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    Restaurant Bargains

    Hot new happy hour deals: 10 Houston restaurant bargains you must try

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 21, 2014 | 12:41 pm

    There's an admittedly seafood-heavy list of new happy hour options, but maybe that's appropriate. After all, these specials typically from late afternoon to early evening, and no one wants to eat something heavy when it's hot outside.

    Unwind with any of the specials listed below. Just know that a cold beer or refreshing cocktail makes them taste even better.

    Pico's

    The recently-relocated Mex-Mex restaurant has become Upper Kirby's newest hotspot. Check out what the fuss is all about during happy hour, when the restaurant's signature dishes and drinks are all available at a discount. Empanadas, taquitos and gorditas are all available for $5, with ceviche campechana, nachos and sauteed shrimp all coming in at $6.

    The list of $6 cocktails includes the house margarita (rocks or frozen), daiquiris and an intriguing twist on milk punch built around house-made horchata and Fireball.

    Happy hour is served Mondays through Fridays from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

    Bradley's Fine Diner

    The upscale comfort food restaurant near the Heights just rolled out six new happy hour dishes. Choices include popcorn shrimp in chili-lime aioli ($7), fish sticks ($6) and a sloppy Joe biscuit slider ($6) that takes full advantage of the restaurant's in-house bread baking. Match them with any of the restaurant's cocktails or a craft beer.

    Happy hour is available Mondays through Fridays from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

    Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette

    The River Oaks hotspot has new happy hour offerings that will be available until the end of the summer. Choose from six dishes that include grilled oysters, grilled shrimp and blackened tuna salad. Prices run between $4 and $8 on the food, and each item has a corresponding wine pairing that's also under $10.

    Happy hour is available at the bar Mondays through Fridays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

    Sandy Witch

    The underrated sandwich shop inside of Grand Prize recently rolled out a menu of substantial bar bites that only cost $5. Choose from a generous serving of beer mac and cheese, pulled pork tacos or a chicken quesadilla. Vegetarians will enjoy the black bean, avocado and rice-topped nachos. That's right, rice-topped nachos.

    The underrated sandwich shop inside of Grand Prize recently rolled out a menu of substantial bar bites that only cost $5.

    Pair with any of Grand Prize's discounted drinks, like $2 PBRs, $3 well drinks and $5 frozen cocktails. It'll start the night off right.

    Happy hour is available everyday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

    Kuu

    This high-profile sushi spot in Gateway Memorial City has a variety of cooked options, sushi and drinks available. Choose from rolls like spider, California or snow crab for $6 each along with the house cured bacon appetizer for $7.

    Cocktails run between $6 and $8 with hot sake going for $6, wine for $5 and Japanese beers for $4.

    Happy hour is served Mondays through Fridays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

    Nara

    Recently renamed Nara Sushi & Korean Kitchen to emphasize its diverse menu, Nara's social hour features $7 bites that include Korean-style chicken wings and bao buns (two per order). Take the edge off a day at the office with half-price specialty cocktails, $5 well drinks, $4 import beers and $5 for select glasses of wine.

    Happy hour is served Mondays through Fridays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

    Kiran's

    The Highland Village-area Indian restaurant has been a happy hour destination for years, but it recently rolled out a new menu for folks who may have forgotten how enjoyable chef/owner Kiran Verma's food is. The Veranda menu features a variety of snacks priced from $4 to $6 including stuffed naans and sliders.

    The patio also features discounts on a limited cocktail menu, $6 glasses of wine and $3 beers. Downing Street refugees take note: Kiran's welcomes cigar smokers.

    Happy hour is served Mondays through Fridays from 4 p.m to 7 p.m.

    Palm

    The fancy-pants steakhouse gets casual at happy hour, when bar bites are 50 percent off (i.e., $6). Choices include lobster tempura, steak burger sliders and a basket of cottage fries available in three different flavors.

    Feeling slightly more peckish? Jumbo shrimp cocktail, a full-size burger and shrimp corn dogs are available for about $20 each.

    The fancy-pants steakhouse gets casual at happy hour, when bar bites are 50 percent off.

    The bar bite discount runs Sundays through Fridays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

    El Big Bad

    The downtown Gastrocantina keeps it simple at happy hour. Take $3 off all specialty cocktails and $1 off beer and wine. The discounts are also available during all World Cup matches.

    Be sure to direct the savings towards any of recently-hired chef Jonathan Jones' new additions to the menu, including a new campechana and the signature Jalisco wings that haven't been seen since the El XX days.

    Happy hour is available everyday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

    Cook & Collins

    The Midtown newcomer keeps things simple at happy hour. Take $2 off mixed drinks and wines by the glass. Selected appetizers and flatbreads are a generous half-off, meaning a person could have a couple drinks and a small dinner for under $20.

    The special even runs on Saturdays, which makes it a nice start to a night of Midtown bar hopping.

    Happy hour prices are available Mondays through Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

    The Sloppy Joe biscuit slider is only $6 at Bradley's Fine Diner.

    Bradley's Fine Diner Sloppy Joe Biscuit Slider
      
    Photo by The Epicurean Publicist
    The Sloppy Joe biscuit slider is only $6 at Bradley's Fine Diner.
    unspecified
    news/restaurants-bars

    where to drink now

    16 Houston establishments churning out refreshing frozen cocktails

    Brianna Griff
    Jun 10, 2025 | 3:06 pm
    Solarium Frozen Cocktails
    Photo by Swiggard Creative
    The newly opened Solarium serves up racketball games and four frozen cocktails to sip on.

    If we’re going to endure another scorching Houston summer, we might as well do it with a frozen cocktail in hand. Fortunately, the city’s bartenders know how to keep us cool, serving up an impressive array of boozy adult slushies. Go ahead and bookmark this list—you’re going to need it.

    Brennan’s
    The most elaborate drink on this list, the Bananas Faster at Brennan’s is an ode to the original bananas Foster at Mr. B’s Bistro in NOLA. Bartenders sauté bananas in butter and sugar, then flambé them with rum and cinnamon before blending with Bacardi rum and soft serve. It’s topped with a banana slice, cinnamon, and an optional Mount Gay Dark Rum floater.

    Confessions
    Pair a bowl of hookah with Sweet Surrender, an adults-only take on the Dreamsicle, at Confessions. The new South American-inspired spot in Upper Kirby swirls vanilla and whipped vodka with oranges, evoking the childhood treat.

    Grand Prize
    Ease up to the downstairs bar of this Montrose haunt for the 20th Century, a frosty concoction of gin, lemon, Lillet, and crème de cacao. Upstairs, the Frozen Miami Vice is on tap: a half-strawberry daiquiri and half-pina colada, which can also be served separately if desired.

    Happy Go Lucky
    The team behind The Burger Joint opened its new shaved ice and frozen cocktail concept just as Houstonians begin to melt. Here, patrons can find more than 20 frozens, from tart palomas to zesty mules. Order the Espresso and Cream — an espresso martini meets a scoop of vanilla ice cream — for a decadent treat.

    Hudson House
    It may claim to serve the “World’s Coldest Martini,” but for a truly shivering experience, order the frozen Bellini. This East Coast-esque establishment blends up “copious amounts of” vodka with fresh peach puree, before topping it with a Grand Marnier floater.

    Il Bracco
    The Post Oak Italian eatery is blending up The Bracco, a frozen greyhound of Aperol, New Amsterdam, and fresh grapefruit. Best of all, it's available to-go in half-gallon bottles.

    Johnny’s Gold Brick
    The Tastemaker Awards’ 2025 Bar of the Year winner offers a savory slushy sipper this summer with the Garden Party. Inspired by watermelon gazpacho, bartenders Ryan Suhl and Trent Lee created a refreshing gin-based blend of juniper-forward genever, watermelon, bell pepper, herbal liqueur, lime, salt, and lemon olive oil. Or, opt for the frozen margarita, a staple on the menu.

    Monkey’s Tail
    This tropical Linden Park spot features two frosty mainstays: Tommy’s Marg, built with blanco tequila, agave nectar, gomme syrup, and fresh lime, and the sweet-spicy Chile Mangonada, a rum-tequila combination with mango nectar, passion fruit, and a chamoy swirl. Current seasonal specials are the Northside (cucumber gin, tequila, mint syrup, lime, and firewater bitters) and the dessert-like combo, Banana Colada (Jamaican rums, pineapple, banana liqueur, banana pudding mix, coconut cream, and whipped cream) — but operating partner and frozen fan Lainey Collum reserves the right to switch things up at any time.

    Refuge
    The lively cocktail bar's Tropic Summer returns for 2025 with a fresh menu that includes the Blended Sling, a vibrant drink made with saffron-infused Vietnamese gin, pineapple sherbet, pomegranate, cherry liqueur, Curaçao, Benedictine, and a dash of Angostura.

    The Savoy
    This historic neighborhood bar in Third Ward features Sneaky Link, the locale’s rendition of a Branson Peach Sidecar, and the Emancipation, which blends the house frozen margarita with 818 Tequila Reposado, pineapple, and fresh strawberries.

    Solarium
    What’s a better pick-me-up after a sweltering game of pickleball than a frozen cocktail at Rex Hospitality’s latest addition to the racket sport craze? The stylish lounge offers four options worth sipping: the 820 Marg (blanco tequila, curaçao, lime, agave), El Mercado (a house take on a mangonada), Purple Drank (12-year aged rum, coconut, ube, pineapple, lime), and the Courtside Frosé, made with blood orange vodka, citrus, and rosé.

    Starduster Lounge
    The recently-opened, West Texas-inspired bar in the Heights serves an updated version of the Frozen Shandy that was a smash hit at D&T Drive-Inn. Now dubbed the Rio Red Shandy, the drink combines Lone Star beer, lemon, grapefruit, and vodka for a refreshing, citrus forward sip.

    Two Headed Dog
    This intimate Midtown dive always has four frozens on rotation. The current lineup includes the gin-based Blood of My Enemies, featuring pomegranate, hibiscus, and pineapple, and the Siren’s Drawl, a rum-based concoction with kiwi, mango, honey, and allspice, served with a flaming lime boat. Mezcal lovers will appreciate the Smoking Diablo, featuring crème de cassis, ginger, and lime, while the no-nonsense Big Ass Margarita rounds out the offerings.

    Under the Volcano
    The tiki bar offers two simple, yet delightful, frozen riffs on classics: the Screwdriver, where orange juice meets vodka, and a Cuba Libre, which is essentially a Coke Slurpee with the addition of rum and fresh lime juice.

    Voodoo Queen
    This daiquiri dive is a frozen fan’s paradise, with eight machines spinning boozy slushies at all times. Owner Brandon Young recommends the house-favorite The Bends, a banana daiquiri consisting of two rums, 151, and Everclear. Most of the bar's other creations are made with rum and 151, but the margarita keeps it classic with 100 percent blue agave tequila and orange liqueur.

    Still can’t decide? The bar will also combine its frozen creations to make over-the-top combos, such as the Caribbean Xanax, a crowd favorite that combines The Bends, Tropical Depression, Mango Larry, Pineapple Express, and a splash of Demerara 151. And don’t sleep on the hand-spun 151 daiquiris.

    Winnie's
    The Midtown bar has created a frozen version of the tiki favorite the Saturn that's made with gin, toasted almond orgeat, passion fruit, and lemon. Get it for $12 regularly, $6 during happy hour, or as part of a frozen flight with the bar's three other frozens — margarita, strawberry daiquiri, and peach bourbon iced tea.

    Happy Go Lucky frozen espresso martini
      

    Photo by Becca Wright

    Cool off with a frozen espresso martini at Happy Go Lucky.

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