The Best Happy Hour Deal in 23 Houston Neighborhoods
Get a buzz without breaking the bank.
In Houston, happy hour is pretty much a way of life, so you’re bound to stumble upon quality drink discounts in just about any neighborhood, on just about any day of the week. But before you settle for questionable chips and watered down margs at your closest watering hole, consider this: Your happy hour could include standout incentives like whiskey smashes and chicharrones, craft beers and local oysters, or live jams and boozed-up ranch waters, instead. Do better and check out this list of top-shelf Houston happy hours, conveniently broken down by district and offering a taste of the good life without endangering your bank account.
Arts District Houston
When: Monday - Thursday, 3 pm - 6 pm
For beer nerds, this homegrown brewery’s “Hoppy Hour” is where it’s at. That’s when all beers are $1 off, easy-drinking Crush City IPAs are $4, and house hard seltzers, in flavors like Trop Drops and Lime & Hibiscus, are $4, too. Snag a seat with a sweet view of the downtown skyline and pair your bevvies with stuffed and loaded Texas Haute Pockets and smoked barbecue-dusted Cracklins and Beer Cheese, both just $7.
Northside Village
When: Monday - Friday, 4 pm - 7 pm
You can get all the laid-back feels at this casual cool cocktail dive, where you can sip a Tecate, smash a house Chango Burger, and drink wine straight from the can just as easily as you can get one helluva craft cocktail. During happy hour, Viejitas drinks are $6 and bottled and canned beer plus wines by the glass are all $1 off. Additional daily specials range from Monday Steak Night to Dollar Dogs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Spring Branch
When: Sunday - Monday 11 am - close; Tuesday - Friday, 5 pm - 7 pm; Saturday, 11 am - 3 pm
Happy hour brings half-priced select beers from spots like Saint Arnold and Eureka Heights, plus half-price draft cocktails and house red, white, and rosé wines by the glass. All of it comes straight from the self-operated taps of course, but it’ll take a server to deliver your half-priced Black Garlic Cheesy Bread.
Uptown
When: Daily, 3 pm - 6 pm
It almost feels like you’re stealing when you’re knocking back the Rustic’s delicious house margaritas for only $5 each. Hit the sprawling indoor-outdoor spot at happy hour to pack ‘em in along with some $5 Wild Boar Meatballs, Cracklin’ Deviled Eggs, and Chipotle Garlic Queso. Once you're properly fed and quenched, stick around for more fun times, which just may include live musical acts from around the country.
Downtown
When: Tuesday 4 pm - 2 pm; Thursday - Saturday, 4 pm - 7 pm
It can get stuffy sitting in a suit all day (even if it’s only a half suit-half underwear Zoom situation), so unwinding is uber important to keep your stress levels down. This dark, whiskey-soaked haunt is exactly where you want to do that, especially during happy hour, when its expertly crafted, super stiff cocktails are $6 dollars a pop and drafts run half-off.
East End
When: Daily specials
Wild game weenies and 60+ taps of craft brew make this offbeat dive a local favorite. Hit the yard to partake in Mug Mondays, BOGO burger nights, growler giveaways, or whatever other zany hijinks are going on that day.
East End
When: Monday - Friday, 4 pm - 6 pm
An homage to those that work the early shift, the late shift, or just a damn hard shift, Night Shift is a favorite among both industry vets and locals looking for a solid drink. Stop by for a pre-shift Whiskey Smash or Queens Park Swizzle and pair ‘em with Chicharrones, “Gas Station” Burritos, and Boozy Churros—all two bucks off at happy hour.
Montrose
When: Daily, 4 pm - 6 pm
When one of the city’s finest restaurants offers food and drink specials, you visit it. Uchi’s Sake Social Hour means you can sneak in before the crowds and keep your wallet in one piece. Sip sake and Japanese lagers starting at $4 each while gorging yourself on top notch eats for a steal—think Kampachi Crudo, Spicy Salmon Maki, Braised Korean Pork Belly, and their famous Candy Bar for dessert.
Rice Military
When: Monday - Friday, 5 pm - 7 pm
Proving that the bayou can, in fact, be pretty beautiful, the picturesque Blue Bar boasts a swanky happy hour complete with $5 craft beers, $9 cocktails and martinis, and $7 wines by the glass. Escape the city and ease into the lush patio while snacking on bar bites ideal for sharing (or not, depending on your hanger level), including Bang Bang Shrimp, Miso Tenderloin Skewers, and truly addictive Angus Beef Sliders.
Washington
When: Monday - Friday, 4 pm - 7 pm
With a sprawling patio and 5,000-square-foot open floor plan garnished with crystal chandeliers, antique mirrors, a super cool LED TV matrix, and a ready-to-party crowd, this is the kind of place you come to get wound up. Happy hour brings $7 house wines and wells, $1 off drafts, and $2 off specialty cocktails, alongside discounted eats from Calabrian Chili Wings to Gulf Oysters.
EaDo
When: Wednesday - Friday, open - 7 pm
Set in a restored 1903 bungalow with a bright and inviting patio, this sister concept to Cottage Grove hangout Down the Street is way cooler than whatever happens to be around your corner (unless you do, in fact, live around the corner from here). Happy hour prices run alongside unbeatable daily specials, including pop-up Bingo Nights and a Thursday Steak Night you don’t want to miss.
Garden Oaks/Oak Forest
When: Friday, 4 pm - 7 pm; Saturday - Sunday, 12 pm - 5 pm
Tap takeovers, free live music, seasonal crawfish boils, rotating food trucks, a stellar whiskey collection, and over 40 craft beers on tap are just a few of the reasons to head to this GOOF-area crowd-pleaser. A massive patio complete with picnic tables, corn hole, fire pits, and what generally appears to be the city’s entire population of dogs are but a few more. The house is constantly running specials (best to keep up via Facebook), including but not limited to a badass Wednesday Steak Night featuring half-priced bottles of wine.
Heights
When: Monday - Friday, 2 pm - 6 pm
In a city of epic patio bars, Eight Row Flint might just win gold. It regularly draws in a mix of regulars and neophytes, even more so during happy hour, when select local brews go for $4 each and serious house cocktails including Old Fashioneds, Margaritas, Mules, and Palomas are $6.50. Like whiskey? Good. There are over 100 varieties to choose from, and you can up your game by ordering a Cheap Thrill—a shot of Jim Beam Black, Wild Turkey 81, Ilegal Mezcal, or Pueblo Viejo Blanco Tequila—for $3.50 any damn time you please (not to mention the option to throw in a Lonestar for $1.50 or White Claw for an additional three bucks).
Lazybrook/Timbergrove
When: Monday - Friday, 3 pm - 6 pm
Snag a shaded seat on one of the most pleasant patios in Houston (or a bench in the air conditioned beer hall), then pick your poison between $5 half-liters of German liquid gold and $5 house cocktails like the schnapps-kissed King’s Cauldron and patio-perfect Blackberry Bourbon Limeade. Next, tack on Giant Bier Pretzels, Bavarian Fried Pickles, and gooey Mac and Cheese Balls, all also $5. Prost. Rinse. Repeat.
Memorial City
When: Monday - Friday, 3 pm - 6 pm
Paired with $6 happy hour cocktails—think Old Fashioneds kicked up with apricot-infused bourbon and Agave Frozen Margs—State Fare’s lowbrow comfort food tastes anything but. Get $6 to $7 hefty-sized “bites” with flavors as big and bold as the Lone Star itself, from Smoked Brisket-stuffed ‘Peño Poppers to stacked Smoked Chicken Nachos. Draft suds will run you five bucks each, while house wines by the glass are $6 and the bartender’s pick (AKA a beer and a shot) is $7.
Midtown
When: Monday - Friday, 3 pm - 6:30 pm
Come for the petiscos (the Portuguese cousin to Spanish tapas) and stay for the cheap drinks, with Caipirinhas, sangria, and house wines for $6 a glass (or $20 a carafe, which we highly suggest). The sexy space is intimate enough for a date, but buzzy enough for a big group. Get shared plates you may not actually want to share, like $8 Piri Piri Wings, $6 Avocado and Salmon Tartine, and $15 Lamb Kebab Burgers.
Museum District
When: Daily, 4 pm - 8 pm
Don’t be fooled by its gritty appearance: This longtime favorite is manned by some of the best mixologists in the biz. Stop by happy hour for $3 wells, $6 “happy meals” (that’s a Lone Star or PBR paired with a shot of Jager or Fireball), and $7 to $9 cocktails. Don’t sleep on whatever sneakily strong drink is churning in the frozen machine at the moment, whether it be a Gin and Prickly Pear number or a knock-you-off-your-stool strong Mango Marg.
Rice Village/West U
When: Daily, 3 pm - 6 pm
After a landmark 40 years in operation, Hungry’s doubled down by adding a bar and lounge, dubbed the “Upstairs.” Here, you’ll get a bird’s eye view of the Village at the bar’s outdoor terrace perfect for Houston’s nicer days, but you can also keep cool in the air conditioning with specials including $5 drafts, $7 select wines by the glass, and $9 signature cocktails like Basil Gimlets and Spicy Pineapple Margaritas. All are helpful when washing down bargain priced bar bites and pizzas.
River Oaks
When: Tuesday - Saturday, 5 pm - 6:30 pm; Sunday, 3 pm - 5 pm
A5 Wagyu-stuffed Curry Arancini and Salmon, Snapper, and Yellowtail Yuzu Sashimi are just two of the many happy hour bites you’re going to want to get acquainted with at this River Oaks stunner. Both run $9 a plate, which sounds super reasonable until you realize you absolutely require an additional five plates. Worth it—especially when you down ‘em alongside Whiskey Highballs and Sake Sangria.
Shady Acres
When: Daily, open - 6 pm
During this joint’s daily happy hour, oysters are a cool dollar fifty a shuck while Bakfish TX Tallboys will set you back just $3 each. That’s pretty much all you need to know, but if you want to know a little more, let it be the fact that you should stick around post-happy hour for some of the best damn fried chicken in town, crisp as all hell and served with buttery biscuits, sambal honey, jam, and house pickles.
Upper Kirby
When: Daily, open - 2 am
This behemoth watering hole has been making Upper Kirby better since 2016. Today, the gargantuan bar and one-acre backyard remains just as boisterous, despite (or perhaps because of) its strict 23-and-up policy. Those old enough can partake in all kinds of daily shenanigans, including Ladies Night, Game Day specials, Pint Night, and a Steak Night with bigass Ribeyes, all with grade-A happy hour discounts.
Greenway Plaza
When: Monday - Friday, 3 pm - 6 pm
European class meets the Dirty South inside this sleek brasserie. With a striking U-shaped quartz-topped bar, soaring windows, and a Live Oak-shaded patio, this is the kind of place you’ll want to unwind with a drink or two. At happy hour, classics like the St. Landry Sidecar and Boulevardier are offered on the cheap, and they just so happen to pair quite nicely with Gulf oysters, Cajun Duck Poppers, and Dan Dan Shrimp.
River Oaks District
When: Sunday - Friday, 3 pm - 7 pm; Sunday - Monday, 10 pm - 1 am
Snagging a stool at this dark and handsome tavern’s bar is exactly what you should be doing during happy hour. That’s how you can un”loch” a bunch of awesome deals, from $2 Oyster Shooters and $5 craft beers to $10 frozen bourbon slushies. Accompanying snacks are similarly sold on the cheap, so don’t hesitate to pop some Moules Frites, local oysters, and Cheddar Burgers, while you’re at it.