Summer Happy Hour Guide

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 10 top spots for summer happy hour

We don’t need to sell you on happy hour. It’s the best way to end any stressful work day and kick off any fun-filled weekend. Maybe you already have a favorite spot that you hit every Thursday and Friday (and every other Wednesday for good measure). But here are some newer options to make every day of the week feel like that Pharrell song.

Barter
Winner of the 2014 Tastemaker Award for Best New Restaurant, Barter has some unbeatable specials Monday through Friday from 3-6 pm. It is called “3-5-7 Happy Hour,” with $3 draft beers, $5 cocktails, and $7 wines by the glass. (We recommend cashing in on the the normally priced $30 Piper-Heidsieck rosé.) You can pair your pour with sliders (two for $3) or your choice of fish, pork or steak street tacos (three for $3).

Blind Butcher
We welcomed Blind Butcher into the fold this past winter. Now that the meat-and-beer mecca has hit its stride, the bar-restaurant is offering $2 off drafts, specialty cocktails and wine, as well as $5 off wine bottles seven days a week from 4-6 pm. We think the Lower Greenville hot spot is worth its 24 craft beers on tap – liquid courage to try those pig ears.

Chino Chinatown
If you’re a little adventurous with your happy hour plans (and open to uncertainty), check out Chino Chinatown any Tuesday when the bartender mixes an ever-changing trio of cocktails for $5 each. Recent concoctions have included Montelobos Mezcal and Bruichladdich whiskey. Dealer’s choice can be a win-win.

Gas Monkey Bar n Grill
The Gas Monkey engine has been burning strong for the past two years. (See Fast N’ Loud on the Discovery Channel to catch our drift.) But the culinary side of the all-American experience is just getting up to speed. Weekdays from 3-7 pm, deals include $1 off tall drafts and well drinks, $3.99 queso and $3.99 artichoke hearts. Stick around and you might catch some live music.

Ivy Tavern
Brand spankin’ new to Lemmon Avenue — and claiming the best patio experience in Dallas — Ivy Tavern keeps it simple when it comes to happy hour. All drinks are $1 off until 8 pm every day of the week. Take it or leave it.

Mutts Cantina
At Mutts, four-legged friends can join in on the fun every weekday from 4-6 pm, where “Yappy Hour” deals mean $3 drinks — beer, wine and all kinds of flavored margaritas. You can saddle up to a yellow picnic table and booze for a couple of hours or bring your refreshments into the off-leash area where Fido can frolic.

Peak & Elm Cocina Y Bar
You can’t go wrong with complimentary margaritas (Fridays, 5-9 pm) and mimosas (Sundays, 10 am-2 pm) at Peak & Elm as you chow down on tamales and contemporary Mexican dishes. If you like to graze, go on a Tuesday (5-10 pm) when appetizers are 50 percent off. And you can BYOB any day or night of the week.

So & So’s
Because it replaced Primo’s, So & So’s has inherited the best patio in Uptown. To celebrate, the restaurant-bar is doing us all a solid with half-priced pizza and $1 off cocktails Monday through Friday from 4-6 pm. Enjoy it all with a side of excellent people-watching.

Twilite Lounge
This New Orleans-inspired venue opened last summer and breathed a bit of the Big Easy into Deep Ellum. Every day is happy hour from 4-8 pm. That means $3 domestics and wells, $5 wines, and $1 off everything else.

Vagabond
Lower Greenville is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, and Vagabond is doing its part with bocce ball tournaments, weekly live performances and craft beer. But if cheap thrills is the name of your game, stop by any Tuesday through Friday from 4-7 pm, when the watering hole cracks open $1.50 PBRs. Or grab a $2 Lone Star, $2 glass of champagne, $3 well drink, $5 Moscow Mule or old fashioned, or $6 glass of wine. In other words, go thirsty.

At Ivy Tavern, all drinks are $1 off until 8 pm, seven days a week.

Photo courtesy of Ivy Tavern

At Ivy Tavern, all drinks are $1 off until 8 pm, seven days a week.

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License Plate News

Dallas car buyers get metal license plates stat under new Texas law

DMV

Texas license plate

A new state law will go into effect in Texas that makes it easier for car owners to get permanent metal license plates: The new law, House Bill 718, was actually passed by the 88th Legislature in 2023, but it goes into effect on July 1, 2025. It will allow car dealers to begin issuing metal license plates directly when they sell a car, whether it's new or used.

In the previous needlessly elaborate process, new car owners would receive a temporary paper license, and then apply for metal license plates. The new law will eliminate that requirement, allowing car buyers to get metal license plates when they purchase a car from a dealer.

The new law arose out of the huge imbroglio over temporary paper tags, which were designed to be used on a temporary basis while car buyers waited to receive their permanent plates. But scammers were obtaining car dealer licenses, then printing up hundreds of thousands of temporary paper tags and selling them to people hoping to avoid paying for insurance and car registration.

The paper tags gave Texas a black eye because they became a crime problem not just in Texas but nationally, turning up on cars involved in crimes in Texas, New York, and beyond. In a 2021 investigation, the FBI found more than a half-million fraudulent paper tags, sold by just three people to buyers across the country.

Bill 718 was initially designed to go into effect in September 2023, then March 2025, but the final bill bumped the deadline back to July 1, 2025. That's thanks to The Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association, who were "concerned" about having an adequate supply of metal plates in such a short time frame. Let's hope they got it together!

The new rules are as follows:

Buying from a Dealer: Consumers purchasing a vehicle from a Texas dealer will receive metal license plates instead of paper temporary tags, driving off the lot with their plates already in place.

Until their registration sticker arrives from their county office, customers must keep their buyer’s plate receipt in the vehicle to be able to verify the purchase and pending registration to law enforcement.

Trading In a Vehicle: When consumers sell or trade in a vehicle with general issue plates, dealers may transfer the plates to another vehicle sold within 10 days, if the plates match the appropriate vehicle type, per Senate Bill 1902, passed by the 89th Legislature this year. (Consumers with specialty license plates will keep their plates.)

Buying/Selling a Vehicle in a Private Sale: The private party sales process remains unchanged: Sellers should remove their license plates and registration sticker from the vehicle when they deliver the vehicle to the buyer. The seller can request to transfer the plates to another vehicle they own—if appropriate for the vehicle type—by visiting their county tax assessor-collector's office.

Sellers should submit a Vehicle Transfer Notification to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days of the sale of the vehicle.

Buyers must submit a title and registration application at their county tax assessor-collector’s office and obtain new plates to register the vehicle in their name within 30 days of purchase.

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