Drinking Diaries

Henderson Tap House's elevated sports bar experience clangs off the rim

Of the many varieties of drinking establishments, the sports bar has the lowest bar to clear. A refined hotel lounge must fill its space and glasses with only the finest; a cocktail bar must employ bartenders with encyclopedic minds and a sense of adventure; a craft beer bar must always be on the lookout for a well-balanced and mindful tap list; a dive bar must refuse to clean up regularly or exert anything more than the perceived minimal effort — which is harder than it seems.

But a sports bar can clear the hurdle with TVs. Lots and lots of TVs. The kitchen can churn out food beyond wings and burgers, and there can be liquid choices beyond buckets of Miller Lite and celebratory (or funeral) shots. But none of that is necessary for a sports bar to have good character.

Henderson Tap House wants to raise the standard, it seems. It has TVs, of course, providing the 7,000-square-foot interior with near wall-to-wall coverage. There are no bad sight lines; even sitting with my back to the main bar, I could follow both the Spurs and Mavs games without craning my neck — but then I had a short drinking partner.

But due to touches like exposed brick, glass-paned garage doors and a leather-chaired lounge area, Henderson Tap House aspires to be more than just a place to watch the game. Unlike the grungy, blue-collar vibe common in great sports bars, this place is exceedingly clean, teetering on the edge of sterility found at Buffalo Wild Wings. Fortunately, there are chalkboards touting tap lists and just-right lighting to counter that, which also make it suitable for its Henderson Avenue address.

The menu also feels “elevated,” with options like prime rib and potato nachos, lobster mac and cheese, and filet mignon with walnut butter and truffle Parmesan tots. But do people really go to sports bars for filet mignon? Pizza feels more appropriate, but Henderson Tap House’s version won’t be appearing any best-of lists. There’s also a brunch menu — and a spacious patio to boot — which may be a prerequisite for existing in Dallas these days.

The menu that matters, however, is in the name. There are 24 taps, but too many are devoted to Coors, Miller and Budweiser. There is a nice selection of local options from Rahr & Sons, Deep Ellum Brewing, Revolver and Lakewood, but they’re the breweries’ flagships. The canned list is satisfactory, certainly not anything to turn up your nose at. Overall, it’s a middle-ground compromise that can accommodate patrons who don’t care what they’re drinking as well as those looking for some taste.

Although I didn’t experience it myself, friends have grumbled that the service can be painfully slow; one said he’d never go back after a Sunday brunch took several hours — a sometimes-curse of being popular. Our server was quick, but we also opted for a Wednesday night, when the place was hopping but not packed.

Still, the communal aspect of sports lends itself well here, as whole tables cheered and groaned with the games’ twists and turns. It gave Henderson Tap House the kind of pulse that every sports bar wants. It’s a shame the Spurs won, though.

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News You Can Eat

New brunches and fall dishes put some yum in this Dallas restaurant news

Perry's

Vegan chopped steak at Perry's Steakhouse

Fall weather may not be here yet but Dallas restaurants are happily paying no mind, gifting us with ramen, pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin souffles, and beer cheese fondues. It'll be cold soon enough. There are also some restaurant openings here, some new brunches, and a meal deal for seniors.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news.

Fish City Grill has opened a location in Prosper at 1150 S. Preston Rd., just north of U.S. Highway 380 in The Gates of Prosper. It features seafood and cocktails, with specials on the restaurant’s trademark Chalkboard which are unique to each location and change twice each day. (Visit fishcitygrill.com/locations to view the Chalkboard cameras.) This is the chain's 23rd location.

White Rhino Coffee has opened a location in Frisco at 8075 FM 423 #100. This is the 10th location for the chain first founded in 2007 by Chris Parvin in Cedar Hill.

Captain D’s has opened a new location at 522 E. Belt Line Rd. in Cedar Hill, owned and operated by Golden Chick franchisee Joseph Omobogie. It's the 21st Captain D’s in Texas and a momentous step for Omobogie, who has 14 Golden Chick locations, as he ventures into new culinary territory. Captain D's serves fried catfish, fried shrimp, and chicken tenders.

True Food Kitchen has unveiled what a release calls "its biggest menu innovation of 15 years" with a reimagined brunch and cocktail program in addition to new seasonal dishes. Brunch highlights include Cinnamon Toastini, Berry Cerealtini, huevos rancheros, Hawaiian Fried Rice, and a tasting tower. New cocktails include Dazzling Eyes with Don Q rum, coconut, carrot juice, and Thai basil; and True Story with gin, chareau aloe, cucumber, snap pea, pineapple, and lemon.

Stirr recently launched a new autumn menu, with brunch, lunch, main and cocktail offerings including Pumpkin Spice pancakes, Chicken & Waffles, Wagyu Italian Beef Sandwich, Fried Chicken Cobb, Baby Back Ribs, Chicken Parm, Cajun Chicken Frites, Steakhouse Salad, Blackened Redfish, Lobster Ravioli, Beer Cheese Fondue, and a Count of Monte Cristo sandwich, which is so trendy right now.

McRae’s American Bistro is introducing a new weekend brunch on Sunday October 1, with deviled eggs, jalapeno pimento cheese, frittata muffaletta, chicken & waffles, chipotle eggs benedict, Lakewood latke, croque madame, corned beef hash & eggs, and more. More being cocktails, including a bloody Mary bar, espresso martini, sangria, wines, and beer. It'll run Saturday-Sunday from 11 am-3 pm.

BarNone has launched a new Whiskey Club. Members get a monthly e-newsletter, access to distillery and brewery tours, access to BarNone's master distiller meet & greets, entry into year-end Pappy Van Winkle 10 year and BTAC (George Stagg, William Larue Weller, Sazerac 18, Thomas Handy and Eagle Rare 17 year) giveaway, free whiskey rating forms, access to allocated whiskeys, ryes, scotches, and world whiskeys, and BarNone Whiskey Club private barrels. BarNone has also expanded its whiskey offerings to 173 varieties with selections from Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Texas, UK, Japan, and Ireland. Entry is free, sign up online.

Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar has a new Miso-Chili Tonkotsu Ramen with charred bok choy, scallions, sun noodle, sesame, ajitama egg, and choice of brisket or prawns, for $18, served Tuesday-Wednesday starting at 4 pm.

Monarch has a new dessert for the fall: Pumpkin Spice Latte Souffle featuring pumpkin spice, coffee crème anglaise, and sweet cream ice cream, available through the end of October.

Tiff’s Treats has new filled cookies including PB&J (peanut butter cookie with raspberry jam) and decadent Double Chocolate Salted Caramel (Double Chocolate cookie filled with dulce de leche and sprinkled with sea salt). They're available in a combo package where you get a dozen filled and a dozen classic for $43.

Melting Pot, the fondue restaurant, has launched an Oktober FondueFest limited-time 3-course menu with Bavarian Beer Cheese Fondue paired with dippers like bratwurst, braised short rib, and pretzels, with choice of salad and decadent Black Forest Chocolate Fondue. German-inspired sips include the new Black Forest Fashioned and St-Germain Spritz cocktail along with seasonal Sam Adams Octoberfest. Served Monday-Thursday through October 26.

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille has a 3-course senior menu for 65+ before 6 pm, available daily for $39. First course offers choices from wedge, Caesar, field green, pear & candied pecan salad, French onion soup, or lobster bisque. Second course offers choices from pork chop, filet mignon, salmon, chicken oscar, vegan skillet chopped steak, or fried shrimp. Third course is side dish or dessert from a choice of cheesecake, chocolate crunch tower, crème brûlée, whipped potatoes, creamed spinach, or chargrilled vegetables.

Pappasito's celebrates its 40th anniversary through October at all four DFW locations including two at DFW Airport, plus locations in Arlington and Fort Worth with a $40 special on beef fajitas or beef & chicken fajita platters, with guacamole, rice, frijoles a la charra, and tortillas serving 2-3 people, available on Wednesdays starting at 4 pm.

Taco Bell has brought back its cult-favorite Nacho Fries, but with a new twist: a Vegan Nacho Sauce. Nacho Fries - fries with a spicy seasoning, which are "accidentally" vegan - were first introduced in January 2018, and have been retired and brought back several times. They ordinarily come with queso. The Vegan Nacho Sauce previously appeared in a Vegan Crunchwrap the chain tested in June 2023. The sauce got high marks, so Taco Bell decided to offer it on a national scale with their beloved Nacho Fries. The Nacho Fries on their. own are available now in two sizes: regular for $2.19 and a new large size for $2.99; Vegan Nacho Sauce will be available starting October 12.

McDonald’s of North Texas is adding two new limited-edition sauces to the menu starting October 9: McDonald’s Sweet & Spicy Jam, a jammy red pepper dipping sauce with apple cider vinegar, Szechuan peppercorn, and cayenne pepper; Mambo Sauce, a tomato-based sweet, spicy, and vinegary sauce inspired by the regional Washington, D.C. area sauce staple.

Lucky s the Oak Lawn diner is celebrating the State Fair of Texas with two limited-edition menu items: two corn dogs with fries, for $11, and Cotton Candy Pilsner from Texas Ale Project for $5.50, served through October 22.

Target has a new free Drive Up service for Starbucks menu items where customers can place an order and have it delivered straight to their car. The service has been popular in other markets and now it's in Dallas. The three top-selling items for Drive Up with Starbucks are Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, Birthday Cake Pop, and Iced Caramel Macchiato. You place your order, park in the Drive Up area, and tap “I’m here” in the Target app. A Target staffer delivers the Starbucks order, along with whatever else in your Drive Up purchase. By October, all 1,700-plus Target stores that have a Starbucks Café and offer Drive Up will have the Drive Up with Starbucks service.

Dunkin’ has launched the Texas Dunkin’ Community Cruiser, a mobile coffee truck that delivers free samples of hot and iced coffee directly to local community events. The Texas Dunkin’ Community Cruiser follows in the footsteps of several successful Cruiser programs built throughout the country over the last 10 years.

Norma's Cafe will provide six meals to the North Texas Food Bank for every holiday dinner purchased from now until November 18. The original Oak Cliff location at 1123 W. Davis St. will be open on Thanksgiving Day, November 23 from 11 am-1 pm to feed the homeless.

Salata, the salad chain, has launched of bottled salad dressings in its five most popular flavors: Buttermilk Ranch, Chipotle Ranch, Herb Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinaigrette, and Ginger Lime Vinaigrette. They come in 12.5-oz bottles and are available at select H-E-B locations for $6.48.

The ADD SOY Act has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Cory Booker, (D-N.J.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), to give kids a plant-based milk option to cow’s milk in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and allows for the USDA to reimburse schools for those purchases, just as it does for cow’s milk. The new Senate bill number is S. 2943, and is a companion to the U.S. House of Representatives bill H.R. 1619, introduced by Reps. Troy Carter (D-LA) and Nancy Mace (R-SC).

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