PHLGuide
The Best Happy Hours In Philadelphia
photo credit: GAB BONGHI
You show up to work daily and look productive enough not to get fired. After crossing a few tasks off your to-do list and reading every opinion piece on the Sixers’ new stadium, you deserve to leave the office and get a drink that doesn’t cost $28. So here’s a guide to Philly’s best Happy Hours deals. It’s everything you need to entice you to block off an “appointment” in your calendar and leave the office early.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: GAB BONGHI
When: Daily, 4-7pm
The Deal: $5 Beer, $6 House Wine, $7 Cocktails, And $6-$7 Small Plates
You want to get to Midtown Village’s Double Knot early if you plan on getting a table or a seat at the bar during Happy Hour, because as soon as it opens, it feels like everybody who works within view of William Penn descends upon the Japanese restaurant. And it’s no wonder—the drinks are cheap and really good. They also discount a bunch of their excellent small plates to just $6, including their dreamy edamame dumplings, crispy chili chicken bao, and spicy tuna hand rolls.
When: Tuesday-Friday, 3-6pm
The Deal: $5 Beers, $7 Margaritas and Sangrias, $9 Cocktails, $3.50 Tacos, And $6-$7 Small Plates
If you have to endure Happy Hour with your friend who always “forgets” their debit card, do it with some of the best margaritas and tacos in the city at almost half their usual price. The West Passyunk spot has TVs and tables for big groups to enjoy wallet-friendly nachos, fried shrimp with smoked chipotle sauce, and chicken tinga tostada.
photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo
When: Daily, 4-6pm (only at the bar)
The Deal: $5 Beer, $6 Wine, $7 Cocktails, And $1-$7 Small Plates
A price-slashed oyster Happy Hour will never go out of style. That’s why this Midtown Village spot is more crowded than the AMC when any Marvel film opens. To grab a stool, get there early, and then load up on crudo, mussel toast, and crispy fish sandwiches.
photo credit: Gab Bonghi
When: Tuesday-Friday, 4-6pm
The Deal: $2 Oyster Shooters, $3 Drafts, And $5 Seasonal Punch
You’ll probably see half of Center City at Oyster House during Happy Hour since this place has both great Happy Hour deals ($2 oysters) and an excellent, seafood-focused menu. FYI—the lobster roll is fantastic, in case you decide to stay for dinner after a few glasses of punch.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
When: Monday-Thursday, 5-7pm, Saturday 4-7pm, Sunday 4-6pm (only at the bar)
The Deal: $7 House Wine, $8 Spritzes, Daily Cocktails, And Draft Beer, And $8-12 Small Plates
A decision to go to Spring Art’s Osteria is always a good one. One of our favorite Italian restaurants in the city, it’s ideal for all sorts of situations—date night, dining solo at the bar, and, most importantly, trying to reach pasta and pizza utopia. Besides the discounted drinks, there’s grilled octopus, chicken liver rigatoni, and seasonal wood-fired pizzas.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
When: Monday-Friday, 4-6pm
The Deal: 50% Off All Bottles Of Sparkling Wine, $4-$7 Cocktails, And $6-$8 Small Plates
There are only a few Happy Hours in Philly that are good enough to stay for dinner, and this intimate East Passyunk wine bar is one of them. Enjoy beef tartare with a mustard vinaigrette, a $4 sherry and brandy cocktail, and some more discounted snacks while you save room for their whole branzino later.
When: Tuesday-Sunday, 5-6pm
The Deal: $5 Beer, $6 Wine, $7 Cocktails, And $5 Small Plates
It's one of the shortest Happy Hours in the city—they take the term literally here—but it also includes some of our favorite sliders. To capitalize on your 60 minutes at this Center City restaurant, go straight for an old fashioned (one of their specialties), and an unhinged amount of fried shrimp po’ boy, hot and spicy chicken, and pulled pork sliders.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
When: Daily, 4-6pm
The Deal: $3-$7 Select Small Plates, $3 Tecates, $6 Citywide, $8 Modelos, $7 Wines, And $6-$8 Specialty Cocktails
With one of the biggest, brightest, and pinkest spaces in Philly, we get why La Chinesca’s Happy Hour always draws a crowd. They have $7 quesabirria tacos, $5 Tijuana street dogs, and $6 and $7 tequila and mezcal cocktails, making it one of our favorite places for a deal of a meal in Spring Garden.
When: Monday-Friday, 4-6pm; Sunday-Monday, 10pm-12am
The Deal: $6 Margaritas, $20 Pitchers, $2 Off Draft Beer, $9 Sangrias, And $2-$5 Snacks
East Passyunk’s Cantina Los Caballitos has one of the most popular Happy Hours in the city, and it’s even better when it’s sunny enough to sit on their umbrella-filled patio. Whether you’re inside or out, you can get discount Mexican hot dogs, chicken taquitos, and refreshing frozen margarita pitchers to split with friends.
When: Wednesday-Friday, 5-6pm
The Deal: $5 Draft Beers, $9 Cocktails And Wine, 13% Off Wine Bottles, And $1.5-$7 Small Plates
A discounted wine bottle list, $1.50 oysters, and great food in a chic, cozy space—three excellent reasons to head to Headhouse Square’s Bloomsday. Outside of their usual $6 Lebanon bologna sandwich and baba ganoush, there’s also a special Friday Happy Hour deal that includes two burgers, patatas bravas, and a bottle of wine for $65.
POWERED BY
When: Monday-Friday, 4-6pm
The Deal: $7 Wine, $6 Drafts, $8 Cocktails, And $6-$12 Small Plates
White Dog is a West Philly staple. And while it’s not our favorite place for a full dinner, it’s perfectly good for a drink and appetizers during Happy Hour. They have $12 crab cake sliders and a half dozen oysters, and their portobello mushroom double-stacked burger is the best thing there.
photo credit: The International Bar
When: Monday-Friday, 4-6pm
The Deal: $4 Beers, $5 Cocktails, $6 Glasses Of Wine
If you’re into beer, you’ll want to hang out downstairs at The International in Fishtown—they have craft bottles, cans, and drafts from all over the world. And if you’re not all about beer, you’ll find a spacious bar made out of an old airplane wing and a menu of cocktails like gin fizzes upstairs. Try the salt and pepper wings or crispy shrimp sticks to pair with your drink of choice.
When: Tuesday-Friday, 4-7pm
The Deal: $5 Beers, Wines, And Cocktails
Jerry’s Bar has some great Happy Hour deals—like every other place on this list. But they don’t just stop with regular discounts. This Northern Liberties bar has daily deals—like $20 pitchers—on top of their $5 drink discounts. Grab an order of wings, mahi mahi tacos, or anything else on the food menu during a casual catch up with friends that will likely turn into a late night.
photo credit: GAB BONGHI
When: Wednesday-Saturday, 5-7pm
The Deal: $7 Beer, $8 Wine, $9 Cocktails, And $3-$8 Plates
A bar with good Happy Hour food is as rare as a day in the summer without rain. Enter Vinyl Philly, Rittenhouse’s live music venue. It has a long bar and lots of leather couches for watching dueling piano shows. Plus, their cheesy flatbreads, solid burger sliders, and spicy octopus makes it one of the better food Happy Hours in town. Sit back, have a few cocktails, and sing along with whoever is on stage.
