Happy Hour Time

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 best new happy hours for October

Beer at The Rustic.

In the October chapter of Where to Drink, Mondays are big, very big, with Monday-night specials dominating the field. There's also one venue doing the "graduated" theme where the earlier you show up, the cheaper it is.

Money isn't everything, but it sure is nice to get a drink at a discount.

Here are the best new happy hours for October.

Bullion
Downtown restaurant from chef Bruno Davaillon is joining the tiki party on Mondays with a twist called French West Indies Tiki Monday. The French West Indies is the home to Agricole Rhum, which is made from local sugarcane that is cut, ground, and pressed into fresh juice. The result is an intensely grassy, earthy spirit, different from the rums made from molasses. The lineup includes authentic drinks such as Ti Punch, Planter Punch, Agricole Daiquiri, and Green Swizzle, from $9 to $12. Mondays 5:30-10 pm.

The Heights
Neighborhood restaurant in the heart of Lakewood does it all: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a nice happy hour on weeknights. Everything's $5: well drinks, craft beer on tap, and Mono Martinis. You can also get $5 off wine carafes. If that's not enough, the kitchen stays open until midnight Friday and Saturday nights. Hours: Monday-Friday 5-7 pm.

Jasper's
Plano's "gourmet backyard" restaurant is here for the ladies big-time. They host a "Ladies Night Out" every Wednesday, with half-off on a menu of food and cocktail specials all evening. Dishes include wood-fired oysters and buffalo meatballs, and drinks include a pineapple martini. Mondays are "uncorked" night with 1/2-off bottles of wine with the purchase of any entrée.

Paul Martin's American Grill
Shmoozy restaurant on Oak Lawn Avenue recently debuted a happy hour menu with small plates, sandwich pairings, and select drinks starting at $6. Happy hour cocktails include favorites like the Raspberry Martini and Sparkling Lemonade plus new drinks such as the Whiskey Buck with Evan Williams Black Label Bourbon, strawberries, lemon, Q Ginger Beer. Daily from 3-7 pm in the lounge.

The Rustic
Fun outdoor Uptown Dallas venue just started a new "graduated" happy hour that bumps up a dollar as every hour passes. It starts at 3 pm, when beer, house wine, and frozé are $3. From 4-5 pm, the price is $4. From 5-6 pm, it's $5. By beer, they mean draft, bottles, and cans, all at happy hour prices.

where-drink

Omakase News

Downtown Dallas restaurant Sauvage expands with new dining twist

Sauvage

A downtown Dallas restaurant famous for its multi-course tasting experience is letting its hair down: Sauvage, the high-end mom-and-pop restaurant near the Statler Dallas hotel, has a new dining option that gives a smaller, more casual taste.

The restaurant opened in September with a set menu featuring 16 to 18 courses — wild game, seafood, vegetables, and dessert — all cooked via grill and smoker.

While 16 courses might sound like a lot, the courses are mostly small bites. However, owners Casey and Amy LaRue received feedback from diners wanting a smaller option.

"We were getting a ton of messages from guests who want to stop by just to try one dish, a bite, or a specific pairing without committing to the full tasting — so we built something for exactly that," Casey says.

They've introduced a new three-course "Cocktails & Bites hour" featuring three dishes, each paired with its own cocktail, served from 5–6 pm on weekdays.

Last week’s menu consisted of:

dry-aged red snapper crudo with La Chinola Way, a cocktail featuring passionfruit, mezcal, lime, and ginger
foie gras & truffle on house-baked croissant with Pendennis Club, a gin sour with apricot liqueur bitters
jerk-spiced shrimp with Clarified Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice

The new offering continues their pattern of pairing courses with cocktails rather than wine — an approach they've embraced since opening. "Limiting pairings to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another," Casey says.

You can make a reservation on Tock, or just walk in and grab a seat.

Caviar
They've also added a new version of their classic menu: no caviar.

"Some love having caviar integrated into the menu, but others prefer to skip it, whether for taste or dietary reasons, but still want the full value of the experience," Casey says. "With such a small counter, this put us in a strange position: do we give everyone caviar whether they want it or not, or do we remove it entirely and lose a core part of our menu?"

Thus, a new menu without caviar, priced at $195, with an optional caviar course available for those who want it for $245.

downtown

Happy Hour Time

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