Drink of the Summer Margaritas got a glam up. Here’s where to get the silky smooth cocktails in Dallas. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS W hat took us so long to get here? Dallas has a long history with the frozen margarita. In 1971, Mariano Martinez walked into a 7-Eleven, saw a Slurpee machine and had an epiphany: What if we put a margarita in that? Fifty-five years later, it seems like someone looked at a soft-serve machine and asked the very same thing. Recently, the soft-serve marg started trending online. It seems to have started in Ohio (we weren’t expecting that either). Bourbon Street Bar and Grill has staked a claim to being the first to bring it to Dallas. These drinks are super smooth, not icy but also not like “soft serve” in the dairy sense. It’s like a Dole Whip, the famous Disneyland drink, an ultra-smooth pineapple cloud-like slushie. (By the grace of all that is holy in the world, you don’t have to submit to a theme park to get one. Many tiki bars serve Dole Whip with rum.) We tried a soft-serve marg at Apothecary. It was not too sweet nor too strong, with a subtle flavor. The only debate here is how to drink/ eat it, as it sits somewhere between a solid and a liquid. This is Dallas, so we have no doubt you’ll all figure it out. We’ve not been so excited about a drink since they started putting decent wine in boxes with spouts. Apothecary 1922 Greenville Ave., Lower Greenville Apothecary 2.0 basically swallowed its sister concept, Michelin-rec- ognized Rye, in a friendly takeover. Co-owner Tannar Agar added a soft-serve margarita to the drink menu. The tequila-based cocktail is glossed up with grilled pineapple and a touch of mezcal. Oh-so-yum. These are served with little spoons, and you won’t be able to shovel them in fast enough. Get the beef cheek tacos to go with. It may be the best meal you’ll have all year. Bet me on it. Bourbon Street Bar and Grill 1833 Airport Freeway, Bedford Bourbon Street Bar and Grill is your mid-cities connection. It originally sold these at its sister concept, Barrel and Bones, but be- cause of demand, moved it over to this spot. Here, they spin tequila, agave and citrus into a dairy-free soft-serve margarita. These come with a Tajin rim, and flavor choices include mango, peach, straw- berry, dark cherry or passionfruit. Each is just $10. Get a Grand Mar- nier floater for $3. Throwing some Big Easy vibes at these could be dangerous. Gigi’s Plano 7300 Lone Star Drive, The Shops at Plano Based on Instagram, Gigi’s Bar and Lounge has a soft serve mar- garita that has mango, chamoy and Tajin. Hendy’s on Henderson 2401 N. Henderson Ave. This Henderson Avenue hotspot has just added soft-serve margs to its wild menu of cocktails. (It has an Orange Julius made with Ti- to’s, coconut, orange juice and vanilla). The Chef’s Grind 5804 Windhaven Parkway The Chef’s Grind (formerly Dirty Burger Bar) in The Colony has a soft serve with Tajin and chamoy. 18 DALLAS OBSERVER • CRAVE 2026
