The Spot: Windsor, 5223 North Central Avenue, 602-279-1111, www.windsoraz.com.
See Also: - Culinary Dropout at The Yard in Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card - Butter Pecan and Vietnamese Coffee Ice Creams at Windsor/Churn - Windsor: Happy Hour Report Card
The Hours: Happy Hour is offered daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Interior: After hitting up Windsor's booth at Devoured, we remembered how much we love their cocktails, so we just had to give their happy hour another go. One of the first things we noticed was, like Culinary Dropout last week, we had a staff full of attractive, well-dressed men. The difference? Literally every employee greeted us when we sat at the bar. Instead of running around the packed house stressed out, they paused to say hi to every customer and hug the regulars. And that's what a neighborhood gastropub should feel like.
Other than that, you have your choice of booth, bar, table, or patio seating, all of which are good places to sit for a couple hours while downing some cocktails. The modern-vintage look and feel of the bar, combined with the friendly staff, definitely makes it a fun (and very busy) happy hour.
The Food: While Windsor still doesn't offer any meal or appetizer discounts during happy hour, there are a few regular menu items that are worth mentioning. We love their soup and salad combo, in which for $10 you get your choice of half menu salad and a bowl of soup. When we went, the soup in season was a creamy hearty bean and bacon number that really hit the spot. We also got the country chopped salad, which had a rich, creamy dressing, fresh vegetables and crispy Brussels sprouts.
While their appetizers get kind of pricey, their sides are all pretty large portions (two would make a filling meal) and very reasonably priced. The crunchy, salty house chips ($3) and mac and cheese ($4) are great bar fare, but they also have veggie sides, like a fresh farmers market pick ($4), as well.
The Drink: If you love craft cocktails and glass pitchers of beer, you pretty much have to go to Windsor for happy hour. The whole backside of their menu, which is the drink side, is $5. That means you can get a pitcher of draft beer for $5.
More importantly, for $5 you can get a refreshing, crisp and cucumber-y No. 17 house cocktail or a tart, citrusy No. 76 made with blood orange. While those are both great summer drinks, we love strawberries and we love gin and their No. 6, also $5, highlights the flavor of both ingredients, without trying to hide them away.
The Conclusion: Get ready to find your new favorite place to spend all afternoon this summer drinking fancy, fruity cocktails and relaxing. A great staff, neighborhood clientele, and fresh local ingredients all make this place a must-go. We just wish they had happy hour pricing on food, but it wouldn't be the first time we've had a liquid lunch.
Grade: B+
