Where to Drink

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 bars with new happy hours for July

The time for cocktails is now.

Courtesy photo

With the 4th of July holiday here, and heat for days, the need is great for a refreshing cocktail, and finding one at happy hour prices is the cherry on the sundae. These bars are here to help with valuable cost savings on your cocktails and snacks.

Here are five happy hours for July:

Electric Shuffle
Shuffleboard spot in Deep Ellum has a newly launched happy hour featuring $7 cocktails including Spicy Lucy with jalapeno-infused tequila, cucumber, agave, lime, orange liqueur, and tajin; the Bold Fashioned bourbon with rosemary-infused demerara syrup and bitters; and the Espresso Martini with vanilla-infused vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and salted caramel. They've also added two new cocktails: a Frozen Watermelon Margarita with Watermelon and lime, and a Frozen Aperol Spritz with Aperol, Sparkling Rosé, and Soda. Hours: Monday-Friday 3-6 pm.

Fuel City
If "cheap drinks" are your driver, you can't beat the offer at this location of Fuel City, the locally-famous chain of mega gas stations outfitted with in-house taquerias, whose location at 10025 Harry Hines Blvd. (and that location only) is featuring what they are calling frozen daiquiris, but which consist of frozen mangonadas, featuring mango sorbet with tajín and chamoy, spiked with alcohol. What kind of alcohol, they do not say, but at a price of only $1, it seems in poor form to even ask. Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays all day.

La Stella Cucina Verace
Italian restaurant in Dallas' Arts District has launched a special patio-friendly weekday happy hour starring Starlino Rosé, an aperitivo that hails from Turin featuring citrus flavors such as Italian pink grapefruit, lemon, and orange with botanicals such as elderflower, Italian strawberries, raspberries, and coriander. There's a Starlino Spritz, plus bellinis in three flavors: mango, passion fruit, and white peach, as well as red and white wine, all $10. A small menu includes foccaccia bites, salumi & fromaggio, and frittura mista. Hours: Tuesday-Friday 5-7 pm in the bar, and 5-10 pm on the patio.

Taco Cabana
Any dedicated happy hour/cheap drink disciple is already more than familiar with Taco Cabana, home of the budget-priced frozen margarita, with their classic flavors being Lime, Strawberry, Mango, Mangonada, and Strawberry/Mango. It's not just that they're cheap — it's also that the texture of their frozen mix is irresistibly smooth and slushy. For July, there are two special quintessentially-summer flavors: Cherry and Watermelon, available at all Texas locations for $4 through July 31. Hours: 6 am-9 pm daily.

Tommy Bahama Restaurant
Restaurant at Legacy West in Plano is hosting the "Summer of Gin" through the end of July, with a special menu of gin cocktails, including the Tommy G & T made with Tommy Bahama Island Gin; Strawberry Fields of Summer with gin, lemon, soda, strawberries & basil; Ambrosia Fizz with Hendricks Orbium, St Germain, Prosecco, and Aperol; and Hendrick's Tea with Hendrick’s Gin, strawberry puree, lime juice, black tea syrup, and ginger beer. They also host happy hour every day. Hours: 2-5 pm daily.

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Bar News

Rodeo Dallas bar takes party to Uptown Dallas at new location

Rodeo

Rodeo bar is open in Uptown

A bar with Deep Ellum roots is expanding to Uptown Dallas: Called Rodeo Dallas, it'll open at 2922 N. Hall St. in the space previously occupied by Palms Bar. According to co-owner Joseph "JD" Ybanez, it'll open on November 28.

The first Rodeo location in Dallas opened in 2023 at 2724 Elm St. from Ybanez and partner Josh Reagan, a pair of hospitality veterans whose prior venues include Longshots in Dallas, plus two locations of Varsity Tavern, in Fort Worth and in Tempe.

Ybanez' first bar was Trophy Ranch in Fort Worth which had a mechanical bull. "That's where I learned how popular it was," he says. (He also became familiar with Fort Worth's bar scene and went on to open a Rodeo spinoff in Fort Worth's West Seventh district in 2024.)

In August 2025, the Deep Ellum location became the focal point of neighborhood concerns about crime and was closed via an order from the Dallas city attorney. Ybanez says the city is scapegoating Rodeo for other problems in the neighborhood, and that the Deep Ellum location isn't going anywhere.

“This is not a relocation,” he says. “We maintain an ongoing legal dispute with our landlord Asana Partners regarding the re-opening of our Deep Ellum establishment. The Uptown location represents an expansion of the brand.”

Prior to opening Rodeo in Deep Ellum, they opened a predecessor in Tempe in 2018, called Rodeo Ranch. It served as a template for the concept, with an "adult playground" with mechanical bull, bottle service, girls in bikinis, DJs, dancing, and light show.

According to Ybanez, visitors to the Uptown location can expect to take these factors to the next level.

“The Uptown space offers an expansive back patio,” Ybanez says. “This area will feature a massive video wall, optimizing it for communal sports viewing. Furthermore, we have executed a comprehensive refinement of our food menu, which we are confident will elevate the guest experience."

The menu is rendered by Donde Los Tacos, the highly regarded Mexican taqueria in Oak Clifff, with $3 and $4 tacos, like trompo, barbacoa, and suadero. The Uptown location will also serve brunch with dishes such as chilaquiles.

"We have meticulously preserved the core of the Rodeo experience: the unparalleled atmosphere and vibes, our commitment to genuine hospitality, the homegrown character of the brand, and the inclusive spirit that welcomes every member of the community," Ybanez says.

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