McKinney Avenue Drama

Goodbye, Bellinis? Sfuzzi restaurant in Uptown Dallas closing or moving offMcKinney

What will happen to Sfuzzi Uptown's sexy, swanky dining room?
Sfuzzi Uptown/Facebook
Sfuzzi's Bellinis will soon be history on McKinney.
Reese Lloyd

UPDATE: We spoke to manager Brandon Hays and the original story has been updated to reflect his comments.

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If you live in Uptown and you want your frozen Bellini, you're destined for disappointment. Sfuzzi, the restaurant known for that sweet peach-flavored slush, is on the move.

Owner Robert Colombo was unavailable for comment. A staffer at the Las Colinas location confirmed that its sibling branch was closing before quickly ending the phone call.

But manager Brandon Hays said that the Las Colinas Sfuzzi is a franchise and not a reliable source, and that a closure wasn't necessarily the resolution of the restaurant's current problems.

"That's wrong that we're closed," he said. "I was there last night. It's possibly more of a January thing, or we might be moving, not closing."

Colombo re-booted the chain in 2010 on McKinney Avenue, across the street from where the original was located back in the late '80s. The thin-crust pizza and house-made pasta didn't win any best-of awards, but the restaurant has a busy patio and late-night scene.

On December 17, staffers for La Reve Consultants, Colombo's management company that also owns ~~the Standard Pour lounge and~~ Villa-O restaurant in Travis Walk, were still touting Sfuzzi's "Red Monday" event and inviting "unescorted ladies" to enjoy a complimentary three-course meal. (Standard Pour is owned by R&R Capital and is independent of La Reve.)

They also have plans for the holidays: On December 11, they created a New Year's Eve event page on Facebook.

Colombo has weathered other shut-downs, including the 2011 closure of Trece, the upscale Mexican restaurant in Knox-Henderson, which he opened with partner Bill Solomon and pro-golfer investor Tommy Armour III.

In 2012, Armour issued a disgruntled tweet about Sfuzzi, saying, "It's stupid to have 25 year anniversary parties when you haven't been open for 25 years!!! Sfuzzi!!!!!"

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Where to Drink

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

Even Coast

The Frozen John D at Even Coast.

The February edition of Where to Drink, CultureMap's monthly column on restaurants and bars you can get a drink at, travels far and wide to find the best and most exotic happy hours around: From sushi deals in downtown Dallas to $5 margaritas in Collin County to Indian bar bites in Irving.

(If you're in a more date-night frame of mind, be sure to consult our list of places where you can share a sweet Valentine's Day meal.)

Here are five happy hours to try in February:

Cafe Gecko
Laid-back perennial favorite in Richardson has just unveiled a brand new happy hour menu featuring their delectable versions of classic bar food treats including pizza fries, pretzel bites, chicharrones, onion rings, and fried pickles, priced from $5-$7, plus $1 off everything in the bar. It's served Monday all day, and Tuesday-Friday from 3-7 pm.

Dozo Omakase
Omakase sushi restaurant which opened a year ago at Trinity Groves with a compact menu that includes the trendy multi-course omakase style of dining, available in small or large versions. They do a cool approach to happy hour by introducing a new menu nearly every month. For February, it includes items from the sushi bar and the kitchen including half-price nigiri, sushi hand rolls for $8, gyoza for $6, crispy rice tuna for $10, and miso soup for a bargain $2.50. Cocktails include sake for $9 and a Kyoto highball cocktail for $11.

Even Coast
Neighborhood restaurant from chef Omar Flores opened on the Addison-Dallas line in 2024 with seafood, pastas, and steaks — and now happy hour. It's a good one, served from 2-6 pm every day with its own menu of $3 oysters, $10 cheeseburgers, and salmon dip. House cocktails are $9, including a rotating flavor frozen drink; a pint of beer is $6, and wine by the glass is $9. The only restriction is where: On Friday-Saturday, it's available only at the bar; Sunday-Thursday, it's also available in the dining room and on the patio.

Neon Cactus
Congenial Mexican restaurant in Fairview has a happy hour with deals that surely seem worth driving for: They run Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm and include margaritas for $5, domestic beers for $4, wine by the glass for $5, and well drinks for $4. They also have daily food specials that run all day, such as queso blanco and chicken tinga flautas, $10 each on Thursdays, and taco plates with rice and beans, $10 to $12 on Tuesdays.

Nirvana
Sultry Indian lounge at Toyota Music Factory with DJ, dance floor, and rooftop patio has what may be the worst website in the world — but buried beneath the PTSD flash graphics and music is a worthy happy hour, served from 4-7 pm featuring $2 off all cocktails, including the Hunan Heatwave with tequila and tandoori pineapple, and the Beijing Berry mocktail with mixed berries and ginger ale. Plus Indian-themed bar snacks such as "drums of heaven" AKA chicken lollipops; street-style chow mein, and crispy chili corn.

cocktails where to drink