It’s been years since I’ve been into Trader Vic’s, Dallas’s very own retro-fitted tiki bar.  A reader suggested I grab a few of the Tuesday $3 mai-tais for which Trader Vic’s is very well known.

After only two … I was festive (and for a good reason, there are 3 shots of liquor in each one!).

The Mai Tais at Trader Vic’s aren’t for the weak of heart, nor are any of the other fruity concoctions that the bar whips up.  Each drink is incredibly different with a unique glass and an equally as unique name (cite the Chi Chi, Navy Grog, Kamaaina, etc.).  If my liver could take it, I would love nothing more than to spend a week at that bar trying each drink.  The Mai Tai even comes in three different  flavors: rum, vodka, and tequila (which tastes like a fruity margarita).

To keep my composure, I ordered the crab rangoons which were incredibly savory (the mu shu my neighbor got was equally as good).

The bar got quite crowded but we noticed the restaurant was almost empty… even Elvis’s booth, #40, was empty (when he came to Dallas he would always request booth 40 because it can be seen from the door).  While the institution isn’t as crowded as it was in ‘67 when it opened originally in the Hilton Hotel with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Elvis, it’s still nice to gather around the bar that Old Blue Eyes frequented.  (Read more about the history … it’s enthralling!)

Drink strength:  4.5
Overall:  4

Trader Vic’s
www.tradervicsdallas.com
5330 East Mockingbird Lane
(214) 823-0600

Specials:
Monday-Friday | 4-7 p.m. | $5 Mai Tais, Bahias, Zombies, crab rangoons, and mu shu pork
Tuesday | all night | $3 Mai Tais