Category Archives: Closed

Boxwood Tap (closed)

Dear John (err … TABC),

I’m sorry that things ended the way they did. I know we had something really great … but you had to go and ruin it. Was it me? Was I getting fat? Did I nag you too much? For whatever reason you decided to leave, good riddance. I’ve met someone else, and he’s really sexy, gets me drunk, and never makes me wait on him.

Love,
Susie Drinks Dallas (and the rest of Dallas)

My new love is Boxwood Tap & Grill, one of Dallas’ newest bars in the beautifully remodeled 80-year-old TABC space. With hardwood floors, large area rugs, and soft lighting, you may feel as though you’re in your own living room noshing on snacks and sipping cocktails (but with an extremely loud party all around you and cocktails better than you could hope to make yourself).

The crowd it very Uptown, but skews older Uptown. You’ll find plenty of dudes in suits after work and locals who schlepped the few blocks to the new neighborhood “hot spot”.

The menu by (the extremely pleasant) Chef Jason Wade is approachable, consists of sandwiches, salads, cheese plates, snacks, and entrees with some locally-sourced ingredients. (The cheese plate comes with these pillows of herby goat cheese heaven that aren’t to be missed.) Portion sizes seem pretty decent, but the “snacks” seem a bit small (though they’re pretty inexpensive, so they’ll still do … since they’re snacks and all).

The drink menu, while short, was created by Bar Manager Eddie Panozzo with a bit of help by cocktail master Jason Kosmas. Here are my thoughts:

Nada Colada (roasted pineapple & cinnamon-infused rum, lime juice, coconut puree) | almost a non-frozen version of a pina colada, the cinnamon really comes out and give it a warmer taste
Peche 75 (gin, pureed peaches, lemon juice, prosecco) | the peach flavor is quite refreshing, but the prosecco seemed a bit like overkill. I liked the touch of lemon juice to add a bit of complexity
Mule Thyme (vodka, thyme, lime juice, ginger beer) | BRING ME ANOTHER! Zomg. I do love a Moscow Mule, but the added herbiness made this a bit more exciting than the new staple
The Woods (rye whiskey, elderflower liqueur, Creole bitters, orange bitters) | Another drink that knocked it out of the park. I wish I’d have had one all to myself, but my drinking buddy for the night had the extreme prowess to order it. I wasn’t sure if the two different bitters flavors would fight too much, but they ended up blending beautifully and complimenting the whiskey. GET THIS DRINK.

The beer menu offers a wide range of local, domestic, and import beers on tap and bottled. Red and white wines along with a few sparkling wines. I’d recommend the 90+ … because it’s awesome. I didn’t have a chance to try the pitchers, but I plan to.

Once the weather cools down (which feels like it may never happen), this huge patio will be the place to be. Large umbrellas, a full outdoor bar, plenty of seating, and some TVs make it … well, awesome.

Brunch will start soon, and I hope drink specials will follow. Oh, and late night is a thing here.

Boxwood Tap
www.boxwoodtg.com | @boxwoodtg
2901 Thomas Ave.
(214)220-2901

Monday – Sunday: 4PM – 2AM
Dinner Menu: 4PM – 11PM

Late Night Menu: 11PM – 1:30AM

J. Black’s feel alright lounge – CLOSED

With all the hype I had heard about the new bar/eatery on Henderson, I was stoked to try J. Black’s. With each brick that went up, my anticipation grew. As it turns out, my stomach and I could have put off the visit. We showed on their grand opening and walked into a bar that may as well be Blackfinn moved from Beltline to Henderson; there just isn’t really anything novel about the place. The patios are nice so sit outside if you can find a spot and stand the infestation of flies.

The crowd is basically the Dallasites who had been cast out from Liar’s Den/Madison/Geisha House; look for expensive cars, fake tans, and tight shirts … nothing like their Austin version. If that’s your scene, eat it up because there is plenty of fun to be had and people to meet. You can people watch while waiting for your waiter (who may take a while).

The drinks aren’t awful; some are creative but most are weak. The orange mojito isn’t worth the excitement because the first sip proves that it is all orange and no mojito – expectation hangover. The Texas Martini isn’t as good as Blue Goose’s but will do. The drinks don’t really pack enough punch to carry their price tag.

Their food is another story. I don’t consider myself a foodie; I know when something tastes good but that’s really it. That being said, I wasn’t a huge fan of their food other than their homemade croutons. I may have tried a couple more of the apps if they hadn’t made my stomach hurt. :/

Basically, try it if you feel compelled … but it’s not necessarily a must-do unless you’re ready to wait a good while for your drinks.

Drink strength: 2.8
Overall: 3

J. Black’s Feel Good Lounge
www.jblacks.com
2409 North Henderson Avenue | (214) 613-2525

Specials:
Monday-Friday | 4-8 p.m. | $1 off all drinks, 25% off bottles of wine, 1/2 price select appetizers
Sunday | all day | $1 off all drinks, 25% off bottles of wine, 1/2 price select appetizers

amster-DAMN bar (Closed)

With the places I’ve spent time in Dallas, Exposition Park was new to me. The drive down there from my office and finding parking was a bit stressful (my friends did the smart thing and took the Green Line which stops right across the street from A.B.) but when I arrived, a drink was promptly shoved into my hand and we ventured out onto the roomy patio.

The patio has quite a bit of “potential”; the night we went it was a bit cool but I can imagine how nice it would be on a beautiful Dallas Spring day. We caught up and sipped our cheap(ish) drinks … and then another drink … and then another. It’s the kind of place you get caught up and spend a bit too long drinking (in a good way).

The waiter was nice enough to bring drinks out to our table since we were the lone group braving the chilly wind. He was quite friendly, also.

Check out their blog … it’s so incredibly random but interesting.

Thumbs up: fun area, pizza place right next door, Green Line is WAY convenient, AMAZING music, fun decor

Drink strength: 3.5
Overall: 4

The Amsterdam Bar
831 Exposition Avenue – Dallas, Texas 75226 | (214) 827-3433
www.amsterdambar.blogspot.com

Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen (closed)

We all know that Kent Rathbun can cook … little did we know the man who defeated Bobby Flay on “Iron Chef” is also a master of mixology behind the bar.

After sloshing through the rain, walking through the rotating doors into Blue Plate was like walking into a (classy) cabin – I almost expected to see a crackling fire and hear a triangle beckoning me for dinner. The sidways rain outside begged a drink and our bartender, Autumn, served them up with a smile.

I had a Raspberrytini, Passionate Kiss, and the Rip Tide (Autumn’s creation). All three were fantastic (and not only because of the price tag) and the various wines ordered around the table were enjoyed, nay, savored. Special commendation should be offered for the Dirty Blue Martinis, a martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives (sadly, I am allergic to blue cheese so can’t give my personal opinion on this drink).

We ordered appetizers, chowed down on the bread basket, and sipped our cocktails without realizing 3-1/2 hours slipped by. Nine o’clock on a Friday night cut our night short but we enjoyed every second in Kent Rathbun’s world … even though the plates weren’t blue.

Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen
6130 Luther Ln | (214) 890-1103
www.kentrathbun.com/blueplate/dallas | @chef911

Specials:
11am – 6pm | half off $8 wine selections by the glass
11am – 6pm, 9pm – 11pm | specialty cocktails $5, traditional cocktails $4

J. Pepe’s (closed)

Here’s the deal … I’d love to write a witty intro for J.Pepe’s, but I’m hungover from all the fun that started there last night! 4 drinks and an enchilada dinner into my evening I was only $13.50 down and somewhat buzzed (which for me rarely happens after only 4 drinks). Pretty fantastic for a Monday evening.

The drinks aren’t too watered down, and the bartender, Asher, was really nice (even though he wouldn’t replace our salsa??). I told him to make me my next drink when it got down to a certain line on the glass … and he did. Quite impressive. He even gave us input on a discussion we were having.

They also have a pool that people can actually use – enough said.

Bottom line: J.Pepe’s has the right idea … cheap drinks, friendly people, and a pool. Done.

J. Pepe’s
www.jpepesgreenville.com
3619 Greenville Ave | (214)821-6431