Sip and Shoot

Take the "weak" out of weekdays with these Happy Hour specials

Cocktails at Bistro Bar
A martini from Brio Tuscan Grille
The Limencello IlMulino at Trattoria Il Mulino
Photo by Jack Thompson
Frozen cocktails at TQLA
Photo by Jack Thompson
TQLA on the rocks
Photo by Jack Thompson

When the clock strikes happy hour, let us take the guesswork out of where to go for drinks. Here are some commendable specials that are no-brainers for any budget:

Margarita Mondays at TQLA
TQLA is known for its selection of more than 175 tequilas. Also noteworthy is Margarita Monday — kick off the week with $3.75 house margaritas and $5 select appetizers. Bad case of the Mondays mean you can't wait til after work? No problem. This deal is available all day.

Tasting Tuesdays at Quattro - Four Seasons Hotel
Happy Hour doesn't have to be about suds and spuds. Sign up for sommelier Kate Bourne’s informal wine and cheese tasting at Quattro, held each Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. For $16, you can try four Italian and French wines paired with an assortment of cheeses.

Martini Night Wednesdays at BRIO Tuscan Grille
Make it a Mad Men martini Wednesday at BRIO. BRIO Tuscan Grille presents $5 Martini Night every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to close. BRIO’s martini list features 11 delicious options, including traditional and original recipes.

Thirsty Thursdays at Goode’s Armadillo Palace
There's a happy hour special every night of the week at the Armadillo Palace, but Thursdays after 7 p.m., order $2 Shiner Bocks or arrive early for $1.75 Bud Lights and half-price appetizers from 4 to 7 p.m. And don't forget, Thursday's the first night of the weekend — and Armadillo's got all night shot specials for $3.

Seven-days-a-week deals:

Brennan's Courtyard Bar 7-7-7
From 2 to 7 p.m., Brennan's Triple 7 menu offers seven appetizers, cocktails and wines for $7 each. I would be remiss not to mention that the 25-cent martinis at Brennan’s are also available at the bar, with the purchase an entrée, weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Choose from four martinis: Traditional, made with vodka or gin, cosmo, commander (made with blue curacao), or melon.

Bistro Bar
Check out Bistro Alex’s newly debuted downstairs counterpart, Bistro Bar, located in Hotel Sorella at CityCentre. Available anytime and all the time, choices include $5 well cocktails, $5 house wine, $3 beer and any two appetizers for $6.

Trattoria Il Mulino
Trattoria Il Mulino offers half-off drinks and bites from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The drinks? House wine, liquor and beer as well as specialty drinks. The fare? Appetizers, soups, salads and pizzas.

Pondicheri
Pondicheri recently introduced a happy hour menu, available from 4 to 7 p.m. Stop by the bar for $5 drinks, $5 house wine, $4 and $5 drafts and daily food specials from chef Anita Jaisinghani's latest West Ave concept.

For the night owl

Pizzeria Alto
Working (or starting) late? The reverse happy hour at Pizzeria Alto is for you. Wednesday through Saturday from 10 p.m. to close, enjoy $2 large pizza slices, $3 selected international beers, $5 big beer bottles (Brad's Selection), and $5 white and red sangria.

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Farewell, ElRo

Creative Montrose pizzeria will shutter after only a year-and-a-half

Photo by Julie Soefer

ElRo Pizza & Crudo

An acclaimed Houston pizzeria will soon serve its final pies. ElRo Pizza & Crudo will close after service on December 31.

In a post on Instagram, chef-owner Terrence Gallivan thanks his staff for their dedication and his customers for their support. “We hope to see you all over the next couple weeks. Come celebrate with us,” he writes.

Open since June 2023, ElRo intrigued diners who enjoyed Gallivan’s work at pioneering Houston restaurant The Pass & Provisions. At ElRo, the chef served a modified version of the Provisions pizza recipe alongside crudos and shareable small plates such as arancini and housemade sausage. It earned four nominations in this year’s CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, including Best New Restaurant and Chef of the Year.

Sadly, Gallivan tells CultureMap that business has seen “a steady decline in business for many months.” Recently, the restaurant had tried a number of initiatives to draw in diners, such as steak night on Tuesday and fried chicken on Saturday.

The early announcement gives diners two weeks to make one more visit (or two) to the restaurant before it closes. Customers may want to time their visit for happy hour, which takes places from 3-6 pm Tuesday-Friday. It includes half-off glasses of wine, $4 draft beers, $9 select cocktails, and food specials.

Gallivan adds that he doesn’t know yet what his next move will be. Hopefully, he’s got one more comeback in him. Houston is a more fun town to dine in when Gallivan is cooking in it.

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