Aalto Lounge | 3356 SE Belmont
For two hours every day at Aalto Lounge, you’ll find a mini-collection of cocktails at an unbelievably low $3, from a Serrano-infused vodka concoction called the Slow Burn to “grown-up Jell-O shots.” Perhaps even better is a rotating selection of wine available by the bottle for just $10! If you’re more into the beer scene, those come by the bucket, ranging from $9-12 for four bottles. It’s the perfect thing to split with a friend or two over a grilled cheese with tomato soup or a hot pretzel with cheese sauce, each of which, again, go for a mere $3. MARJORIE SKINNER
Happy Hour: daily 5-7 pm, $3 cocktails, beer & wine to share from $9-12, $3 menu
Ate Oh Ate | 2454 E Burnside
Ate Oh Ate serves up legit happy hour Hawaiian fare and umbrella drinks without the Tiki flair, and the happy hour menu is an absolute steal. Tempura spam musubi ($3) and two scoops of macaroni salad ($2) will have your carb needs fully met, but lighter appetites can be satisfied by 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, $1-6 menu
Bar Avignon | 2138 SE Division
We need to talk about Bar Avignon’s lemon drop. This drink is that good. Let me paint a picture: A frosted glass emerges from the freezer’s tundra. Its rim is coated in sugar, and it’s 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 & 9 pm-close, $1 off wells & beer, $7 cocktails & wine, $1-9 menu
Bar Casa Vale | 215 SE 9th
Bar Casa Vale has a vaguely European upscale rustic thing going, and in a good way. The happy hour menu has, among other things, grilled pork skewers, kalettes, and cod croquettes. Bar Casa Vale also 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: Mon-Sat 4-6 pm & 10-11 pm, all day Sun, $5 17- ounce draft beer, $3 Tecate, $7 house wine, $7 sherry flight, $6-7 cocktails, $5 & up menu
Bit House Saloon | 727 SE Grand
If you’re looking for a happy hour that’s comforting and exudes warmth, look no further. Adorned in brick and warm wood tones, Bit House is a great place to get a drink on a cold day, or chill on their back patio when the weather requires. The delicious BHS Moscow Mule ($6)—garnished with pebble ice, mint, and lime—is refreshing with a sharp bite on the back end. A big pile of crispy herb-and-garlic fries ($4) is more than shareable, and their burger ($7) is big, juicy, and gluten-free (like the rest of their kitchen). WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Happy Hour: daily 4-7 pm, $6 cocktails, $4 beer, $3 wells, $5-6 wines, $2-8 menu
Canard | 734 E Burnside
Warning: Canard’s happy hour can inspire stunt eating in the form of downing as many of their iconic steam burgers in one sitting as possible—because the li’l fellas are just $3 each, half off their usual price tag. The quintessential slider, with melted American cheese, onions, relish, and a thin griddled patty, is practically perfect, and pairs well with a $3 can of Montucky Cold Snack or a $6 aperitif on the rocks, and half off oysters ($9 for half dozen/$18 for full dozen). ANDREA DAMEWOOD
Happy Hour: daily 4-5 pm & 10 pm-midnight, $6 aperitif, $3 Montucky Cold Snack, $3-18 menu
Cibo | 3539 SE Division
This upscale but unfussy Italian eatery has some dynamite deals during happy hour, so run, don’t walk, to get their pizza margherita ($8.50) with well-seasoned tomato sauce and blocks of fresh mozzarella transformed into oozing goodness. The mussels ($10) come in a saffron tomato cream sauce, and the Cibo Burger ($7.50) comes with prosciutto, making Cibo a great place to pamper yourself without breaking the bank. A small handful of cocktails, like the Rosemary Sour ($6.50), are available at a discount, but their solid wine list might be even more appealing. NED LANNAMANN
Happy Hour: Mon-Thurs 5-6 pm & 9-10 pm, Fri 5-6 pm &
10-11 pm, Sat 3-6 pm & 10-11 pm, Sun 3-6 pm & 9-10 pm, reduced-price cocktails, $1 off wells, $1-2 off wine, $3-10 menu
Clarklewis | 1001 SE Water
Happy hour at Clarklewis is a great choice for spur-of-the-moment plans (particularly when you’re low on funds). The drink menu leans toward gin- and vodka-based cocktails ($6 martinis!) and wine, while the very reasonably priced food lineup includes a terrific $12 maple wood grilled burger. Any place that’s this classy and can fill you up for under $20 should find a home near the top of your happy hour list. WSH
Happy Hour: daily 4:30-6:30 pm, $4-12 cocktails,
$2-12 menu
Coopers Hall | 404 SE 6th
An $8 glass of wine might not be Charles Shaw-level cheap, but when it’s the perfectly balanced, slightly spiced Grenache, Syrah, and Merlot blend on Coopers Hall’s happy hour menu, it will feel like a steal. Wine tasting snacks usually skew dainty, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a burger and fries ($12)—though I’d trade the burger’s overpowering cured tomato jam for good old-fashioned ketchup. While Coopers Hall is a wine spot, its beer list ranges from gose to Rainier tallboys, so you can enjoy yourself here even if the only wine you drink is named Chuck. BLAIR STENVICK
Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm, $6-11 wine, $8-9 cocktails, $2-5 beers, $4-12 menu
Crush Bar | 1400 SE Morrison
Crush is a legendary LGBT venue that’s welcoming to everyone—the main bar is casual with a laidback atmosphere and populated with regulars. There are a handful of happy hour cocktails, plus well-priced house wines ($5), well drinks ($4), and microbrew drafts ($4.50, though PBR is $2.50). There’s an extensive food menu, ranging from yams with vegan curry gravy ($7.50) to a seasonal hummus plate ($7.50), and the Idaho nachos ($8.50) are anything but standard issue—a ridiculous combination of fries, melted cheddar, mozzarella, bacon, and sour cream. MJS
Happy Hour: Tues-Sun 3-7 pm, Mon 3 pm-midnight, reduced-price beer, wine, & cocktails, $5.50-8.50 menu
Deadshot | 2133 SE 11th
I think the best thing $14 can buy is a perfect, stiff gin Gibson from one of the city’s best bartenders, Adam Robinson, and a plate of haute ass nachos from the minds of the amazing chefs at Holdfast, located in the same building. Sitting at the brass bar at Deadshot with a book and a plate of beef tendon nachos (think beef pork rinds) topped with brisket, refried beans, queso, and lime crema for $7 while slurping down ice cold clear liquor, reminds me just how spoiled we are in Portland. And a famous Holdfast cornbread madeleine for $2 is always the way to finish. AD
Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm, $7 cocktails, $5 wine, $1 off drafts, $3-7 menu
Delta Café | 4067 SE Woodstock
The years have not been kind to this once estimable home for Southern comfort food. The decent but unmemorable corn and black-eyed pea fritters ($5) are joined by an unnecessary green chili and jack cheese dip, and their standard mac ’n’ 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. ROBERT HAM
Happy Hour: daily 2-6 pm, 10 pm-close, $3.50 wells, $4 micro drafts, $6.50 cocktails, $5-9 menu
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Dots | 2521 SE Clinton
Dots is where you go for the “authentic” shabby-chic Portland experience, whose 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. The $6 buffalo wings and $2.50 hand-cut Belgian style fries will buoy you for a long evening of drinking. The dark and candlelit environment, velvet brocade wallpaper, and comfy booths encourage canoodling. HAA
Happy hour: Mon-Fri 2-7 pm & 11 pm-1 am, Sat & Sun 4-7 pm & 11 pm-1 am, $.50 off beers & wells, $1 off wine, $2.50-8 menu
Double Barrel | 2002 SE Division
Double Barrel is the Platonic ideal of a Southeast Portland bar. Plus, their $6 happy-hour burger is damn delicious. You can scarf down that fine beast all day long on Sundays, like, say when you’re watching some sportsing on Double Barrel’s big screen, playing darts, or reading a book by the fire. Their happy hour menu also has a fine selection of delicious dips and wings, if those are your favorite thing-a-lings. COURTNEY FERGUSON
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 2-7 pm, all day Sun, $1 off wells, wine, & drafts, $6-7 menu
Double Dragon | 1235 SE Division
I could write a thousand love letters to Double Dragon’s sumptuous pork belly banh mi. The baguette comes smothered in jalapeño aioli, topped with cilantro, 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 Southeast Division spot’s happy hour. Try the ginger margarita—tart, refreshing, and just a little hot—for the perfect post-work refuel. CD
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 4-6 pm, $1 off beer & wells, $2 off cocktails, $2 off banh mi & rice bowls
EastBurn | 1800 E Burnside
EastBurn has a hell of a whiskey selection, good, quick service, a solid selection of beers, and a location that makes meeting up with people easy (which is enough to recommend it for any social happy hour). And its big, varied happy hour menu doesn’t fuck around: Basics include their great house veggie burger ($13), but you can also get calamari ($11) or goat cheese and kale dip ($6). Oh, and +10 points, EastBurn, for playing “Rhythm Is a Dancer” during happy hour. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Happy Hour: daily 3-5 pm (also late-night menu available daily 10 pm-close), $2 off appetizers, $1 off salads and entrees, $2-17 menu
Gold Dust Meridian | 3267 SE Hawthorne
The atmosphere is romantically cool, the drinks are stiff, and the happy hour menu is well curated and delicious. Obviously you’re going to enjoy their dollar-off wells and pints, but for surefire food specials, eat their deviled eggs ($5), Caesar salad ($6), or—my personal fave—the garlic green beans ($5). I’m going to stop there, because Gold Dust has happy hour dialed in, and I’ve made my point: Their sterling reputation is well earned. WSH
Happy Hour: daily 2-8 pm, $1 off wells, wine, and drafts, $5-7 menu
Jacqueline | 2039 SE Clinton
There’s one reason to get yourself to Jacqueline’s terrific happy hour: DOLLAR OYSTERS. 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. 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 with Life Aquatic-themed décor. NL
Happy Hour: Mon-Sat 5-7 pm, $1 oysters,
$2 Rainiers
Kachka | 960 SE 11th
Grab a spot at the bar (or a table in the lounge) and start with infused horseradish or zubrovka vodkas ($9). This will be enough to get your cheeks rosy, so get the assortment of pickles ($6) and play around with their famous dumplings—either the Tvorog Vareniki (scallion, farmer’s cheese, $9) or Siberian Pelmenti (beef, pork, veal, onion, $9). Go for the Russian gold if you can, party for a few hours, and close out the night singing old Communist propaganda songs. AD
Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm, $3 draft beers, $5 wine, $9 vodka, $2-9 menu
La Moule | 2500 SE Clinton
La Moule’s afternoon happy hour is literally one hour. That’s probably good, 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. The daiquiri and the Sazerac are both excellent, and eight bucks. The big draw of La Moule, though, is $1.50 oysters. Get there at five. See how many of those beautiful sea cookies you can eat in an hour. JS
Happy Hour: daily 5-6 pm & 10 pm-midnight, $1.50-5 beer, $2 off wine, $8 cocktails, $4-12 menu, $1.50 oysters
The Matador | 2424 E Burnside
The Matador—not to be confused with the late, great dive bar of the same name—is the kind of place you bring your visiting in-laws or gather for an after-work mixer. While their tequila list is impressive, the Matador doesn’t offer any drink specials for happy hour, so I made do with a mug of Tecate on draft. The happy hour food choices are uninventive Meximerican fare. At one for $2, three for $5, or five for $8, 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, $2-8 menu
Night Light Lounge | 2100 SE Clinton
With some of the best bar food around, the Night Light doesn’t need to impress anybody. Indeed, the über-cheap eats are by-and-large traditional, with a heaping platter of nachos with guac ($8) and some delicious truffle fries ($6) sitting alongside other standbys, like the crave-worthy mac ’n’ cheese ($5), and the pulled pork, beet, and burger sliders ($3 each). With good food across the board, you can focus on drinking and relieve the tension on your wallet. NL
Happy Hour: Mon-Sat 2-6 pm, Sun 2 pm-close, Mon-Thurs 11 pm-close, $1 off beer, well drinks, & wine, $3-8 menu
Nostrana | 1401 SE Morrison
Nostrana is the epitome of classy. While their list of drink specials could use some expansion, pasta, antipasti, and pizza are the true starlets of this show. A $7 pizza margherita—one of three pizza choices—is nicely fired, gorgeous, and easily sharable. Also highly recommended is the insalata Nostrana ($5)—an expertly dressed salad featuring radicchio, parmigiano, rosemary-sage croutons, and Caesar-style dressing. (Don’t share this, it’s too delicious.) WSH
Happy Hour: daily 9 pm-close, $5-6 drink specials, $3-9 menu
The Observatory | 8115 SE Stark
Here’s a well-established neighborhood restaurant, casual and buzzy, where both the customers and staff seem at home. Happy hour will get you a deal on cans and well drinks, while the house wines are good for the $5 price tag. They’re known for their cocktails, so the daily special (also $5) is worth a look. Food is generally of the comfort variety—small salads, soups, fries, and the like—and portions are generous. MJS
Happy Hour: daily 3-6 pm, Sun-Thurs 10 pm-close, $2-3 beers, $4 wells, $5 wine & specialty cocktails, $2-6 menu
OK Omens | 1758 SE Hawthorne
In godless Portland, the way to observe a Sunday is at OK Omens, sharing a $28 bottle of natural wine with fellow parishioners. That’s $5.50 a glass! Happy Hour (also from 10 pm to midnight during the week) is also the only time you can get Omens’ superb fried chicken over their equally yummy Caesar salad for $12, along with bread and brie butter for $3. If ridiculously cheap bottles aren’t your thing, there’s $6 glasses, $3 Sapporo, and $5 Fernet. Bless. AD
Happy Hour: Mon-Sat 10 pm-midnight
& all day Sun, $6 wine by glass, $28 bottles, $3-12 menu
Olympia Provisions | 107 SE Washington
Happy hour runs from 3 to 5 pm, and if you’re headed to Olympia, you’re probably there for one reason: MEATS. With a chef’s choice plate, you can try three, accompanied by bread, pickles, and mustard ($9). Add two chef’s choice cheeses ($8) and a cocktail ($7) or bubbly spritz garnished with citrus and herbs ($6), and you’ve got yourself one of the city’s best afternoon snacks. Mix, match, and dare to find the perfect bite/sip combo. BRI BREY
Happy Hour: daily 3-5 pm, $6 drafts,
$7-10 wine, $7 cocktails, $6 spritz drinks, $6-13 menu
Palomar | 959 SE Division
The cocktails coming from the tucked-in ground floor bar at Cuba-via-Miami-styled Palomar belie its teal and pink midcentury diner looks, but its happy hour is priced to match the retro furnishings. At a buck a pop, you can pile croquetas to the ceiling and wash them down with $7 daiquiris—either Palomar’s reliable classic, or a frozen slushy in whatever the tropical flavor of the day is. And when the brain freeze kicks in, switch briefly to a $6 rosé or pound an $8 frita Cubana, a beef-and-chorizo burger with shoestring potatoes on top! THOMAS ROSS
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 3-6 pm, $2 Modelos, $6 rosé, $7 daiquiris, $1-10 menu
The RailHouse Lounge | 1320 SE Water
Tacked on the side of an auto body repair shop and sandwiched directly between train tracks and the overlapping exit ramps of the Marquam Bridge, the RailHouse Lounge is an easily overlooked destination for after-work drinks and food. Happy hour deals are straightforward, offering a buck off drafts, house wine, wells, and selected small plates, including solid takes on hot wings and sweet potato tots. With excellent service, a cozy wood burning fireplace, and a pool table in the back room, the RailHouse is worth a visit. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
Happy Hour: Wed-Sun 3-6 pm, $1 off
draft beer, house wine, well, & selected
small plates
Rockin’ Crab Café | 3113 SE Division
Southeast Division’s 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. Just blocks from Pok Pok’s famous chicken wings, Rockin’ Crab bravely offers three styles of its own—Cajun, honey and spicy, or garlic, and are perfectly fried and served up in a casual cardboard boat. The discounted drinks during happy hour are a huge plus. BB
Happy Hour: Tues-Sun 11 am-6 pm, Sun & Tues-Thurs 8-9 pm, $1 off wine, $4 beer & wells, $6 cocktails, $3-12 menu, $2 off hot pots
Rum Club | 720 SE Sandy
The Rum Club’s cocktails have earned a following among Portland’s mixologists, so you know they’re legit even before tasting. At happy hour, grab some of the housemade punch ($5) or check the chalkboard for the classic cocktail of the week. With yacht rock on the speakers and knowledgeable, friendly hands on the cocktail shakers, you’ll want to pledge your membership to the Rum Club for life. NL
Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm, reduced-price cocktails, $3-6 menu
Sapphire Hotel | 5008 SE Hawthorne
The Sapphire Hotel’s happy hour is solid, with a weekly punch and bar snacks that won’t leave you feeling like you’ve lined your arteries with garbage. The arugula dip ($5) will make you feel virtuous, and the wait staff will bring you all the bread you want, stretching a snack into a frugal meal. MEGAN BURBANK
Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm, Sun-Thurs 10 pm-close, $2 Pabst, $4 wells, $1 off wine,
$6 cocktails, $2-8 menu
Sassy’s | 927 SE Morrison
Let’s get right to it—the beloved strip club Sassy’s has a happy hour that’s 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 (and that includes a couple of really good local ciders). I had two Sierra Nevada Pale Ales, as well as the $5 Sassy’s Lunch Special: 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. It’s not mind-blowing, but it’ll leave you with a few more bills to spend on the real reason you go to Sassy’s. MARK LORE
Happy Hour: daily 3-8 pm, $2.50 beer, $5 menu
Slingshot Lounge | 5532 SE Center
If you live in the Foster-Powell neighborhood, you’re probably already familiar with the Slingshot and its spacious booths, comfy back patio, and a wide-open pool and pinball room. Happy hour is no-frills—a dollar off wells and its dozen draft beers, and a small discounted food selection. The $4 marinated prawn skewers are fine for snacking, but the $6 ham (or veggie!) burger, topped with tasty housemade aioli, is where it’s at. Add caramelized onions for a buck and pair it with a couple of draft Olympias to get that 10-spot in your pocket to go the distance. CT
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 3-7 pm, $1 off drafts & wells, $3-6 menu
Slow Bar | 533 SE Grand
You can’t mention Slow Bar 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, but you can also get ceviche ($7), salads, three varieties of pizzetta (personal pizza) at $7 each, two-for-$5 sliders (barbecue pork, curry chicken, or Oregon albacore tuna), or the $7 Southern Fry—a large plate of steaming hushpuppies and perfectly tender buttermilk fried chicken. You get a dollar off drinks, so wash it all down with a pair of Zerkpatrics—Slow Bar’s specialty margarita. SEH
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 3-6 pm,
Sun-Thurs midnight-2:30 am, $1 off drinks,
$3-7 menu
Teote | 1615 SE 12th
Walking up, down, and around in Teote feels like some kind of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe trip. But maybe the most otherworldly thing about Teote is its happy hour, which features discounted arepas (Venezuelan corn cakes) served in a deep bowl filled with your choice of meat. Keep in mind the pernil (a chili-beer pork shoulder) and pabellón (brisket with peppers, black beans, and cheese). TR
Happy Hour: daily 3-6 pm, reduced-price drinks, $1 off arepas
Trifecta Tavern | 726 SE 6th
There aren’t any squealin’ deals at Trifecta Tavern’s happy hour (save for the $1.50 oysters), but everything is discounted from the upscale eatery’s regular prices. Example: Take four bucks off the addictive fried cauliflower ($9), tossed with smoked farro, pickled sour cherries, a creamy almond sauce, and crunchy little nut niblets. Since Trifecta is the sister restaurant of Ken’s Artisan Pizza, order the wood oven flatbread ($10, knocked down from $17). Also, if you’re not seduced by the $6 bubbly, be sure to get the lightly sweet, citrusy Bebbo cocktail ($7). CD
Happy Hour: Mon-Thurs 5-6 pm, Fri-Sun 4-6 pm, $7 house cocktails, $6 house wines, $5 drafts, $1.50-18 menu
Vintage Cocktail Lounge | 7907 SE Stark
The Vintage Cocktail Lounge is a rare Portland bar that offers decent happy hour prices without skimping on quality. Need a lift on a rainy day? Order the El Diablo, a tequila cocktail with a kick of ginger brew and lime, or the Tabor Reservoir, a fizzy lavender gin drink with a citrus bite (all the cocktails ring in at $6). The Vintage’s baked mac ’n’ cheese hides buttery bacon chunks under its creamy top crust ($5) and pairs nicely with the arugula salad (a bold choice for a bar snack), topped with goat cheese, pecans, and dried cranberries ($5). ALEX ZIELINSKI
Happy Hour: daily 4-7 pm, reduced prices on signature cocktails & wine, $2-5 menu
White Owl Social Club | 1305 SE 8th
White Owl Social Club has become a little too popular, especially in the not-freezing months. Happy hour is the lowkey best time to visit, when house cocktails (like their excellent Effen Mule) are just $7. There’s also $5 drafts and ciders that are best paired with salty shoestring fries (like McDonald’s without the weird MSG aftertaste), or the superb baked mac ’n’ cheese for just $5. I also highly recommend the spicy Korean sauce with the cauliflower wings (there’s also a buffalo sauce version), with your choice of blue cheese or vegan ranch dressing. JENNI MOORE