Houston has no shortage of places to drink and eat on a budget. The city’s restaurants and bars run happy hour deals across nearly every neighborhood, from Spring Branch to the Heights to the East End. Here’s an updated look at some of the best wallet-friendly options, with prices that hold up whether you want a $6 cocktail or a full plate of smoked meat.
The Blind Goat and Feges BBQ
The Blind Goat is run by Christine Ha, the champion of MasterChef’s season 3, and it serves Vietnamese food with solid happy hour prices in the Spring Branch area. Standard cocktails — a Negroni, an Old Fashioned, a Daiquiri — cost $6 each, and they go nicely with the pork skewers in lemongrass fish sauce glaze or the popular sticky wings. On Mondays, there is an all-day happy hour offering $6 sparkling wine by the glass. From Sunday through Thursday, the happy hour runs from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
A few doors down, Feges BBQ offers its own bargain. From Tuesday through Saturday, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and all day Sunday, you can get $5 frozen margaritas and half-off select glasses of wine. The food deals are the real draw: 10 smoked chicken wings for $10, or a $10 sandwich of chopped brisket or pulled pork. It’s a cheap way to sample the joint’s smoked meats without committing to a full plate.
Starduster Lounge and Loro Heights
The moody, cowboy-inspired Starduster Lounge brings West Texas charm to the Heights. During happy hour, it halves the price on every cocktail. Drinks usually land at around $13, so the cut makes a noticeable difference. Weekdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the bar offers signature pours including Chipotle Palomas, Old Fashioneds, and frozen Cosmos.
Dogs are welcome at the bar, where both animal companions and their human companions enjoy happy hour pricing from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Asian smokehouse Loro Heights begins its happy hour at noon. On weekdays, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., guests can enjoy $5 cocktails, wine and sake on tap, along with $4 boozy slushies. The slushie menu features a spicy watermelon margarita, a frozen G&T, and an alcohol-free pink lemonade.
The menu includes charred pork skewers, smoked wings, and a crunchy cabbage salad, all priced at less than $10. The restaurant’s Heights location features a large outdoor area with hanging egg chairs.
Best Regards and Camaraderie
A woman-owned bar called Best Regards operates in the Heights with a simple offer: $10 cocktails from opening until 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Invite a companion along and split the bottomless fries for $20. Beers cost $5, and certain bottles come at half price. The patio outside holds curved sofas and string lights, while inside the venue stays green and full of plants during the hotter Houston days.
The Heights restaurant Camaraderie, run by chef Shawn Gawle, has been open for little more than a year and is already drawing notice. That recognition includes a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Best Chef: Texas. The establishment’s happy hour reflects the acclaim, with half-off cocktails, mini cocktails, and mocktails all on offer.
Try the Bugs Bunny, made with gin, amontillado, apricot, and carrot piloncillo. Or order the Mosquita, a mini cocktail of mezcal, Campari, ginger, and lemon. Happy hour runs Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., plus Sundays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Eight Row Flint and Better Luck Tomorrow
Happy hour at Eight Row Flint lasts from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, with Wednesday running all day. The deal includes $7 select cocktails, $6 select beers, and $8 wines. The bar occupies a converted mid-century gas station, complete with a wraparound patio for outdoor seating.
The newer East End location is just as worthy. There, happy hour specials include $4 off wells and $7 Kentucky mules, Tuesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., all day Mondays, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
Better Luck Tomorrow is one of Houston’s most beloved bars, and its weekday happy hour is impressive. From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., beers, glasses of wine, and house cocktails are half-off. The bar’s creations include the Fig Daddy, a cardamom-infused rye layered with sweet vermouth and spiced fig. The Monsoon Season offers a silky mix of blanco tequila, clarified milk, pandan, and lime leaf.
Hungry Like the Wolf and Urbe
Hungry Like the Wolf is an ’80s-themed diner that leans into the decade. The neon interior is filled with glass bricks and portraits of pop icons. Happy hour runs Tuesday to Friday, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Prices are $6 wells, $11 specialty cocktails, $4 beers, and $5 shots. Snack on $12 jumbo wings and $2.50 tacos. Stick around for karaoke at 8 p.m. on Fridays.
Urbe offers another solid option. The Hugo Ortega restaurant dishes up Mexican street food in a bustling setting, making it a strong pick for a gathering where sharing plates works well.
Comparing the deals
| Spot | Happy Hour Days | Happy Hour Hours | Signature Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Blind Goat | Sunday–Thursday | 5 p.m.–6 p.m.; all day Monday | $6 classic cocktails |
| Feges BBQ | Tuesday–Saturday, Sunday | 3 p.m.–7 p.m.; all day Sunday | $5 frozen margaritas, 10 wings for $10 |
| Starduster Lounge | Weekdays; Sat–Sun (dog hours) | 4 p.m.–6 p.m.; 2 p.m.–5 p.m. weekends | Half-off all cocktails |
| Loro Heights | Weekdays | 2 p.m.–6 p.m. | $5 cocktails, $4 boozy slushies |
| Best Regards | Tuesday–Friday | Opening–7 p.m. | $10 cocktails, bottomless fries for $20 |
| Spot | Happy Hour Days | Happy Hour Hours | Signature Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camaraderie | Wednesday–Saturday, Sunday | 5 p.m.–6 p.m., 9 p.m.–10 p.m.; 5 p.m.–9 p.m. Sundays | Half-off cocktails and mocktails |
| Eight Row Flint | Weekdays, all day Wednesday | 11 a.m.–6 p.m. | $7 cocktails, $6 beers, $8 wines |
| Better Luck Tomorrow | Weekdays | 2 p.m.–5 p.m. | Half-off beers, wine, house cocktails |
| Hungry Like the Wolf | Tuesday–Friday | 3 p.m.–7 p.m. | $6 wells, $2.50 tacos |
The timing of happy hour changes from place to place throughout the city. Some spots offer it without limit by the hour, while others restrict it to just one hour. Before you leave home, make sure to check the hours, particularly for Camaraderie, where the promotion is split across two separate timeframes.
Prices hold up across the board. You can drink for $5 or less at Feges BBQ, Loro Heights, and Hungry Like the Wolf. You can eat for under $10 at Loro Heights, while Feges BBQ’s food deals run $10 or less. For a fuller meal, Best Regards’ bottomless fries at $20 is the shareable play.
Eight Row Flint offers weekend specials at its East End location, while Starduster Lounge holds its dog-friendly happy hour on Saturdays and Sundays.
The neighborhood with the most deals is The Heights, where Starduster Lounge, Loro Heights, Best Regards, Camaraderie, and Eight Row Flint are all located. Just outside it, Spring Branch delivers a two-stop pairing: The Blind Goat and Feges BBQ.
What stands out is the variety on offer. At The Blind Goat, you can get a $6 Negroni, while a stone’s throw away at Feges BBQ, a $5 frozen margarita waits. Not far from either is Starduster Lounge, where a half-off cocktail sits alongside Loro Heights’ $4 boozy slushie, each suited to a distinct mood in the same part of town.
Houston’s happy hour scene rewards a little planning.
Source: houston.eater.com
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