Our guide to the best Happy Hour food and drink specials around the city.
LessWhen: Mon-Fri from 2-5pm. The Deal: half off all house cocktails, beer, and wines by the glass. Better Luck Tomorrow is one of The Heights' most well-worn patio bars. It’s from the same folks as its sister spots Anvil, Refuge, Squable, and Theodore Rex, and just as much booze. During Happy Hour, BLT’s sippability quotient doubles. Every weekday, the house cocktails, beers, and wines by the glass are half off from 2 to 5pm.
When: Monday 5-10pm and Tues-Sat 5-7pm. The Deal: $11 select cocktails, $10 wine by the glass, and a discounted food menu. Doris Metropolitan seems to think happiness should last at least five hours, instead of only one. This Montrose steakhouse offers its Happy Hour menu all night on Monday. That’s likely because the $8 seasonal bread and butter plate, served with three different miniature housemade loaves, tastes way too incredible to only be available for a couple of hours a day.
When: Mon-Fri 3-6pm. The Deal: (Bar seating only) Half off cocktails, beer, and wine by the glass and $6-15 appetizers. In a world where cocktails can cost upwards of $18, finding a crisp martini for under ten bucks is like finding an open parking spot right when you pull into the Galleria garage. But the Jewish deli Kenny & Ziggy’s has half-price cocktails every weekday, making the house martini an awe-inspiring $7.50.
When: Mon-Fri 3-5pm. The Deal: Half-price burgers and martinis, 50 cents off oysters, $5 oyster shooter. With a patio practically built for pre-gaming, Clark’s Oyster Bar in Montrose has a concise Happy Hour of martinis and oysters, because, well, what else do you need? With a wide selection of raw oysters and a loose definition of martinis (the menu includes Manhattan and a Martinez cocktail), leaving the office early to hit up Clark’s makes a few extra emails the next morning worth it.
When: Mon-Fri 2-7pm. The Deal: $4-$14 appetizers, beers from $5, $8-11 cocktails. At the Dia De Los Muertos-themed bar Under The Volcano, there’s a little corner for everyone. Live music fills the room as regulars chat with bartenders freshly pressing juice for cocktails, and the crew of work buddies are hanging loose on the patio after a day at the office. No matter where you are at the bar, during Happy Hour, you can kick back with $5 queso, $7 rib tips, and a $6 beer to unwind.
When: All day Monday, Tue- Fri 11am-6pm. The Deal: $6 draft beer, $8 cocktail, $9 wine, $6 appetizers. At the Garden Oaks seafood restaurant Millie’s, Happy Hour feels like a precursor to sticking around longer. The interior of this place is a dreamy blue that makes us feel a bit like we’re at sea. And if you come on Monday, you can enjoy the best of what Millie’s has to offer all day long. Sit at the bar and nurse an $8 old-fashioned or dig into some smoky pimento cheese with your pals.
When: Mon-Fri 3-7pm. The Deal: $5 mules, $4 beers, $6 jumbo margaritas, $10 burger and pint, rotating daily specials. As the unofficial bar of U of H students, prices at The Den are pretty affordable in general. But during Happy Hour, the Third Ward sports bar transforms into a wonderland of shockingly discounted food and drinks. Spending a Happy Hour at The Den means reminding yourself of the simpler times, and how they are only as far as you want them to be.
When: Mon-Fri 5-7pm. The Deal: $9 cocktails, $6 glasses of wine, $8-10 appetizers. During Happy Hour, you can get the royal treatment at the downtown steak and seafood restaurant Bungalow if you’re balling on a budget. Take a seat at the plush bar and grab a plate of smoky pineapple jerk wings for $10, or a sidecar to go with your seafood dip. And with half priced appetizers and drinks, the complimentary champagne you’re greeted with goes down just a little bit smoother.
When: Mon-Fri 3-7pm. The Deal: $9 cocktails, $6 glasses of wine and champagne, $8-11 appetizers. A trip to The Warwick for dinner is not for a casual weeknight meal. This Galleria Cajun-Creole restaurant is filled with folks coming to celebrate any special occasion in their finest threads. But if the next major life milestone is a while away, there’s always daily Happy Hour here. Sit at the glittering bar, order a $10 sidecar and tear into some discounted lemon pepper wings.
When: Tue-Sun 4-6pm. The Deal: $10 cocktails, $1 gulf coast oysters, $8 duck confit wings. During Happy Hour at Eau Tour in Rice Village, you should get the crispy duck confit wings and some baked mussels, or go full throttle into happiness and order an ET Happy Meal, which comes with a burger, lager, and fries. And there’s nothing quite as fancy as sipping a $7 martini on a golden stool as you throw back $1 oysters to your heart's content.
When: Everyday 4-8pm. The Deal: $5 draft beers, $3 well drinks, $6-$8 beer and shot. Grand Prize Bar in the Museum District offers the best type of Happy Hour: one that happens every damn day. The inside of the two-story dive bar is entirely blacked out, save for the neon lights scattered throughout to help you see the menu. Order a “Happy Meal” (a beer and a shot), shoot a round or two of pool, and work up an appetite for the rotating menu of bar food coming out of the kitchen.
When: Mon-Thu 4-8pm; Fridays 4-10pm. The Deal: $7 frozen drinks, cocktails, $3 beers, $6 premium liquors, half off chicken and beef sliders, $5 ½ portion quesadilla, $22 quesadilla and bottle of red or white wine. The Savoy, the rustic bar and grill in the Third Ward, is great for watching the game or hanging with friends on their massive heated patio. Come in Monday through Thursday for $3 beers, $7 frozen cocktails, half-priced mini sliders, and a half-portion quesadilla for $5.
When: Mon-Fri 4-6pm; Sat-Sun 11am-6pm. The Deal: $4-$6 appetizers/small entrees, discounted margaritas and pitchers, $2.75 beer of the day. El Patio in the Galleria neighborhood is no stranger to a good time, so it’s fitting that this classic Tex-Mex spot has Happy Hour specials every day. Swing by with a few of your work besties and have discounted margaritas by the pitcher, or come solo and grab their $2.75 beer of the day and devour $6 nachos, $5 tamales, or $4 flautitas.
When: Mon-Fri 5-8pm. The Deal: $5 mixed drinks, and rotating daily specials (which include 50 cent wings, $10 fried fish platter, $1 raw and chargrilled oysters). Happy Hour at Kamp, a clubstaurant in the Galleria with a huge patio, is a good time no matter which weekday you go. Drink specials are available between 5-8pm, but food specials last all day, which means the Happy Hour starts whenever you show up.
When: Mon-Fri 4-7pm. The Deal: $6 House Margaritas, Half off ceviche, nachos, flautitas, chalupas, and several enchiladas etc. At Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen, the Tex-Mex spot in Memorial, Happy Hour is about as cozy as you can get without actually being in your home. Monday through Friday, Sylvia’s offers discounted house margaritas, half-price nachos, flautitas, enchiladas, and more. On Tuesdays you can also get $5 tacos rancheros, beef fajita tacos, and tamales for $8.
When: Tue-Fri 3-6:30pm. The Deal: $8 cocktails, $4-6 tacos, half off appetizers. Dinner at Hugo’s, the classic Montrose spot serving traditional Mexican dishes, is usually reserved for a birthday, anniversary, or any occasion that calls for your good suit jacket. But Tuesday through Friday, the Happy Hour here includes $8 cocktails, $4-6 tacos, and half off appetizers like the ceviche verde and chicken taquitos.
When: Tue-Thu 5-6pm. The Deal: Half off wine by the glass, Half off select pizzas, $5 cocktails, $3 beers, $15 half-dozen oysters. The Happy Hour at Tiny Champions, an Italian spot EaDo, is only from 5-6pm. But you can fill every minute sitting on their cozy patio with a half-price pizza, half-price glasses of wine, and $5 cocktails. You can also get half dozen oysters for $15, which are only available for Happy Hour.
When: Mon-Fri 4-7pm. The Deal: $2 off original cocktails, $7 highball, $7 house classic cocktails, $8 queso, $8 guacamole, $6 brussels sprouts, $6 mini quesabirria tacos. We don’t know too much about how raccoons like to party, but if the vibe is anything like Trash Panda Drinking Club, then we want the next invite. At this dive-y spot in Northside Village, you can spend Happy Hour sitting under fluorescent red lights while you listen to house music deep cuts with $7 classic house cocktails.
When: Mon-Fri 3-6:30pm. The Deal: $6 cocktails, well drinks, and house wine, $8-$11 bar bites. Oporto Fooding House & Wine is a warm and airy spot serving Portuguese food in the Fourth Ward. Any day of the week from 3-6:30pm, you can grab a spot at the sleek bar with marble countertops shiny enough for an HGTV cameo, have a $6 caipirinha, $6 well drinks, and one of their many appetizers like grilled chorizo, pizza, and lulas fritas all for under $10.
When: Tue-Thu 4-6pm. The Deal: $4 beer, $5 wine, $7 margs and old fashioned, catfish nuggets, mac and cheese, burger, truffle brussels sprouts ($6-8 dollars). If you had the type of day that only a mountain of cheese can fix, spend Happy Hour at Lucille’s, a family-owned Southern comfort spot in the Museum District. Here, you can relax, have a $7 old-fashioned, and leave the day behind with $8 catfish nuggets, $7 baked mac and cheese, or a $10 burger (or, all three).
When: Mon-Fri 3-6pm. The Deal: $5 dollar house wines and well drinks and jack and coke, $7 moscow mules and old fashioned, $6 dollar apps and butter burgers. At Bosscat Kitchen & Libations, a River Oaks spot serving Southern comfort food, the Monday through Friday Happy Hour is best spent with a $5 old fashioned and any of their $6 appetizers like short rib grilled cheese, ahi tuna wraps, or one of their glistening butter burgers.
When: Tue-Fri 4-7pm. The Deal: $7 drinks and appetizers, $1 gulf oysters (½ doz minimum). Brennan’s shaded French Quarter-style courtyard is a dreamy spot for a cocktail or two. Luckily, this classic Creole restaurant in Midtown offers Happy Hour Tuesday to Friday from 4 to 7pm exclusively at the tree-lined brick courtyard bar. For only $7 each, you can have a glass of wine, a house cocktail, or an appetizer like cajun pepper seafood campechana.
When: All day Mon, Tue-Thu 5-6:30pm, Fri-Sun 2:30-5pm. The Deal: Every day has $5-$6 bar bites, $6 wine by the glass, $7 cocktails, $5 drafts, and $3 canned/bottled beer. There’s also a different food and/or drink special every day. The Vietnamese restaurant Xin Chao in the Sixth Ward has the remedy for your Sunday Scaries. Well, actually, they have a remedy for the whole week, because Happy Hour happens every night.
When: Mon-Fri 2-6pm. The Deal: $5 bar bites , $8 sandwiches, $5 Aki Sour, Yuzu Spritz, and Boozy Slushies, $4-$5 for select beer and glasses of wine. The mid-afternoon Happy Hour at Loro, an Asian smokehouse in The Heights, runs every Monday to Friday from 2 to 6pm, and it’s a great setup for an early dinner with kids, a coworker get-together, or even catching up with a third-tier friend. Order some $5 bar bites, grab a $5 sandwich, and get a few $5 cocktails, beers, or glasses of wine.
When: Mon-Fri 11am-5pm. The Deal: $7 house cocktails until 5pm and rotating daily specials (which include weekly sandwich specials, $1 gulf oysters, and $1 wings). The good-time energy at Winnie’s, a vibrant Cajun-Creole bar in Midtown, can be felt as soon as you walk through the doors. There’s plenty of space at the massive bar to cozy up on their bright-yellow chairs and decide which frozen drink will keep you company.
When: Mon-Fri 3-7pm, Sat 3-6pm. The Deal: $2.50 domestic beer, $3 imported beer, $3.50 hot sake, $4 house wine by the glass, and $5 appetizers that are buy one, get one free (dine-in only). Waiting in line for Happy Hour at Oishii is a Houston right of passage, one we should protect at all costs. The tiny spot in Greenway is an institution—order the same custom maki roll enough, and Oishii will enshrine your questionable taste on the menu permanently.