. I’d recommend the 90+ … because it’s awesome. I didn’t have a chance to try the pitchers, but I plan to.

Once the weather cools down (which feels like it may never happen), this huge patio will be the place to be. Large umbrellas, a full outdoor bar, plenty of seating, and some TVs make it … well, awesome.

Brunch will start soon, and I hope drink specials will follow. Oh, and late night is a thing here.

Boxwood Tap
www.boxwoodtg.com | @boxwoodtg
2901 Thomas Ave.
(214)220-2901

Monday – Sunday: 4PM – 2AM
Dinner Menu: 4PM – 11PM

Late Night Menu: 11PM – 1:30AM

long live the queen

Fish and Chips with a Pimms and Lemonade – that is what you’d get if you were in London on a nice day with the sun shining after a walk in a park (patios are tougher to find over there, though!). It’s also what you will get at the Londoner, Dallas’s very own spot of London life which is rumored to have the best fish and chips in Dallas. The waiters and bartenders add to the authenticity because most of them have accents – someone seriously hold me back.

Review summed up: get your butt to this patio. It’s great people watching, plenty of seating, dog
friendly, and the shade of two huge trees provides just enough shade to make it pleasant – there is even a 2nd floor patio if you want a private table. Both patios give a great view of Downtown, too.

The decoration of The Londoner is somewhat intriguing if you can see it; it’s always a little bit dark inside. The ceiling is adorned with mugs of all shapes, sizes, and themes – try to pick your favorite. Also, pay special attention to the “Queens of England” piece on the wall of the stairs.

It’s a great place if you want to have a quick drink after work or if you want to grab a drink before heading out since its location is so ideal. Tuesday’s happy hour is well populated along with Thursday’s and Friday’s. Weekend nights here are manic – make sure you don’t expect to find a seat or a chance at the dart board.

Drink strength: 3.3
Overall: 4.2

The Londoner
www.londoner.com
2909 Thomas Avenue | (214) 979-2333

Specials:
Monday-Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $1 off liquor, beer and wine
Sunday | 4 p.m. – close | $1 off liquor, beer and wine

state and allen

A spring day in Texas begs for a refreshing drink on a patio with big sunglasses. My friend and I had a free afternoon and decided to find an early happy hour – State and Allen was our choice. We chose it because they have an amazing selection of food, an extended happy hour, and a great patio. The early happy hour allowed us to escape just before the suits hit the watering hole after work.

We immediately ordered vodka lemonades which we sadly had to add Splenda and
lemons to; the vodka, however, was generously poured. Our waitress brought us drink after drink and plate of food after plate of food (not quickly, but she got the job done). After much ado, we decided on tenderloin sliders and BBQ pizza – both were incredible.

The wrap-around patio provided a great showcase for watching the creatures of the State and Thomas area – both people and animals. Speaking of, their patio is pet friendly and there are some really cute mutts. The wait staff with even bring a water bowl for them!

With the 80s rock music and the lemonade vodkas flowing, we greatly enjoyed our time at State and Allen.

Drink strength: 4
Overall: 4

State & Allen Lounge‎
stateandallen.com
2400 Allen Street | (214) 239-1994‎