Editor’s Note: These were the area’s happy hour deals as of April 4, 2018.
American Tap Room
Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.
In the hopes of creating a public place for friends and family to get together, taprooms came into being in America in the early 1600s. That tradition lives on at this restaurant and bar as almost every happy hour-goer, most in their 30s and 40s, comes with at least one friend or family member. The wooden bar, topped with a smooth, black stone surface, offers ample seating and above it sits multiple TVs so that if you do choose to go alone, you may be able to strike up a conversation about sports with a stranger. –RK // 1811 Library St., Reston; americantaproom.com
THE DEALS: $6-$7 apps, $3-$4 beers, $5 select house wines
Auld Shebeen
Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.
Late in the afternoon on a Wednesday, the bar patrons are starting to trickle in, taking a seat in a relatively dark bar that somehow achieves warmth, whether with its stained-glass windows or its amiable bartender, who introduces himself before tending to a regular. A Kilkenny Irish cream ale goes down smooth and light, like a beer milk shake, minus the milk. There’s a downstairs bar that opens later in the night, but for now, the growing group of visitors is gathered in one expansive room. There’s some interesting Irish fare on the menu—Dublin Cobb salad, pork belly served with Brussels sprouts—and some Irish tunes on the playlist. As it approaches 5 p.m., the place is coming alive as intermittent laughter fills the air. –EB // 3971 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax; theauldshebeenva.com
THE DEALS: 25 percent off select apps, $1 off select beers, $3 Bud Light, $4 house wines and rail drinks, $5 Harp, Smithwick’s and Blue Moon
Alta Strada Restaurant
Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.
Italian restaurants focus on two things: savory dishes and community atmosphere. Mosaic’s Alta Strada takes these two missions to heart in their happy hour, where seats at the large bar under the tin ceiling fill up fast. Edible specials can get you started with a Caesar or mixed green salad, then nibble on housemade ricotta with crostini and finish off with pizza. Washing down your meal follows in Italian traditions with house reds and whites, prosecco and lambrusco, Peroni and National Bohemian beers and many choices when it comes to cocktails. –LN // 2911 District Ave., Fairfax; altastradarestaurant.com
THE DEALS: $5 food specials, $8 pizzas, $3-$5 beers, $6 wines, $6-$8 cocktails
B Side
Monday-Friday, 4-6 p.m.
A percussive, sort-of skateboard funk fills the room that has a giant painted-metal pig’s head above the entrance. A bartender says happy hour is pretty new here and speaks well of All Tomorrow’s Parties, a blend of gin, green tea, ginger syrup and lemon. After a good shake, it arrives with effervescent white foam on top. Though the restaurant specializes in charcuterie, there are a few less meaty options and some indulgent surprises among the desserts (ricotta doughnuts, Nutella Fluffernutter). A crowd has begun forming by 4:30 on a Tuesday, striking up conversation in a casual atmosphere with satisfying cocktails and swivel bar stools. –EB // 8298 Glass Alley, Fairfax; bsidecuts.com
THE DEALS: $2-4 small plates, $4 select drafts, $5 select wine and featured cocktail
Bar Louie
Monday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.
Behind the bar at the Herndon installment of this popular chain, which stars more than 20 martinis and handcrafted cocktails, the edge of a shelf holding wine glasses has the words “Live Single, Drink Double, Sleep Triple,” sprawled across it in red letters, words that embrace the place’s rowdy party potential. The music is thumping and nearly every seat at the large, rectangular bar, situated in the center of the room, is taken by 5 p.m. on Friday. The Diva, an appropriately pink drink (SKYY Pineapple vodka, PAMA liqueur, pomegranate syrup and pineapple juice) served with a pineapple wedge, is one of the more popular cocktails. Of the featured eats, the buffalo chicken flatbread and crispy calamari are among the most frequently ordered. –RK // Ashburn, Arlington, Gainesville, Herndon, Manassas, Woodbridge, barlouie.com
THE DEALS: Half off select apps and flatbreads, $3.50 drafts, $4.50 wines, $5.50 martinis
Barcelona Wine Bar
Monday-Friday, 4-6 p.m.
It’s a Friday around 5:30 p.m. and with music thumping loudly in the background, finding an open seat at the white marble bar is no easy feat. Hooks under the bar allow guests to hang their belongings by their feet rather than having to cut into already limited floor/chair space. A quick survey of the room reveals that most bar-goers opt for the red sangria, though the bartender reports that the Richmond Gimlet (basically a mojito) is another big-seller. For food, a Portugese blood sausage, Morcilla, is a favorite, as is the spiced meatballs, Albondigas. –RK // 12023 Town Square St., Reston; barcelonawinebar.com
THE DEALS: $2.50-$3.50 apps, $5 sangria, $5.50 select wines, $7.50 cocktails
Barrel & Bushel
Daily 2-7 p.m.
Start happy hour early at Barrel & Bushel, located on the Plaza level of the Hyatt Regency in the heart of Tysons Corner. This bright, modern restaurant and bar is a popular gathering spot for the after work tech crowd and offers 30 rotating regional craft beers on tap and 65 handpicked bourbons. Deals include $2 off shared plates, including the hearth pretzel, fish tacos, BLT sliders, salmon sliders, tater tots and B&B poutine; and, of course, a smattering of discounts on drinks. –SC // 7901 Tysons One Place, Tysons
THE DEALS: $2 off shared plates, $2 off draft beers, $5 house wines and rail liquor drinks
Cafe Kindred & Townshend Bar
Wednesday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.
Tucked into the back of one of the best coffee shops in Falls Church lies Townshend Bar (named for both The Who’s Pete Townshend and the fact that it lies on the “town’s end” of Falls Church before reaching Arlington). It’s a small bar with a few high-top tables nearby, but its size is part of its appeal. As ’60s British rock takes turns with ’80s punk on the playlist, the bartender and a fellow guest strike up a conversation, ranging in topic from the continued appeal of the Pixies to the relevance of Black Mirror. The stars of High Fidelity would gladly join in if here, debating away in this room filled with band posters, a record collection and a guitar on the wall. Try the fried pickles, served with remoulade, and come with freshly researched music trivia. –EB // 450 N. Washington St., Falls Church; cafekindred.com
THE DEALS: 10 percent off apps, $1 off wine, $5 drafts, $7 rail drinks
Clyde’s
Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.
Upon entering the American eats restaurant, turn to the right and walk down into a long, rectangular space featuring ample woodwork, appropriately dubbed “The Oak Bar.” A stone eagle spreading its wings sits in front of the bar backdrop’s glass walls, a sleekness disrupted periodically by cylindrical green marble columns. Look up to take in an old rowboat hovering above. There’s space to sit at the large bar as mingling guests, talking over the rock music playing in the background, choose to stand. The bartender recommends ordering the buffalo chicken wings or cheeseburger off the “Afternoon Delights” menu. –RK // 11905 Market St., Reston; clydes.com/reston
THE DEALS: $3 off apps, $5 burgers, $4 rail mixed drinks, beers and select wines
Crafthouse
Monday-Friday, 3-9 p.m.
If you’re a lover of local offerings, Crafthouse has you covered as it has more than 50 craft beers on tap and about half of them are from the Metro-D.C. area. Only select craft beers—usually five or six local ones—make it on the happy hour menu, however. While there are certainly some women present, males dominate the space in Reston, which also carries at least 250 beer and cider bottles, plus wine and cocktails. Approximately 20 TVs stream sporting events, making this “upscale sports tavern” (they offer game day specials) a great place to watch your team compete. From the happy hour menu, the tots are most popular. If you’re willing to splurge a little, it’s not on the happy hour menu, but the Bavarian pretzel is big-seller. –RK // Arlington, Fairfax and Reston; crafthouseusa.com
THE DEALS: $6 apps, $4 house drinks, $5 select drafts, $7 select wine and cocktails
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
Monday-Friday, 3-6 p.m.
When you first walk into the Reston winery/restaurant concept, there’s no shortage of people drinking around you, even though you don’t officially enter the bar space until you get to the far end of the room. To the right, there’s a bar strictly for wine tastings and to the left, employees with information on how to become a wine club member, plus a wall of wine bottles. Gift baskets sit on tables in the middle of the room. Though it’s easy to get distracted in the immediately stimulating space, to take advantage of happy hour deals march straight through to the bar area, which sits below a suspended row of wooden barrels lying on their side. There, wine isn’t your only option as cocktails, appetizers and flatbreads fill the menu. –RK // Reston and Ashburn; chwinery.com
THE DEALS: $5-$9 apps, $7-$9 flatbreads, $5-$6 wine, $5 specialty wine drinks, $7 cocktails
Dogwood Tavern
Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.
Bring your friends, coworkers or grandpa to this restaurant and they’ll all fit in. With a fireplace, dark wood beams above and historic images on the walls (Falls Church Motel, Harper’s Weekly, Robert E. Lee), Dogwood Tavern takes its cues from a classic university club. But it manages to freshen things up with a soundtrack that includes Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins and funnel cakes on the menu. The Moscow mule is their most popular order, says the bartender, and it’s a good call; served in a copper mug with house-made ginger beer, it’s refreshing and less fizzy than the usual variety. On a Tuesday night, it’s busy but not packed—ideal for a much-needed break from the world. –EB // 132 W. Broad St., Falls Church; dogwoodtavern.com
THE DEALS: Raw bar and fried chicken night, $3.50 Miller Lite draft, $4 microbrew of the month, $5 rail drinks and house wines, $7 Moscow mule
Dolce Vita Cicchetti Wine Bar
Monday-Saturday, 4-7 p.m.
Tucked in along busy Route 50 in Fairfax City is Dolce Vita Cicchetti Wine Bar, part of one of NoVA’s 50 Best Restaurants. Softly lit with wines running alongside the left wall and the bar running along the right with 10 tables filling the rest of the small space, there is a full menu of happy hour specials. Seasonal cocktails are concocted in house by the mixologist and rotate seasonally. And if any of the eight small plate offerings (smoked duck flatbread, beet carpaccio, baked mussels) aren’t going to fill you up, you can order off the full menu from next door, though pricing doesn’t come at a discount. Also, ask about daily happy hour specials too; the creativity of this Italian favorite isn’t reserved for the full-priced menu. –LN // 10824 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax; dolcevitaitaliankitchenandwinebar.com
THE DEALS: $4.99-$7.99 small plates, $5 beers, $6-$7 wines, $9 seasonal cocktails
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
Monday-Sunday, 4-7 p.m.
With an abundance of blues, whites and reflective glass and metallic elements—it’s exterior walls are floor-to-ceiling windows covered by sheer curtains—this restaurant makes for a sleek, cool escape from the hustle and bustle that is Tysons Corner. Guests in their 30s and 40s occupy the large oval-shaped bar that sits in the center of the spacious room, whose perimeter is lined with booths whose tables are lined with white tablecloths. Oysters are popular here, as is the spiced margarita and Bulleit sour. –RK // 7900 Tysons One Place, McLean; eddiev.com
THE DEALS: $2-3 single oysters, $8 teasers, $8 select cocktails, $8 select wines
Jacques Brasserie Bar Rouge
Tuesday-Saturday, 4:30-6:30 p.m.; Sunday, Noon-6:30 p.m.
Though this tiny, red, L-shaped bar located in the downstairs eatery of L’Auberge Chez Francois is hard to find—park in the back—don’t overlook this beloved Great Falls treasure. A spot that is frequented by locals (patrons, most in their 30s and 40s, are known by name and some are greeted with hugs) this sophisticated happy hour is less about getting drunk and more about overall experience; one that seems, perhaps because the cottage-like building is tucked away in the woods, enchanting. While dining on the recommended braised wagyu beef cheeks and individual Alsatian tarte flambee, flip over the menu and read up on how Chef Jacques’ décor and menu choices are a tribute to his father. If you’re looking for a quiet evening out and want to eat French cuisine, this is the place to go. –RK // 332 Springvale Road, Great Falls; laubergechezfrancois.com/jacques-brasserie
THE DEALS: $5 soups, $5-$8 salads, $5-$13 flambees, $9 small plates, $5 draft beers, $6 select wines, $8 select cocktails
J Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks and Seafood
Sunday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.
Dark wood, dim lighting and exposed brick give this McLean Kansas City-inspired steakhouse a sort of tavern feel, a comforting touch in a space filled with professionally dressed men and women, most in their 40s. On the list of favorites, for drinks, find a blackberry sparkling martini, a Moscow mule and an in-house barrel-aged Manhattan; and for food, consider the calamari and sliders, either classic beef or steak au Poivre. –RK // 6930 Old Dominion Drive, McLean; jgilberts.com/mclean
THE DEALS: $2 oysters, $3 lobster claws, $6.50-$7.50 apps, $1 off beers, $7 house wine and bubbly, $7.50 cocktails
McCormick & Schmick’s
Monday-Saturday, 4-7 p.m.; Sunday, Noon-9 p.m.
On a Friday at 6 p.m., the bar is packed with 40- and 50-somethings. There was a Meetup group adding to the social scene this particular evening in Reston, and it’s no surprise that this steak and seafood restaurant’s large bar area (occupying its own room to the left of the entrance) was chosen as the venue. For extra space to eat and drink, there are 12 tables situated between the reddish brown wood walls. There’s something for every kind of appetite on the happy hour menu, which is broken up into snacks, munchies, seafood bites and more substantial goodies. –RK // Arlington and Reston; mccormickandschmicks.com
THE DEALS: $1 oysters and shrimp on Wednesday and Saturday, $2 taco Tuesdays, $3-$12 apps, $4.75 beer, $6-$8 cocktails and martinis, $8 wines
Mon Ami Gabi
Monday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.; Saturday, 2-5 p.m.
When you hear the word “happy hour,” a French steakhouse may not be the first place to come to mind. Deals here are decent, however, and though most happy hour-goers are dressed a little nicer than what you would find at some sort of pub or sports bar, those that are casually dressed won’t be looked at twice. While at the bar, try the sweet, colorful and bubbly Amu du Fizz and the recommended pizza-like “Le Parisian,” where a white sauce, mushrooms, bacon lardons and cheese sit on top of naan bread. Sign up for their text club to get in on weekly specials/discounts. –RK // 11950 Democracy Drive, Reston; monamigabi.com
THE DEALS: $5-$8 food, $25 charcuterie board, $6 cocktails, $6 liquors, $4 select beer bottles, $5 drafts
Morton’s: The Steakhouse
Monday-Friday, 4:30-6:30 p.m.; Sunday, 5-6:30 p.m.
Around 10 patterned bar seats are all that’s up for grabs at this crowded happy hour, though there are some tables along the outer edges. The warm, yellow light coming from beaded crystal chandelier lights above the bar and adjacent tables makes the close, otherwise dark quarters seem cozy, an intimacy shared by the individuals—many of them either close friends or romantic partners—that occupy the space. –RK // Arlington and Reston; mortons.com
THE DEALS: $7-$9 apps, $5.50 select beer, $8 select wines, $9 cocktails
Ned Devine’s Irish Sports Pub
Monday-Friday, 2-7 p.m.
As is the case with most pubs, this one is dimly lit and kind of cozy with deep, wooden booths lined with green cushions wrapping around the perimeter. Regular bar-goers add a sort of hominess to the experience. For those looking simply to drink and watch some sports from overhead TVs, sit to the left side of the bar as the right comes close to the 1,200-square-foot wooden dance floor that hosts Thursday country nights led by a line dance instructor, Friday live music and a DJ on Saturdays. From the long list of things to eat, try the popular Dublin rolls and sausage rolls, or if you’re indecisive, sample an assortment of eats via a $20 platter. While sipping some alcoholic creations, ponder the Irish proverbs (like “one beetle recognizes another”) that decorate the walls. –RK // 2465 Centreville Road, Herndon; neddevines.com
THE DEALS: $3.99-$8.99 apps, $3 select bottled beers, $3.50 select drafts, $4 sangria, $4 rail liquor, $4.50 house wine, $5 oil cans
PassionFish
Monday-Friday, 3-6:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 4-9 p.m.
Don’t jump to conclusions when you see PassionFish’s small, white, S-shaped bar, as this spot offers a happy hour that’s quiet, sophisticated and upscale in appearance but not in price. Surely an intentional nod to its name, the bauble light fixtures and other decor give you the illusion of being underwater. Try the rockfish tacos or recommended crab and rock shrimp nachos and sip on a margarita—they make their own sours here—which can be infused with either pomegranate or mango flavor. –RK // 11960 Democracy Drive, Reston; passionfishreston.com
THE DEALS: $5 food, select wines, cocktails and beer
PJ Mulligans
Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.
Red walls, hanging industrial lights and a dark wood bar make this Herndon Irish eatery warm and inviting, something that is further reflected in its employees, who appear not only close-knit, but to like where they work. Regulars, most of whom are in their 30s or 40s and prefer quick happy hour bites to longer sit-down dinners, watch sports shows on ESPN and NFL Network while drinking mostly beer, though mixed drinks and wine are also on the menu. For those that want something a little stronger, whiskey gingers are popular, and for food, burgers are big-sellers. Sliders are on the happy hour menu, the grilled chicken variation a pleasantly lighter alternative to the normally beefy trio. –RK // 2310 Woodland Crossing Drive, Herndon; pjmulligans.com
THE DEALS: $4-$8 eats, $4 house spirits, $4 domestic drafts, $5 select wines, $6 craft and imported drafts
Silverado
Monday-Thursday, 3-6 p.m.
You can almost hear the Eagles’ “Desperado” playing as you enter this cowboy-themed establishment, a spot where you could easily imagine a ’70s-era, Texas-born Don Henley throwing back something stiff. Country-western regalia lines the walls and visitors are greeted by a poster on entry that proclaims “It’s never too late to be a cowboy.” The bar is often packed here, offering guacamole, salsa and chips for $3 and Tex-Mex egg rolls for $5. And don’t sleep on the jalapeño cheese bread and donuts. –EB // 7052 Columbia Pike, Annandale; silveradova.com
THE DEALS: $3-$6 select apps, $4-$5 select beer and wine, $6 select margaritas
Requin
Daily 4-7 p.m. and all night Monday
With a relaxed, low-key yet elegant atmosphere and spacious bar, this is a perfect post-shopping or pre-movie spot in the Mosaic District, ideal for couples or a small group of friends since there’s no standing room and nowhere for larger groups to congregate. Happy hour features a rotating list of beer and wine specials ($5 and $6 a glass, respectively), a seasonal cocktail special ($7) and an eclectic bar menu featuring such dishes as burgers, croque monsieur, garlic and herb fries and eggplant-tomato ratatouille. –SC // 8296 Glass Alley, Suite 110, Fairfax; requinbrasserie.com
THE DEALS: $3-$12 food specials, $5 beers, $6 wines
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Sunday-Friday, 4:30-7 p.m.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House is a place where the movers and shakers hang out after hours. You can’t beat $9 cocktails and full-size appetizers and dishes. Choose from a prime burger, tenderloin skewer salad, crab BLT, steak sandwich, seared ahi tuna, spicy lobster for eats and options of handcrafted cocktails (Gin Basil Smash, Classic Cosmo, Pomegranate Martini, Ruth’s Manhattan) and select wine and beer. –LN // Fairfax and Tysons Corner; ruthschris.com
THE DEALS: $9 apps, entrees and cocktails
Stone’s Cove Kitbar
Daily, 2-6 p.m.
This is not your typical happy hour experience. In place of a bartender, a “cheftender”—cook and deliverer of all things alcohol—will take care of you and prepare your impending meal before your eyes. There’s a giant, circular oven in the center of the bar, which wraps around itself and also juts out into circular sections with more space for small groups to sit. Even the food encourages group get-togethers through shareable chips and guacamole, baked crab dip, pork sliders, beef sliders and hot dogs topped with jalapenos and the traditional fixings. –RK // 2403 Centreville Road, Herndon; stonescove.com
THE DEALS: $8 eats, $5 wine, $5 rail spirits, $5 margarita, moscow mule, sangria and kitbar punch, $3 Miller drafts
Ted’s Bulletin
Monday-Friday, 3-6 p.m.
Brunch may be what Ted’s Bulletin is known for, but it is worth your time in the evening too. Winning a 2011 Rammy Award for Best Neighborhood Gathering Place, happy hour here does not disappoint. Choose from $9.99 early bird dinners like meatloaf, fried chicken fingers, barbecue ribs, pork chops and more. Drink specials at the bar come in $2.75 draft beers (DC Brau Corruption IPA and Samuel Adams Seasonal) or bottles (Flying Dog, Angry Orchard, DC Brau, Blue Moon), and $5 glasses of wine. –LN // Reston and Mosaic; tedsbulletin.com
THE DEALS: $9.99 entrees, $2.75 beers, $5 wines
TenPenh
Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.; Saturday, 4-7 p.m.; Sunday, 4-9 p.m.
Possibly because this happy hour starts earlier than most, it looks like most attendees, in their late 20s and 30s, come right from work to grab a seat at either the bar or neighboring tables. In this dimly lit space, the matcha mule and “blushing dragon” drinks are popular. As for food, try the steamed pork dumplings (the lamb pot stickers are also popular) or vegetable spring rolls. This oriental take on happy hour offers an opportunity to try exotic foods busting with flavor without having to break the bank. –RK // 7900 Westpark Drive, McLean; tenpenhtysons.com
THE DEALS: $5 bar bites and steamed bao buns, select drafts, wine, sake, bubbly and cocktails
The Block
Monday-Friday, 4-8 p.m.
Just before the start of happy hour on a Tuesday, the Block is slowly developing a post-lunch scene. Pop music is blasting in the main hall and groups of friends and coworkers are sampling food from the food stalls around the perimeter (Roots, Balo, Munch, Snocream and Pokeworks). Such a diversity of food options prompts the pondering of unlikely food combos. (Boba in beer?) The sports fan will be content with this bar, with three flatscreens and a wall for projection, but so will a pair of friends who’d like to curl up in a corner area akin to a living-room display. –EB // 4221 John Marr Drive, Annandale; theblockva.com
THE DEALS: $4-$8 select apps, $4 house wine, $5-$6 draft beers, Jameson and Tito’s, additional daily specials
The Hitch
Monday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.
This black and white building surrounded by fast food chains is a nautically-themed shopping center standout. (Fun fact: A sailor’s hitch is a type of knot.) Upon entering, turn left and take note of how well the restaurant keeps with its color scheme through black brick walls, a large, white marble bar that seats around 30 and wall art depicting an octopus’ tentacles. More seating can be found at adjacent high-top tables. While deciding what to treat yourself to—the three meatball sliders satisfy if you’re looking for something more to munch on—hydrate with water served in teal blue Mason jars. –RK // 4301 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly; thehitchchantilly.com
THE DEALS: $6 small plates, $1 off beer and wine, $6 cocktails
Trio Grill
Sunday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.
Modern American is what Trio Grill in Merrifield focuses on all day, every day. Its happy hour keeps up the tradition with wide offerings for both food and drink. Appetizers run $7 across the board with dishes like veal meatballs, tuna tartare nachos, lamb spring rolls, ceviche, Polynesian pork sliders, steak and cheese and trio fries. Oysters are also on the menu, coming in four varieties. Friday nights host live piano tunes that you can relax to as you sip on discounted draft beers, well drinks and wines or a Moscow Mule or Cider Smash. Another bonus, there’s also a cigar lounge. –LN // 8100 Lee Highway, Falls Church; triomerrifield.com
THE DEALS: $7 apps, $9 half-dozen oysters, $18 dozen oysters, $5 draft beers, $7 well drinks and wines, $8 select cocktails
Isabella Eatery
–RK // 2001 International Drive, McLean; isabellaeatery.com/concepts
Graffiato
Monday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.
Grab a metallic, silver seat at this Italian restaurant’s bright, white bar and, as was recommended, try the broccoli bruschetta, adorned with green olives, parm crisps and ricotta, and one of the more popular bubbly drinks, the Aperol Spritz, which contains its namesake (an Italian aperitif, a drink that stimulates appetite), prosecco, soda water and grapefruit juice. Arm chair seating in the space between Graffiato and dessert destination Retro Creamery is also an option for bar-goers. // isabellaeatery.com/graffiato
THE DEALS: $5 beer, $5 apps, $6-$7 select wine, $8 cocktails
Pepita Cantina
Monday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.
Perhaps the most colorful concept in Isabella Eatery, this space, decorated in yellow, black and white, is, like most Mexican restaurants, a go-to for tacos and tequila. Get started with one of the three chips and dip combos on the happy hour menu, sip on the popular Pepita margarita and choose which taco you want to taste. The favorites, says the bartender, are the smoked beef brisket and crispy mahi mahi variations. // isabellaeatery.com/pepita
THE DEALS: $3-$5 chips and dip, $3 tacos
Octagon Bar
Monday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.
As a space dedicated to drinks, this (you can guess what kind of shape) bar is where most eating at its neighboring Spanish restaurant, Arroz, order their alcoholic beverages. But if you’re not seeking out food from Spain specifically, you can get the best of both worlds, food and drink, at Octagon Bar’s happy hour, which seems to attract 20- and 30-somethings. Bronze, gold and geometric elements give this space, which is nestled into an overlook that juts out slightly over the mall below, a Great Gatsby-esque feel. // isabellaeatery.com/octagon-bar
THE DEALS: $1 oysters, $3-$5 apps, $5 beer, $6-$8 wines,$10 cocktails
Requin Oysters & Champagne
Monday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.
Though the larger Requin restaurants carry more French fare, this concept focuses on seafood, especially one kind of mollusk. Vibrant, button-back teal armchairs are situated around the white counter, where guests may not be able to order cocktails, but beer, bubbly and wine lovers can choose from sparkling, red, white and rose wines or beer. Those that aren’t interested in the oyster offerings can try French onion soup and chicken pot pie fritters or munch on chips and fries. // isabellaeatery.com/requin
THE DEALS: $1 oysters, $2-$5 apps, $6-$8 select wines, $5 select beers
(May 2018)
