cocktails to-go

Dallas bars and restaurants can now sell pre-mixed cocktails to-go

Get a cocktail to-go.

Photo by Denny Culbert

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has freed the margaritas. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced over the weekend that bars and restaurants may now sell pre-mixed cocktails to-go.

Effectively immediately, these establishments may sell cocktails provided their containers are covered with tape and placed in a plastic bag that's sealed with a zip tie. The waiver applies to any bar or restaurant with "permanent food service capabilities," and any cocktail purchase must be accompanied by at least one food item that's been prepared on-site. Diners who purchase a cocktail to-go may not transport it in the passenger cabin of their vehicles.

Previously, bars and restaurants had been permitted to sell cocktail kits with the liquor in its manufacturer-sealed packaging — not that those restrictions stopped Tex-Mex restaurants statewide from selling frozen margaritas in sealed plastic jugs. Beer and wine must still be sold in their original packaging.

"Operating during this pandemic has proved an incredible challenge for all segments of the alcoholic beverage industry," TABC executive director Bentley Nettles said in a release. "Opening up the ability for these businesses to sell mixed drinks to go will help ease the burden for many of these struggling businesses."

Earning this wavier has been a priority for the Texas Restaurant Association, which hailed the move. Coming just a day after Gov. Abbott reduced restaurants to 50-percent capacity and closed the state's bars, the ability to sell pre-mixed cocktails to-go could be an important source of revenue for businesses that have already been struggling.

“With restaurants employing more than 1.3 million Texans and representing 51 percent of the food dollar, we simply cannot afford to let these critical businesses close for good,” TRA president and CEO Emily Williams Knight said in a statement. “Today’s announcement is an important step forward, giving many hope, and so we’re very grateful to Governor Abbott and our partners in the distilled spirits business for working with us to get restaurants some of the critical relief they need.”

politics cocktails

Steakhouse Opening

Docent Steak brings Kobe beef and samurai art to Dallas' Harwood District

Photos courtesy of Harwood Hospitality

The main dining room at Docent Steak.

The newest restaurant from Harwood Hospitality Group, called Docent Steak, is ready to open its doors near Uptown Dallas. The steakhouse will debut October 1, and reservations will open September 16 via Open Table.

First announced in 2024 and located within the Harwood No. 14 development at 2801 N. Harwood St., Docent Steak will offer several different dining experiences under one roof, according to a release.

The main dining area, which includes access to an expansive wraparound patio, will showcase traditional white-tablecloth, fine-dining. The restaurant's lower level gives way to a more casual, energetic atmosphere boasting TVs, a lively soundtrack, and a relaxed setting for drinks or watching TV.

Private dining spaces will accommodate everything from intimate dinners to events with up to 80 guests.

General manager Rhea Knight, a 10-year veteran of Dallas' restaurant scene, will oversee the opening team and front-of-house operations.

Docent Steak patio The wraparound porch at Docent Steak.Photo courtesy of Harwood Hospitality

“Great restaurants start with great people, and we’re focused on building a team that takes pride in what they do and how they take care of guests,” Knight says in the release. “I want Docent to become a restaurant people return to for the big milestones, but also the regular nights in between.”

Beefy menu
Docent's menu is built around HWD Beef, Harwood’s exclusive premium beef developed with ranchers in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. It follows a zero-waste philosophy that uses the entire Akaushi cattle. Because HWD Beef is exclusive to Harwood restaurants, Docent will serve cuts unavailable elsewhere.

Prime cuts beginning at $72 include filet mignon, New York strip, ribeye, bone-in strip, Chateaubriand, and porterhouse. HWD Texas Wagyu selections include dry-aged New York strip and ribeye, starting at $85.

Docent also is authorized to serve Kobe Beef, which requires being a member of the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association. Its menu features several A5 Wagyu selections from Japan, available by the ounce, along with a rotating Kobe flight featuring five cuts.

Beyond the meat, the menu includes globally influenced dishes such as lump crab cake, Kobe potstickers, steak tartare sliders, tempura lobster, oysters, spicy tuna tartare, and a seafood tower.

Seasonal entrées include Texas bison filet, Elysian Fields rack of lamb, Kan Kan pork chop, Ora King salmon and miso Chilean sea bass. Sides include tallow-fried shoestring fries, whipped potatoes, mac and cheese, lobster mac and cheese, potatoes au gratin, and Brussels sprouts with Japanese whiskey, soy, maple and braised bacon. For dessert, there's baked Alaska, New York cheesecake, flourless chocolate cake, coconut cream pie, and bread pudding.

Knight — who has helped open several Dallas restaurants, including Town Hearth, two Neighborhood Services locations, National Anthem, and Brass Ram — is also a graduate of the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas’ Introductory Sommelier program and will also oversee Docent's beverage and wine program.

The cocktail menu mixes classic and unexpected drinks, ranging from a traditional martini and French 75 to original drinks such as the Strawberry Lychee Martini, Tamarind Buck, and Bread & Butter, made with reposado tequila, grapefruit, and bread-and-butter brine.

Docent Steak Docent's high-energy lower level.Photo courtesy of Harwood Hospitality

The wine list will reflect the restaurant's art. The selection spans celebrated regions, historic vineyards, and emerging producers, boasting bottles from Italy, France, and America. The program also features a range of sake from producers such as Soto, Dewatsuru, Yuki Tora, Negaibito, Shonen, HeavenSake, Kamitaka, Tengu, and Manotsuru.

In addition to its culinary artistry, Docent offers unique art-filled surroundings shaped by the renowned Barbier-Mueller Collection, which has one of the world’s largest and most significant collections of samurai art.

"The two-story restaurant features more than 100 objects woven into the restaurant’s design, including large-scale sculpture, architectural elements, textiles, armor, and historic equestrian objects, with several works dating to the 16th century," says the release. "Horse and cattle imagery, alongside a display of stirrups from around the world, offers a subtle nod to ranching culture. Together, these works create a dramatic setting that invites curiosity and discovery, with unexpected details revealing themselves throughout the space."

Docent Steak will be open Monday through Thursday from 4-10 pm, Friday and Saturday from 5-11 pm, and Sunday from 5-10 pm.

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