Happy Hour Guide

Portland's Happy Hour Guide

From Classy to Deliciously Trashy

The Happiest Hours

Your Guide to More Than 75 of the City’s Best Happy Hours

Happy Hour Guide: North

The Happiest Hours in North Portland

Happy Hour Guide: Southeast

The Happiest Hours in Southeast Portland

Happy Hour Guide: Downtown

The Happiest Hours in Downtown Portland

Happy Hour Guide: Northeast

The Happiest Hours in Northeast Portland

Happy Hour Guide: Northwest

The Happiest Hours in Northwest Portland

Ate Oh Ate
2454 E Burnside

Brought to you by the guys behind Laurelhurst Market and Simpatica, Ate Oh Ate serves up legit happy hour Hawaiian fare and umbrella drinks without the tiki flair. The vibe at the E Burnside location is pretty straightforward (there’s also a newer outpost on SE Woodstock), with counter service, a bar, and surfing themes throughout. But the happy hour menu is an absolute steal. Tempura spam musubi ($3) and two scoops of macaroni salad ($2) will have your white carb needs fully met, but lighter appetites can be satisfied on a cup of Japanese-style veggie curry ($2) or a variety of sliders ($2.50; the shoyu chicken with pineapple slaw is salty-sweet excellence). Cocktails and draft beers are a buck off, but you can kick-start an evening of debauchery with $5 rum-soaked shave ice or a couple of $6 Mai Tais. HEATHER ARNDT ANDERSON

Happy hour: daily 4-6 pm, $1 off cocktails and drafts, $5 rum shave ice, $6 Mai Tai, $10 for five Asahi bottles, $2-6 menu


Bamboo Sushi
310 SE 28th

Bamboo Sushi is intimidatingly nice, but it’s great. A handful of people were already lined up outside waiting for it to open at 4:30 in the afternoon—people like it. It’s a modern, sushi-focused Japanese restaurant that plays ambient, spa-like music. As you sit down, they’ll bring out a bowl of edamame. To drink, I ordered some Hakushika White Stag premium cold saké ($5), served overflowing in a small glass in a traditional masu box. I liked it. To eat, I started with the cheapest thing on happy hour menu, inari ($2), essentially two rice-filled pastries. Then I got the more expensive karashi hangar steak ($7), served in small slices with a delicious mustard sauce. Conclusion: This place is fancy, but happy hour is affordable and good and busy. Note: You need to order a drink to get happy hour food prices. DOUG BROWN

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 4:30-6 pm, $4-5 saké, $5 wine, $4 Sapporo, $2-9 menu


Bar Avignon
2138 SE Division

We need to talk about Bar Avignon’s lemon drop. To be perfectly honest, I can’t remember much else about my experience there, other than thinking the words “medium brow,” not getting enough tasty cheese, and disliking the photos in the bathroom. Either this drink is that good or everything else is that forgettable, but I think it’s probably the first one. Let me paint a picture: A frosted glass emerges from the freezer’s tundra. Its rim is coated in sugar, and it is filled with the purest of elixirs—some magic alchemy of lemon, mint, lavender, honey, and the cold kiss of vodka. This lemon drop is neither sour nor sweet. It’s earthy, but not indelicate. You might mistake its herbal notes for basil. It’s all I’ve ever wanted from alcohol; for it to love me as much as I love it. CIARA DOLAN

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 5-6 pm), $1 off wells & beer, $7 cocktails & wine, $2-9 menu


Bar Casa Vale
215 SE 9th

Bar Casa Vale is a place that applies fire to food. The vaulted, secluded space—in the same building as Biwa and Parasol Bar—suggests a venue that would work as either the start or end of a long date night, and the whole thing has a vaguely European upscale rustic thing going. In a good way. The happy hour menu has, among other things, daily skewers (I had octopus; it was great) and piri piri wings, both of which proudly bear the marks and taste of flame. The wings blended the piri piri spice with a bit of caramelization and the skewers complemented the taste of octopus with a bit of smoke. Bar Casa Vale has no shortage of happy hour drink deals. If you get the sherry flight, one of the bartenders will walk you through three different tart Spanish wines. The Bourbon Reign is a sweet, easy drinking cocktail with fig and lemon that resembles a fruity Manhattan. JOE STRECKERT

Happy Hour: daily 5-6 pm, $4 drafts, $5 wine, sherry flight $7, $4-7 menu


Bar Vivant
2225 E Burnside

Happy hour at Pix Patisserie’s Bar Vivant is weirdly formal and menu-less. Order yourself a glass of wine, and get a free tapas snack along with it. Beware: The tapas are very tiny and the glass of wine is, too. The weirdness of picking out one maybe-available snack from the case one small piece at a time made me feel like an unruly kid in my fancy aunt’s house at this happy hour, half-expecting to be admonished for asking to water down my wine with water, or glared at for requesting a pedestrian condiment like ketchup. Even so, the tapas were delicious—especially a tiny duck and olive sandwich with spicy French family-style mustard on a crusty hunk of baguette. I was still hungry when I left, though, so beware. MEGAN BURBANK

Happy Hour: Wed-Sun 4-6 pm, all day Thurs, 10 percent off wine bottles, free menu (items vary)


Bazi Bierbrasserie
1522 SE 32nd

Bazi is a great place for Belgian imports, with each beer served in its proper stemware. It’s also great for communal Timbers match viewing. But when you can get a pot of stoemp (an elevated version of mashed potatoes, much in the way Belgian frites raise the bar over French fries) for two bucks off ($6 instead of $8) then add grilled chicken or bacon, plus get a buck off a selection of Bazi’s impressive taps, the dual early evening and late night happy hours make this off-Hawthorne spot a cozy classic. BRIAN YAEGER

Happy Hour: Mon-Sat 3-7 pm & 10 pm-close, all day Sun, $1 off beer, $3.50 wells, $5 cocktails & wine, $3-10 menu


Café Castagna 
1758 SE Hawthorne

This place is white-cloth-napkin-fancy (I’m a great restaurant reviewer), and I was the youngest of the handful of the people at the upscale restaurant on Hawthorne by about 25-30 years. I sat at the modern, stainless steel bar, which can accommodate about four people, and ordered one of the four $6 cocktails: a Kentucky Gingersnap, consisting of bourbon, ginger syrup, and lime. It was small and tasty. They’ve got 10 food options priced between $2 and $9. I ordered a deviled egg for $2; it was tiny and adequate and I probably won’t order it again if I go back. But for $6, the chopped chicken livers were very much worth it. The pâté-like spread comes in a small dish to distribute onto five small slivers of buttered toast and is legitimately good. It’s not a place where I’ll be spending a lot of time, but if you live in Southeast Portland, it’d be a good place to drop in for a fancy cocktail and a bite while sitting at a candlelit wooden table. DOUG BROWN

Happy Hour: Tues-Fri 5-6 pm & 9 pm-close, Sun 5-9 pm, $4 beer, $6 wine & cocktails, $2-9 menu


Century
930 SE Sandy

Answering a question someone must have asked—“What if we built a sports bar for New Portland?”—Century is a far cry from scuzzy dives with TV screens half-assedly nailed to the wall. Here, massive screens hang from the ceiling—fancy retractable screens, paired with projectors powerful enough that even in Century’s spacious, sunlit space, it’s possible to both watch a game and sprawl out day drinking. And sprawl you will: While Century’s tiered, polished wood bleachers are clearly inspired by stadium seating, they’re also significantly more roomy, comfortable, and pretty. Since Century is from the same crew behind the Bye & Bye and the Sweet Hereafter, the happy hour menu—with a slew of vegetarian and vegan options, from artichoke wings ($6) to a vegan meatball sub ($7) to a bowl of nutritional yeast tofu, broccoli, brown rice, and peanut sauce ($7)—is great, with the standout being a vegan gyro with dill sauce, pickles, tomato, lettuce, and fried Field Roast ($7), which goes perfectly with a Double Mountain IRA ($5). For the sports-averse, Century has multiple patios, and um, tealights, which are not usually on hand during Blazers games. On a recent Thursday—beneath no fewer than 10 humongous sports screens—a couple bickered about whether he’d tricked her into coming to a sports bar. “They have a space for a DJ!” he argued. ERIK HENRIKSEN

Happy Hour: daily 3-7 pm, $1 off wine, wells, and beer, $5-7 menu


The Conquistador Lounge
2045 SE Belmont

While one might feel slight trepidation eating Mexican food in a restaurant called the Conquistador, I was instantly transformed by the amber-lit ambience that made me feel like I was comfortably inside one of the many velvet paintings that line the walls. The stars of this happy hour menu are the black bean and cheese empanada bites ($4), which come piping hot, filled with gooey loveliness accompanied by a dollop of sour cream. Pair them with one of two varieties of veggie tacos ($3 each), and you’re instantly headed south of the border. Of course, any bar willing to make that leap has to have a killer margarita ($5.50), and Conquistador most certainly does! Take your treasures outside to the covered sidewalk patio and soon everything becomes vaguely reminiscent of the cafés that line Barcelona’s famed La Rambla—not bad for an everyday after-work destination. CHRIS SUTTON

Happy Hour: daily 4-7 pm, $1 off micros, $2 Rainiers, $3.50 wells, $4.50-5 wine, $5.50 margaritas, $2.50-7 menu


Delta Cafe
4067 SE Woodstock

The years have not been kind to this once estimable home for Southern comfort food. In the time since they’ve expanded their reach to include a bar and patio, much of Delta Cafe’s menu has taken a turn for the bland, even during their happy hour. The decent but unmemorable corn and black-eyed pea fritters ($5) are joined by an unnecessary and quickly curdling green chili and jack cheese dip, and their standard mac and cheese ($5) carries almost no flavor at all. It’s good to know, though, that some things at the Delta will never change. Their fried chicken, as used in their hefty po’boy sandwich ($9), is still perfectly spiced and spine-tinglingly tender. And their wait staff remains casually indifferent to anyone who isn’t a regular or a friend. ROBERT HAM

Happy Hour: daily 2-5 pm, 10 pm-close, $3 wells, $4 beer, $5 cocktails, $5-9 menu


Dots
2521 SE Clinton

A tried and true Portland institution! It hasn’t changed since like the 1990s! Dots is where you go for the “authentic” shabby-chic Portland experience. Dots’ generous hours of happiness are among the longest in town. The drink specials are pretty basic: $1 off wine and 50 cents off beer and well drinks, but the drinks are already pretty affordable to begin with. Some of the happy hour food is just okay ($5 nachos and $3 hushpuppies left a greasy film in the mouth) but the buffalo wings and classic fries will buoy you for a long evening of drinking. The dark and candlelit environment, velvet brocade wallpaper, and comfy booths encourage canoodling. HEATHER ARNDT ANDERSON

Happy hour: Mon-Fri 2-7 pm & 11 pm-1 am, $.50 off beers & wells, $1 off wine, $2-7 menu


Double Dragon
1235 SE Division

I could write a thousand love letters to Double Dragon’s sumptuous pork belly banh mi. It is quite possibly the most perfect union of ingredients I have ever held between two slices of bread. The baguette comes smothered in jalapeño aioli, topped with cilantro and pickled carrots and daikon, with pork that’s so rich, so tender, so candy-sweet, it melts in your mouth like a meaty butter mint. Here’s the best part: It’s $2 off the regular price ($10) during the SE Division spot’s happy hour. Only flirt with the “Boyfriend Material” cocktail if you’re into the spontaneity of some ancho chili; it’s a little much to pair with the already-kinda-spicy sandwich. Instead try the ginger margarita—tart, refreshing, and just a little hot—for the perfect post-work refuel. CIARA DOLAN

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 4-6 pm, $1 off beer & wells, $2 off cocktails, $7-8 menu


Doug Fir Lounge
830 E Burnside

This inner Eastside “Twin Peaks in the Atomic Age” institution is nationally renowned for the music venue downstairs, but it’s also a local happy hour favorite, with white-collar workers and paper-pushers vying for space with thirtysomethings who look like they just rolled out of their hotel beds. The food menu offers over a dozen options—all $5 or less during happy hour. I started with the Jack Daniel’s chicken wings, which are slow-smoked and rubbed with Single Barrel BBQ sauce. The sauce is generous but not excessive, and the meat gives just right amount of resistance. I followed with the jalapeño artichoke dip and fried pita chips. The dip was tasty, though not at all spicy, and the fried pita chips were perfectly crisped and salted. Cocktails are mostly $5. The Full Monty tastes like orange fizz, and comes in a frosted tin mug; the Burnside 75 tastes like cucumber fizz, and comes in glass that looks like the alien pods from Arrival. Unless you’re the kind of person who enjoys fizzy cocktails in special cups, I’d stick to the classics. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

Happy Hour: daily 3-6 pm, $2.50 Pabst, $4 beer, $5 wine, $5-6 cocktails, $3-5 menu


Jacqueline
2039 SE Clinton

There’s one reason and one reason only to get yourself to Jacqueline’s terrific happy hour: DOLLAR OYSTERS. That’s right, each member of your party can get up to a dozen delicious raw oysters, priced at a buck a piece, during this lovable neighborhood eatery’s screaming happy hour deal. It’s shucker’s choice, and the available varieties of oyster change daily, but rest assured you’ll get something freshly sourced from the Pacific served with six options of housemade sauces, which come in an adorable eyedropper bottles—try the blood orange mignonette or the tarragon vinegar. Actually, I take that first sentence back: There are other reasons to hit up Jacqueline during happy hour, including Rainier tall boys for $2 and their excellent regular menu, served in a casual but welcoming environment featuring Life Aquatic-themed décor. (Don’t miss the painting of Bill Murray as Steve Zissou behind the bar.) After you polish off your dozen oysters, you’ll want to stick around for dinner. NED LANNAMANN

Happy Hour: Tues-Sat 5-7 pm, $1 oysters (12 max per person), $2 Rainiers


Kachka
720 SE Grand

Kitsch is king at Kachka, from throwback orange-and-white tablecloths to the little cartoon duck on the menu. The Russian restaurant is cozy but refined, like an elegant aunt who passes on hugs, instead opting for air kisses. Enjoy your happy hour at the long steel bar. Slava’s Drinking Board is the thing to get—it’s named after the chef’s father, and comes fully loaded with everything you didn’t know you needed, like cured meats, pickles, quartered hard boiled eggs, Russian druzhba cheese, super spicy mustard that’ll make you say “WHOA doggies,” and thick slices of brown bread. Naturally you should probably drink some fricking vodka, because look where you are, my dude. But if you’re like me and need to pace yourself at 4 pm, try the Moscow Mule. It’s on the nose both in name and taste—highly slurpable, with incredible chemistry between the lime and ginger. CIARA DOLAN

Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm & 10 pm–midnight, $4 beer, $5 wine & cocktails, $9 house infusions, $2-24 menu


Killer Burger
8728 SE 17th

This local chain boasts some of the tastiest, most economical burgers in town. And their “Crazy Hour” is a damn steal. A family of three can easily get out of there for $25, or you can step up your game and grab a couple extra $3.50 pints. The burgers on offer for happy hour include the Classic Burger (bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, house sauce, pickle, and grilled onions) and the sweet and savory Peanut Butter-Pickle-Bacon—both are $6.75 and come with a mountain of fries. The rotating tap list is well chosen, too. On a recent visit to the Sellwood outpost, I went with a Contract Killer IPA from Culmination. (I also tried a surprisingly delicious Peanut Butter Milk Stout from Belching Beaver.) You won’t leave with an empty belly; in fact, afterward you may want to allow yourself an additional “Nappy Hour.” MARK LORE

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 2-5 pm, $3.50 beer, $1 soft drinks, $6.75 menu


La Moule
2500 SE Clinton

La Moule’s afternoon happy hour is literally one hour. That’s probably good for them, because otherwise I’d be there all the time eating for cheap. The chicken liver mousse ($6) is dense, pungent, and strong in the way the best stinky cheeses are. Had I not been sitting in a well-appointed sort of upscale bar with fashionable track lighting, I probably would have just eaten it with a spoon. Or without a spoon. The happy hour drinks are not disappointing by any means, but they’re not cheap or distinctive, either. The daiquiri and the Sazerac are, well, a daquiri and a Sazerac. They are excellent, and both are seven bucks. The big draw of La Moule, though, is dollar oysters. Fresh, living mollusks on the half shell sitting in their own salty brine, a dollar each, available by the half dozen. If you like oysters, go to La Moule. Get there at five. See how many of those beautiful, one-dollar sea cookies you can eat in an hour. JOE STRECKERT

Happy Hour: daily 5-6 pm & 10 pm-midnight, $2-4 beer, $6-7 wine, $7 cocktails, $4-14 menu, $1 oysters


Lantern
726 SE Grand

This French-Vietnamese cocktail lounge has a bubbling yet calm energy, as though everyone was stopping off in preparation for the evening ahead. It’s a good spot to start a night, especially if you need to eat first. Load up on steamed buns ($3), which are soft and spicy and even manage to make tofu interesting. The pork and shrimp meatballs ($6) are actually a mini meal in themselves—a platter of sticky rice, light ’n’ tasty meatballs, and a sauce that matches perfectly. I got talked into the fish sauce caramel corn (sounds disgusting, right?) but it turned out to be a delicious gem. Drinks are solid if not thrilling—the Lost Pearl cocktail had a good dose of vodka but was one-dimensional, and the Prosecco ($7) could have been more keenly priced for what it was. MJ SKEGG

Happy Hour: Tues-Sun 5-6 pm & 10-close, $7 punch & bubbles, $1 off beers, $3-7 menu


The Matador
2424 E Burnside

The Matador makes for a strange sight on East Burnside. It’s more the type of place you’d expect to see in a suburban strip mall or inside the Dallas airport. Its large booths, garish decor, flat-screen TVs behind the bar, indoor fire pit, and ’90s spring break music do little to distinguish this place from any other upscale American chain restaurant. It’s the kind of place you bring your visiting in-laws, or gather for an after-work mixer. While their tequila list is impressive—with over a hundred shots ranging from $6 to $60—the Eastside Matador doesn’t offer any drink specials for happy hour, so I made do with a $5.50 mug of Tecate on draft. The happy hour food choices are uninventive Meximerican fare. The shrimp in the chipotle shrimp taco ($4) was flavorless and unnervingly cold, and the grilled stuffed jalapeños ($6) were tough to chew and came with an unnecessary side of ranch dressing (because white people need to put ranch on everything?). At $1.50 each, the street tacos were the best buy, and if I could do it over again I would’ve just filled up on those. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm, 10 pm-1 am, $1.50-6 menu, no drink specials


Parasol
215 SE 9th

Parasol, Biwa’s around-the-corner bar, has the approximate feel of an actual small Japanese bar, tucked away underneath an office building or train station. I used to live in Japan, and I ate and drank at a lot of places that were a whole lot like Parasol. I got nostalgic just going in there. Parasol’s big happy hour draw is udon or soba for five bucks, with options to add in other fixings like an egg or inari for about a dollar or so. Both types of noodles are fresh and hearty, albeit in broth that’s a hair on the spicy side. Parasol also has a pair of signature cocktails for five bucks. The yoyogi is tart and sweet, making good use of pickled plum. The ginger gimlet is, well, a gimlet with ginger in it. Both are lovely. JOE STRECKERT

Happy Hour: daily 5-7 pm, $1 tall boys, $5 cocktails, $5 noodles


Portland Cider House
3638 SE Hawthorne

I don’t care what you think: I really like Portland Cider House. The vibe is almost aggressively boring: It’s clean, characterless, a little bro-y, and usually seems at least half empty. Even so, settle in between the Tinder dates and middle-aged ladies getting their cider flights on, because happy hour here is a reliable route to a juicy beverage and a dinner-sized snack—you get a dollar off all Portland Cider pints (mine had passionfruit and was nicely tart) and an assortment of standby bar snacks, including (HOORAY) Cajun fries. There’s a particularly nice pulled-pork slider option that comes on a jalapeño cheddar biscuit, which is so good you’ll be kind of sad you can’t just order, like, four of those biscuits meat-free. Sometimes I’m fine with this city’s preponderance of succulents and taxidermy. But sometimes I just want to go somewhere unhip that will feed me starches. Portland Cider House is that place. MEGAN BURBANK

Happy Hour: daily 3-6 pm, $1 off cider, $4-7.50 menu


Relish Gastropub
6637 SE Milwaukie

Relish may not be the restaurant the Sellwood/Moreland neighborhood wants... but it’s the one they have, and will do until something better comes along. It’s not that anything on their happy hour menu is bad, per se; it’s just all overworked and begging for attention. The best bet cocktail-wise is the whiskey sour ($5.50), which features Old Taylor six-year-old bourbon and a housemade sour mix that has bite and flavor. Meanwhile, the pork carnitas tacos ($5.75) are served on thick, corncake-style tortillas that are very flavorful, but crumble underneath the weight of overcooked pork, cabbage, a lime wedge, and not much else. The potato-bacon-cheddar cakes ($6) had a decent flavor base, but also arrived over-crisped—not even a delightful crème fraîche could raise it past the level of “meh.” Relish is a good example of a neighborhood restaurant trying too hard, while not trying hard enough. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

Happy Hour: Tues-Sun 2:30-6 pm, $4 beer, $5.50 wine & cocktails, $4.50-7.50 menu


Revelry
210 SE MLK

With its faux “street art” on the walls, DJ booth, and artfully arranged display of classic boom boxes, Revelry is the epitome of a concept restaurant—the concept here being “Korean fusion meets Style Wars.” But take note: Revelry is not out to attract any spendthrifts. Food options for happy hour (in the afternoon it is literally one hour) consist solely of $2 off their noodle and rice bowls, which otherwise run $15-$17. I ordered their maitake mushroom noodle, tossed with kale-fermented black bean pesto and crushed walnuts. Admittedly, it was as good as it sounds, though not ample enough to justify the price tag. Of course, these dishes are made for sharing and sampling, but I rolled solo, and, as I was given a modest stipend by my cheapskate employer, I only tried the one dish. The drinks are where the deals are: You can order three different happy hour “highballers” for $7 each, or a soju and Rainier for $5, with your choice of one of three sojus. I had the Persian lime and fig soju, which was a perfect balance of earthy and sweet. Come to Revelry with a small group of friends—or if you have a generous benefactor. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

Happy Hour: Sun-Thurs 5-6 pm, daily 10 pm-close, $7 cocktails & wine, $5 soju w/Rainier, $2 off rice and noodle bowls


Rockin’ Crab Café
3113 SE Division

SE Division’s new beach shack serves as a second location for Cajun-Creole shellfish joint Rockin’ Crab Café. The main draws are the hot pots—$2 off during happy hour—which come in a variety of flavors: Korean kimchi, Thai tom yum, curry, beef, and more. Just blocks from Pok Pok’s famous chicken wings, Rockin’ Crab bravely offers three styles of its own—Cajun, honey and spicy, or garlic. When the line snakes around the block up the street and you’re dying for a basket of crisp, spicy treats, these wings will stand on their own, perfectly fried and served up in a casual cardboard boat, just like on the boardwalk. The discounted drinks during happy hour are a huge plus, and while the draped nets littered with fake crabs and the driftwood paneled bar are a little on the kitschy side, the staff is sweet and attentive, and the open flame below the boiling, seafood-filled hot pots gives the ambiance of a bonfire on the beach, only without all the sand. Sold. BRI BREY

Happy Hour: Tues-Sun 4-6 pm, Sun & Tues-Thurs 8-9 pm, $1 off wine, $4 beer & wells, $6 cocktails, $3-12 menu, $2 off hot pots


Rue
1005 SE Ankeny

Happy hours are about drinking and eating, yes—but mainly about decompression. And Rue is decompression central, with a bright and airy atmosphere and gracious windows from where you can watch the world pass by. While the comfort level is high, Rue’s stellar cocktail program and sophisticated eats will keep you returning. I suggest starting with their signature bourbon cocktail, Play Crack the Sky ($9), which plays like a spicy, aromatic Manhattan with a criminally smooth finish. Their potato and leek croquettes ($5) are perfectly crisped balls of mashed potato deliciousness. Meanwhile, meat lovers should flock to their pork belly confit ($6), a gorgeous tender slab topped with grilled cabbage and two dipping sauces—pickled mustard seed and a cabbage cream that, when paired with the pork, is a match made in mouth heaven. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

Happy Hour: Tues-Thurs 5-6 pm & 9-11 pm; Fri-Sat 4-6 pm & 9-11 pm, $4 beer, $5-7 wine, $2 off cocktails, $1-10 menu


Sapphire Hotel
5008 SE Hawthorne

The Sapphire Hotel’s promotional materials like to hype its past as a house of ill repute, full of sailors and loose women. But guess what? It’s actually more like a library inside, with colorful cushions lining a long bench, a cute little pretend hotel room set above the bar, and an overall cozy neighborhood vibe. The happy hour’s solid, with a weekly punch (mine allegedly contained limoncello but definitely tasted like gin) and bar snacks that won’t leave you feeling like you’ve lined your arteries with garbage. The arugula dip will make you feel virtuous, and the wait staff will bring you all the bread you want, stretching a snack into a frugal meal. If you know any hard-drinking librarians, you should definitely bring them to happy hour here. They’ll fit right in. MEGAN BURBANK

Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm, Sun-Thurs 10 pm-close, $2 Pabst, $4 wells, $5 wine, $6 cocktails, $3-7 menu


Sassy’s
927 SE Morrison

Let’s get right to it—the beer special during Sassy’s happy hour is one of the best in the city. Drafts are just $2.50, and that’s not for carbonated piss—we’re talking 24 well-chosen taps that include IPA, pilsner, porter, and even a couple of really good local ciders (currently a Portland Cider Kinda Dry and an Anthem Cherry & Hops). Not to mention this strip club’s happy hour exceeds most others by several hours—this damn deal lasts all damn day (10:45 am ’til 6:45 pm), every day. During a recent visit I had two pints of Pallet Jack IPA from Barley Brown’s: $5. A couple of days later I had two Sierra Nevada Pale Ales, as well as the $5 Sassy’s Lunch Special (also served 10:45 to 6:45): a half sandwich, side (fries, tots, or salad or onion rings for a buck more), and a soft drink. The bartender recommended the Sassy’s Medianoche, their take on a Cubano (ham, bacon, salami, and Swiss with yellow mustard and pickle). It’s not mind-blowing, but it’s an inexpensive and serviceable way to soak up the cheap beers (did I mention they’re only $2.50?), while leaving you with a few more bills to spend on the real reason you go to Sassy’s. MARK LORE

Happy Hour: daily 10:45 am-6:45 pm, $2.50 beer, $5 menu


Sayler’s Old Country Kitchen
10519 SE Stark

The throwback charms of this 70-year-old Southeast mainstay are evident from the get-go, with an entryway adorned with pictures of celebrity diners. (Claude Akins! George H.W. Bush! Maya Angelou?) The nostalgia gets deeper in their cocktail lounge, where the decor (stuffed marlin! big fireplace! hotel furniture?) looks like it hasn’t been updated since 1978. The menu, at least, tries to split the difference between the old and the new with a relish tray ($2.95)—a small plate of celery and carrot sticks, pickle spears, baby corn, and olives—sitting next to jalapeño poppers ($3.95) and potato skins ($3.95). Being that Sayler’s is a steakhouse, your first choice should be the pepper steaks ($4.95), a perfect portion of red meat, cooked to lip-smacking perfection and served with just the right amount of horseradish for your dipping and smearing delight. ROBERT HAM

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 3-6 pm, daily 9 pm-close, $3 beer & wells, $2.95-5.95 menu


Slingshot Lounge
5532 SE Center

If you live in the Foster-Powell neighborhood, you’re probably already familiar with the Slingshot. The go-to bar boasts spacious booths, a comfortable back patio for smokers, and a wide-open pool and pinball room off to the side, allowing for overflow space when things get busy. Happy hour at the Slingshot is a no-frills affair. You get a dollar off wells and any of the dozen beers on draft, along with a small selection of discounted food items. If you aren’t looking for a meal, the $4 marinated prawn skewers and $3 grilled garlic crostini topped with tomato sauce are fine for snacking. The $5 hamburger or veggie burger, topped with tasty housemade aioli, is where it’s at if you’re hungry. Add the caramelized onions for a buck and a pair it with a couple of draft Olympias to get that crumpled 10-spot in your pocket to go the distance. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 3-7 pm, $1 off drafts & wells, $3-5 menu


Slow Bar
533 SE Grand

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or in, like, Orenco Station), you already know how good Slow Bar’s burgers are. You can’t even mention the place without talking about their game-changing, mouth-stretching burgers. But don’t sleep on their other options, especially during happy hour. Sure, you can get a six-ounce Angus beef burger on a Grand Central brioche bun for $6 during happy hour—and you’ll be happy as hell about it—but you can also get ceviche ($6), salads, pizzetta (three different personal pizzas at $5.50 each), two-for-$5 sliders (barbecue pork, curry chicken, or Oregon albacore tuna), or the $5.50 Southern Fry—a large plate of steaming hushpuppies and perfectly tender buttermilk fried chicken. The pork sliders, too, were dolloped with just the right amount of barbecue sauce and sweet-and-sour slaw, and the bun refused to get soggy or mushy. You get a dollar off drinks during happy hour, so wash it all down with a couple of Zerkpatrics—Slow Bar’s specialty margarita made with pomegranate and peppercorn-infused Sauza tequila. By the end of your meal, you’ll forget all about that burger. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 3-6 pm, Sun-Thurs midnight-2:30 am, $1 off drinks, $2-6 menu


Steinhaus
2366 SE 82nd

I’ve driven by the Steinhaus on my way to Southeast Portland’s banh mi and pho spots a number of times, but now that I’ve acquainted myself with the German-style tavern, it’s going to be a lot harder to pass. The bar offers a warm and welcoming setting, as well as one of the neighborhood’s best covered patios, lined with benches and booths to provide plenty of seating for groups. Happy hour offers 10 percent off any of the already fairly priced German and German-style beers, knocking delicious, full-flavored beers from the likes of Weihenstephan, Ayinger, Schneider Weisse, pFriem, and Logsdon down to the $4.50 mark. Mini corndog bites come in bratwurst and double smoked bacon sausage varieties ($4.25 and $5.25), while vegetarians can munch on a Tofurkey beer brat served with sauerkraut and kettle chips for $3. Pair the tasty batter-fried morsels with German potato salad ($3) or crispy potato cakes ($4), or just save room to work your way through one of the best tap lists in town. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

Happy Hour: daily 2-6 pm, 10 percent off draft beer, $2-6 menu


Yataimura Maru
3810 SE Division

The sister restaurant of downtown’s Shigezo, Maru is a sweet little izakaya made in the image of traditional Japanese drinking houses, with wood booths, rice paper screens, and greetings of “IRASSHAIMASE!” yelled at you when you enter. Their happy hour is a great deal any day, but weekends are the real bargain, running from 11:30 am to 6 pm, then again from 9 pm ’til close. A $5 bowl of straightforward Tokyo ramen is just as good as any the new fancy ramen places serve, with housemade noodles and divine broth, and a couple rashers of pork. The skewers of various grilled meats and vegetables, running you from $1.50 to $3, are salty-savory delights, and the sushi handrolls ($3-3.50) are a perfect combination of crunchy nori, tender slips of fish and vegetables, and pillowy rice. The happy hour drinks aren’t all that outstanding, but the food makes it worthwhile. HEATHER ARNDT ANDERSON

Happy hour: Mon-Thurs 4-6 & 9-10, Fri 4-6 pm & 9-11 pm, Sat 11:30 am-6 pm & 9-11 pm, Sun 11:30 am-6 pm & 9-10 pm, $3.50 sake & Kirin beer, $4 wells, $5 wine, $1.50-7 menu


Zoiglhaus Brewing Company
5716 SE 92nd

Zoiglhaus (or ZHaus, as locals affectionately referred to it) opened just over a year ago and became the anchor for the Lents Town Center facelift now underway. And it’s been a boon for the neighborhood—a family-friendly hub serving up tasty suds and quality German and American comfort food. I’ve considered setting up an office there, as the short walk from my house makes this haus an all-too-easy happy hour destination. It’s become routine at this point—I dump my kid in Zoiglhaus’ toy-and-germ-strewn play area, and I order a PDC Pale (a constantly rotating single-hop) and loaded fries ($5) topped with pulled pork and a rich beer cheese sauce. Other days I go for the $5 Happy Burger, a simple and satisfying option. (I recommend adding the smoked gouda for a buck more.) There’s also a pickle plate, a soft and crisp German pretzel, and a pizza of the day, in addition to other options. After that and a couple beers (the Haus IPA, the Ramona Red, and the dark and malty Schwarzbier are solid options), the short walk home is always welcome. MARK LORE

Happy Hour: Mon-Sat 3-5:30 pm, 9 pm-close, Sun all day, $1 off drafts, $3-6 menu