Where to Drink Now

Where to drink now: 10 hot new Houston happy hours with serious dining deals

Feeling the workplace blues? That's not a surprise. The weather has been crappy. Traffic never seems to get better.

Even the weird fried food at the Rodeo seems kind of ho-hum.

Time to shake things up. Gather a few coworkers and head to happy hour. Bond over small bites while basking in the satisfaction of a good deal.

Of course, Houston’s bars and restaurants are always offering tempting new deals to entice patrons to give them a try. If restaurants wants to feed people inexpensively, the least people can do it take them up on it.

One Fifth Romance Languages
In keeping with its theme of serving food inspired by France, Italy, and Spain, Chris Shepherd recently rolled out a menu of tapas-style small plates and cocktails. Priced between $6 and $12, the current options include mushroom arancini with marscapone and pickled shallots, 44 Farms beef carpaccio, and a wood-fired flatbread. Catalan fans take note: Shepherd has brought back that restaurant's popular garlic shrimp. Three cocktails are available for $7. (Daily, 5 to 6:30 pm)
1658 Westheimer; 713-955-1024

Ambrosia
This pan-Asian hidden gem has new energy in the kitchen courtesy of chef Micah Rideout (Tarakaan, Reef, Main Kitchen). The happy hour menu offers a diverse array of dishes priced at $5 and $6, including wasabi shu mai, Yusheng salmon crudo, and karaage with orange curry sauce. Pair them with $7 glasses of wine and $8 cocktails. Don’t miss daily specials such as $5 martinis on Wednesdays and half-price bottles of wine on Thursday. (Sunday through Friday 5 to 7pm; 5 to 9 pm on Monday; 9 to close Friday and Saturday)
2003 Lexington; 832-649-4636

High & Dry Rum Bar
Located above Moving Sidewalk, downtown’s new rum bar has a generous happy hour. Take $2 off specialty cocktails or choose from $5 wines by-the-glass, $5 wells, and $4 draft beers. (Daily, 4 to 7 pm)
306 Main Suite 200

Bosscat Kitchen & Libations
The Galleria-area bar and restaurant recently launched happy hour with a simple format of $6 bar bites — pulled pork tacos, a mini burger, Dr Pepper wings, and grilled cheese — paired with $5 Texas draft beers, well drinks, and house wines. (Weekdays, 3 to 6 pm)
4310 Westheimer; 281-501-1187

Night Heron
Agricole Hospitality’s new Montrose spot already features well-priced small plates, but the restaurant's drinks get a little cheaper during happy hour. Enjoy three $5 cocktails (Salty Dog, margarita, or old fashioned) along with three $6 glasses of wine, and three $3 beers, including Eureka Heights’ refreshing Buckle Bunny cream ale. (Weekdays from 2 to 6 pm)
1601 W. Main St.; 713-527-8010

La Calle Tacos y Cantina
To celebrate the opening of its cantina, the downtown taco joint recently launched happy hour that starts with $1 pastor tacos. Pair them with $2 select can beers, $3 select draft beers, $4 house margaritas, $5 premium wells (Bacardi, Bombay Saphhire, Jack Daniels, or Tito’s), $6 Corona caguamas (32-ounce bottle), $8 caguama micheladsa, or $13 buckets of beer. (Weekdays 3 to 7 pm)
909 Franklin; 832-735-8226

Third Coast
The Medical Center’s only fine dining restaurant is offering a special Rodeo-themed happy hour menu until March 17. Considering its proximity to a light rail stop, it’s a solid option for pre-gaming. Choose from small plates priced from $6 to $14 like a bowl of Texas chili, pulled pork slider, and the pizza of the day. Fair food fans can save room for the funnel cake cupcake and deep fried cheesecake. Pair it with a choice of $4 beers, an $8 Texas mule, or a glass of McPherson Cellars Texas sparkling wine ($8). (Weekdays 3 to 7 pm)
6550 Bertner; 713-749-0400

Bayou & Bottle
This lobby bar in downtown’s Four Seasons Hotel is one of Houston’s most luxurious watering holes, but the happy hour is eminently reasonable. Choose from the Old Fashioned or Moscow Mule, well spirits, and or house wines for $8 (or $5 draft beers). Food options include snackable items like a carnitas quesadilla and Korean bbq wings (both $7) or heartier fare like slow cooked salmon ($15) and shrimp and grits ($17). (Daily 7 to 9 pm)
1300 Lamar; 713-276-4715

Chama Gaúcha
The prospect of eating lightly at a Brazilian steakhouse is almost unfathomable, but Chama Gaúcha’s affordable happy hour options are undeniably tempting. Available only in the bar and on the outdoor patio, the menu includes six grilled shrimp ($7.50), two pieces of garlic beef ($8), and two lamb chops ($11); best of all, each entree comes with Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) and a choice of mashed potatoes or fried polenta sticks. (Monday and Tuesday all day; Wednesday through Friday 4:30 to 7 pm and 9 to 11 pm)
5865 Westheimer; 713-244-9500

Grotto Downtown
The downtown location of the popular Italian restaurant offers a wide range of intriguing shareable plates, but the happy hour deals are all about the drinks. Choose from $4 draft beers, $6 wines by-the-glass, and $7 select cocktails. (Weekdays 3 to 7 pm)
1001 Avenida de las Americas, Suite A; 713-658-0752

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Need even more happy hour suggestions? Check out our picks from October and December.

Texas Chili at Third Coast.

Courtesy photo

Texas Chili at Third Coast.

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cheers to that

Texas bourbon named one of 2024's top 10 whiskies

Still Austin Whiskey Co. Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey

Still Austin Whiskey Co./Facebook

Now if only we could snag a bottle...as a Christmas gift, of course.

Three cheers for Still Austin Whiskey Co.! The distillery's Bottled in Bond Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey was recognized as one of Whisky Advocate'sTop 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024.

Every year, Whisky Advocate's expert panelists rank hundreds of whiskies based on their quality, availability, value for the price, and "X-factor," meaning an excitement-inducing component like a unique flavor or an innovative idea. An international panel also reviews contenders through several blind taste tests without knowing each whisky's producer, origin, age, or price.

The magazine ranked Still Austin's five-year Red Corn Bourbon No. 7 on the list with a prestigious score of 94 points. The Red Corn whiskey, which was released in June 2024, has mash bill consisting of 36 percent Jimmy Red corn, 34 percent white corn, 25 percent rye, and 5 percent barley.

According to panelist Shane English, tasting notes start big and bold with cracked pepper, dusty leather, and cocktail cherries, before moving on to a palate of chile pepper, caramel, and buttery cornbread.

"Each sip is electric — the pepper gives this whiskey a zing balanced by poundcake and glazed doughnuts," English said. "Charred oak fades to chocolate, coffee, and pecan pie on the finish."

Still Austin had the only Texas product on the list, which was fitting given the brand's recent boasting that it could match any Kentucky Bourbon. As a game day stunt when the Texas Longhorns played the Kentucky Wildcats in November, Still Austin refilled empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles with its own Cask Strength Bourbon for just $1.

When the brand isn't playfully antagonizing Kentucky fans, its Red Corn Bourbon sells for a retail price of $85 per 750-milliliter bottle, falling nearly in the middle of the price category out of all 20 bourbons on the list, with eight others priced for less.

For additional context, none of the top five bourbons fall under a $100 price tag. In fact, the most expensive bottle on the 2024 list is the Angel's Envy 2023 Cask Strength Port Wine Barrel Finished Bourbon, which ranked No. 12 and retails for $230 per bottle.

"Our top 20 whiskies represent a curated collection that deserves your attention. Each whisky on the list stands out for its superb taste, representing the pinnacle of a year filled with remarkable tastings," said executive editor David Fleming in a release. "This list features whiskies offering exceptional value, leaders in their respective styles, and superbly made expressions that are well worth seeking out."

Whiskey Advocate's 2024 Whiskey of the Year is Laphroaig Elements 2.0 Cask Strength Scotch Single Malt, which earned 95 points and retails for $165 a bottle.

whiskey bourbon distilleries awards lists