This story is part of our January cover story, 55 Restaurants Serving Up Budget-Friendly Meals Across Northern Virginia.
Just because a restaurant’s regular menu will likely run exponentially more than our $20 Cheap Eats cutoff doesn’t mean you can’t eat there for a bargain. That’s why we love a good happy hour. The rewards you’ll reap include top-flight food and a heavier wallet. It will help you save up for the full experience at one of these spots later on.
The Conche
From 4 to 7 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays, this restaurant in the Village at Leesburg shares its chocolate-centered fare at a discount. We use it as an opportunity to dine on crispy calamari in cocoa beer batter and finish with a carefully composed dessert plate. 1605 Village Market Blvd. SE, Leesburg
Mama Tigre
Dig into Mexican eats that rely on Indian spices at the bar here. Happy hour is available Mondays through Fridays from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Dip into the fiery masala queso and nibble on tikka wings and kathi rolls. On Tuesdays, street tacos are $12 for four. 10443 White Granite Dr., Oakton
Inca Social
Want to spend no more than $6 on a dish? Hit this Peruvian restaurant weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m. Try the chicharrones, available with either crispy chicken or slow-cooked pork with Inca sauce, and the pair of chicken tacos. 1776 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 2670 Avenir Pl., Vienna
The Salt Line
The rightfully acclaimed clam chowder here, with its creamy, bacon-enhanced broth, is just $4 on weekdays. You can score it from 3 to 7 p.m. on Mondays and 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. It’s $6 at “Happy Brunch” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. 4040 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
Joon
At this Persian restaurant’s bar, Maybar, there’s a whole separate menu of fusion items you won’t find in the dining room. Choose za’atar-dusted pita chips with a dip for $8. The options include our favorite, eggplant-based kashk-e bademjan. 8045 Leesburg Pk., Ste. 120, Vienna
Feature image of Inca Social by Michael Butcher
This story originally ran in our January Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
