A Plethora of Discounted Drinks and Eats Matched with Hours of Happiness
Written By: Ben Hitch San Diego Happy Hour
There are a few hours in the day that you can really get excited about—so excited one might consider them happy hours. It’s a time in the day where bars and restaurants offer up discounts on drinks and small bites to get you in the door during a time that might otherwise be slow for the business. And with the cat out of the bag and every bar now running some sort of special, we’ve rounded 11 of the most lucrative happy hours San Diego has to offer.
1 | You Won’t Need 20|TWENTY Vision to Enjoy
Must Order: Maple Bacon Bourbon (A bacon flavored cocktail? Yes please!)
Intent on maximizing your happiness from 4-6 p.m. every day of the week, 20|TWENTY entertains with $2 off specialty cocktails, wells and calls and wine and bottled beer; to top it off, how about half-off select starters? The real kicker is every Wednesday, Crafts on Draft pours speciality cocktails right from the draft. It’s only $4 at 4 p.m., with tiered pricing as the night progresses—so get there early.
The Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa
5480 Grand Pacific Dr
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760.827.2500
2 | A Ducked Away Little Dive San Diego Happy Hour
Must-Order: BYO Mule
When you can’t deal with another minute under the sun, there is a space just off the beach waiting for you to call home. Duck Dive in Pacific Beach is mere steps off the sand with a weekday happy hour from 3-6 p.m. filled with half-off apps and cocktails, $5 house wines/wells and $2 off draft beers. The cocktail menu provides the ice-cold off-the-beach necessity, and paired with their happy hour Duck Fat Fries, it’s a sure-fire answer to make your hours happy. Stop by for one, stay for two, but remember: “Ducks fly together.”
Duck Dive
4650 Mission Blvd
San Diego, CA 92109
858.273.DUCK (3825)
3 | Vente de la Louisiane San Diego Happy Hour
Must-Order: Return of the Mac
The deals are better than the 1803 acquisition at North Park’s Louisiana Purchase. From Wednesday through Friday at 4-6 p.m. and over the weekend from 2-5 p.m., Louisiana Purchase is serving up $7 cocktails and discounts on some of the Bayou’s favored snacks like Boudin Balls and Return of the Mac, which are not on the regular dining menu. Look for a seat along the sidewalk because it comes with happy hour priced drinks and eats and all kinds of people-watching.
Native Knowledge: The Neighborhood Hustle is a rotating cocktail created by a different bartender each week.
Louisiana Purchase
2305 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
619.255.8278
4 | Rooftop Ocean Views San Diego Happy Hour
Must-Order: Smoke Show
Along the coast in San Diego’s North County lies Park 101 with a vibe so SoCal, it’s almost happy hour all the time. Truly discounted from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, Park 101 has a little something for everyone. The outdoor seating is unmatched with plenty of room on the patio, including a fire pit for those oh-so-cold SoCal evenings, and a rooftop deck with a view of the big blue to help wash down discounts on select beers and wines and $5 cocktails. Kids, two-legged and four-legged, are more than welcome which helps put a smile on the entire family’s face. But if kids are not your thing, the upstairs is 21 and up.
Park 101
3040 Carlsbad Blvd
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760.434.2217
5 | An Island Getaway San Diego Happy Hour
Must-Order: Bavarian Pretzel with grain mustard + beer cheese
Leroy’s Kitchen + Lounge on Coronado Island is offering $5 craft beers/well-drinks and half off select bites from 3-6 p.m. daily. This means the next time you’re asked “If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you bring?” you can leave your wallet at home because there is a bar waiting for you with discounted drinks and snacks. And if you can’t get there by 6 p.m., Leroy’s has a late-night happy hour from 10 p.m. to close on Friday and Saturday.
Leroy’s Kitchen + Lounge
1015 Orange Ave
Coronado, CA 92118
619.437.6087
6 | Sangria and Tapas for Days
Cafe 21 | Gaslamp
Must-Order: Seasonal Sangria
If you’re looking for a happy hour with an abundance of food and drink discounts, then Cafe 21 is for you. With two locations (Gaslamp and University Heights), Cafe 21 offers farm-to-table bites based on the seasonal offerings of local farms. Seven days a week from 3-6 p.m., the tapas are $6 each and you can double down on 4 for $21, with the wine and craft cocktails 21 percent off and the mimosas, drafts and sangrias half-off. Even better, “the mimosas and sangrias are made from locally sourced ingredients and always rotating pending the seasonal offerings,” added Cafe 21’s manager. It’s a great place to gather for small bites and remember to keep Thursdays on your radar because it’s happy hour open to close.
Cafe 21 | Gaslamp
802 Fifth Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
619.795.0721
Cafe 21 | University Heights
2736 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
619.640.2121
7 | Rosé Almost All Day
Must-Order: The Smoking Goat Rosé or Blanc
At its root, The Smoking Goat offers a true happy hour (singular) with half-off select wine bottles including The Smoking Goat’s very own private label from Bordeaux. Seated at the bar or the patio, the H.H. menu extends with $5 appetizers, and according to The Smoking Goat’s manager, “It’s all about the rosé and Prince Edward Island mussels.” On the menu, the happy hour may only be listed from 5-6 p.m., Monday through Friday, but you’ll certainly be happy at The Smoking Goat any other hour as well.
The Smoking Goat
3408 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104
619.955.5295
8 | The Last La Puerta You Walk Through
Must-Order: When Doves Cry
If you need something to do on any day of the week from 3-7 p.m., then it’s La Puerta para ti. Nestled in San Diego’s vibrant Gaslamp, La Puerta is firing up dishes inspired from the state of Sinaloa and squeezing every lime that goes into their coveted margaritas. It’s important to keep Monday and Tuesday on the mind because the week starts off with half-priced drinks and apps from 3 p.m. to close, and followed 24 hours later by $3 TJ Dawgs, $3 Street Tacos and $3 Tecate. La Puerta is an unexpected gem found in the downtown landscape with all the love the Mexican flavors.
La Puerta
560 4th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
619.696.3466
9 | Take My Horse to Old Town Road
Must-Order: Mexican Bulldog
From the once cobbled streets of Old Town San Diego comes Casa Guadalajara, a Mexican eatery that certainly delivers the “happy” in happy hour. It’s simple really…mariachi—bueno, margaritas—muy bueno and complimentary antojito (little cravings) buffet—muy, muy bueno. The music, discounted drinks and food are available Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m. and during the NFL season, the happy hour extends through all four quarters of MNF. And it goes without saying that after a few of their famous Cadillac Margaritas, you’ll be working on your own touchdown dance.
Casa Guadalajara
4105 Taylor St
San Diego, CA 92110
619.295.5111
10 | The Hare’s Tunnel
Must-Order: TV Dinner Tuesday! $20 PBR Tall Boy, Redneck Riviera Whiskey Shot and TV Dinner
All too often people fall down the rabbit hole of celeb gossip, random Instagram posts and level upon level of Candy Crush. But when you fall into The Rabbit Hole, it’s a whole nother level of discounted drinks, apps and a special for every day of the week. Monday through Friday from 5-7 p.m. you’ll find $5 draft beer, $6 glasses of wine, $6 select specialty cocktails and half-off apps. Normal Height’s Rabbit Hole is the rabbit hole you want to fall into for a few coveted hours each day.
Native Knowledge: Keep an eye on the Specials Calendar for continual updates.
The Rabbit Hole
3377 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
619.255.4653
11 | Spanish for The Prez
Must-Order: Tijuana Rodeo
Just off Pacific Beach’s boardwalk sits El Prez, a three-story cocktail heaven honoring all things tequila, tacos and Abraham Lincoln. From the first floor to the rooftop deck, El Prez has happy hours with a different special each day of the week, like half-off Wine Wednesdays and half-off Tequila Thursdays. Really,all you have to do is show up after 3 p.m. and some sort of happy hour is in full effect. And come Sunday afternoon and the occasional Monday or Thursday, El Prez is home to the biggest gathering of cheeseheads in San Diego.
Native Knowledge: Three words: QUESO BLANCO DIP!
El Prez
4190 Mission Blvd
San Diego, CA 92109
858.750.2512
12 | Ciao Monello, it was Delizioso SD Happy Hour
Must Order: The House-Made Vermouth or Limoncello
There is truly something about hearing the word Italian and instinctively knowing your food is going to taste delightful. With your purchase of vino, birra or bevi (at the bar or on the patio) from 4-7 p.m., the chef offers complimentary bites that differ each night. Order a drink and enjoy the eats because when the moon hits the sky, that’s amore!
Monello
750 W Fir St
San Diego, CA 92101
619.501.0030
13 | Never Be Afraid to Trust a Happy Hour San Diego Happy Hour
Must Order: Wood-Grilled Burger
With limited seating and a happy hour menu that surpasses most others, Trust is where you need to be every weekday from 5-7 p.m. (And get your weekend started early with a 4 p.m. start on Fridays). Trust’s happiest hours of the week are accompanied by $8 specialty cocktails, $6 wines and beers and $2 off bar bites. Have a drink, take a bite and Trust that you’re in good hands at this local San Diego eatery.
Trust
3752 Park Blvd, Ste 105C
San Diego, CA 92103
619.795.6901
14 | Inspired by the French San Diego Happy Hour
Must Order:
Little Italy has a little bit of everything, and Zinqué is beckoning your attention. Monday through Friday from 4-6:30 p.m., you’ll find an offering of $5 select beers, discounted wines, $8 aperitifs and a selection of French-inspired bites under $10. Zinqué is for you, me and hours of happiness.
Zinqué
2101 Kettner Blvd
San Diego, CA 92101
619.915.6172
This article is brought to you by one of the many talented writers associated with Locale Magazine! We are a group of locals (whether born and raised or transplanted) who love this county we now call home!
