Getaway Grub

Escape to Tulum for lunch and happy hour without ever leaving Dallas

Over the past few years, the coastal Mexican city of Tulum has become the vacation hot spot — even Dallas restauranteur Mike Karns and his wife Valerie have named it their favorite getaway.

So the coupled decided to bring the area's laidback, bohemian vibe to Dallas in the form of fresh fare and creative cocktails. Tulum recently opened in The Shops of Highland Park, and now in addition to dinner it's serving lunch from 11 am-3 pm, Monday through Friday.

Here's a glimpse at the Tulum experience:

1. Take a long lunch. You'll want to carve out some time to enjoy chef Nico Sanchez's especial lunch menu, which starts with roasted elote and guacamole and progresses to a taquito salad and then short rib enchiladas.

The cuisine isn't strictly Mexican, though — you'll also find tagliatelle, hand-cut Kennebec potato fries, and Caesar salad on the menu.

2. Escape to the bar. Whether you want to stretch a late lunch into the evening, or need a happy hour stat, Tulum's gorgeous bar is waiting. Framed by banana leaf-print wallpaper and crowned with ethereal white light fixtures, it's the perfect spot to go when you want to pretend you're on vacation.

Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3-7 pm, and during it you can get select cocktails and wine for $7 and bottled beer for $5. The Galgo is a refreshing mix of vodka, grapefruit and lime juices, rosemary, and ginger beer, while the Spritz is Tulum's take on Aperol's most famous cocktail: Torrontés blend, Aperol, and a splash of soda water. Tequila also features heavily, with a house margarita and Ranch Water (silver tequila on the rocks with soda water).

3. Nibble the night away. Shareable plates are also $7 during happy hour, so you can try a variety of flavors without committing to one huge dish. Charred Spanish octopus served with achiote, bitter orange, al pastor pineapple, a red fresno salsa drizzle, and roasted jalapeños is one great starter, or beef tenderloin tartare made up of diced raw filet mignon with shallots, serrano, Maldon sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil served with yuca chips. Upon request, all menu items can be customized to fit any dietary restrictions.

Tulum is located at 4216 Oak Lawn Ave. For more information or to make a reservation, call 972-677-9747 or visit www.thetulumexperience.com.

Tulum is now serving lunch.

Photo courtesy of Tulum

Tulum is now serving lunch.

promoted lunch cocktails happy-hours drinks dinner

Where to Drink

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 new happy hours for February

Even Coast

The Frozen John D at Even Coast.

The February edition of Where to Drink, CultureMap's monthly column on restaurants and bars you can get a drink at, travels far and wide to find the best and most exotic happy hours around: From sushi deals in downtown Dallas to $5 margaritas in Collin County to Indian bar bites in Irving.

(If you're in a more date-night frame of mind, be sure to consult our list of places where you can share a sweet Valentine's Day meal.)

Here are five happy hours to try in February:

Cafe Gecko
Laid-back perennial favorite in Richardson has just unveiled a brand new happy hour menu featuring their delectable versions of classic bar food treats including pizza fries, pretzel bites, chicharrones, onion rings, and fried pickles, priced from $5-$7, plus $1 off everything in the bar. It's served Monday all day, and Tuesday-Friday from 3-7 pm.

Dozo Omakase
Omakase sushi restaurant which opened a year ago at Trinity Groves with a compact menu that includes the trendy multi-course omakase style of dining, available in small or large versions. They do a cool approach to happy hour by introducing a new menu nearly every month. For February, it includes items from the sushi bar and the kitchen including half-price nigiri, sushi hand rolls for $8, gyoza for $6, crispy rice tuna for $10, and miso soup for a bargain $2.50. Cocktails include sake for $9 and a Kyoto highball cocktail for $11.

Even Coast
Neighborhood restaurant from chef Omar Flores opened on the Addison-Dallas line in 2024 with seafood, pastas, and steaks — and now happy hour. It's a good one, served from 2-6 pm every day with its own menu of $3 oysters, $10 cheeseburgers, and salmon dip. House cocktails are $9, including a rotating flavor frozen drink; a pint of beer is $6, and wine by the glass is $9. The only restriction is where: On Friday-Saturday, it's available only at the bar; Sunday-Thursday, it's also available in the dining room and on the patio.

Neon Cactus
Congenial Mexican restaurant in Fairview has a happy hour with deals that surely seem worth driving for: They run Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm and include margaritas for $5, domestic beers for $4, wine by the glass for $5, and well drinks for $4. They also have daily food specials that run all day, such as queso blanco and chicken tinga flautas, $10 each on Thursdays, and taco plates with rice and beans, $10 to $12 on Tuesdays.

Nirvana
Sultry Indian lounge at Toyota Music Factory with DJ, dance floor, and rooftop patio has what may be the worst website in the world — but buried beneath the PTSD flash graphics and music is a worthy happy hour, served from 4-7 pm featuring $2 off all cocktails, including the Hunan Heatwave with tequila and tandoori pineapple, and the Beijing Berry mocktail with mixed berries and ginger ale. Plus Indian-themed bar snacks such as "drums of heaven" AKA chicken lollipops; street-style chow mein, and crispy chili corn.

cocktails where to drink