Best Martini in Arlington, TX

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Two martinis on the list, every classic off it

The printed drinks book at Mercury Chophouse – Arlington names two martinis, both in the after-dinner section: an Espresso Martini at $17 and a Chocolate Martini at $16. The classic martini, gin or vodka, dry or wet, olive or twist, is not printed because it does not need to be. The bar is a full bar, the bartenders make it to order, and the price depends on the spirit you choose. That is the honest shape of the martini offer here: two house versions with fixed prices, and the classic built to your specification.

What makes a martini worth driving to is the room it is served in, and that is where the ninth floor pulls ahead of a hotel lobby bar in the district. More on that below.

The Espresso Martini, classic or contemporary

The Espresso Martini is $17 and the menu offers it two ways, classic or contemporary. The bar does not print what separates the two versions, so ask which is which when you order; the difference is in the build, not the price. Either way it is the drink that ends the most dinners on the ninth floor, because it does the job of coffee and dessert in one glass.

Guests who want the coffee without the vodka can order an Espresso at $5 or an Affogato at $8, and guests who want the vodka without the coffee are back to the classic martini. The Carajillo, $17, layered or shaken, is the other espresso drink on the list for a table that would rather skip vodka. The after-dinner page lists the coffee libations that sit beside it.

The Chocolate Martini

The Chocolate Martini is $16 and is built on a house-made vanilla vodka with Mozart, the Austrian chocolate liqueur. The house infusion is the detail that separates it from a chain version: the vanilla is done in-house rather than poured from a flavored bottle. It is sweet, and it is meant to be; order it in place of dessert, or beside the Chocolate Torte at $15 if the evening calls for chocolate twice.

Next to it on the list sit five shaken ice cream cocktails, from the Grasshopper at $17 to the Brandy Alexander at $18, for guests who like the idea of a dessert martini but want cream in the glass.

Ordering a classic gin or vodka martini

Ask for a martini and the bartender will ask three questions: gin or vodka, how dry, and olive or twist. Spirits named elsewhere on the cocktail list give a sense of what is on the back bar: Citadelle gin in the Flight Delay, Wheatley vodka in the Ladies First, St George citrus vodka in the Arlington Cosmopolitan. Ask for the full gin and vodka shelf if you have a preference; the list does not print a martini price, so ask that too.

For guests who want a stirred, spirit-forward drink from the printed list instead, the MCA Smoked Manhattan at $18 and the Naked & Famous at $19 are the two closest cousins. The full list is on the cocktails page.

The setting

The bar is marble-topped with a full back bar and TVs, and the grand piano stands beside the windows a few steps away, played on select evenings; call to ask which nights. The windows are the point. From the ninth floor of Brookhollow Two the view runs across Six Flags, Globe Life Field and AT&T Stadium, and the sun sets behind them, around 8:35 PM in June and 7:00 PM in October, which is the hour a first martini tends to be poured.

Dress is business casual, so the martini crowd fits without effort: collared shirts encouraged, no ball caps, no hoodies. The bar opens with the dining room at 11:00 AM on weekdays and 4:00 PM on Saturday and is closed on Sunday. The tower’s garage and outdoor lot are free.

Before the steak, or after

A classic martini is the traditional opener at a chophouse, and it works here before a 6 oz Center-Cut Filet Mignon at $62 or a Hand-Cut Ribeye at $75, with the Filet Mignon Cigars at $17 or the MCA Shrimp Cocktail at $19 as the plate beside it. The Espresso Martini and the Chocolate Martini belong at the other end of the meal, after a Key Lime Pie at $16 or in place of one.

Parties of six or more carry a 20% gratuity, and a group of 8 to 20 can book The Boardroom for a martini hour before a seated dinner; the bar page covers the room in more detail.