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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Coming soon

Cuban-style burger chain Frita Batidos to make Texas debut in Dallas

Photo by Noah Fecks

Frita Batidos' signature burgers and milkshakes, along with crispy fried plantains.

An acclaimed Cuban-inspired burger restaurant from Michigan is making its Texas debut in in Dallas' buzzy McKinney-Knox neighborhood: Called Frita Batidos, it will open at 4620 McKinney Ave., just off the Katy Trail, on August 17, a release says.

Founded by chef Eve Aronoff Fernandez, Frita Batidos debuted in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2010 and has since expanded to Detroit and Brooklyn. The Brooklyn location earned national attention after its signature Frita was named one of New York City's best burgers by The New York Times.

The restaurant serves Cuban-style street food and takes its name from two Cuban staples that are the focus of its menu: fritas, the island's signature burgers, and batidos, tropical fruit milkshakes.

Their fritas are served on a soft egg bun and topped with shoestring fries. Options include beef, housemade chorizo, chicken, black bean, and Gulf redfish, with toppings such as cilantro-lime salsa, avocado spread, tropical slaw, Muenster cheese, and a sunny-side-up egg.

Frita Baditos Frita, a Cuban-style burger.Photo by Noah Fecks

Their batidos are made with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh fruit in flavors such as coconut cream, passion fruit, fresh lime, hibiscus, chocolate español, and cajeta. Guests can also order a lighter version made with mango, pineapple, and crushed ice, or add a splash of dark rum to any shake.

Other menu highlights include crisped plantains with dipping sauces, loaded plantains topped with black beans and cheese, coconut-ginger rice layered with black beans and Muenster cheese, churros, cinnamon-sugar plantains, and rotating housemade paletas.

The beverage menu features cocktails such as a margarita, mojito, piña colada, daiquiri, sangria, and pisco hibiscus lemonade, along with housemade tropical sodas, fresh juices, and nonalcoholic versions of its cocktails.

"Frita Batidos emphasizes fresh, high-quality, locally sourced ingredients, served with care in a warm and welcoming atmosphere to create a community gathering place," the owners say in the release.

The Dallas restaurant occupies a bright, airy space designed by architect Neal Robinson, a longtime collaborator on the brand's restaurants. The dining room features communal picnic-style tables, outlets for guests who want to work while dining, and dominoes for customers to play. A mural by graffiti artist FEL3000ft emblazoned with the phrase "Por Que No?!" serves as the centerpiece.

Frita Baditos Badito, a tropical milkshake.Photo by Noah Fecks

Frita Batidos founder Aronoff Fernandez is a a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef who previously owned the acclaimed Ann Arbor, Michigan restaurant Eve and authored the cookbook Eve: Contemporary Cuisine/Methode Traditionelle. She founded Frita Baditos in 2010, she says, "grounded in the tenets of the Slow Food Movement, following the seasons, cooking from scratch, working with small, local purveyors and farmers and most importantly fostering warmth and conviviality around food."

Frita Batidos will be open Sunday-Wednesday from 11 am-10 pm and Thursday-Saturday from 11 am-11 pm.

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