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Houlihan’s Restaurant Lighter Fare Menu – Modern Cuisine with Less Calories! ($50 Giveaway)

Houlihan's Restaurant & Bar Sponsored Post

Last night, we enjoyed our first date night out in a while and decided to drive into Dallas to try a new restaurant to us, Houlihan’s Restaurant & Bar. Houlihan’s Restaurant lighter fare menu was just introduced in addition to their regular menu. I was interested!

While Houlihan’s has been around for a while, we’ve never taken advantage either for lunch or dinner, as it’s a bit of a drive for us into Dallas. There are 3 locations here in the Dallas/Ft Worth area (Dallas, Ft.Worth, Arlington), but you can find Houlihan’s in 83 locations nationwide.

 

Houlihan's Restaurant Ambiance

Houlihan’s atmosphere is quite unique in that it caters to a wide variety of guests. We visited the Dallas location located close to the Tollway and Belt Line. Since my husband and I were there for a Saturday night date, we loved the dimmed lights and romantic feel of the inside. Yet, there was a  bar at the other end of the restaurant, perfect for those meeting up for a drink or to watch the game (yes, tv’s). The best part was that we couldn’t hear the tvs and were not at all disrupted by the bar area. Loved that.

Another area was completely different as well, the outdoor seating, which one might enjoy with friends or family when those beautiful Spring days get here. Three wonderful areas to choose among.

Established in 1972, Houlihan’s is a progressive concept that bridges the gap between fine dining and what people have come to expect from casual dining, priding itself on style and quality. Houlihan’s offers guests a design-forward atmosphere featuring a curated indie music soundtrack, an eclectic menu designed for modern lifestyles, and an energetic scene.

But really, it was the food I was interested in the most.

SEARED GEORGES BANK SCALLOPS

Houlihan’s has created a new lighter fare menu that features entrees under 590 calories each. While right now the menu is only available for a limited time, I’m hopeful that it is wildly successful and stays permanently. 🙂

I chose the Seared Georges Bank Scallops, pictured above. Oh my goodness. The scallops were accompanied by lemon-asparagus risotto and baby arugula with basil-infused olive oil. I absolutely loved this dish and I will tell you that it is one of the few items on the lighter fare menu that already had a place on the regular menu. I will be back!

Other main entrees on the lighter fare menu include:

  • Lemon & Herb Grilled Chicken (CAL 550) – tuscan white beans, organic kale-spinach-chard blend, roasted artichokes, tomatoes, herbed broth
  • Miso Grilled Salmon (CAL 540) – miso-marinated atlantic salmon over stir-fried quinoa with steamed edamame, house-pickled cucumber, shaoxing sauce
  • Rice Noodle Salad with Ginger Soy USDA Prime Top Sirloin (CAL 590) – with napa slaw, basil, mint, snow peas, cilantro, scallions, roasted peanuts and chili-lime dressing

The lighter fare menu wouldn’t be complete without desserts, right? Desserts with less calories – sign me up!

Key Lime Mousse

There are currently 2 desserts on the lighter fare menu and I happened to try one of them – couldn’t resist!
  • Key Lime Mousse (CAL 420) layered with crystallized graham cracker crust, whipped cream
  • Chocolate Mousse (CAL 410) with fresh raspberries and whipped cream

As you can see, it was the Key Lime Mousse that I just couldn’t resist ordering. Plated inside a smaller glass Mason-type jar, the mousse was so light and airy – just perfect for an after-dinner dessert. Delicious.  I can’t wait to come back and try out the Chocolate Mousse!

CONFESSION – I’ll be honest. Not everyone at my table ordered from the lighter fare menu. 🙂 But then again, it’s not really my confession, is it? Well, except for the appetizer – the Calamari was amazing!

My husband ordered a 3-pack of Sliders! And they were oh, so interesting and tasty (I couldn’t help but try the Pot Roast slider).
  • Pot Roast with red wine mushroom gravy and crispy fried onions
  • Creekstone Farms Black Angus Burger with aged cheddar & ranch-style greens
  • Pulled Pork slow smoked, tossed in BBQ and topped with parmesan-crusted fried pickles
Thank you Houlihan’s for a wonderful date night! We will be back!
Visit www.houlihans.com or find Houlihan’s on Facebook at www.facebook.com/houlihans.

Now some extra fun for you:

GIVEAWAY:

One (1) lucky winner will win Dinner for 2 at Houlihan’s Restaurant & Bar (in the form of a $50 Gift Card to Houlihan’s)

HOW TO ENTER:
For your main entry, Leave a comment and tell me what looks great off Houlihan’s Restaurant lighter fare menu. That’s it.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

You can earn one extra entry for each of the following (leave separate comments for each):

2. Follow A Frugal Friend on Google +
3. Follow A Frugal Friend on Pinterest
4. Subscribe to A Frugal Friend via email or on Bloglovin
5. Follow A Frugal Friend on Instagram
6. Follow A Frugal Friend on Twitter
7. Follow Houlihans on Twitter
8. Tweet the following as is: Win a $50 Gift Card to @Houlihans and enjoy dinner for 2 from @AFrugalFriend #SoEatingThis http://tinyurl.com/k9p72sy

Be sure to Like A Frugal Friend on Facebook to hear the latest giveaways and deals!

(leave as separate comments please for each entry)
Giveaway ends at midnight (central time) on Saturday, March 8th, 2014! Valid for US residents and addresses only. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. No purchase necessary to enter. Winner will be randomly selected. Void where prohibited. I’ll announce (and contact by email) the winner on this post and the winner will have 2 days to get back to me for delivery details. Limit one set of entries per household.

Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by Houlihan’s via MomTrends.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Houlihan’s or Momtrends. 
CONGRATULATIONS TO #16 Kristen

Comments

  49. The Rice Noodle Salad with Ginger Soy USDA Prime Top Sirloin sounds wondeful, because I’m all about the beef! Yum!

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

  71. I think the Lemon & Herb Grilled Chicken off the Houlihan’s Restaurant lighter fare menu looks great!

  95. Follow A Frugal Friend on Google +
    — Gina Wildorchid
    wildorchid985 at gmail dot com

  97. I would love to try their lemon and herb chicken.

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    wildorchid985 at gmail dot com

  109. I think the Miso Grilled Salmon sounds delicious. I’d love to try it.
    Thank you!