Where to Drink Now

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 bars for on-trend sangria

It feels like this summer might as well be nicknamed "sangria season," given how the wine cocktail is popping up on menus all over town.

Fruity, refreshing, and still able to get the job done, sangria is the stealth cocktail, a drink that brings with it a booze-soaked fruit snack to be enjoyed once the glass has been drained.

These fives places might not be what you immediately think of when you want a glass of sangria, but give them a chance this summer, and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Cedar Grove
The old Dish Cedar Springs location has been reimagined as an indoor forest, and mixologist Trevor Landry's cocktails play on that theme. There are also plenty of sharable drinks for the gang, like a pitcher of Grove sangria, which serves four to six people. Three Olives flavored vodka, seasonal wine, club soda, and Sprite makes for a refreshing stop when you're cruising Cedar Springs.

Mi Cocina
Isn't it sacrilege to go to MiCo and not get a Mambo Taxi? Hear us out. The Mexican restaurant does a tequila twist on sangria, with Milagro Silver tequila, red wine, agave nectar, and a blend of fruit juices. But the coolest part just might be the custom-designed glassware the drinks are served in, created by painter Luis Sottil, whose works are on display inside the restaurants.

Gordon Biersch
The food menu at this brewery can be a little overwhelming, but if you stick to the small plates and pair them with a cocktail, then it's easier to focus in on the flavors. Made with sweet red wine, the sangria here is a great alternative to a heavy beer.

Spin Neapolitan Pizza
A selection of summery sangrias fill out the seasonal menu at this pizza joint, including "summerberry," pineapple peach basil, watermelon mint, and blood orange. Each is served with a frozen fruitsicle, and there are the regular red and white varieties as well.

Dallas Grilled Cheese Co.
Though mainly known for its craft beer selection, this Bishop Arts paean to cheesy goodness also has a thing for sangria. There are three different kinds, in fact: white, red, and sweet tea. The first mixes white wine, brandy, triple sec, peach schnapps, St. Germain, orange juice, a splash of lime juice, a splash of Sprite, and fresh fruit. The red has a strawberry theme, with Skyy strawberry vodka, simple syrup, sweet red wine, and fresh-sliced strawberry. And because this is the South, there's also a mixture of sweet tea, white wine, and a "drunken berry garnish."

Mi Cocina's sangria is served in pretty painted glasses.

Photo courtesy of Mi Cocina

Mi Cocina's sangria is served in pretty painted glasses.

cocktails drinks wine

Matcha News

Calif bakery-cafe with creative drinks and snacks makes Dallas debut

Smoking Tiger

Garlic cheese bread and matcha latte from Smoking Tiger

A buzzy coffee shop and cafe from Southern California has made its Texas debut: Called Smoking Tiger, it opened in June in Carrollton, at The Great Oasis plaza at 2225 Old Denton Rd. #100, where it's serving Korean pastries, breads, coffee, and beverages.

Adored by Korean-Americans and possibly everyone on Instagram, the cafe is part of a chain founded in 2020 in Buena Vista, California, that encompasses both coffee shops as well as bakeries. The Carrollton location — full name "The Smoking Tiger Bread Factory" — is one of their most expansive, offering coffee, pastries, breads, and sandwiches.

Carrollton will be the first in the DFW area, but a spokesperson says it won't be the only, although they do not have specifics on other locations or timetable for opening.

Drinks
Their beverage menu is notably rich and creative, leading with the Tiger Latte, their signature brown sugar latte with caramel and frothed oat milk. The Smokin Spaniard is a twist on latte combining espresso, condensed milk, hazelnut, and cinnamon.

Other options summon favorite Korean flavors such as

banana milk latte
honey bori latte with barley milk and salted honey cold foam
sweet corn latte, with sweet corn milk and corn cold foam
chai latte
misugaru — a roasted rice latte served slightly sweetened over choice of milk

… plus matcha lattes including strawberry matcha latte; jeju matcha latte sweetened with maple syrup; hojicha latte, featuring jeju green tea — a green tea grown in South Korea — sweetened with vanilla.

Latte prices average about $6.50.

Other irresistible-sounding drinks include the Pineapple Express, featuring jasmine tea and pineapple concentrate, shaken with ice for a smooth texture; and "YSL" — Yuzu Sparkling Lemonade, featuring yuzu syrup, sparkling water, and lemon.

Garlic cheese bread at Smoking TigerSmoking Tiger

Food
Food options are equally as creative, led by three signature goodies:

Cream Cheese Garlic Bread — a large round roll with a heavy dose of garlic and cream cheese baked inside
Original Salt Bread — sort of like a cross between a roll and an everything bagel
Kimchi Musubi Croissant, featuring a croissant filled with a slice of Spam and kim chi, with a sheet of seaweed baked onto the top of the croissant

Plus "sconkies" — a cross between a scone and a cookie — in flavors such as Oreo or lemon earl grey. For Texas only, they also introduced a special menu of breakfast sandwiches such as a slider with scrambled egg, cheese, and habanero aioli on grilled King's Hawaiian rolls.

According to marketing director Andy Lee, part of its appeal is the way it channels similar cafes in South Korea offering both bread and coffee.

"We wanted to essentially create a space where people could experience modern Korean culture in a very authentic and approachable way," Lee told The Dallas Morning News.

That extends to the decor: They've outfitted the Carrollton location with vertical mahogany wood panels, often seen in cafes in South Korea and traditional Korean houses called hanoks.

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