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    h-town happy hour

    11 best new happy hours from Houston's hottest restaurants and bars

    Megha Tejpal
    May 15, 2019 | 2:30 pm
    Doris Metropolitan black brioche bun burger
    A beefed up experience at Doris Metropolitan.
    Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

    Indulging in booze and bar bites is always a good time, but never more so than during happy hour when festive cocktails, a variety of vinos, and savory menu selections are on special.

    After a long day at work, pull up a bar stool and peruse the new happy hour deals at these Houston hot spots, which offer plenty of bargain eats and drinks for all.

    1751 Sea and Bar
    Find seafood and much more on the happy hour menu at 1751 Sea and Bar helmed by executive chef Lyle Bento. Available every Tuesday through Saturday from 4-6 pm, Gulf oysters will set you back a buck each and a revolving menu of daily crudo from the ice bar is a cool $5. Drinking while dining is highly encouraged, because the expansive bar menu featuring signature G&Ts, martinis, and wines by the glass are half off during this time.

    a'Bouzy
    This spirited River Oaks restaurant serves as an exciting happy hour destination with its ever-changing menu of seasonal bites and beverages available every Thursday from 3-6:30 pm. Menu selections may feature tuna tartare with spicy aioli or steamed black mussels, saucy with garlic lemon-butter, and should most definitely be paired with a French rosé or Italian rouge classico — each just $4 per glass.

    BB Lemon
    Dine and drink during “Lemon Hour” at buzzy BB Lemon, made available Monday through Friday from 3-6 pm. Fun and flavorful bar bites like the house-made beer cheese topped Frito pie and Texas wagyu hot dogs are only $6; and in addition to $8 craft cocktails, all of the wines listed on the bar menu are discounted $2.

    Doris Metropolitan
    The famed bread service, feta-topped tomato salad with the fruit presented four ways and beef kebab with tahini are hard to resist at Doris Metropolitan, but even more so during happy hour Sundays through Thursdays from 5-6:30 pm when each item is heavily discounted. A handful of wines by the glass are listed under $10, and $7 cocktails like the coconut daiquiri and Aperol Collins make for a lively evening.

    Jack & Ginger’s
    Enjoy an extended happy hour at Midtown’s newest Irish pub where, from 11 am to 9 pm every Monday through Friday, specials on wine, appetizers, and beer flights are offered throughout the bar and patio. Snack on crisp, salty potato chips with smoked cheddar pub cheese, or the gooey grilled cheese hushpuppies with sweet strawberry jelly paired with a cold one.

    Kanaloa
    Get tipsy off of tiki cocktails and more at this low-lit bar and courtyard located adjacent to Market Square Park in Downtown. Potent, fruit forward cocktails served in tall tiki glasses are on special Monday through Friday from 4-7 pm and serve as fun accessories for an Instagrammable moment. Visit on Tiki Tuesday and enjoy happy hour prices all day, with $1 off tacos.

    Kau Ba Saigon Kitchen
    After garnering fame from her appearances on Netflix’ Ugly Delicious and Street Eats, localebrity Nikki Tran has launched a brand new weekday happy hour pairing Vietnamese street eats with half-priced wine and cocktails at Kau Ba in Montrose. A menu of savory small plates including fried dumplings with fermented lemon sauce and fried tofu with shrimp paste are no more than $5, and guests are welcome to enjoy the discounted offerings throughout the entire restaurant, bar, and patio.

    Miss Carousel
    This moody East Downtown destination is a fabulous place to indulge in boozy craft cocktails and spirits, but especially during 4-6 pm (seven days a week) when classic adult beverages like the Moscow Mule and Old Fashion are discounted to $6. Vote for vino? House picks of blush, reds, and whites are also on special for $7 per glass.

    Perry’s Steakhouse River Oaks
    Get social at Perry’s Steakhouse in River Oaks, where the entire first level, coined Bar 79 — an ode to the year Perry’s was founded — offers a festive scene in which to dine and drink. On weekdays from 3-7 pm, and also Sunday evenings from 4-9 pm, the social hour features cocktails like the Smokey Rita crafted with Hornitos Black Barrel tequila and savory bar bites like the chopped beef tenderloin pizza for just $9.

    Riel
    Find a slew of exotic eats on the happy hour menu available in the bar at Riel all night on Monday and Tuesday to Friday from 5 to 6:30 pm. Comfort plates like the crisp, golden gator karaage with ranch dressing and hot dog minis garnished with fried rice and gochujang are on special, while a selection of white, red, and sparkling wines are $7 and classic cocktails, only $8.

    The Pink Elephant Room
    Partake in boozy happy hour specials between 4-7 pm daily at this vibey new Washington Avenue bar. Coined Happier Hour, discounted drinks include $2.50 Lone Star beers, and wine and house cocktails, marked 50 percent off. Beat the heat with $4 frozen bevs, or opt to kick your night up a notch with $3 Amarula shots.

    A tiki-themed happy hour at Kanaloa.

    Kanaloa Tiki
    Kanaloa/Facebook
    A tiki-themed happy hour at Kanaloa.
    happy-hoursdrinks
    news/restaurants-bars

    firing up Montrose

    New Houston seafood restaurant adds live-fire flair to Japanese flavors

    Eric Sandler
    Dec 3, 2025 | 10:02 am
    Casa Kenji restaurant
    Photo by Becca Wright
    Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

    An ambitious new seafood restaurant is coming to Montrose next week. Casa Kenji will open on Tuesday, December 9.

    Located in the former Andiron space (3201 Allen Pkwy), Casa Kenji is the first Houston project for New Orleans restaurateur Malachi DuPre, a former LSU standout who played briefly in the NFL before establishing Kenji and Kenji Kazoku restaurants in New Orleans. Together with former LSU teammate John “B-John” Ballis and Houston chef Bigler “Biggie” Cruz, Casa Kenji will blend Latin and Japanese influences while also incorporating live-fire elements into the restaurant’s dishes. Cruz, whose resume includes a lengthy stint at Uchi as well as working at critically acclaimed Houston seafood restaurant Golfstrømmen, tells CultureMap that Casa Kenji’s approach is the first time he can be himself in the kitchen.

    “My perfect restaurant was always based on the live fire and sushi combination,” Cruz says. “My mom cooked with wood for my entire life. The live fire creates completely different flavors. The smoky flavors, the sear from the charcoal — they create a different type of memory for me.”

    The use of live fire techniques will permeate Casa Kenji’s menus in ways both big and small. For example, diners will be able to feast on prawns grilled directly on charcoal and served with yuzu chili garlic, or savor lightly seared Japanese wagyu tataki paired with mushrooms. Even raw dishes will benefit from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill and stove.

    “Every vegetable we peel, we make into an ash that’s a topping for the dishes. It adds a different layer of flavor,” Cruz says. Look for it in the scallop aguachile, among others.

    Even vegetables get a smoky component, as in a cabbage dish that’s braised with dashi and soy sauce before being roasted and served with an onion soubise that Cruz says he developed based on techniques he learned from Golfstrømmen chef Christopher Haatuft.

    “It’s rich, super savory, with smoky layers, and you get brightness from the shiso gremolata. I think it will be a signature dish for us,” the chef says.

    One change to the interior is the addition of a six-seat omakase counter that looks into the kitchen. Cruz promises those diners will have an even more elevated experience than the restaurant’s regular menu, including ingredients such as Japanese wagyu and premium fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.

    Beyond its cuisine, Casa Kenji hopes to stand out with its spacious outdoor patio. Since very few Japanese-inspired restaurants in Houston offer outdoor seating, it should appeal to diners who want a little vitamin D along with their tuna crudo.

    “We’re proud to showcase the craft and creativity that defines Casa Kenji,” co-founders Cruz, Ballis, and DuPre said in a statement. “With chef Bigler Cruz at the helm — blending live-fire technique with the discipline of Japanese tradition — we’re equally honored and excited to share a unique concept that is truly rooted in passion, culture, and community.”

    Casa Kenji will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 4 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

    Casa Kenji restaurant

    Photo by Becca Wright

    Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

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