Not all happy hours are created equal. In this year's Best of Phoenix® issue, we scoured the Valley to find the best places to grab a drink and a bite after a long day.
Here's a look at the seven best places to enjoy happy hour in Metro Phoenix.
Phoenicians, rejoice -- well, actually, pretty much anyone outside of the vicinity of Carefree and therefore far from Café Bink can rejoice too, because the new Bink's Midtown location has made Kevin Binkley's heavenly cuisine even more accessible for the rest of us. The cozy, homey spot may not look like anything too fancy, but the finger food and appetizers served during Bink's daily happy hour from 2:30 to 6 p.m. definitely have a gourmet twist. Read the full story here.
Drop in on this restaurant in downtown's San Carlos Hotel during weekdays from 3 until 6 p.m., when the deals are in full bloom. Most food options range from $5 to $8 during happy hour, including the crunchy, fresh, light and flavorful soft shell crab spring rolls. However, if you're not looking for healthy, the French onion soup is also discounted and comes with a heaping pile of melted Gruyère and a quail egg on top. Read the full story here.
BLT Steak's happy hour just might be the best of the best. Every day from 5 to 7 p.m. the Paradise Valley restaurant slings some of the classiest cocktail and appetizer options known to the deal-obsessed. Make sure to come early because seats fill up quick. While that's a good sign, you wouldn't want to waste a moment of the steak tartare, escargot, and hamachi-filled awesomeness that is happy hour at BLT. There also are $5 draft pints and $3 well cocktails, but the specialty drink menu is the kind of place you can lose yourself for an evening of delicious imbibing. Read the full story here.
Not every happy hour has to be so dang hip, ridden with experimental cocktails and a flavor-of-the-week menu. The House at Secret Garden proves this with a quaint, charming setting that is relaxed and entirely unpretentious. While the happy hour offerings are only available from a narrow 5 to 6:30 p.m. time slot Tuesday through Friday, it's definitely worth it to snag a $10 bacon cheeseburger or $3.50 golden polenta fries. Read the full story here.
Barrelhouse American Kitchen and Cocktails
Chandler has officially arrived on the culinary scene thanks to Barrelhouse American Kitchen & Cocktails. Located in an unassuming strip mall storefront off Alma School and Warner roads, the modest yet modern spot quickly gained attention with great food and unique drinks. You can take advantage of both options during happy hour Monday through Saturday from 4 until 6:30 p.m. Mouthwatering roasted chile shrimp with pasilla, fried artichoke bruschetta, and maple-smoked pork belly with crostini await you. Read the full story here.
Some happy hours are about the ambiance, some the drink, some the deals. House of Tricks is one of those happy hours you drop into time and time again to get fed right. The seasonal menu is always evolving, but after years of tasting House of Tricks offerings, it's assured that, regardless of what's on the new menu, it's going to be full of unique, complex, and explosive flavor combinations that will have you begging for more. As far as drinks go, from 4 until 6 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, you'll get $2 off glasses of wine from the exceptional selection, along with $1 off beer. Read the full story here.
There are a lot of sports bars on this side of town, but comfy, approachable Irish pubs? Not so much. Which is exactly why we were so happy to stumble upon Irish Wolfhound Pub in Surprise. The restaurant and bar looks like nothing special from the outside, sure, but walk in and you'll find a modern pub with pool tables, plenty of televisions, and a roomy patio with a fire pit to boot. Read the full story here.
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