Best Happy Hour
It’s called happy hour for a reason. The trick is knowing which spots have one and which days and times. Some have happy hour only during the week. Some have all day happy hours on Sunday or Monday. Here’s our cheat-sheet for hours plus our top picks with notes about each one.
Vancouver Happy Hour Cheat-Sheet
Amaro’s Table 2-5 and 9pm – Close
BarNone 3-6
Brickhouse Bar & Grill 3-6 closed Monday
Casa Colima 2-5 Daily
Catedral Tapatia 3-6 M-F
The Cove 2-5 Tues – Sun
Crave Grill 2-4 and 8-close
Farrar’s Bistro 2-5 and 9-close
The Grocery 2-5 daily
Gustav’s 2-5 and 8-10
The Hammond 3-5 daily
Hickory 3-5 daily
JB’s Taphouse 3-6 M-S and all day Sunday
Jorge’s Margarita Factory 2-5 and 9-Close
La Fiesta 3-6 daily
Loowit Brewing downtown 2-5 daily
Los Potrillos 3-5:30 daily
Magnolia Tavern All day Monday, 2-5 Sun-Thurs and 9-10
McMenamins (164th) 3-6 and 9 – close
McMenamins (river) 2-5 M-F
Nom Nom 3-6 daily
Nostra Tavola 2-5 Sun-Thurs
Ondus Monday 11 am–9 PM , Tue- Sun 3pm – 6pm
Oswego Grill 2-5 and 9-close daily
Pacific House 3-6 daily, 9pm-Close, All Day on Sunday
Provecho Tuesday-Friday: 3-5pm, 8pm-close Sun: 6pm-close
Rigo’s Finest Latin Grill 3-6pm, 9-close daily
Shanahan’s Pub 3-7 daily
Smokin’ Oak 2-5 daily
Stack 571 3-6 and 9-10 Fri – Sat
Puffin Cafe 3-6 M-F
Thirsty Sasquatch 2-5 M-F
Twigs Mon-Fri: 3-6 daily and 9pm-close
Witness Tree 4-6 Tues-Fri
Waterfront Taphouse 2-6 Sun-Thurs
Who Song & Larry’s 3-9 M-F
1. Amaro’s Table Downtown
Vancouver – Downtown & Eastside
My favorite Vancouver eatery. This is a quality joint. Food, cocktails and service are excellent. The fried chicken is amazing. I like to add it to my wedge salad. The fondue with pretzel is fab. The one thing I’m not fond of is the ribeye steak. It’s thin and dry. The NY steak on the other hand is pretty good, $10 less AND it has the green chimichurri sauce with it. One the best places for cocktails this side of the river. Excellent staff.
2. Radio Room
Portland – Central
HH 3-6 Mon-Sat and 3-close Sun. Radio Room has a mid 20th century vibe and is in a vintage gas station. The decor has a Pulp Fiction feel. Their bar has excellent stock. The Black Manhattan with Basil Hayden dark rye and Averna Amaro is spot on. My wife had the Upper Deck Lemonade (vodka, lemonade, sprite and raspberry puree). The wife is a big fan of the fried brussels and the chicken pesto pasta. I had the chicken sandwich which was decent but I’ll go with something else next time, but the tomato soup was perfect. Radio Room is a sister restaurant to Keys Lounge, which we also like. They have a DJ on Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s they have live jazz. Being the happy hour on Sundays is from 3-close and live jazz, you’ll know where to find me.
3. Ondus
Vancouver – Waterfront
Ondus has become a lovely place to dine when we want something more elevated. The HH menu has more choices than most. Notable mentions are the Hot Roast Beef Sliders, BYO Burger, Crispy pork belly skewers and the Spinach and Apple Salad. Drink options aren’t much of a discount. $1 Off Draft & Bottled Beer, $2 Off Glass of Wine, $8 House White $8 House Red and four light and refreshing cocktails. *It should be noted the drink specials for all day HH on Monday stop at 6pm.
4. Keys Lounge
Portland – Central
Oozing with vibe and good comfort food. Fantastic base spirits and mixers. Everything is ordered at the bar. The chow is limited but fits the vibe. I like the steak bites. The cheeseburger is good. The salads are large and yummy. Popcorn comes with different flavors. Personally I’m not a fan of the salt & vinegar. The Pizza Party flavor is our fav. The chicken sandwich comes on a bun and is a little polite. If you like spicy ask for extra jalapenos. We like the curly fries. They spin vinyl Thurs, Fri, Sat and have a large record collection. They play it LOUD on the weekends. You have to almost yell even when sitting next to someone. We like it much more on the other days with the savvy Pandora station. Think Oceans 11 meets Outta Sight. They also have sitting in front of the joint. All-in-all it has a hip vibe. The staff are very cool. The one thing that I wish was better was how long it takes for staff to get to you.
5. The Hammond Kitchen & Craft Bar
Vancouver – East
A good place to belly up to the bar. Stylish decor with decent food. It’s fairly loud joint due to so many reflective surfaces. The Waliser Cabernet Sauvignon is not bad. The Oden Thor Equinox beer is good. The prime rib dip is good but a bit small. The steak salad is good. The pizzas are small and just enough for one person. Fries are basic diced potatoes.
6. Gustav’s
Vancouver – East
Good Germany style eatery that was just taken over by the folks from Amaro’s Table. The happy hour menu has some notable offerings, like the pub burger or two sliders for just $8. Amaro’s is one of the best bars this side of the river but Gustav’s isn’t there yet. Cocktails are currently middle of the road but hoping things will improve soon. The one sign of that is they are already using the beautiful, crystal clear ice from Portland Ice co. INSIDER TIP: If you like spirit forward cocktails, try the Wolpertinger.
7. Canard
Portland – Central
$4 Steam Burgers! Well, they’re sliders but that’s what they’re called on the menu. Delightful French restaurant with an good happy hour. The Happy hour menu is limited but worth it. The shining star are the steam burgers which are like an elevated white castle burger beloved my East Coasters. Another must have are the garlic fries. Their bar is small but they have an excellent selection of liqueurs and mixers making it possible to have a good variety of craft cocktails. I need to return for a dinner to truly experience the full meal deal, but Canard is cool.
8. The Cove
Vancouver – West
Fab river/marina view. One of the more upscale restaurants in Vancouver. Good indoor and outdoor seating. Decent drinks. Excellent choice when the weather is nice. Plenty of parking.
9. Dirty Pretty
Portland- Central Eastside
Dirty Pretty is a nice bar. Their bar stock has most of what’s needed. The vibe is cool and the decor is stylish. They have a patio area out back. Dirty Pretty gets a bit too loud and edgy on Friday and Saturday nights but it’s not a bad place to have drinks with mates or a date during off peak hours. $2 off all items including drinks during HH. Street parking is luck of the draw.
10. Los Potrillos
Vancouver – East
HH 3-5:30. A medium Cadillac margarita is only $9! My favorite neighborhood Mexican food joint in Vancouver. Their margaritas taste excellent. Their salsa has personality. I like the carnitas burrito better than the macho. I’m also fond of the Chile Colorado and steak fajitas. The largest selection of base spirits for a Mexican restaurant. A decent selection of mixers and liqueurs. Los Potrillos has a fabulous staff. They treat you really well. Especially if you sit at the bar. If you like spicy, ask for the green habanero sauce. They have an adequate amount of parking.
11. Hickory Restaurant + Bar
Vancouver – East
Peaceful restaurant and on a golf course. I’m surprised how few people know able this one. It’s almost secret.
12. Magnolia Tavern
Vancouver – East
The bar has a very good selection of base spirits. They have beautiful king cubes via Portland ice company that are crystal clear. Also they have a lovely smoker for infusing old fashioneds. These are obvious sign of wanting to be a craft cocktail bar. They’re almost there.
13. Shanahan’s Pub & Grill
Vancouver – West
One of the better valued happy hours in Vancouver. It’s not fine dining but the large variety of items available on the happy hour menu is the best I’ve seen. Also it lasts until 7pm. The sausage and pretzels were good. I like how salty the pretzels are. My wife like the mild sausage. I like the smoked chicken quesadilla without the BBQ sauce. The cod tacos are good. We didn’t care for the caprese salad but the Cesar looks much better. The irish nachos were yummy. The mac & cheese with corn beef was a huge hit. The club sandwich is ample and excellent. I like that it’s only two pieces of bread. Onion rings are ok. The garlic cheese bread is like a grilled cheese sandwich and is wonderful. The sliders are not great. They have some kind of jelly on them. Also the buns are very dry. Only pedestrian cocktails at best. They make a pretty good bloody Mary. The Stairway stout is very good. Ample parking. The Infirmary, next door has far better spirits.
14. The Smokin’ Oak Barbeque
Vancouver – Downtown
Decent value happy hour. Their sausage is decent but I wish it was more spicy. The brisket is excellent. The jalapeno pinto beans are amazing. The chili has loads of flavor and is my current favorite. The Ol Smokey cocktail is ok. The king ice cube is a nice touch. The Texas Mary is a 22 oz bloody Mary with a garnish of sausage, brisket, pickle and a rib…all for 30 bucks. Their bar has one of the best selection of base spirits and a decent selection of liquors and mixers. Their bartenders vary in skill and experience. With some you have to quality control your drink to get a good cocktail.
15. Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Portland – Downtown
One of the best happy hour values. The steak sandwich at happy hour $19 and fabulous. The zucchini fries are tasty.It’s a chain but you’d never guess it if you didn’t know. Top shelf food with a staff to match. Great wine. Not craft but decent cocktails. Unfortunately the only sweet vermouth is Dolin. This place is hard to beat. They kill it EVERY time.
16. McMenamins on the Columbia
Vancouver – South
Excellent view. Decent food. Drinks are limited. No craft cocktails here but I like their Terminator beer.
17. Who Song & Larry’s
Vancouver – Downtown
Draft Beer Pint, Well Drinks, House Wine are $4. Tuesday tacos are $3. INSIDER TIP: Whenever the bridge is up margaritas are just $3! Great view of the river. Their Cadillac margarita has real Grand Marnier. If the weather is good, ask to set by the river. The tacos vampiros are fab. Their steak can be a bit tough. Best to ask them to cook medium. superb chips. if you like spicy ask them to make you some hot salsa.
18. Waterfront Taphouse
Vancouver – Waterfront
Waterfront Taphouse has very good bar stock and fun finger food. Located above Twigs, they serve simple but well presented food and drinks. The pepperoni pizza board is $15. It’s decent. For some strange reason, it reminds me of the pizza I was served at school. Perhaps it’s the way that it’s cut. It’s not amazing, but it’s an enjoyable, savory dish. I wish the pepperoni weren’t so large. If they used the small cup pepperoni, it would elevate this dish. More notable is the bruschetta. You order three for $17. They can be the same or mix and match. I went with the 1) Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil, Balsamic Glaze 2) Soppressata Salami, House – Made Pesto, Black Pepper 3) Brie, Red Apple, Fig, Chives. The latter was surprisingly delightfully sweet. It could almost be categorized as a dessert. There’s several other choices on their menu that look tasty. Don’t let the taphouse name fool you. Some of the better cocktails in Vancouver are served here. I tried their barrel aged Manhattan. Normally I steer clear of barrel aged drinks. Prior to this, they’ve always tasted deluded or weak. But the bartender was kind enough to let me try a small sample. It was legit. I also had a bespoke, Willette rye with Antica formula Manhattan. Both were $18 each. That’s a few bucks less than you would pay at Witness Tree (and without the mandatory 20% service fee). This is a good joint. It’s a solid choice to take people out or a date night.
19. Twigs Bistro
Vancouver – Waterfront
Cocktails are fine as long you stick to what they offer. Don’t try to have them mix off menu. Good food options. Excellent view.
20. Witness Tree Lounge
Vancouver – Waterfront
The happy hour drinks are decent prices. Beware the 20% upcharge! Located on the 8th floor of the Hotel Indigo and the view is one of the best this side of the river. The happy hour appetizers are small (appropriately called bites) but tasty and are in the 13-30 dollar range. My wife loved the seared ahi poke. The pork belly is fine for one person. Cocktails are $16-$19. They have a Manhattan, Martinez and Martini’s for just 8 bucks. It’s not the same quality as their normal offerings but a good value. PRO TIP: Ask for a Manhattan with the house vermouth. This version is far superior to the usual one and the best Manhattan you can get for $8. Witness Tree is expensive. But happy hour is really enjoyable. Parking at the waterfront can be tricky, but you probably knew that.
21. JB’s Taphouse & Grill
Vancouver – East
Good variety of food. Great beer selection. Beware the CC charge.
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