Happy hour is back—in Illinois that is. A bill signed on July 15 overturned a more than 25-year prohibition on the discounting of alcoholic beverages at any point during the day. This puts bars and restaurants in the Land of Lincoln in a position to play catch up with other fine eateries and saloons across this great land. Take our advice, Chicago, and follow the leads of these fine establishments:
Austin, TX: Uchi + Uchiko
The Lone Star capital kicks some serious culinary butt, including some of the best barbecue and Tex-Mex for miles around. But that’s not all it’s doing right. Sibling Japanese restaurants Uchi and Uchiko have become darlings of Austin’s culinary scene. Their “Sake Social Hour” happens daily from 5-6:30 p.m. and includes tantalizing small bites ($4-$6) and dirt cheap sake specials ($3-$7).
Photo Credit: Paul Bardaji
San Diego: Brooklyn Girl
“America’s Finest City” is not the sleepy food town it was a decade ago. San Diego now brims with chic eateries to satisfy the hunger pains of its creative class, including the loft-like Mission Hills eatery Brooklyn Girl whose 3-6 p.m. Sunday through Friday “social hour” includes a dozen oysters for just $15 ($8/half dozen), pizza as low as $9, and an impressive list of specialty cocktails for a paltry $6.
New York City: John Dory Oyster Bar
We love the decor at this lively seafood joint inside the NYC Ace Hotel, including the swirly green curtains, mounted mirrors with seashells glue-gunned to them and twin aquariums hovering above the bar containing tropical fishes with the best views of the rollicking scene below. But what we really love at John Dory are happy hour specials—$2 oysters, half-off select drinks and $5 oyster shooters.
Photo Credit: Nicole Franzen
Maui and Oahu: Monkeypod
Nothing comes cheaply on the Hawaiian islands, so if a happy hour bargain is lurking out there somewhere we’ll gladly greet it with an aloha. Chic and cozy Monkeypod satisfies our post-beach cravings with $9 pizzas and half-price appetizers, $8 specialty cocktails, $4.75 draft beers, $6 house wines and more. Happy hour happens daily from 3-5:30 p.m. and again from 9:30-11 p.m.
Las Vegas: Border Grill at the Forum Shops
It was their all-you-can-eat small plates brunch that first turned us onto this Sin City Mexican grill, but we’re not going to say no to a 3-6 p.m. daily happy hour that includes a plethora of specials like tamales ($1), tacos ($2), quesadillas ($5) and oysters ($2) to wash down with five-buck margaritas and $4 Coronas. Border Grill originated in Los Angeles so check out their happy hour as well.
Denver: Work & Class
Hipsters, artists and young professionals are always packed elbow-to-elbow at this insanely popular meat-centric Mile High eatery. Exotic bites like green chile cheese fries and big pig in a blanket ($3-$4) keep the hunger in check while selected beers are just $2-$3 and the price of house wines drops to a wallet-friendly $4.
San Francisco: Blackbird
We love this handsome bar on Market Street that serves as a cozy and elegant meetup spot for denizens of the Castro, Hayes Valley and the Duboce Triangle. Their 5-8 p.m. daily happy hour includes deals on Bud, Bud Light and PBR ($2), well drinks ($4), margaritas ($6), wines ($5-$6) and more. Blackbird is just a bar but nearby Chow and Woodhouse Fish Company will satisfy all hunger pains.
