HOUGuide
The Best Happy Hours In Houston
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Some might say that Happy Hour is necessary for the survival of mankind. At the very least, Happy Hour is necessary to celebrate the survival of your last meeting of the day. Every Happy Hour has different strengths, but at the very least, there should be good drinks, delicious appetizers, and an atmosphere that fosters some fun. The spots below have all three (and then some) and make up our list of the very best Happy Hours in Houston.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Kathryn Worsham
When: 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. Try an Eternal Sunshine with fragrant orange blossom and gin or an electric-green house margarita shaken with avocado next to someone’s labradoodle named Bailey.
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. Get that, plus a kofta kebab, for less than a tank of gas.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
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. Snag a barstool and throw back a couple with a plate of house pickles or fried kreplach.
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.
photo credit: Under The Volcano
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.
photo credit: Gianni Greene
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. Sit at the bar and watch the latest sports game over $6 jumbo margaritas on Mondays, have a cheeseburger and a pint of beer for $10 on Wednesdays, and a $4 beer on Thursdays. 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.
photo credit: Jenn Duncan
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, tear into some discounted lemon pepper wings, and remind yourself that you don’t need an excuse to be fancy.
photo credit: Jenn Duncan
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.
photo credit: Grand Prize Bar
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 (anything from birria tacos to chili-cheese hotdogs). If you need to remember what the sun looks like, head up to the terrace overlooking Bell Park and soak up some vitamin D.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
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. On Fridays, there’s an extended Happy Hour that runs from 4-10pm.
photo credit: Liz Silva
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. Kamp provides unique Happy Hour offerings on weekdays, including $15 seafood boils on Mondays, $1 oysters on Wednesdays, and $10 seafood platters on Fridays.
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. Which means you can go to Hugo’s Happy Hour just to celebrate having a good day (suit jacket optional).
photo credit: Liz Silva
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.
photo credit: Liz Silva
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 and mini quesabirria tacos served with an eye-watering jalapeno crema sauce.
photo credit: Kathryn Worsham
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. Or enjoy $1 Gulf oysters, served by the half dozen.
photo credit: Liz Silva
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, and wrap everything up before it's even dark outside.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
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. The Happy Hour here runs weekdays from the moment Winnie’s is open until 5pm, so you can pop in for $7 house cocktails and daily food specials like $1 gulf oysters and $1 wings. And if Monday Happy Hour ends and you still don’t want to leave, burgers at Winnie’s are $5 after 5pm, which is the perfect excuse to spend a little more time hanging out on the adorable patio.
photo credit: Chelsea Thomas
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. The rock-bottom prices have remained unchanged for years, with BOGO $5 appetizers six days a week. And unlike your local used car lot with a questionable Cadillac Eldorado, Oishii isn’t advertising a false reality: the food is delicious, the portions are generous, and service is excellent. Get there as early as possible, order more than you can handle, and bask in the glory of a sushi dinner that’s worth way more than what you’re paying.
