Where to Drink

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 6 small bar gems for February

Cheers at Rayo in Expo Park.

Rayo

Cut through the noise of loud bars with something a little more lowkey. This is nothing against the big fun flashy hangout. But sometimes you need a place that's laid-back. These small gems fit the bill, from a new hotel bar to one of the oldest bars in Dallas — most with happy hour offerings, and those are always welcome.

Here's where to drink in Dallas right now:

Cannon's Corner Irish Pub
Oak Cliff Irish pub located in Cannon's Village, the cool Tudor-style building at 1314 W. Davis St., is a neighborhood bar for Oak Cliff with a weekday happy hour from 2-7 pm featuring $4.75 wells, $8 Irish mules, $5 red ale, and $4.50 domestic beers. There are also food specials including $7 mussels, corned beef & cabbage rolls, and Irish nachos. On Wednesdays, they have discounts on select whiskey over $12 at half price all day.

Kleo
Hotel restaurant and bar is tucked inside the Hotel Indigo in Las Colinas, which opened in December. Like the restaurant, the bar has a Mediterranean theme, in drinks such as the Mediterranean old fashioned with a Mediterranean spice cordial and cocoa bitters; the Turkish fire drill; and a Tzatziki martini with dill infused Bombay and blanc vermouth. Check them out during the bar's weekday happy hour Monday-Thursday from 2-6 pm when cocktails are half price.

Rayo
Cool little bar in Exposition Park opened across from Fair Park in mid-2024. It's from two former Portland bartenders who envisioned an offbeat yet refined bar and eatery with an extensive cocktail program. Happy hour is Tuesday-Friday from 4-6 pm and features $7 margarita, $8 slushy, $6 daily punch, $5 Modelo. They also do some respectable food; one recent menu addition is the Spit Fire slider with spicy chorizo & Wagyu, Swiss, guacamole, caramelized onions, grilled jalapeños, chili polvo, and a quail egg on brioche.

Rodeo Cold
Throwback 1970s dive and backyard bar that opened in East Dallas in late 2024 has happy hour specials Tuesday-Friday from 3-7 pm including $5 bottled and draft beer, $5 ranch water, paloma, and The Man from Waco. If you're into drinks for the table, they carry sharable drinks like The Dolly, a glittery cocktail of pink whitney vodka, peach schnapps, and pink lemonade for $45. They have specials on bites, too, including a smash burger, patty melt, and chili dogs for $6 each; stacked fries are $8.

Saint Valentine
East Dallas bar co-owned by legendary cocktail guy Gabe Sanchez (Black Swan Saloon) features a happy hour Wednesday-Sunday from 5-8 pm. Drop in on Wednesdays for $1 wings. Classic drinks including daiquiris and margaritas are $8, a dirty gin or vodka martini is $10, and the Yo Kolby! featuring High Life Pony and Fernet Blanc is $8. In terms of food, the so-called happy meal includes a black garlic burger and fries for $12.

Stan's Blue Note
Neighborhood sports bar on Greenville Avenue is one of the oldest in Dallas, first opened in 1952. It's since grown into a spot to catch a game or beer with friends, but they also have some of the cheapest drink specials in town, Monday-Friday from 4-7 pm. Mondays feature 99-cent Busch Light drafts and $2 wells, and for those with an appetite, $1 hot dogs and tacos. They also have a new late night girl's night featuring $5 wine, White Claws, and frozen espresso martinis on Saturdays starting at 10 pm.

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Deep Ellum News

Mexican 'vibe' restaurant from California to open in Deep Ellum Dallas

Mama Por Dios

A buzzy concept from California is coming to Dallas: Mama Por Dios, a Mexican restaurant chain known for its vibe, will open its first location in Texas in Deep Ellum in the Epic development at 2525 Elm St., taking over the former La Neta space, which shuttered in May.

According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in early to mid-January.

Mama Por Dios was founded in Southern California in 2020 by chef Misael Guerrero, who famously got his start selling Mexican sushi out of his garage.

Since those early days, he's gone on to form a restaurant empire called Emme Group, with concepts that include Los Amores de Julia, El Rincon de Los Dolidos, and Culichi Town, a lower-priced chain known for Sinaloa-style Mexican sushi & seafood, which has a local presence: It opened a location in Mesquite in 2022.

Mama Por Dios — which translates to "Mother of God" — describes itself as modern Mexican, offering a unique blend of steakhouse, sushi bar, and seafood. The menu includes favorites like tacos and enchiladas, alongside luxe dishes like lobster with spaghetti, lobster enchiladas, and a surf & turf featuring a lobster tail balanced atop a skirt steak. Prices range from $18 for birria tacos to $48 for a bacon-wrapped filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

But they also have a showy side that includes flamboyant presentations such as the bacon-wrapped shrimp which come strung on clothespins; or the trompito al pastor, served on a personal spit, as well as servers who walk around with shots while dancing with patrons.

There's a Gold Burger for $65 featuring Prime beef on a brioche bun garnished with 24k gold leaf, and a similarly gilded tomahawk steak for $400 that brings to mind the good old days of Salt Bae. Decor is swanky with low lighting, and there'll be a serious brunch offering on weekends.

Cocktails such as the Al Agua Pato — served in a mini bathtub with a rubber ducky — are made for Instagram. They offer margarita and mezcalita flights with flavors such as mango, tamarindo, and strawberry, and intriguing sips like Carajillo, a Spanish cocktail with Licor 43, espresso, and 43 different fruit, citrus, aromatic, and herbal ingredients.

There’s also a $20 per-person minimum spend, and the menu comes with a warning that everything is cooked to order — meaning some dishes may take 30 to 40 minutes. For many diners, waiting will surely be part of the experience.

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