Holiday News

Spooky national Halloween pop-up experience is coming to one DFW-area bar

It's ooky and it's spooky.

Black Lagoon

A special pop-up with a Halloween theme is hitting nine bars across the U.S., including one in the Dallas-Fort Worth area: Called Black Lagoon, it's an immersive Halloween pop-up bar concept that will hit nine U.S. cities this fall, and that includes Nickel City, the Fort Worth outlet of the Austin-based neighborhood bar chain.

According to a release, Black Lagoon is a horror experience created by industry veterans Erin Hayes (Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles and Chicago's Lost Lake) and Kelsey Ramage (Trash Collective and Supernova, opening soon in Toronto). Here they are in a photo, looking very spooky Morticia.

They first debuted the concept in Toronto in 2021; it was subsequently crowned Best Pop-Up Bar in Canada, although that could also be that Canadians are easily impressed. Jury is still out.

The release says that Nickel City will be transformed into a wicked environment, with decor cues taken from goth culture and cult horror, such as House of 1,000 Corpses, including skulls and life-sized coffins. You're encouraged to wear costumes.

"Kelsey and I both love the metal/goth/horror bars and those spots really inspired Black Lagoon, but they are more beer-and-a-shot places," says Hayes in a statement. "With our background in the spirits world, we wanted to pay extra attention to make sure our [cocktails are] as tasty as they are blood curdling."

The drinks menu is built around Halloween hues with beverages that are blood red, the darkest black, and eerie orange, to include:

Screaming Banshee, with gin, Giffard L'Abricot, pineapple syrup and Greek yogurt
Lilith's Cup, with Mount Gay Black Barrel, Aperol, vermouth, passionfruit syrup, and glitter
Closed Casket, with Bruichladdich Classic, St. Remy, Giffard L'Abricot, passionfruit syrup, and miso ferlernum
Hellraiser, with Hornitos, Chairman’s spiced rum Cointreu, and spiced oat orgeat

Cocktails will be served in custom glassware, which is always a big thing with these pop-up bars. Said glassware will also be for sale, which is also a big thing with these pop-up bars.

Musically, the playlist will feature a subtle hardcore vibe, throwing in punk and metal along with a soundtrack of eerie noises.

Located at 212 S. Main St. in Fort Worth, Nickel City is a favorite DFW destination for holiday-themed pop-up bars, having previously hosted the very similar-in-concept Miracle, a Christmas-themed pop-up of national scope both in 2020 and in 2021.

"We wanted markets that have vibrant countercultures so patrons who are likely to enjoy our immersive vibe will come and feel right at home," says Hayes.

The full list of bars includes:

Chicago: The Dandy Crown in partnership with Hospitality 201
Portland: Hey Love
Los Angeles: Lost Property Bar
Dallas/Fort Worth: Nickel City
Denver: Yacht Club
NY: Our Wicked Lady
Montreal: 132 Bara Vintage
Vancouver: Butcher & Bullock
Toronto: Third Space

The pop-up begins in September and they're hosting a special preview on Sunday, September 4 which is open to the public from 6-10 pm.

Black Lagoon is about celebrating a spooky holiday but the pop-up is also about creating a safe space for those who may not feel at ease in every cocktail bar.

"We want this to be a space for the weird, for the misfits and the goths," Hayes says.

"As an adult, this concept embraces my inner goth metal kid who just loved Halloween," says her partner Ramage. "We just want to let people have fun and experience true freedom from judgment."

nightlife holidays

Times Square News

Dallas' buzzy Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley heads to Times Square

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Lobster tail at Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley

A downtown Dallas restaurant and nightspot is hitting the Big Apple: Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, known for its Southern comfort food and clubby atmosphere, is opening a location in New York, in none other than Times Square.

According to a release, they'll occupy a 10,000-square-foot space that was formerly home to a restaurant called Pink Taco, at the corner of 42nd Street, Broadway, and Seventh Avenue. This will be their eighth location (with Boston also in the works), as well as the largest and most visible, and it's anticipated to open in summer 2026.

"Every city we've opened in has become home," Kelley says in a statement. "New York is where the world watches. Opening at Times Square isn't just an expansion — it's a statement. We built our way here, one city at a time, on our own terms. We can't wait to humbly welcome New York home."

Kelley was a driven entrepreneur and attorney new to the food & beverage world when he opened the first location in downtown Dallas at 1933 Elm St. in 2020. It immediately drew a refreshingly integrated crowd with its mix of Southern comfort food — shrimp & grits and fried catfish are specialties — with Kelley savoring his role as the man on the scene, walking the floor to welcome guests, which often include Black celebrities and athletes.

Kelley's culinary story began in the South, under the guidance of his grandmother who taught him not just recipes but reverence for good ingredients, Southern traditions, and the art of hospitality.

The menu is anchored by soul food traditions elevated with refined technique and bold flavor in dishes such as Fried Chicken and Waffles, Blackened Shrimp and Grits with Lobster Tail, and Jamaican Jerk Lamb Chops. Cocktails include Peach D'Ussé Frosé, Gold Old Fashioned, and a Blackberry Margarita.

Since the concept debuted in Dallas, Kelley has opened locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Miami, with Boston also opening Summer 2026.

Every location features an iconic rose wall as well as live music — drawing celebrities such as Jesse Jackson, Tina Knowles, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Meg Thee Stallion, Klay Thompson, 50 Cent, Joseph Sikora, Phylicia Rashad, Malik Nabers, Dak Prescott, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Maxey, Kawhi Leonard, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and a host of entertainers, athletes, and cultural icons.

Reservations opened on May 5 at kitchenkocktailsusa.com/newyork.

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