Happy hours are coming back to Austin
Restaurants and bars had to stop happy hours during COVID. As patios began to open, some happy hours restarted. It's only with vaccines being available and utilized, however, that my favorites and the best happy hours in Austin have been reinstated.
Loro on South Lamar has one of the best and one of the most unusual happy hours. From 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, they offer wine, sake, and beer on tap for $4 a glass, and boozy slushees such as Vietnamese Coffee, and Mango Sake for $4. They also serve their special cheeseburger at a happy hour price from 2:00 to 5:00 or until it runs out. Which it often does, as it's a recipe that includes Franklins BBQ brisket jam. They have a large patio as well as inside seating, and extended seating in front of the restaurant.
Enoteca is the bar attached to to the restaurant Vespaio on South Congress. It's an Italian wine bar/bistro. Monday through Friday from 5:00 to 6:00 they offer half price bottles of wine under $100, $8 cocktails, and half price antipasto appetizers, including duck liver mousse/pate, calamarie and zucchini fritte, and caprese. You can make a meal of the $5 appetizers. Take a friend to split the bottle of wine.
South Congress Cafe has $2 off glasses of wine,$3 bottles & draft beers, $5 house margaritas,$5 mojitos & frozen lemonades, and $5 infused bloody marys & mimosas Monday through Friday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. They also give you 10% off champagne and prosecco on Saturdays and Sundays. They are housed in a red brick building which was originally a drug store built in 1940, and enhanced with modern architectural touches. There is a small shaded patio with an additional bar in the back.
The Park is a sports bar on South Lamar and 290. They have the best timed happy hour, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with an all day drink happy hour on Mondays. Their large patio includes an outdoor bar and a plethora of sports on large screen televisions. Indoors is another bar and dining room, also equipped with numerous televisions showing sports. Happy Hour offers $5 appetizers with some healthy options such as Chicken Satay, Hummis Trio, and sides of broccoli. Drinks are $5 with $1 off beer drafts. Tuesday is branded hamburger day with $5 hamburgers from 4:00 to 6:00.
Hopdoddy, my all time favorite hang out, hasn't restarted their happy hours yet. They're good enough however, that I'll keep paying full price for now.