The happy hour deals at some new Houston hotspots give you the perfect reason to leave work early. These are bars and restaurants where you can have a drink (or two) without breaking the bank.
Weights + Measures
It’s double the pleasure at Midtown restaurant, bar and bakery complex Weights + Measures. Stay warm and tingly with a discounted shooter (or $10 flight) of Schnapps from a roster of global picks at Love and Squalor lounge (weekdays from 4-6 p.m.).
Take advantage of a second deal (available all day every day) at the wine bar and cafe featuring specially priced sparkling, white, rose and red wine ($5 per glass, $10 per flight) and draft beer ($3).
Wooster's Garden
Save on craft beer ($3) and a list of 22 (and counting) cocktails ($2 off each) like the Velvet Sun (made with potato vodka, Campari bitter sweet liqueur, lime, ginger beer and rose water) and the Cloud (dry gin, peach cordial, cherry flavored liqueur, lemon and violet flower and vanilla flavored liqueur) during happy hour (daily from 4-6 p.m.) at low-key Montrose bar Wooster’s Garden.
Oporto Fooding House and Wine
From the folks behind Queen Vic and Oporto Wine Cafe, Oporto Fooding House and Wine in Midtown features Portuguese and Indian fare, and a happy hour special with a price break on food and drinks (weekdays from 4-6:30 p.m.). Bargain sips include house wine or sangria by the glass ($5) and by the quarter, half or full liter ($7-$20); select draught beer ($4); well drinks ($6) and sparkling Spanish wine ($7).
Fill up on small plates from salted cod potato salad (with cilantro, egg, black olives and crispy chickpeas for $7) to mini burgers (served with olive tapenade, arugula, mozzarella and French fries for $7). Gulf oysters are also just a buck apiece.
Oporto Mini Burgers (Photo courtesy of Oporto Midtown)
Gray's Public House
Specialty cocktails like the enticing 50 Shades of Gray (vodka, vanilla, chocolate liqueur, coffee-flavored rum liqueur, Irish whiskey and cream liqueur) are half price during happy hour (weekdays from 4-8 p.m.) at Midtown spot Gray’s Public House. Select beers by the can ($3-$4) are a deal too.
Cushion the boozy blow with snacks like wings, quesadillas and beer-battered cheese sticks (all $5 or less).
Mascalzone Shepherd
London-based restaurant owner, and former Olympic boxer Andrea Magi has opened the second locale of his Il Mascalzone Italian restaurant, this one on Shepherd between Allen Parkway and I-10. Drink up during the regular happy hour (weekdays from 3-6 p.m.) and again during reverse happy hour (Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 p.m.-midnight) when choice beers ($3.50 each) and handcrafted cocktails ($5 each), such as a strawberry basil martini, are on special.
With the money saved, you could splurge on the colossal Mascalzone (half calzone-half pizza for $18) from the non-happy hour menu. It's the house specialty and the restaurant's namesake.
Mascalzone -- half calzone-half pizza (Photo courtesy of Chris Brown)
Dak and Bop
Museum District Korean fried chicken joint Dak and Bop serves up made-to-order, twice-fried chicken and discounted happy hour drinks (Mondays through Saturdays from 5-7 p.m.) including 14 draft beers ($1 off), wines by the glass ($4) and sake bombs ($8).
Doc's Bar and Grill
Early birds rejoice! Happy hour at Austin-import Doc’s Bar and Grill starts at 3 p.m. (and goes until 8 p.m.).
Nosh on mini sliders (beef, buffalo chicken, pork carnita, fried fish or smoked bacon), chicken strips, fried pickles, cheese fries and the likes (all $5 or less) at this Montrose-area bar and grill. Quench your thirst with a potent Everclear-tequila frozen margarita ($4), well drinks ($3.50) or select wine on tap ($5).
Woodbar
Woodbar — the welcoming Montrose neighborhood bakery, coffee counter, restaurant and cocktail bar connected to owner Claire Smith’s Canopy restaurant — gets the happy hour party started early (daily from 3-7 p.m.) with a deal on well drinks ($5), select glasses of wine ($7) and select beers ($2).
Korean fried chicken joint Dak and Bop [http: /houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/11-12-14-new-restaurant-set-to-join-fried-chicken-craze-are-you-ready-for-the-korean-new-york-version/?preview=1] serves up made-to-order, twice-fried chicken, and discounted happy hour drinks.
