New and Now

5 things to know about Toyota Music Factory's newest restaurant

Sushi should be for everyone — or at least that's what Kabuki Restaurant believes. The newest eatery at Toyota Music Factory in Irving has a diverse menu that showcases traditional and innovative Japanese cuisine and is one more place you can plan to visit whether you're taking in a concert or just looking for a fun time out.

Here are five more things to know about Toyota Music Factory's latest addition:

1. The kids menu is award-winning
Restaurant Hospitality magazine showered Kabuki's kids menu with accolades, and one glance makes it easy to see why. Along with kid-friendly choices like beef teriyaki and chicken sesame, there are slightly more adventurous items like a sushi combo and beef yaki soba. Each meal is served with rice, salad, and a drink.

2. Vegetarian and gluten-free diets get their own menu
Have specific dietary needs? Kabuki is ready for you. Everything from small plates and salads to sushi and signature dishes can be tweaked to accommodate, and it's certainly a lot more welcoming than a single option or requesting a lot of customization.

3. Kabuki has been around for 27 years and boasts 17 locations
Sushi connoisseurs and novices alike have been eating up Kabuki's Japanese cuisine for nearly three decades. What started in California has since expanded to restaurants in Arizona, Nevada, and now Texas, making the Toyota Music Factory location the 17th in the empire.

4. All-day Sapporo happy hour
For the month of October, Kabuki has partnered with Sapporo to bring to Texas its most popular and awaited annual promotion: all-day happy hour Sapporo on draft. Refreshing Sapporo draft beer mugs are $4.50, and pitchers are only $21.50. If you're wondering what pairs best with Sapporo's crisp taste, try ordering up spicy dishes like the restaurant's most popular happy hour small plate, the Fire Cracker (spicy tuna mix, tomatoes, red onion, and wonton chips), or the Spicy Lava Roll.

5. Traditional happy hour
Expect great deals even when it's not October. Traditional happy hour at Kabuki runs Monday through Friday from 3-6 pm, with Late Nite happy hour giving night owls something to look forward to, Monday through Thursday from 9 pm-close and Sundays from 8 pm-close. During happy hour, enjoy $6.50 house-made sake sangrias and sushi starting at only $3.95.

The Albacore Crunch roll.

Photo courtesy of Toyota Music Factory

The Albacore Crunch roll.

Bottoms Up

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 diverse happy hours for October

Columbian Country Club/Facebook

Columbian Country Club is rolling out a new Tuesday-Thursday happy hour.

The busy — and expensive — holiday season is just around the corner, so do your finances a favor now and seek out a new favorite happy hour (or two).

This edition of Where to Drink, our monthly roundup of the best bar specials, spotlights five Dallas-area restaurants and bars that encompass a wide range of experiences, but with all of them serving drinks and deals worth toasting.

Here’s where to drink in Dallas this month:

Columbian Country Club
Premier cocktail lounge on Ross Avenue is now making weeknights even more appealing with a new happy hour, Tuesday-Thursday from 5-7:30 pm. Sip $11 signature cocktails like the Serpiente (Tentador Blanco, pineapple, and St. Germain) or the El Guapo with aromatic bitters and Licor 43. Food steals include half-off sushi rolls, $7 caviar bumps, $12 karaage chicken bites, and crispy rice topped with spicy tuna or salmon for $14, or a trio for $22.

The Fifth
Local favorite in Richardson's Canyon Creek neighborhood known for homey dishes like short ribs and shrimp & grits offers a happy hour Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm and Sunday from 3-10 pm — on the patio and bar only — with $8 cocktails and a half dozen bites such as zucchini fries or chips & guac for $4, and Wagyu sliders for $10. Wednesdays are the night for wine lovers: They offer half-off bottles under $69, a deal that covers most of the wine list.

Hooky Entertainment Addison
Restaurant/arcade/movie theater/bowling alley in Addison has a new “Hooky Hour” that makes a strong case for leaving the office early. Running Monday-Thursday from 4-7 pm, it includes half-off draft beers, margaritas, and cocktails like the Day Tripper (Tito’s Vodka, peach, vermouth blanc, lime, yuzu soda) and Off the Clockwork (Arette Tequila Reposado, blood orange, ginger, lime). Snack on discounted shareables — pretzels & queso, elote fritters, and loaded waffle fries — between rounds of duckpin bowling or a movie in one of Hooky’s eight premium cinemas. Bonus: On Tuesdays you can see a movie for only $5.

P.F. Chang's
The national chain is making premium cocktails more affordable with its new $8.99 Cocktail Collection. Think bold, citrus-forward flavors and seasonal specials like the Blood Orange Margarita and Peartini, rotating quarterly to spotlight fresh ingredients. Pair with approachable prices on house wines for a reliably solid chain happy hour. Eight DFW locations — including NorthPark Center, Allen, and The Colony — make it easy to find one near you.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
The swanky hotel is keeping things stylish but chill with happy hour at its newly renovated outdoor bar and lounge, Live Oak Patio. On Monday, Thursday, and Friday (the bar is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays) from 5-7 pm, enjoy half-off all signature and well cocktails plus half-off the bar menu. Important note: This deal is exclusive to Live Oak Patio, not Rattlesnake Bar.

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