Many people suffer from the impression that happy hour food is little more than a permutation of something fried. Think chicken wings, chicken tenders, fried calamari or piping hot chili cheese fries and the like. You get my drift. It’s true that fried food may provide the perfect kind of comfort when you’ve had a few too many drinks, but there’s only so much of it I can eat. And since I’m more of a social drinker, I’m always on the lookout for places that offer great drink and food specials.
With the holidays coming up, I’m sharing some of my favorite happy hour hangouts where you can get amazing food and drinks at happy hour prices. Some of these happy hours occur daily, so even if you can’t get off of work early, you can still go out on a Saturday or Sunday to enjoy. Bon appetit!
Eddie V’s West Ave, 2800 Kirby, 713-874-1800 Maybe it’s because they’re still fairly new on the Houston scene, but happy hour at Eddie V’s is usually jam-packed. While some may come for the lively social scene, others come for happy hour dishes like their tartare of Pacific ahi, Maryland-style lump crabcake or Louisiana oysters. The food specials range from $1 per oyster to $9 for the lump crabcake, but wine and cocktails specials will only set you back $5. Daily 4:30 to 7 pm and all night Sunday and Monday.
Benjy’s in the Village 2424 Dunstan, 713-522-7602 There’s a reason why Benjy’s has won the Best Happy Hour title a few times over and why their happy hour is a social scene unto itself. It’s because their happy hour is always one of the best in town. If you order from the bar menu, pretty much everything is $6. The blood orange margarita is a hit every time, and it’s hard to beat a Benjy’s mojito. You can get excellent, generously portioned happy hour food like house-made pan-fried pork dumplings (photo at top) on a tangy soy-ginger Asian slaw, thin-crust mushroom pizza with pine nuts and truffle oil and more. Weekdays 4:30 to 7 pm.
Truluck’s, 5350 Westheimer at Yorktown, 713-783-7270 The happy hour menu is shorter than it used to be, but their happy hour food, which is basically half off bar-menu items, is always top notch. Sure hits are their crabcake sliders, Scottish salmon burger and mini bacon cheeseburgers. And the specials are not limited to food. Their signature cocktails are also half off for happy hour, which takes place every day 4 to 6:30 pm in the lounge.
Fleming’s, 2405 West Alabama, 713-520-5959 Happy hour at Fleming’s, which is offered every single day of the week, always manages to make me happy. With three locations to choose from, their 5 for $6 ’til 7 happy hour deal works like this: There are 5 cocktails, 5 wines by the glass and 5 appetizers to choose from, all priced at $6, and all available until 7 pm in the bar area. Want a burger? Their Fleming’s prime burger with cheese and bacon is knockout for $6. Tenderloin carpaccio and wicked Cajun barbecue shrimp are other popular food faves, while artisanal cocktails like their tropical martini and interesting wine choices offer a bit of something for everyone.
Coppa Ristorante, 5555 Washington at TC Jester, 713-426-4260 The new Italian restaurant gets high marks for serving full-sized pizzas during happy hour for a steal of a deal: $5. You can also get hand-made Italian meatballs, appetizer-style plates, wines and cocktails for this price during happy hour. The bar is small, so if you want a seat, get there early. Happy hour is only available in the bar and patio area, which is equipped with heat lamps. Monday through Friday 4 to 7 pm.
