Bottoms Up

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

Columbian Country Club is rolling out a new Tuesday-Thursday happy hour.

Columbian Country Club/Facebook

The busy — and expensive — holiday season is just around the corner, so do your finances a favor now and seek out a new favorite happy hour (or two).

This edition of Where to Drink, our monthly roundup of the best bar specials, spotlights five Dallas-area restaurants and bars that encompass a wide range of experiences, but with all of them serving drinks and deals worth toasting.

Here’s where to drink in Dallas this month:

Columbian Country Club
Premier cocktail lounge on Ross Avenue is now making weeknights even more appealing with a new happy hour, Tuesday-Thursday from 5-7:30 pm. Sip $11 signature cocktails like the Serpiente (Tentador Blanco, pineapple, and St. Germain) or the El Guapo with aromatic bitters and Licor 43. Food steals include half-off sushi rolls, $7 caviar bumps, $12 karaage chicken bites, and crispy rice topped with spicy tuna or salmon for $14, or a trio for $22.

The Fifth
Local favorite in Richardson's Canyon Creek neighborhood known for homey dishes like short ribs and shrimp & grits offers a happy hour Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm and Sunday from 3-10 pm — on the patio and bar only — with $8 cocktails and a half dozen bites such as zucchini fries or chips & guac for $4, and Wagyu sliders for $10. Wednesdays are the night for wine lovers: They offer half-off bottles under $69, a deal that covers most of the wine list.

Hooky Entertainment Addison
Restaurant/arcade/movie theater/bowling alley in Addison has a new “Hooky Hour” that makes a strong case for leaving the office early. Running Monday-Thursday from 4-7 pm, it includes half-off draft beers, margaritas, and cocktails like the Day Tripper (Tito’s Vodka, peach, vermouth blanc, lime, yuzu soda) and Off the Clockwork (Arette Tequila Reposado, blood orange, ginger, lime). Snack on discounted shareables — pretzels & queso, elote fritters, and loaded waffle fries — between rounds of duckpin bowling or a movie in one of Hooky’s eight premium cinemas. Bonus: On Tuesdays you can see a movie for only $5.

P.F. Chang's
The national chain is making premium cocktails more affordable with its new $8.99 Cocktail Collection. Think bold, citrus-forward flavors and seasonal specials like the Blood Orange Margarita and Peartini, rotating quarterly to spotlight fresh ingredients. Pair with approachable prices on house wines for a reliably solid chain happy hour. Eight DFW locations — including NorthPark Center, Allen, and The Colony — make it easy to find one near you.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
The swanky hotel is keeping things stylish but chill with happy hour at its newly renovated outdoor bar and lounge, Live Oak Patio. On Monday, Thursday, and Friday (the bar is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays) from 5-7 pm, enjoy half-off all signature and well cocktails plus half-off the bar menu. Important note: This deal is exclusive to Live Oak Patio, not Rattlesnake Bar.

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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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