After quite the gluttonous weekend, is it really any surprise I’m writing about the best happy hour in Dallas today? I mean, yes, it’s my first day of work… and that’s definitely worth mentioning… but so is the fact that I have 5 awesome spots at which I can grab a post-work cocktail for $5.
Makin’ money and savin’ money. Look at me go.
What I’m Wearing:
Dress: 1901 (Sale price: $82.90 | after sale: $125)
Shoes: Cole Haan (sale price $99.90 | after sale: $149.95)
Bag: Gigi New York, c/o | Earrings: J.Crew (sale price: $37.90 | after sale: $58)
Before we dive in to my picks for the best happy hour in Dallas, I need to talk to talk to y’all about this dress. I’m seriously obsessed with it!
It’s included in the Nordstrom Sale going on right now (shop my other top picks here) and it fits perfectly true to size. In the dressing room, I tried it on with flats (super cute weekend look!) and with heels (great work look for a business casual / dressy casual office environment!).
It comes in three colors but the tan is not enough and the red is too much… so I grabbed the midnight navy and it’s just right. And so so stunning in person! Oh AND it’s under $100 right now and available in sizes 0 to 18 in both regular and petite sizing. Yaaas.
Okay and now back to talking about happy hour:
My 5 Picks for the Best Happy Hour in Dallas:
Parliament
I honestly think that Parliament in State Thomas might have the best happy hour in Dallas. Not only is it a great little neighborhood spot with great cocktails, but it also has legit the best happy hour deals of all time.
And I really mean the best. During happy hour, most of their signature cocktails are $5 or less. You can’t get more budget-friendly than that! And not only is happy hour every weeknight until 7PM… you can also get happy hour prices anytime it’s raining outside.
I’ve hosted MBA events at Parliament, I’ve gone with colleagues, and I’ve met friends there for drinks. It’s always a lively atmosphere (without ever being too loud – that’s the worst!) and the bartenders are super knowledgeable.
Stirr
Stirr is one of my favorite spots in Deep Ellum. They have an excellent brunch, their dinner is A+, and their rooftop bar couldn’t possibly have better views of downtown Dallas.
So how did Stirr earn its spot on my picks for the best happy hour in Dallas? Their happy hour food deals. Yeah, sure: they also have amazing deals on wine and cocktails ($6 and under!), but I love to do happy hour at Stirr because of their food. It’s both deeeeelicious and under $10!
When I go to Stirr for happy hour with friends, I typically order the calamari and – my personal favorite – the tuna poke tacos. Highly recommend grabbing some of those next time you go! Oh also their happy hour is basically all afternoon (3PM-7PM), so if you get off work super early and want to grab a drink, it’s definitely the best place to go!
Blue Sushi Sake Grill
I actually went to the grand opening of Blue Sushi Sake Grill Uptown last winter and I was so impressed (this is their second location within Dallas). During happy hour, Blue Sushi Sake Grill has dozens of rolls, sashimi, and appetizers available for under $10 apiece.
Oh and their margarita is only $3.75 and their sake sangria (sounds odd, I know, but it’s so good!) is only $6.50!
My one major issue with Blue Sushi Sake Grill‘s happy hour is the fact that it’s only from 3PM to 6:30PM most days (not great for those of us who have to work late!). BUT they still managed to get on this list because they redeem themselves – fully – with their weekend happy hour. Friday and Saturday nights, you can get happy hour deals from 10PM to 11PM. On Sundays, it’s even better: noon to 8PM. All day happy hour. I can get behind that.
Boulevardier
I know this isn’t really the point of this post but if you are ever in need of a brunch spot, go to Boulevardier. This Bishop Arts staple has one of the best brunches in town… and it’s one of my top recommendations whenever somebody asks me for the best happy hour in Dallas.
Boulevardier’s happy hour is a little-known fact in Dallas. Aka you won’t be competing with the hoards of humans at Happiest Hour (which doesn’t do happy hour… makes zero sense to me). Their happy hour is each night (except for Mondays), 4:30PM to 6:30PM. And they’re accompanied by a deal of the day.
During happy hour, Boulevardier‘s classic cocktails (including my personal fav, the French 75), are each $5. But then on Tuesdays, that price lasts the whole night. And on Fridays, you can get bottles of champagne for 50% off and $1 oysters! Boom.
Blue Goose Cantina
Last but certainly not least, an old Dallas spot that likely won’t appear on too many roundups for the best happy hour in Dallas. But it should.
Blue Goose is one of my favorite spots for cheap Tex-Mex in town. Like Boulevardier, Blue Goose offers daily specials which extend past happy hour (Monday through Friday, 2:30PM to 6:30PM). My personal favorites are Mondays (all day happy hour), Wednesdays ($5 skinny margaritas), and Thursdays ($3 queso… and their queso is good, y’all!).
And, need I remind y’all: this place starts off as inexpensive. Then you factor in the happy hour and daily deals and it’s overwhelmingly easy to understand why I consider this spot to be the best happy hour in Dallas.
30 Before 30 Update
If you’re new to Glitter & Spice, here’s the low-down on this section:
When I turned 25, I wrote out a list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30. You can find that list (which I call my 30 Before 30 list!) here.
Each quarter, I publish my updates on the 30 Before 30 list. Anything I share in these updates is progress since the last update. AKA I don’t share what was completed 2 years ago.
Well, this time, there’s only one update. But it’s a major one:
28. Splurge on Something Big
Yep. Hi. I bought a house. IDK if y’all missed it. It happened. I’m adulting. Hard.
If you want more information about the house, click here to read my full post!
So… what to expect at the next update? By mid-October, I would like to have accomplished #25 (take a pastry-making class) and #27 (take a cooking class). And perhaps, by that time, I’ll have made a bit more progress on #22 (see 30 operas… I only have 5 left!).