Work sucks (and so does that Tinder date you were excited to meet last night who actually turned out to be someone who owned a pet ferret). Lucky for you, every single weekday there comes a moment when you’ve either finished all your to-do’s or read the entire internet. When that moment arrives, you deserve to get yourself to the nearest establishment serving drinks priced at what you actually deserve to pay for them.
And while alcohol is always good, the superior Happy Hour setup involves deals on both good drinks and good food. Luckily, Austin has many of them. We’ve put together a guide to our favorite places to cure the Monday scaries one half-priced drink and appetizer at a time.
the spots
When: Daily, 4-6pm
The Deal: Half off all food and sparkling wine
During June’s daily Happy Hour, everything on the menu - from fried chicken sandwiches to burrata - is half off. So is the champagne, which means you can have a proper toast to your new favorite Happy Hour in town.
When: Daily, 4-6pm
The Deal: $5-$6 bites; $4 drafts; $5 house wine; all bottles of wine under $100 half off
If it’s too early for dinner, grab a snack at Bufalina and order a bottle of wine normally reserved for an engagement announcement - or finishing a very elaborate puzzle - for half off. And then promptly get some pizza afterward.
When: Daily, 4:30-6:30pm
The Deal: $5-$8 appetizers; $5-7 select cocktails; $6 select wines; $1 off select beers
When it’s 4:30pm on a Friday, head to Yuyo with your coworkers for an impromptu “brainstorm.” You can get a pisco punch or glass of rosé sangria for $5-$7, along with a few appetizers, all of which will help you finish the week strong (or just start your weekend early).
When: Daily, 5-7pm
The Deal: $6 classic cocktails
If you want to claim a spot on Ah Sing Den’s patio before it fills up, stop by for a $6 classic cocktail from 5-7pm. When you get a second drink, make sure to order some dumplings or poke nachos, too.
When: Monday 4:30pm-close, Tuesday-Sunday 4:30-6:30pm
The Deal: Half-off appetizers; $2 off drinks at the bar
Unless you’re really going all-out, dinner at Jeffrey’s is a little expensive for a casual weeknight. But their daily Happy Hour is a great time to grab a few drinks and half-price appetizers at the bar, and see who goes out for $50 risotto on a Wednesday.
When: Sunday-Thursday, 2:30-6:30pm
The Deal: Daily drink specials; half-price food specials (5-6:30pm only)
If you’re only working a half-day, or think you might lose it if another person asks you to “circle back” in an email, head to Odd Duck for one of the earliest Happy Hours in town. You can get a $6 draft cocktail or some half-price wine, and see how long you can extend an already late lunch without your coworkers noticing.
When: Tuesday, 5-9pm (All Night), Wednesday & Thursday 5-7pm
The Deal: $5 snacks; half off select wine and cocktails; $1 off draft beer
Powerpoint presentation days are the worst days. But here’s some good news: powerpoint presentations don’t exist in real life - especially at places like Jacoby’s, which feels like a real escape from the hustle of downtown. This is the perfect spot to grab a patio table with friends, have a few drinks, and split some deviled eggs and hush puppies.
When: Daily, 5-6:30pm
The Deal: $6 makimono; $3-$8 tastings; $3-$7 sake and beer; $5 seasonal dessert
Uchi is best known for their sushi, but what they should actually be best known for is their “sake social,” the daily Happy Hour during which you can sample excellent rolls and classic Uchi bites for a fraction of the price. If you haven’t been, you’re doing things all wrong. P.S. this happens at Uchiko, too.
When: Weekdays, 4:30-6:30pm
The Deal: $3 sausages, pretzels, and beer cheese, & select cocktails and beers
Just need a place to kick back with some beers and snacks? You can’t do much better than Easy Tiger’s beer garden. $3 on everything you might want here means that even if you go a little crazy, there’s very little chance you’re spending more than $20.
When: Daily, 3–6pm
The Deal: Weekdays: 50 cents off oysters; half-off burgers; $5 martinis, oyster shooters & draft beer. Weekends: 50 cents off oysters; half-price bottles of wine; $5 oyster shooters
We love oysters, you love oysters. But everyone loves them more when they’re not so expensive. You’ll come to Clark’s for their Happy Hour-priced oysters, but you’ll stay for the burger (half-off has never looked so good) and patio.
When: Daily 3-6pm
The Deal: $4 beers; $5 sangría; $6-$7 margaritas; discounted appetizers
El Alma is home to one of the best patios in Austin, and somehow not everyone has figured out about it yet. Sit on the double-level roof under an umbrella, enjoy your Happy Hour margarita and guacamole, and feel pretty damn good about your decisions.
When: Weekdays, 5-7pm in the bar area
The Deal: Half-off margaritas; appetizer specials
Austin has many, many margaritas. But La Condesa’s margarita ranks at the very top of all of them. And during Happy Hour at the bar here, you can get it for half off.
When: Daily, 5-6pm
The Deal: Half-off cocktails, beer, wine, and full food menu
Hidden in the depths of Dirty Sixth, Parkside has a short but mean daily Happy Hour. Here’s your strategy: get there when it starts, order two of everything, and you’ll be set for the evening.
When: Daily, 5-7pm
The Deal: Beer $5; wine and cocktails $6; tacos $4; snacks $5; burger $7
“Asian fusion” might make you think of a sad hotel restaurant, but The Peached Tortilla couldn’t be farther from it. This is Southern food with an Asian twist (like Chinese pork tacos), and the bright, light environment is a great place to unwind after work.
When: Tuesday-Sunday, 4-6pm
The Deal: $5 cocktails and bites
Leaning towards an East Side night? Start out at Licha’s to kick it off with $5 margaritas and food. The only possible downside is that you might just end up sticking around all evening.
When: Weekdays 4-7pm, Weekends 2-5pm
The Deal: $7-$9 cocktails
Whisler’s is already a crowd favorite for its giant outdoor space, but its $7 cocktails are enough to make anyone a regular between 4 and 7pm. And while the Thai Kun truck in the back doesn’t do any Happy Hour specials on its food, everything is wallet-friendly anyway.
When: Mon-Thurs 5-7pm
The Deal: $1 off bar snacks, draft beer, and wine by the glass; $2 off cocktails; daily specials
The perfect post-work spot to grab a table outside and beers for the crew. In terms of the food, you can’t really go wrong - but the crispy green beans are an excellent way to eat your veggies while also eating something fried.
When: Weekdays 4-6pm, Weekends 3-4pm
The Deal: $4.50 margaritas; $1 off draft beers; half-price appetizers; $6 ceviche
You need to get to Takoba for its $6 ceviche, but you also need to get there early because the place fills up fast. Go heavy on the half-price appetizers and call it a meal.
When: Daily, 3-6:30pm
The Deal: $3-$8 cocktails and margaritas; pitchers $23-$35; appetizers $5-$10
El Chile is always an excellent decision for a group outing, though we make no promises about your inevitable fourth pitcher. This is the kind of place where it’s easy to stay and hang a while.
When: Daily 3-6pm
The Deal: $3 frozen margaritas; $12 margarita pitchers; beer $2.50-$4
You can never have too many margarita options when you live in the state of Texas, and Zocalo is an excellent one to have in your rotation. This is the back-pocket spot you whip out when your first-choice is already packed. You’ll probably be happier here anyway.
When: Daily 4:30-6:30pm
The Deal: $2 off all signature cocktails, beer, and wine; $5-$6 tacos and bites
At a lot of Happy Hours, you can get a single kind of cocktail and two kinds of appetizers for a slightly discounted price. Not Salty Sow. This is where you come for a Happy Hour smorgasbord, involving tons of cocktails (five kinds of margaritas alone) and tons of bites. If you’re trying to eat and drink well inexpensively, Salty Sow’s Happy Hour is one of the best options in town.
