There are few things better than a girls weekend getaway.  Food, drinks and laughs with your girls; sunshine, day parties and warm summer evenings.  KT, TK and I took a trip to Dallas to visit Janá and did our best to pack a summer’s worth of fun into a weekend.  We even managed to rope Janá’s husband Jesse into a few things during our weekend in Dallas.

Things got off to an interesting start before we even left for Dallas.  TK strained a muscle in her back, lifting something heavy earlier in the week.  Long story short, she was limping along like a senior citizen on the day of our departure. We had to wheel her through the airport when we touched down in Dallas.  As KT said, nothing stops our travels!

Y’all Eatin Agaaaain???

Much like our visit to Atlanta, our weekend in Dallas shaped up to be a mostly food-centric experience.  What can I say?  My girls and I like to eat.  Apparently, too often for some- as Janá’s daughter looked at us incredulously four hours after breakfast and said, “Y’all eating again???!”  Umm, yes.  It’s called lunch time.  Here are some (mostly food related) highlights from my first trip to Dallas.

Happy Hour at Parliament

With the dark wood and leather seating, Parliament has an old school speak easy vibe.  Arriving at the beginning of happy hour on Friday, we were able to grab the last spot in the house, as it filled up quickly.

Our waitress brought us some shots along with our cocktails.  I’m not sure what they were but they were fruity, fabulous and a nice way to toast the start of our weekend.

2. Brunch @ Moxie’s

Janá and Jesse took us to Sunday brunch at Moxie’s.  My French toast was awesome, along with a couple refreshing Palomas- perfect brunch vibes.   With the outdoor patios and drink specials, Moxie’s looks like it would be a great spot for happy hour too.

3. Day Party @ Pilikia

Anyone who knows me knows I love a good day party.  Music, cocktails, beautiful people- and I don’t have to be out until 2am.  We’re grown, we gotta get up in the morning.  Pilikia was the scene for our day party experience in Dallas.  A tiki bar, outfitted with all the island decor you’d expect, we reserved a table on the outdoor patio.

On a hot day in Dallas, Pilikia could have used some misters on their patio- the fans didn’t quite cut it.  That said, once the sun got lower, things cooled down and the space filled up quickly.

Music, hookah, cocktails and the girls- all the necessary ingredients for the perfect day party.

4. Flex Your Skills @ Topgolf

Believe it or not, we actually did something other than eat on this trip!  Granted, it was one thing, but still.  With roughly zero golf experience shared between five of us, we made our way to Topgolf determined to get our Tiger Woods on.  Apparently it’s a popular activity, as we had to wait for a spot to open up.  Fortunately, Topgolf has a full bar (and serves food), so you can entertain yourself while you wait (or while you golf).  I’m pretty sure my pre-game drink helped my golf swing.

6. Soul Food @ Sweet Georgia Brown

Sweet Georgia Brown is one of those no-frills, down home type of places.  You go for the food, not the ambiance.  With cafeteria style service, sectioned styrofoam containers and a menu where macaroni and cheese is considered a vegetable- don’t eat breakfast before you come.  You’re going to need your appetite to make a dent in your plate from Sweet Georgia Brown.

The man at the counter wanted to be my friend and gave me about 5 pounds of sweet potatoes.  No joke, he had to give me a second container for my chicken wings.  I could have fed a small village.  If I had to do it again, I’d go earlier in the weekend.  We went a few hours before we left Dallas and had to leave our leftovers behind.  I should have put some yams in a ziploc bag.  You’re welcome, Jesse.

6. Drinks @ Sandaga 813

Janá had to work one night during our visit, so Jesse took us out to Sandaga 813.  When we pulled up, we could hear the music from outside.  Sounded like a party, but walking inside it was a ghost town.  The girls and I looked at each other, but Jesse seemed unbothered, continuing through the space and out the back door.  The door opened to music and well over a hundred people partying in a low key back patio area, complete with a DJ on the deck and tents set up as the bar area.  It was like a backyard house party, a great way to spend our Sunday night.

If you stop by during your visit to Dallas, keep it casual.  We had on heels that we definitely didn’t need to wear.  Cute, but too much for the backyard, mellow vibe of Sandaga.

Brown Lady Travel Tips

If you happen to be in Dallas on a rainy day, word on the street is Parliament has happy hour anytime it’s raining.  How’s that for a silver lining?!

If you want to eat at Sweet Georgia Brown, go during off-peak hours.  We were there on a Tuesday around 2pm.  I heard that most times at lunch, the line is out the door.

Don’t drink Fireball at 10am… unless your name is TK or Jesse.  I digress, that’s a story for another time.  This weekend was on fire though… pun intended.

Anybody have any Dallas favorites I should add to the list for our next trip??