April is income tax month and for many of us, that means it's belt-tightening time. If there's any month of the year that you need a happy hour, April is it. For this edition of CultureMap's monthly Where to Drink column, we've left no stone unturned in our dogged search for five worthy happy hours, from northwest Dallas to the Design District and all the way to Celina.
Here's where to drink for April:
Chefika
Turkish restaurant from industry veteran Serdar "Sam" Sensel (Istanbul Grill) located at Preston Hollow Village serves classics like pide (a Turkish flatbread), lamb shank, and a hanger steak kebab. There's also an in-house cake shop with sweets such as cheesecake and magnolia custard. They do a weekday happy hour on Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm, where they take $2 off entrees, but the best deals are on the drinks: wines by the glass for $8, beer for $5, and cocktails for $11-$12.
Claremont Neighborhood Grill
Neighborhood restaurant in Midway Hollow from Katz Bros. Hospitality (Beverley’s, Clifton Club, Green Point Seafood), known for its very Dallas menu of deviled eggs, pimento cheese, brisket sliders, tortilla soup, and Caesar salad, has a very attractive happy hour on Monday-Friday from 4-6 pm that features $10 margaritas (either frozen or on the rocks!!); $10 classic, cosmo, lemon drop, or gimlet martinis; and $10 wine by the glass. Snacks include a dip duo with white queso, black bean dip, and tortilla chips for $10 and a quarter-pounder cheeseburger with onions, pickles, and American cheese, plus fries for $12.
Heyday Celina
Buzzy restaurant specializing in craft cocktails, eclectic American food, and good vibes has been the toast of Celina ever since it opened in the downtown square in 2024. For discount-seeking sippers, they offer three great deals: Wine Down Wednesday with half-priced wine, both by the bottle and glass, all day. Mondays, it's martinis for $10 featuring Townes vodka from Texas. Last but surely not least is their weekday happy hour, extending from 2-6 pm with half-price appetizers such as calamari, arancini, tuna crudo, and their irresistible "zoodle" zucchini fries with ranch — plus $2-off on beers and classic cocktails.
Jo’Seon Wagyu Omakase
The specialty at this recently-opened omakase restaurant in the Design District is an unusual 12-course Wagyu-themed omakase fusing Japanese A5 Wagyu with Korean culinary techniques. But they also offer an a la carte menu from 10:30 am-5 pm with Korean-inspired small bites and mains, including an A5 Wagyu burger and traditional Galbijjim (braised short ribs). If you order from 2-5 pm, you get $5 off food and discounts on drinks including house wine for $7 and cocktails for $10-$11.
Torchy’s Tacos
Taqueria concept from Austin hosts a chain-wide weekday "Hooky Hour" from 2-5 pm with a serious deal: half-price beer and house margaritas. And right now, you can also sample their new menu category: nachos. Available for a limited time this spring, the nachos layer tortilla chips topped with Torchy's signature green chile queso, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream, with optional additions like fajita chicken, steak, pork, or brisket. The nacho plate is regularly $11, but during happy hour, they offer a smaller mini-version priced at $7.
