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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.
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    Coming soon to Fredericksburg

    Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

    Brandon Watson
    Dec 26, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    Bottega Salaria Fredericksburg
    Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria
    Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

    Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

    But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

    Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

    “[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

    The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

    Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

    “I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

    The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

    Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

    Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

    After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

    Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

    The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

    "We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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