Drinking Diaries

A love letter to Time Out Tavern and its impossible-to-duplicate charm

I like to think that everyone has that one bar he holds in far higher esteem than it deserves. It’s the kind of place you take out-of-town friends for beers, and the whole time they’re wondering if this is the kind of place you go on a nightly basis, and if they should be worried about an impending downward spiral.

But they don’t know. Even if you were to explain to them all the stories and memories you’ve accumulated, it wouldn’t help your cause. They weren’t there, so they can’t possibly get it.

Or maybe your out-of-town friends know how to have a good time and they embrace going to Time Out Tavern as much as I do.

I hold the Tot dear the way one thinks about his first love, because Time Out Tavern was my first real bar.

Let’s get it out of the way: The Tot is nothing special. It’s a small, windowless bar on Lovers Lane just west of Inwood Road. You can get Miller Lite, PBR, Budweiser and liquor, and that’s about it.

But I hold the Tot dear the way one thinks about his first love, because Time Out Tavern was my first real bar. Sure, I’d been to other watering holes, but it was the first place where I really understood the potential of a bar beyond just putting alcohol in my belly.

It was where I spent my college breaks with my friends, sneaking in with our fake IDs, splitting pitchers, playing pool and talking. It was less about the experience of “going out” and more about being in a place with the people that you wanted to be with. It didn’t hurt that they let us bring in Campisi’s.

Each trip to the Tot was always different. Some nights it was packed with college students killing time between semesters; sometimes it was a bachelorette party getting their night started or a group of 50-year-olds setting the pace for the rest of us.

And sometimes it was just two guys sitting at the bar by themselves, drinking for who knows what. Or as it went on one Wednesday night, between a fortysomething patron and the bartender: Guy: “Long time, no see.” Bartender looks up: “Yeah, Sunday right?” And then deliciously awkward silence as my group pretended not to hear.

My buddy tried to buy a pitcher with quarters that night, and that was the closest I’ve ever gotten to being kicked out — though probably not the most deserving.

The Tot has shuffleboard and a pool table. And, if you’re lucky, a guy will come by selling brisket tacos, which you should buy — all of them, if you can. There’s a jukebox in the corner, and although theoretically you could play anything you want, the Tot really demands a steady diet of Outlaw Country.

Of course, it was also the place where a friend was introduced to the greatest wedding song nobody has ever played at a wedding: Marvin Sease’s 10-minute masterpiece “Candy Licker.” (That song is super NSFW without headphones.)

Unofficial traditions like watching the BCS National Championship and hustling cougars in pool make going back feel as comfortable as going home.

I don’t go as often as I used to, but if I were gone from Dallas for a year, the Time Out Tavern would be the first bar I hit when I got back. It's not too much to say that the Tot formed my opinion about what a bar should be, and it's why I prefer places that foster a relaxed, time-wasting kind of vibe as opposed to cramped, too-loud spots devoted to emptying your wallet.

The Tot might not be your flavor, but you’ve probably got a bar that holds the soft spot in your drinking heart. She might not be the prettiest or the richest, but man, does she know what you like.

The Tot might not be much to look at, but we love it just the same.

Photo by Monica S.

The Tot might not be much to look at, but we love it just the same.

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Holiday Dining

These Dallas restaurants are open for dining on Christmas Day 2024

STK

STK Steakhouse

Dallas restaurants are almost always ready to serve — with one exception: Christmas Day. Most restaurants close, whether it's because of fewer customers or just to give their employees the day off.

But there are still the brave, the few, who persevere with hospitality and lavish spreads — and those generally get rewarded with mobs of diners grateful for a place to grab a bite.

That is what this list is about: Dallas restaurants that are open on Christmas day. (This list does not include Christmas Eve or Christmas to-go.)

Here's what's open in Dallas on Christmas Day:

Bacchus Kitchen and Bar. Grapevine restaurant is offering a four-course Christmas Day feast featuring frisèe & arugula salad, leek & potato cream soup, Prime rib roast, truffle mash, Brussels sprouts, and chocolate marquis paired with layers of chocolate ganache. $95. 5-9:30 pm. 817-251-3040.

Bar Louie. Four-course dinner for two features one bar bite to share, choice of soup or salad, entrée, and one dessert to share. Options include citrus grilled salmon, parmesan crusted chicken, and cinnamon donut holes. $75-$85 at select locations. 3-10 pm. Park Lane 469-638-8050, Las Colinas 469-472-1050.

The Crescent Club. Hotel Crescent Court restaurant will host Christmas brunch featuring holiday specials and desserts. $150, or $60 for 11 and under. 10:30 am - 3 pm. 214-871-3200.

Cut & Bourbon. Live! by Loews Arlington restaurant is hosting Christmas brunch and dinner with specials like Beef Wellington, and a traditional dinner menu of king crab legs, New York strip, and salmon. Prices are a la carte. Brunch is 9 am-2 pm, dinner 5 pm-10 pm. 682-277-4950.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle. Christmas feast features 38-ounce bone-in New York strip King cut and side of sweet potato casserole for an additional $19. $195. Dinner 2-8 pm. Dallas 972-490-9000, Plano 972-312-9115.

Salmon at Bar LouieCourtesy photo

Del Frisco's Grille. Holiday feature filet mignon and lobster tail, apple cranberry cobbler, and red velvet cheesecake. 12-8 pm. Plano 469-661-8012.

Dolce Riviera. Brunch buffet includes omelet bar, bruschetta bar, carving station, and dessert station. $95, or $35 for 12 and under. All reservations require a $50 deposit. 10 am-4 pm. Harwood District 469-458-6623.

Ebb & Flow. Open with the regular menu featuring toasted ravioli, Cubano egg rolls, salmon piccata, and a brown sugar soy-glazed porterhouse pork chop with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. 3 pm-2 am. Available at both Dallas 972-913-2322 and Plano 972-483-2266.

Ellie's Dallas. Three-course prix fixe menu for dinner features winter greens salad, gnocchi, slow-cooked beef picanha, sea bass, and buche de noel sponge cake, plus a la carte selections and festive cocktails. $95. 972-629-0924.

Farena. Loews Arlington Hotel restaurant is offering an Italian Continental breakfast buffet featuring baked pastries, seasonal fruits, and traditional breakfast dishes. The traditional dinner menu includes a classic Margherita pizza, veal milanese, prime 10-ounce filet mignon, and Executive Chef Tony France's Christmas special, herb crusted osso buco. $35 breakfast buffet; a la carte dinner pricing. Breakfast buffet 7 am - 12 pm, dinner 5-10 pm. 682-318-2810.

Fearing's. Christmas brunch features seafood raw bar, kale & spinach sesame salad, fruit & berries, bagels & spreads, smoked salmon, and meat carving stations. $185. 214-922-4848. 11 am-2:30 pm.

Hall Park Hotel. Newly opened Frisco hotel wll offer a grand buffet in the seventh-floor ballroom with a hot cocoa bar, carving station, desserts, juice and coffee, and dedicated kids' buffet station. $99, or $27 for 12 and under. Buy tickets here. 11 am–3 pm. 469-922-2442.

Harwood Arms. Pub will be open on Christmas Day and feature a traditional roast. $30-$50. 11 am-2 pm. Harwood District 214-273-5151.

Knife Italian. Ritz Carlton-Las Colinas restaurant is offering a pre-fixe menu featuring cream of wild mushroom soup, winter salad, Dr Pepper glazed ham, and 60-day dry age 14-ounce ribeye of beef. $159. Lunch 12-10 pm. 972-717-2420.

Kona Grill. Special menu includes roasted turkey, baked glazed ham, prime rib, and pumpkin pie. Holiday cocktails will also be available for $16 each. 11:30 am-11 pm. Dallas 214-369-7600, Plano 214-945-2500.

Monarch. Holiday specials include pork belly porchetta with creamy fennel salad, chestnut agnolotti with parmesan, brandied chestnuts, and Meyer lemon, and The Grinch, a chocolate cake with strawberry filling and chocolate ganache. Plus a custom Monarch crystal ornament as a festive keepsake. Prices are a la carte from $28-$45. 4-9 pm. 214-945-2222.

Montage. JW Marriott Dallas Arts District hotel restaurant is hosting holiday brunch including a seafood tower, charcuterie board, omelet station, chilaquiles station, and carving stations featuring bone-in prime rib and roasted pork loin. $75. 10:30 am-2 pm. 214-736-7760.

NDA Brasserie. Harwood District spot will serve a three-course brunch with a champagne activation and custom mimosa bar. $75, or $40 for 12 and under. All reservations require a $50 deposit. 10 am-3 pm. 945-910-4671.

Pyramid. Fairmont Hotel restaurant is hosting Christmas brunch featuring made-to-order omelets, Viennoiseries, avocado toast, lobster roll, smash burger, braised short rib, and smoked prime rib. Prices a la carte. 10 am-3 pm. 214-720-2020.

Ryder Grille. Frisco restaurant has holiday specials including Prime Rib with rosemary fingerling potatoes, pork belly, creamed spinach served in cast iron, glazed carrots, creamy horseradish and au jus for $48; and lamb chops with polenta, glazed carrots, roasted cippolini, and lamb jus for $44. Texas Pecan Pie with Bourbon whipped cream will be available for dessert. 7 am-9 pm. 469-888-5850.

Sanjh Restaurant & Bar. Elevated Indian restaurant has a Christmas buffet featuring Mulligatawny soup, paneer shashlik tikka, chicken haryali tikka, and ajwaini fish tikka. Plus live stations with made-to-order dosas served with sambar and chutney, omelet station, and a roasted counter with turkey and assorted breads. Desserts include plum cake, stollen, and a chocolate and candy station. $65, or $32.50 for 12 and under. 11 am-3 pm. 972-239-1800.

SER Steak + Spirits. Holiday specials include $18 roasted chestnut mushroom soup, market price Texas Wagyu Chateaubriand, and an "Underneath the Tree" dessert with ginger sable, peppermint mocha gateau, rompope, and praline bonbon. 5-10 pm. 214-761-7479.

Stillwell’s. Hotel Swexan’s steakhouse will offer a Christmas dinner including a la carte dishes and classic Beef Wellington. $95. 469-405-1911.

STK Steakhouse. Uptown steakhouse is open for Christmas Day with Wagyu, prime rib, holiday cocktails and the Holiday Features menu, with premium Wagyu cuts and caviar. Prices are a la carte. 11 am-10 pm. 972-842-9450.

Sushi Marquee. Frisco sushi restaurant will be open Christmas Day serving regular menu, including sushi, rolls, and ramen. 3 pm-2 am. 972-833-1608.

TK's Addison. Comedy club will do a three-course dinner with choics from lobster bisque or Caesar salad, filet mignon with crusted potato croquet and bernaise sauce, butternut squash ravioli with brown butter sage sauce, or Bay of Funday salmon with garlic whipped mashed potatoes & roasted red-pepper sauce. Third course features creme brulee or bananas Foster bread pudding with boozy caramel sauce. $75. 5-9 pm. 945-800-7668.

lists holidays

Drinking Diaries

A love letter to Time Out Tavern and its impossible-to-duplicate charm

The Tot might not be much to look at, but we love it just the same.

Holiday Dining

These Dallas restaurants are open for dining on Christmas Day 2024

Where to drink in Dallas: 7 holiday drink specials for December

Donatos Pizza totes its unique crust to new location in Flower Mound

New Dallas restaurant Le Bistrot Bar Sardine is truly authentic French