Happy hour

Where to drink right now: Houston's 10 hottest happy hour deals for October

When the work whistle blows, what better way to cap off your day with refreshing après-office happy hour drinks at discounted prices? Preferably, there's also a deal on some delectable bites. The restaurants and bars below, all new to the Houston scene or established favorites with recently revamped menus, hit the spot. Read on for 10 must-hit happy hour specials in Houston.

Chapman and Kirby
Showing Houston pride, the roster of delicious house cocktails at east downtown’s Chapman and Kirby, $7 each during happy hour (Wednesday-Friday; 4-7 pm), features several thirst-quenchers named in honor of the Bayou City, including the Allen Parkway, Inside the Loop, Clutch City, Kirby Drive, and H-Town throwback, The Summit, a mix of whiskey, orange-flavored liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup. But the deal doesn't end here. You’ll also save on $4 beers by the bottle, $5 beers by the draft, and $6 wines by the glass.
2118 Lamar St.; 713-636-9615

Better Luck Tomorrow
What more could you ask for than every cocktail in the house, including the must-try Lucky Daiquiri flavored with key lime and raspberry and spiked with rum, for half-price (Monday-Friday; 3:30-5 pm)? How about 25 percent off all bottles of wine, a $6-$8 rotating chicken special (think fried wings and tenders), and a Sunday-only Break-Even Program (Sunday; 3:30-5 pm) with 3-ounce pours of a weekly-changing high-end bottle of wine priced at cost. Cozy Heights neighborhood bar Better Luck Tomorrow makes it all happen.
544 Yale St.

Milano Bar
So many options, so little time. Happy hour (Monday-Saturday from 4-7 pm; Thursday-Saturday from 9 pm-midnight; and Sunday from 3-10 pm) at Milano Bar, located on the first floor of Radio Milano restaurant at City Centre, boasts beers by the bottle for just $3, plus glasses of red, white, or bubbly for $5 apiece and a featured bottle of wine for $20. Should we keep going? There's also a whiskey and beer $20 dram and draft special featuring Angels Envy Bourbon and Maredsous Tripel beer. What's more, cocktails lovers can toast to $6-$7 sips, from an Old Fashioned to a Vesper stirred with gin, vodka, and a wine-based aperitif. Pair your libation with $10 eats like a margherita pizza and top-grade cheeseburger with fries.
800 Sorella Ct.; 713- 973-1600

La Table
Start the party early at La Table near The Galleria, a multilevel French-American restaurant with a bar and bakery. From noon to 7 pm, at first floor eatery Marché and the adjacent patio, linger over $7 glasses or $29 bottles of wine and sparkling wine, $9 specialty drinks like the La Provence stirred with gin, lemon juice, and lavender bitters, $6 wells, and $4 draft and $3.50 bottled beers. Live entertainment on the patio (Thursday from 6:30-9:30 pm; Friday-Saturday from 6:30-10:30 pm) is one more reason to say oui.
1800 Post Oak Blvd.; 713-439-1000

The Del
The happy hour menu (daily from 3-6:30 pm; and again Friday-Saturday from 9-11 pm) at casual Memorial neighborhood joint The Del features both fare and drinks. Eat up: Dishes include calamari and gnocchi tots with cheddar fondue. Drink up: Beers by the bottle and draft are $3-$6, wells and wines by the glass are $5 each, and cocktails, from classic to signature, are $5-$10. We recommend the Orange Blossom made with prosecco with orange Italian apéritif, and elderflower liqueur. And if that's not enough to peak your interest, you can also get a cheese board and bottle of wine combo for $20.
6521 Del Monte Dr.; 713-750-9259

Cafe Azur
Head from the office to casually chic Cafe Azur in Montrose where the special (Tuesday-Friday; 5-7 pm) applies to $6 small plates of French fare, including a bite-sized croque-monsieur and duck confit tacos. Also on special: $5 glasses of house wine and $5 cocktails (think French 75 and Kir Royale).
4315 Montrose; 713-524-0070

SaltAir Seafood Kitchen
Upper Kirby’s SaltAir Seafood Kitchen, known for seafood dishes with a global influence, appeals to happy hour (Monday- Saturday; 3 -7 pm) enthusiasts with $1 Gulf and $2 East coast oysters, $6 mini tuna tacos, $6 grilled pork ribs, and the likes. Wash it all down with $5 glasses of wine and reduced priced cocktails such as a grapefruit tequila spritzer for $7.
3029 Kirby Dr.; 713-521-3333

Roka Akor
The menu at sleek Japanese eatery Roka Akor boasts items from a robata grill along with sushi offerings. During happy hour (daily; 4:30-6 pm), fill up on $4-$8 eats, from wagyu beef and kimchi dumplings to fried chicken aioli, and say cheers to $3 draft Sapporos, $5 sake by the glass, $7 wines by the glass, and $8 cocktails including a gin martini.
2929 Weslayan St.; 713-622-1777

Yauatcha
Located in the Jewel Box building at The Galleria, contemporary dim sum teahouse Yauatcha recently launched a happy hour deal, deemed Flow and Prosper (Monday-Friday; 4-6 pm). Choose from six different $8 cocktails such as the Ginger Smash with whiskey, ginger, cardamom, vanilla, lemon, and ginger beer, and eight dim sum dishes, $6 per order, like can't-misses, the shrimp and Chinese chive and the roasted duck pumpkin puff.
5045 Westheimer Rd.; 713-357-7588

Helen in the Heights
Casual taverna Helen in the Heights not only offers 50 percent off all cocktails and beer (Tuesday-Friday; 3-5:30 pm), but also $9 wines by the glass, $25 bottles of wine, and $4-$7 bites including feta brined wings and bourbon baklava soft serve.
1111 Studewood; 832-582-7146

Don't skip the Lucky Daiquiri at Better Luck Tomorrow, flavored with key lime and raspberry and spiked with rum.

Photo by Jenn Duncan Photography

Don't skip the Lucky Daiquiri at Better Luck Tomorrow, flavored with key lime and raspberry and spiked with rum.

cocktails

ps, we're closed

Houston's most pretty-in-pink restaurant quietly closes in Upper Kirby

Photo by Jenn Duncan

You'll see a lot of pink at PostScript.

PostScript, Upper Kirby’ posh pink restaurant, has quietly closed, CultureMap has learned.

Although the restaurant is still accepting reservations on OpenTable — and is, as of this article’s publication, listed as open on both Yelp and Google — reports circulated on social media this weekend that it had abruptly canceled diners’ Mother’s Day reservations. In addition, its dining room in the Shops at Arrive mixed-use development has been emptied of furniture.

[Update: After the publication of this article, PostScript's management provided CultureMap with the following statement:

We are saddened to announce the closure of PostScript HTX.

We sincerely thank our patrons for their loyalty and support. It has been an honor to serve you and be part of your special moments. The people and culture in Houston are first class. We wish you all the best and hope our paths cross again in the future.]

PostScript opened with considerable fanfare in February 2024. Owners Veeral Rathod and Obi Ibeto, brought their experiences as partners in the Dallas-based GAP Hospitality to the project, which operates establishments such as XOXO Dining Room, Lyla, and Drai’s Dallas. Particularly inspired by XOXO Dining Room, they created an ode to pink that included pink exterior and interior walls, a pink quartz bar, and a pink grand piano. “Push for Champagne” buttons added to the lively spirit.

Chef Bryan Caswell created the menu. Best known for his pioneering Gulf Coast seafood restaurant Reef that closed in 2019, Caswell’s menu included fried chicken with hummus, oysters three ways (raw, roasted, and fried), a sushi roll, and the double smoked pork chop that was a Reef staple. A doughnut topped with caviar became a customer favorite.

Since Caswell was only consulting on the project, he left a couple of months after opening. Latuli, Caswell’s new Gulf Coast-inspired restaurant in the Memorial area, is expected to open soon.

CultureMap has reached out to PostScript via email, phone, and Instagram message for comment on the decision to close the restaurant. We will update this article if they reply.

PostScript’s closure follows that of Cru, which ended a 13-year run in December 2024. On the other hand, Kira, a sushi hand roll concept from Houston’s Comma Hospitality that’s also located in the development, is thriving, having earned the No. 4 spot on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s best new restaurants. The development is also home to beloved Indian restaurant Pondicheri, an outpost of the steakhouse chain Eddie V’s, and top tier Houston shopping destination Tootsie’s.

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