The Best Happy Hour in 14 Seattle 'Hoods
Hey Seattle, happy hour isn't about picking one of The Town's best restaurants and devouring all the discount dishes you possibly can before it ends at 6 or 7pm, only to go back home to never visit again. No, it's actually about picking a convenient place to grab a drink/snack before heading home from work, or heading out on the town. To help you to find such a place we've assembled this list of great happy hours that will undoubtedly include one near you.
Stoneburner
BallardWhen: Daily 3-5pm
Posted up in the lobby of the Hotel Ballard, this popular pizzaria is a cool place to eat/drink anytime thanks to a space packed with repurposed architectural elements, including oakwood wall panels salvaged from a former Italian embassy in Buenos Aires and hanging lights from the old New York Times building. But the best time is during happy hour when pizzas are $6 bucks off, and drinks are $4.
The Backdoor
FremontWhen: Daily 5-7pm
This not-so-hard-to-find speakeasy adorned with Jazz Age-style wall murals of musicians/flappers both inside and out, and schmancy ReStore-sourced candelabras and tiered chandeliers hanging from the ceiling makes the list for the sheer affordability of it's happy hour menu: Oyster shooters and shrimp cocktails are $1.50, fries with aioli are $3, and the most expensive things -- nachos, an order of three tacos, etc. -- are just $8.
Teacher's Lounge
Greenwood/Phinney RidgeWhen: Tuesday-Saturday, 5-6:37pm
The deals during happy hour aren't amazing -- $2 off specialty cocktails; $1 off beer, wine & food -- but we didn't pick it for that. We picked it because this small-ish scholastically themed bar decorated with chalkboards, and library shelves full of books makes you feel grown up… at least as long as you stick to their fairly sophisticated cocktails anyway. Once you dig into their selection of elevated cafeteria food (grilled cheese, sloppy joes, etc.) you'll feel just like a kid again. Oh, and we also like that the happy hour is 1 & 5/8ths hours long. Because fractions are fun.
The Burgundian
GreenLake/TangletownWhen: Daily, 3-5pm & 9pm-close
This sort of austere beer specialist in the oft-overlooked Tangletown offers discounts on a wide-range of delicious dinner menu items (chicken & waffles with sausage gravy, bourbon maple syrup, wagyu sliders with Thousand Island & red onion on brioche) during its "Power Hour", which is actually at least four hours total depending on how late their open, making it one of the most expansive happy hours in the city.
Westward
Wallingford/U DistrictWhen: Weekdays 4-5pm, weekends 2-4pm
What's special about this one? It's an oyster happy hour which means you get discounted bivalves on the half-shell, plus specials on draft brews, cocktails, and more. Not that you needed an excuse to hit this always-crowded spot on the north shore of Lake Union, where the only thing better than the aforementioned oyster deals, is scoring a seat in one of the deck chairs on their man made beach in the summertime.
List
BelltownWhen: All day Sunday & Monday; Tuesday-Thursday 4-6:30pm & 9pm-midnight; Friday & Saturday 4-6:30pm
Everything on the food menu at this modern, dimly lit Italian joint -- including Cannelloni with spinach & ricotta, bacon wrapped wild gulf prawns, and more -- is 50% off, pretty much guaranteeing them the top spot in Belltown, or anywhere really.
5-Point Cafe
Denny TriangleWhen: Daily 6-9am, 4-6pm
It's hard to argue with this legendary dive's tagline: "Alcoholics serving alcoholics since 1929," especially since every morning they (rather subversively) serve up bacon pancakes and quick-fried mini donuts, plus cheap wells, and $2 drafts during their (really) early happy hour. Not to mention their more conventionally scheduled afternoon version, when you can get chicken fried bacon, a quesadilla, and a microbrew, all for just $3.
Radiator Whiskey
DowntownWhen: Daily 4-6pm
We've just got one word to say: Tater Tots. Or is that two words? Screw the semantics. The point is that this high-end cocktail destination does a-somehow-even-more-delicious take on everyone's favorite processed potato product. It comes complete with a fried egg & gravy and is half off during happy hour at this 2nd story spot in Pike Place Market with stunning views of one Seattle's best strip clubs across the street, which sadly doesn't do happy hour, but does have nightly specials. Apparently.
Polar Bar
Pioneer SquareWhen: Weekdays 3-6pm
OK, so it may be juuuust a bit outside Pioneer Square but we're including it 'cause it's close enough, and 'cause its stylish mid-century decor, and generous happy hour -- all bar food is half-off, including arctic crab cakes, Kobe sliders, fish & chips, and more (a lot more) -- make it the perfect place to spend some time after work. Oh and the aforementioned decor also apparently makes it the perfect place to film Macklemore videos, which we're sure the bartenders never get tired of talking about.
Re:public
South Lake UnionWhen: Daily 4-6pm
It might seem like just a boisterous after-work spot in catering to South Lake Union tech bros, but the spacious, brick-walled Re:public is also one of the 'hoods best restaurants, and offers a range of sophisticated snacks during its daily happy hour, including badass pork belly bao buns for $3 each, hand-cut fries for $4, and a can't miss trio of sliders for a little less than you pay at dinner.
The Neighbor Lady
Central DistrictWhen: Pretty much all the time
This Uncle Ike's-adjacent bar at 23rd & Union makes the list not for the number of things on its happy hour menu -- $2.50 Rainier drafts, $4.25 draft ales/well drinks, and that's pretty much it -- but for the sheer number of hours they offer discounts. Seriously, happy hour runs from noon-7pm everyday -- except Sunday, when it runs "all day and night".
Toulouse Petit
Queen AnneWhen: Daily 4-6pm, 10pm till close
Boasting the most ambitious happy hour in the city (and maybe anywhere), this warm 'Nawlins-inspired spot complete with curling wrought iron, heavily plastered walls, and mosaic tiled floors offers up over 50 food items under $11, plus specials on wine, house cocktails, beer and more. Our picks? The snails with garlic & fresh herbs, or the buttermilk fried chicken.
Ma'Ono Fried Chicken
West SeattleWhen: Wednesday-Sunday 5-6pm
This bustling spot from one of Seattle's most celebrated chefs has a literal happy hour, but makes up for it by offering a handful of creative Hawaiian-inspired dishes you can't get anywhere else in Seattle, including a spicy fried chicken sandwich on a King's sweet bun, and their signature "Mac N' Kimcheese," which they'll also put on a burger for you. Oh, and they've got Rainier tall boys and a shot for seven bucks too, to help you wash everything down.
Poppy
Capitol HillWhen: Sunday through Thursday 5-9:30pm
This cheerful, modern Indian spot is one of Seattle's best restaurants, and its "all night" happy hour is the perfect way to try one of their Thalis (basically a tasting tray with a variety of dishes) for way less that it usually costs. The "Happy Thali" features five items that are different every day for just $10 or, if you crave more control over your menu, there's a selection of naanwiches, including the Doubanjiang pork shoulder with pineapple kimchi and cucumbers for the same price.
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