Hello Happiest Hour

Check out the view from Uptown Dallas’ biggest and best new patio

Hard to beat this view from Happiest Hour.

Courtesy photo

Dallasites love a good patio, and now they have an even bigger and better one to add to their rotation. Happiest Hour, the latest concept from Harwood International, is a two-deck restaurant and bar with 12,000 square feet, including a rooftop patio on the second level showcasing the best views of the Dallas skyline from the district of HARWOOD.

“The industrial chic setting paired with unparalleled service in this premier location will give guests a unique experience in Dallas’ largest patio bar and lounge,” says Bruno Roulleux, director of operations, Harwood Hospitality Group. To see what all the fuss is about, watch the video, which takes you inside this just-opened hot spot.

But the patio isn’t Happiest Hour’s only asset. The menu features mindfully prepared dishes made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Signature dishes include Kuby’s sausages; the Dino Rib, a 12-hour smoked cross-cut beef rib; a crudité platter with seasonal vegetables, hummus, and ranch dressing; and the Whistle Stop Sandwich with fried green tomatoes, mozzarella, and sweet pickle marmalade on brioche bread.

To wash it all down are thoughtfully crafted artisan cocktails and an international selection of eight wines on tap and more than 50 beers on tap. Oh, and 17 screens throughout the patio bar ensure a view of the game from any seat.

Happiest Hour has opened in time for the TX-OU game, and the rivalry weekend starts off right on Friday, October 9, with specialty shots and spins from 10 pm-2 am by DJ Inzo.

Doors open at 9:30 am on Saturday, October 10, and Happiest Hour hosts eight hours of live music from three performers. Naturally you can watch the big game from all angles as you sip on one of the weekend’s featured craft cocktails, the Longhorn Libation or the Sooner Than Later. Until 6 pm, Happiest Hour will also knock $1 off cans of Miller Lite, Bud Light, Coors Light, and Michelob Ultra.

With a convenient location across from the American Airlines Center, Happiest Hour is the new go-to destination before or after a game or show. It is part of the Harwood Hospitality Group, now housing six restaurant brands within the district of HARWOOD, including Marie Gabrielle Restaurant and Gardens, Saint Ann Restaurant & Bar, Mercat Bistro, Magnolias: Sous Le Pont, and The Grove at Harwood.

Harwood Hospitality is currently working on two more restaurant concepts this fall.

promoted nightlife uptown jwvideo

News you can cheers to

Assembly Icehouse in Plano adds swanky adults-only cocktail lounge

Espresso martini

Photo courtesy of Assembly Icehouse

Espresso martini at Assembly Icehouse.

An east Plano restaurant and entertainment venue is expanding with a chic new lounge aimed exclusively at the 21-and-up crowd: Assembly Icehouse, the sports bar and family-friendly restaurant at Assembly Park, is adding a cocktail lounge, giving the mixed-use development its first adults-only destination.

According to a release, the 2,200-square-foot lounge will go in the former Tacoro Tacos & Tequila space, which has closed.

The lounge will offer a more upscale atmosphere than the adjoining icehouse, and will focus on premium cocktails, spirits, music, and socializing, the release says. Features will include a vinyl listening station with an extensive record collection, a pool table, and private spirit lockers where regulars and members can store personal bottles for future visits.

Yes, memberships will be available. So swank.

The lounge's name, opening date, membership details, and beverage program will be announced later, the owners say.

Assembly Icehouse, announced in fall 2024, opened in November 2025 as one of the anchor restaurant concepts at Assembly Park, the redevelopment of the former Plano Market Square Mall at 1717 E. Spring Creek Pkwy. Developed by Triten Real Estate Partners, the project has transformed the aging shopping center into a mixed-use destination with apartments, offices, restaurants, and a central park.

The 4,850-square-foot restaurant was developed by Dallas hospitality group Blender Brands and features elevated bar food, more than 30 TVs, live entertainment, and expansive indoor-outdoor spaces overlooking the property's lawn. The menu includes smashburgers, chicken and waffles, double-fried wings, and sandwiches such as the Tejas Philly.

Assembly Park in Plano. Rendering courtesy of Assembly Park

The adjoining lounge will mark the latest evolution for Assembly Park, which also includes Cliff Coffee and other food-and-drink concepts from Blender Brands. (The now-closed Tacoro had operated as a quick service, pick-up and go Mexican restaurant and taqueria.)

"Assembly Icehouse has been embraced by the community in a way that exceeded our expectations," says JR Muñoz in the release. "As we looked at what was next, we saw an opportunity to create something completely different within Assembly Park. This lounge will offer an elevated adults-only experience where guests can relax, enjoy great music, share exceptional spirits and feel like they're part of something special. It's designed to be a destination for connection and conversation."

Blender Brands, founded by Dallas-Fort Worth entrepreneurs Jacob Cox and Danny Wilson, also operates Select Start Arcade & Bar in Deep Ellum, Good Side Pizza Pub, and other hospitality concepts across North Texas.

Assembly Park's location, the former Plano Market Square Mall, was a 300,000-square-foot shopping mall that was built in the 1980s. Triten acquired it in 2021 with the goal to create a walkable mixed-use neighborhood featuring dining and retail, creative office, and urban-style living options with a connection to the outdoors, centered around a freshly planted park and event space. It includes the Annabel at Assembly Park, an apartment community with 304 units that opened in summer 2024.

cocktails plano openings cocktail bar

Loading...