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Since L.A. is the busy and fast-paced city that it is, we have to be thankful to the drinking gods that there are plenty of happy hour spots in our hood. Booze and good grub might just heal those wounds left over from a rough day at work. And the best part about our diverse city is that we get cheap deals on everything—from fancy dining to dive bars and margarita hubs. Here are our favorite happy hours in the City of Angels. As always, let us know your favorites in the comments.
Portofino cocktail at Scarpetta (Photo via Facebook)
Scarpetta
One of the joys about living in L.A. is coming across fancy restaurants with special happy hour deals. Scarpetta is just one of those places. And they have a pretty good model for their special menu for the folks on a budget: $8 for most items until 8 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays. The chic Italian joint has cocktails with romantic-sounding names like "portofino" and "luna bella" for $8 a piece, as well as beer for $4 and wine for $6. But I have to say, the foodie in me gets giddy over their small bites. Where else can you get mussels in guazetto, roasted bone marrow and burrata crostini for $8 a plate?
Scarpetta is located at 225 S Canon Dr. in Beverly Hills, (855) 370-8021
El Chavito
Los Feliz's El Chavito (the little bar attached to El Chavo) has a happy hour that gets you going with margaritas and runs relatively late by HH standards—from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. every night of the week. You can get $4 margaritas (in a variety of different flavors) and well drinks, and $3 canned beers. And your drinks are accompanied by bottomless chips and salsa. Tacos (including potato ones for the vegetarians) run at $3.
El Chavito is located at 4441 W Sunset Blvd. in Los Feliz, (323) 664-0871
The Church Key
The Church Key does something a little different with its patrons during happy hour. For $6, you can get their "Bar 101" cocktails, but you'll have to shake the drinks that they make for you. (Maybe a little workout isn't so bad if you traded your gym routine for booze.) They also offer $8 "Rat Pack" cocktails like the French 75 and Manhattan, as well as punch bowls starting at $14 that you can share with your buddies. And if you need a little grub to keep you sated, there's also small bites from $2 to $5 like smoked pork ribs and fried green tomato sliders.
The Church Key is located at 8730 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, (424) 249-3700
iO West
After a long day at work with a horrible boss, sometimes all you want to do is laugh. Head over to iO West and grab a ticket for a show, and then enjoy their daily happy hour specials that go from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday through Friday. Our favorite deals are the $3 well drinks on Mondays, $5 bourbons and Belgian beers on Thursdays, and $5 Absolut cocktails on Fridays. —Krista Simmons
iO West is located at 6366 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood (323) 962-7560
Dog Haus Biergarten
Dog Haus sure knows how to sling delicious, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink hot dogs—but they also have a sweet happy hour at their Old Town Pasadena location. From Mondays through Fridays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and then again from 10 p.m. to close (we love a good reverse happy hour, too) and all-day Sunday, the Dog Haus folks have a nice selection of drink and food deals. Patrons can imbibe on $4 well drinks and a selection of draft beers for $3 and canned beers for $2.50. Specialty cocktails are $2 cheaper during HH as well. If you need something greasy to soak up the alcohol, you can also get burger sliders and fries for $1.
Dog Haus Biergarten is located at 93 E. Green St. in Pasadena, (626) 683-0808
Bar One
What's a happy hour list without a neighborhood dive bar? Bar One in North Hollywood has some really cheap drink specials that won't put a dent in your wallet. From Mondays through Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., folks can get liquored up with $2 PBR, $4 craft beer, $4 sangria, and $1 off of beers on tap and wine. Bar One also throws in some fun events to cheer you up when you have a case of the Mondays or pick you up during Hump Day. There's their $3 mystery beer night on Mondays, and on Wednesdays you can bring your own vinyl to the pub to spin; both events go on all night long.
Bar One is located at 12518 Burbank Boulevard in North Hollywood, (818) 505-3870
Sliders at St. Felix (Photo via Facebook)
St. Felix
This West Hollywood bar and lounge on Santa Monica and Robertson has an amazing happy hour every day of the week from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. The menu includes plenty of tasty small plates for just $5 to $6, including Moroccan chicken cups, Cubano tacos, tamale cakes, sliders and sweet potato fries. All well drinks, beer, wine and specialty cocktails by the glass are half off during the extended HH, too. Talk about a steal. —Krista Simmons
St. Felix is located at 8945 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood (310) 275-4428
Drago Centro
If you want to ball on a budget, Drago Centro's happy hour is just the spot. They've got specialty cocktails ranging from $5-8, as well as nibbles on a discount. Think house selection of charcuterie served with fried gnocco for $6, and a variety of wood-fired pizzas for $5. If you really want to class it up, order the oysters with a mignonette, also $5. —Krista Simmons
Drago Centro is located at 525 S Flower St. in downtown (213) 228-8998
Oysters at Enterprise Fish Co. (Photo via Facebook)
Enterprise Fish Co.
The folks behind Enterprise Fish Co. don't take their happy hour lightly. They offer extensive happy hour specials (with lots of seafood options) all week long. Their HH runs from Mondays through Thursdays 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Most important is that they sling $1.50 fresh oysters and $2 oyster shooters. They also have a plethora of discounted appetizers ranging from $2 to $10—from cajun popcorn shrimp to ceviche and kobe beef sliders. They've got you covered on the drinking end too. They offer $4 well cocktails and house wine, and $6 margaritas, Mai Tais and Bloody Marys.
Enterprise Fish Co. is located at 174 Kinney St. in Santa Monica, (310) 392-8366
Waterloo & City
There are many reasons to check out Executive Chef Brendan Collins' British gastropub—and many, many reasons to check it out during happy hour. Collins, who has worked at fine dining establishments like Melisse, brings a delectable discounted menu everyday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (You have to sit at the bar/lounge for this one, though, but we're okay with that.) With beer, wine, well drinks, martinis, and cocktails (like Pimm's cup!) ranging from $4 to $8, you can be assured you'll get the chance to get tipsy if you feel so inclined. And for $5 to $10, you can grab several appetizers to share with friends or coworkers; we're talking about items like caramelized potato gnocchi with Colorado lamb ragu, chicken pot pie, and sticky toffee pudding.
Waterloo & City is located at 12517 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, (310) 391-4222
Gin martini at Bar Bouchon (Photo by Krista Simmons/LAist)
Bar Bouchon
Every Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m., Thomas Keller's French-themed bar offers a happy hour menu with $4 beers, glasses of house red or white wine for $5, and a special cocktail of the day for $7. There are also small plates from $2-$7, and ample outdoor seating that'll make you feel like you've escaped your 9-5 and arrived in France. —Krista Simmons
Bar Bouchon is located at 235 N Canon Dr. in Beverly Hills (310) 281-5698
The Misfit
We love an extended happy hour, especially when there's sunshine out in Santa Monica. At the Misfit, happy hour runs from noon to 7pm daily, and includes gastropub specials as well as $5 beer and wine and half off selected well drinks. —Krista Simmons
The Misfit is located at 225 Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica (310) 656-9800
EMC Seafood And Raw Bar
We didn't forget about you guys in Koreatown. EMC Seafood and Raw Bar shucks those fresh oysters for you for $1 a piece during their happy hour that runs everyday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. And you can wash them down with $5 beer and wine. And if you're the type to burn the midnight oil, they also do a late night HH from 10 p.m. until they close on Sundays through Thursdays; drinks stay the same price, but oysters go up to $1.25. In the grand scheme of things, a quarter isn't all that much. And pro-tip: if you park in the building's parking structure, EMC will validate your ticket for 2 hours.
EMC Seafood and Raw Bar is located at 3500 W 6th St., Ste. 101 in Koreatown, (213) 351-9988
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