Where To Drink Now

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 6 best bars for something new

The Stirred Last Word is one of Remedy's new cocktails.

Photo courtesy of Remedy

Where to drink? It's an important question. And we have an answer — or six answers, to be precise. Newness is the theme this month: These restaurants and bars have either just opened or just rolled out a new special or bar program.

Gather your drinking buddies:

Filament
Matt McCallister's Deep Ellum hub is already garnering national attention, as it's one of the reasons Zagat named Dallas a foodie city for 2016. But let's not overlook beverage director Seth Brammer's cocktails, which are conveniently included on the restaurant's new happy hour. All cocktails priced $10 and under are only a fiver between 4:30 and 6 pm, Monday through Friday. Of course, whiskey and bourbon are the focus, so try out the Whiskey Smash (bourbon, mint, demerara sugar, and lemon), and maybe order some small plates and classic dishes (fried "hot" catfish, anyone?), which are also conveniently half off.

Ida Claire
The term "ladies night" usually conjures up less-than-savory images of discotheques or aggressive sports bars, but not at Ida Claire. The Pinterest explosion in Addison doesn't rely only on its shabby-chic birdcages and mismatched china to draw in the women. Every Wednesday from 4 pm until close, the gals get half-price bottles of rosé.

Proof + Pantry
A new spring beverage menu brings with it kaffir lime leaf-infused gin, hibiscus syrup, cold-brew coffee, and lots of Top Chico. Courtesy of master barman Michael Martensen and bar manager Josh McEachern, these cocktails — still separated into No Proof, Low Proof, and High Proof — give plenty of options for tasty new libations. During happy hour — Monday-Friday happy, 4 to 7 pm — take $2 off all specialty cocktails, or choose from a trio of classic cocktails priced at $5.

Quill
This Dallas Design District lounge is so new, so modern, and so expensive that you might be wondering why it's on this list. There's bottle service, for goodness' sake, and glasses of champagne begin at $100. But there is also a hefty handful of beers — local, imported, and domestic — that range from $5 to $7. If you're dying to get in and experience this new joint without hitting your credit card limit, this is how.

Remedy
The Lower Greenville spot is overhauling its beverage menu, and you can taste the new sips for less during the weekday happy hour. For a while now, Remedy has offered $5 highball cocktails and $2 housemade sodas (along with that delicious cheeseburger for only $6.50) from 3-6 pm, Monday through Friday. Now we have updated cocktails, grouped into the three categories — rich/velvet, bright/sharp, and fizzy/bubbly — to try. Beverage director Mate Hartai is also playing with things like housemade coconut cream, and cashew/orange and pistachio/pumpkin seed orgeats, to add depth to Tiki classics. There also is a collection of made-to-order punches focusing on port, sherry, and other fortified wines.

Top Knot
The younger, hipper sibling to Uchi is offering a pretty sweet happy hour. Head upstairs between 4:30 and 6:30 pm daily, and you get your choice of five drinks and five plates for just $5 each. Not great if you're looking for lots of choices, but just perfect if you want to sample Shirakabe Gura sake or the mysterious Top Knot punch with your crispy pork bun.

happy-hours cocktails

Mex-Mex News

Upscale Mexican restaurant Jako Cocina to open in Uptown Dallas

jako

A polished Mexican restaurant is expanding to Uptown Dallas: Jākö Cocina Y Agave, which first arrived on the DFW scene in 2024, will open at 3301 McKinney Ave. #200, in the high-profile space previously occupied by the Quarter Bar, now closed.

This will be a second Jākö, following the original at The Grandscape in The Colony. According to co-founder Adafel Acosta, they'll open Uptown in mid-November.

"We're excited to debut a new Jākö Cocina Y Agave in such a dynamic location," Acosta says. "We always had the intention of expanding and are looking forward to sharing our unforgettable food and drink with diners in Dallas."

The unforgettable food and drink features authentic Mexican flavors with a South American twist by executive chef José Caballero, a native of Venezuela who previously worked at Michelin-starred restaurants. The menu combines familiar dishes such as birria and enchiladas with a modern take on Mexican gastronomy.

Ceviches are a big theme, such as their Ceviche Mixto, with whitefish and shrimp in a "leche de tigre" citrus marinade. There are upscale starters such as beef-stuffed empanadas, or croquettes with Iberian ham; tacos filled with barbacoa, fried snapper, and pollo al carbon; and the masterpiece picanha a la parilla — Allen Bros. Prime beef with truffle cilantro potatoes.

"Even though we describe the menu as 'elevated Mexican cuisine,' we have a pronounced Caribbean influence," Acosta says.

Cocktails feature a striking visual presentation, with an emphasis on tequila and mezcal, including margaritas in many varieties.

"The Uptown location will keep to the core of what we've done at The Colony that has worked out so well," Acosta says. "The major difference will be that the McKinney Avenue space is smaller, at about 3,200 square feet, so we will not have the division between lounge and restaurant we've had at The Colony. Instead, it will be a 100-percent restaurant environment."

There is one thing Uptown will have that The Colony does not: a patio.

"The space comes with a courtyard, and we are thrilled to have an amenity like that in Uptown," Acosta says.

The Quarter Bar was not in great shape (it supposedly was closing temporarily in January for a remodel which apparently never took place), and Acosta and company have been entrenched in renovation, infusing the space with Jākö's Caribbean-style vibe, evoking the resort town of Tulum. One note: For now, they are taking only the ground floor of the two-story structure; the disposition of the second floor space is still TBD.

One other new feature will be hours: Unlike The Colony, which is open for dinner and brunch only, Jākö in Uptown will serve lunch.

Prior to launching Jākö, Acosta worked for 25 years in the hospitality industry, mostly in hotels such as Virgin. He was part of the group that founded 3ntourage Hospitality, which has a revolving cast of players who've launched multiple concepts around Dallas over the years.

"Thankfully, Jākö has been successful," Acosta says. "This was a beautiful concept put together between two friends, with a goal that everyone else would love the concept, too."

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