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Platter of raw oysters
Oysters are on deck at A5’s happy hour.
Eric Donzella

Where to Find Fun, Wallet-Friendly Happy Hours in Denver

Deals to end the work day or start the weekend early

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Oysters are on deck at A5’s happy hour.
| Eric Donzella

What makes for a good happy hour? Is it a matter of timing — the longer and more frequent the better? The diversity of options for food as well as drink? The quality of those options? The answer, of course, is that any and all of the above are legit criteria. Mapped from north to south, each of the following 20 spots meets one or more of them; most importantly, they do it with their own irresistible style, whether they’re old champs or newer contenders, upscale destinations or neighborhood hangouts. Here now, the best happy hour deals in Denver.

For a look at Denver’s top bars overall, click here. Have another favorite? Send us a tip.

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Cart Driver Lo-Hi

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Come for the chicken-liver mousse with rosemary focaccia, accompanied by bubbles on tap; stay for the tinned sardines with piada and compound butter alongside a Messed-Up Negroni — at $7–$8 a pop, those specials alone earn this LoHi hot spot a slot on any Denver happy hour trail, though they’re not alone among the offerings available from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Chicken-liver mousse with focaccia
Chicken-liver mousse with focaccia at Cart-Driver.
Ruth Tobias

Redeemer Pizza

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Good deal: a slice with a beer for $6 or a glass of wine for $8. Great deal: a whole cheese pie for $12 plus a bottle of wine for a mere $22 or a carafe of spritzes for $24. This RiNo pizzeria offers it all, among other reduced-price snacks and sips, Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (It also boasts a few weeknight specials, including on Wednesdays, when all wines by the bottle go for 50 percent off.)

A slice and a glass of wine go for $8 at Redeemer’s happy hour.
Redeemer Pizza

Trellis Wine Bar

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Way to win over the neighbors. Not only does this Park Hill wine bar sell nearly 40 wines by the glass in a split-level lounge worthy of a design magazine spread, but it offers them all for half-price from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (the same goes for select bottles on Wednesdays). Better still, each pour is more interesting than the last: While the blackboard list is ever-changing, it might at any given time feature skin-contact Moscatel from Chile’s Itata Valley, South African pét-nat rosé of Petit Verdot, or Schioppettino from Friuli–Venezia Giulia.

Airy wine lounge with couches and a mezzanine
Trellis Wine Bar’s stylish split-level space.
Ruth Tobias

Work & Class

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The happy hour menu at Work & Class is almost as much fun to read as it is to order from: Labeled the “Early Work Release Program,” it’s emblazoned with cheerfully cranky slogans like “Happiness is overrated” and “Life’s an illusion, love is a dream.” But it’s the creativity of the seasonal eats offered from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday that really seals the deal, be it chicken pot pie in chipotle gravy, lamb–tater tot poutine, or ratatouille-stuffed chiles rellenos; they’re all made for pairing with $5 draft beers or $2 discounts on wines by the glass and cocktails (including Long Island Iced Teas on tap just for kicks).

Lamb–tater tot poutine in cast-iron skillet
Lamb–tater tot “poutine” at Work & Class.
Ruth Tobias

Uchi Denver

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From 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily, the RiNo outpost of Tyson Cole’s acclaimed Austin flagship transforms from a splurge to a steal. Not only does the modern Japanese kitchen send out smaller (but not-too-small) portions of some of its greatest hits for a fraction of their standard price at $5–$10, but it also creates happy hour exclusives that rival anything on the dinner menu, like fish toast with scallop mousse. Wash them down with drink specials that hover between $6 and $9.

Wagyu tartare sushi
Wagyu tartare is on the happy hour menu at Uchi.
Ruth Tobias

La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal

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At this celebrated Ballpark cantina, killer cocktails and a small selection of some of the city’s best tacos go for about half off regular price Thursday through Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sweetening the pot are early-week specials: Street Taco Tuesdays yield $3 versions of such special creations as the tres chorizo with salsa verde and the cochinita pibil with black-bean salsa, while on Wednesdays, $5 nets two tacos al pastor straight from the spit plus a margarita.

La Diabla scratches the taco itch.
La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal

Sunday Vinyl

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Start date night off right with happy hour at this suave Union Station wine bar, where swanky digs, smooth-as-silk service, and smartly spun tunes set the mood from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday — one that’s only enhanced by carefully selected $7 wines by the glass and such elegant nibbles as anchovies on buttered rolls ($5); chorizo-stuffed, fried olives ($6); and beef tartare with smoked-oyster aioli ($8).

Oysters with crème fraîche and granita
Oysters feature regularly on Sunday Vinyl’s happy hour menu.
Frasca Hospitality Group

Annette

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Annette’s always a delight, but its easygoing charm is especially evident Wednesday through Sunday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. — and all night Tuesday. While all beers and house cocktails are $1 off, select bottles of wine go for just $25, and the $7 boilermakers are plain fun (think apple brandy and Mexican-style lager); in addition, $4–$5 snacks like popcorn and deviled eggs are supplemented by a few more substantial items, such as egg-salad toast and steak frites.

Egg salad on toast
Annette’s egg salad on toast.
Ruth Tobias

From 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, Lon Symensma’s LoDo ode to Asian street food serves up a slew of its greatest hits — pom pom shrimp, spring rolls, General Tso’s soup dumplings, cheeseburger bao — at a solid discount while knocking $2–$5 off the price of cocktails, draft beers, and select wines and sakés. Don’t skip the cauliflower lollipops. (Note: As of December 2022, there’ll be Monday service too.)

Crab rangoon
YumCha’s crab rangoon purses.
ChoLon Restaurant Concepts

A5 Steakhouse

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Honestly, there’s hardly a spot run by the Culinary Creative Group that doesn’t warrant a slot on this map: From Ash’kara to Bar Dough to Señor Bear and Mister Oso, hot happy hour deals are part of the program. But splashy LoDo steakhouse A5 takes the cake this go-round for its selection of hearty snacks: Served at the bar between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., items like bacon-wrapped Wagyu meatloaf, Wagyu French dips, and croque monsieur sandos eat like a late lunch or early dinner for a fraction of the price of a typical steak-centric meal, while classic cocktails and select wines hold the line at $10.

Kielbasa en croûte
Seasonal snacks make a meal at A5.
Eric Donzella

Ohana Grille

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Billing itself as Hawaiian fusion, this bright and breezy Edgewater spot makes happy hour feel like a mini-vacation. In addition to $3 off tropical cocktails galore, $2 off draft beer, and $4 glasses of wine, it knocks $2–$3 off virtually its entire selection of small plates — which are bargains to begin with at $4–$9. So from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily, a veritable luau of Kalua pork sliders, crispy rib tips, ahi poke, Thai-spiced chicken wings, sweet potato fries, edamame, and more awaits.

Basket of sweet potato fries drizzled in Thai chili aioli
Sweet potato fries in Thai chili aioli at Ohana Grille.
Ohana Grille

Apple Blossom

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Why settle for beer and wings when there are pastrami-infused Old Fashioneds and Spam bánh mì sliders to be had? It’s that sort of cleverness that distinguishes the happy-hour menu at this downtown farm-to-table gem, generously offered from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and again from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.; with nearly everything priced at $8 or less, it calls for at least a couple of rounds of, say, sparkling wine accompanied by grilled tofu kebabs with pecan satay sauce or dirty martinis alongside hemp-crusted goat cheese with smoked almonds and fig jam. 

Spam bánh mì sliders
Spam bánh mì sliders at Apple Blossom.
Apple Blossom

Ace Eat Serve

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From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, this ever-thronged ping-pong parlor–meets–pan-Asian joint in Uptown delivers a slew of sweet (and sour, salty, and spicy) deals. While the bar pours $8 highballs and Chef’s Specials — aka a 16-ounce Montucky and a bourbon shot with a kimchi back — along with $4–$6 wines, sakes, and beers, the kitchen serves up everything from fried kimchi and takoyaki to its signature tiger wings and brussels sprouts with shishito peppers for $5–$7, along with $11 bowls of ramen.

A bowl of ramen at Ace Eat Serve
Ramen goes for $5–6 dollars less than regular price during happy hour at Ace Eat Serve.
Anna Regan/Ace Eat Serve

Baba & Pop's Pierogi

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And now for something completely different: Tuesday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., this cheery modern Polish spot serves up five different types of pierogi (including pizza- and chile relleno–inspired versions) along with cabbage rolls, still other snacks, and cocktails for $2 off their regular — not to mention already reasonable — price. The same goes for a full slate of wines and beers, which at $1 off run $6–$8.

Plate of pierogi with bacon and onion alongside a cocktail
Cocktail-paired pierogi at Baba & Pop’s.
Joni Schrantz

Postino 9CO

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Following the launch of the first Colorado location in LoHi in 2015, Denverites embraced this Arizona-based wine bar concept so heartily that there are now three more — one in Baker, one in Highlands Ranch, and this one in Hale. The chain’s famous happy hour is no small part of the allure: From open to 5 p.m. daily, all glasses of wine and pitchers of beer go for $6 (roughly 50 percent off). And on Mondays and Tuesdays after 8 p.m., couples benefit from the Board + Bottle deal — $25 for a quartet of bruschetta with wine.

bruschetta and red wine from Postino Wine Cafe.
The Board & Bottle promotion at Postino runs every Monday and Tuesday after 8 p.m.
Postino WineCafé

Vesper Lounge

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Cheers to the friendliest of neighborhood hangs in Cap Hill, where happy hour runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, and all day Monday. That’s plenty of time to slurp down $4–$6 cocktails, extra-generous $7–$8 wine pours, and already cheap beers for $1–$1.50 off while filling up on everything from dips and pita to shrimp and pork-belly lettuce wraps to a variety of sliders — all of which go for $4 or less.

Fried artichokes, gyros sliders, and dips
Fried artichokes, gyros sliders, and dips at Vesper Lounge.
Ruth Tobias

Angelo’s Taverna

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A fresh-baked 8-inch pizza for just $7? It sounds too good to be true, but it’s a reality at this Alamo Placita institution every day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to close. Oysters both raw and grilled, meatball or crab-cake sliders, and still other dishes are priced at $6 or less, paired with $5 well cocktails or beers and wines in the $4–$8 range.

Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood

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A true neighborhood haunt, this Cherry Creek seafood spot reels ’em in with happy “hours” longer than some establishments’ meal services, stretching from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays — and the offerings are equally extensive. Think 40 percent off all wines by the glass, $8.50 cocktails, and several bucks off the likes of deviled eggs with trout roe, fried calamari, and steamed mussels in yellow curry.

Roasted oysters topped with cracker crumbs and accompanied by lemon wedges
Roasted oysters at Blue Island.
Ruth Tobias

Officers Club

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Happy hour at this Lowry go-to is in keeping with its midcentury-supper-club vibe: From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 3 p.m. on Friday, it serves up $5 cheddar biscuits with herb butter, $8 shoestring fries with mushroom gravy, and other deals on old-school eats like wood-fired artichokes with mustard-seed rémoulade and baked trout dip with potato chips. They’re all tailor-made for pairing with equally handsome, $7–$8 twists on such classic cocktails as the Blood Orange Spritz and the Kentucky Buck; well drinks and draft beers go for $2 off, while nearly 20 wines by the glass are $1 off (with the exception of house wines, available for $6).

Bar with retro clubby vibe
The bar at Officers Club.
Ryan Dearth

Fire On The Mountain-Wash Park

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Both here and at the Highlands flagship of this chicken joint, a few bucks go a long way from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Select draft beers and cocktails are only $5; bottles of wine are $15; and eats like wings and tenders, baskets of fries, and queso with chips ring in at just $6. Even better — you can find all-day beer specials that include $4 drafts on Mondays and $3 bottles and cans on Wednesdays.

Fire on the Mountain/Facebook

The Brutal Poodle

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When isn’t it happy hour here? Despite its heavy metal theme, this wildly popular Overland bar couldn’t be friendlier or more welcoming, running drink specials more often than not — from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. And the neighbors are here for it, knocking back select bottled beers and shots for $3, $4 glasses of wine, and craft pints for $2 off: That’s ample liquid courage for Headbanger Karaoke on Tuesday night.

Cozy bar with posters, mirror, and TV on wall
The bar at the Brutal Poodle.
Heather Darling Photography

Cart Driver Lo-Hi

Come for the chicken-liver mousse with rosemary focaccia, accompanied by bubbles on tap; stay for the tinned sardines with piada and compound butter alongside a Messed-Up Negroni — at $7–$8 a pop, those specials alone earn this LoHi hot spot a slot on any Denver happy hour trail, though they’re not alone among the offerings available from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Chicken-liver mousse with focaccia
Chicken-liver mousse with focaccia at Cart-Driver.
Ruth Tobias

Redeemer Pizza

Good deal: a slice with a beer for $6 or a glass of wine for $8. Great deal: a whole cheese pie for $12 plus a bottle of wine for a mere $22 or a carafe of spritzes for $24. This RiNo pizzeria offers it all, among other reduced-price snacks and sips, Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (It also boasts a few weeknight specials, including on Wednesdays, when all wines by the bottle go for 50 percent off.)

A slice and a glass of wine go for $8 at Redeemer’s happy hour.
Redeemer Pizza

Trellis Wine Bar

Way to win over the neighbors. Not only does this Park Hill wine bar sell nearly 40 wines by the glass in a split-level lounge worthy of a design magazine spread, but it offers them all for half-price from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (the same goes for select bottles on Wednesdays). Better still, each pour is more interesting than the last: While the blackboard list is ever-changing, it might at any given time feature skin-contact Moscatel from Chile’s Itata Valley, South African pét-nat rosé of Petit Verdot, or Schioppettino from Friuli–Venezia Giulia.

Airy wine lounge with couches and a mezzanine
Trellis Wine Bar’s stylish split-level space.
Ruth Tobias

Work & Class

The happy hour menu at Work & Class is almost as much fun to read as it is to order from: Labeled the “Early Work Release Program,” it’s emblazoned with cheerfully cranky slogans like “Happiness is overrated” and “Life’s an illusion, love is a dream.” But it’s the creativity of the seasonal eats offered from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday that really seals the deal, be it chicken pot pie in chipotle gravy, lamb–tater tot poutine, or ratatouille-stuffed chiles rellenos; they’re all made for pairing with $5 draft beers or $2 discounts on wines by the glass and cocktails (including Long Island Iced Teas on tap just for kicks).

Lamb–tater tot poutine in cast-iron skillet
Lamb–tater tot “poutine” at Work & Class.
Ruth Tobias

Uchi Denver

From 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily, the RiNo outpost of Tyson Cole’s acclaimed Austin flagship transforms from a splurge to a steal. Not only does the modern Japanese kitchen send out smaller (but not-too-small) portions of some of its greatest hits for a fraction of their standard price at $5–$10, but it also creates happy hour exclusives that rival anything on the dinner menu, like fish toast with scallop mousse. Wash them down with drink specials that hover between $6 and $9.

Wagyu tartare sushi
Wagyu tartare is on the happy hour menu at Uchi.
Ruth Tobias

La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal

At this celebrated Ballpark cantina, killer cocktails and a small selection of some of the city’s best tacos go for about half off regular price Thursday through Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sweetening the pot are early-week specials: Street Taco Tuesdays yield $3 versions of such special creations as the tres chorizo with salsa verde and the cochinita pibil with black-bean salsa, while on Wednesdays, $5 nets two tacos al pastor straight from the spit plus a margarita.

La Diabla scratches the taco itch.
La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal

Sunday Vinyl

Start date night off right with happy hour at this suave Union Station wine bar, where swanky digs, smooth-as-silk service, and smartly spun tunes set the mood from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday — one that’s only enhanced by carefully selected $7 wines by the glass and such elegant nibbles as anchovies on buttered rolls ($5); chorizo-stuffed, fried olives ($6); and beef tartare with smoked-oyster aioli ($8).

Oysters with crème fraîche and granita
Oysters feature regularly on Sunday Vinyl’s happy hour menu.
Frasca Hospitality Group

Annette

Annette’s always a delight, but its easygoing charm is especially evident Wednesday through Sunday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. — and all night Tuesday. While all beers and house cocktails are $1 off, select bottles of wine go for just $25, and the $7 boilermakers are plain fun (think apple brandy and Mexican-style lager); in addition, $4–$5 snacks like popcorn and deviled eggs are supplemented by a few more substantial items, such as egg-salad toast and steak frites.

Egg salad on toast
Annette’s egg salad on toast.
Ruth Tobias

YumCha

From 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, Lon Symensma’s LoDo ode to Asian street food serves up a slew of its greatest hits — pom pom shrimp, spring rolls, General Tso’s soup dumplings, cheeseburger bao — at a solid discount while knocking $2–$5 off the price of cocktails, draft beers, and select wines and sakés. Don’t skip the cauliflower lollipops. (Note: As of December 2022, there’ll be Monday service too.)

Crab rangoon
YumCha’s crab rangoon purses.
ChoLon Restaurant Concepts

A5 Steakhouse

Honestly, there’s hardly a spot run by the Culinary Creative Group that doesn’t warrant a slot on this map: From Ash’kara to Bar Dough to Señor Bear and Mister Oso, hot happy hour deals are part of the program. But splashy LoDo steakhouse A5 takes the cake this go-round for its selection of hearty snacks: Served at the bar between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., items like bacon-wrapped Wagyu meatloaf, Wagyu French dips, and croque monsieur sandos eat like a late lunch or early dinner for a fraction of the price of a typical steak-centric meal, while classic cocktails and select wines hold the line at $10.

Kielbasa en croûte
Seasonal snacks make a meal at A5.
Eric Donzella

Ohana Grille

Billing itself as Hawaiian fusion, this bright and breezy Edgewater spot makes happy hour feel like a mini-vacation. In addition to $3 off tropical cocktails galore, $2 off draft beer, and $4 glasses of wine, it knocks $2–$3 off virtually its entire selection of small plates — which are bargains to begin with at $4–$9. So from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily, a veritable luau of Kalua pork sliders, crispy rib tips, ahi poke, Thai-spiced chicken wings, sweet potato fries, edamame, and more awaits.

Basket of sweet potato fries drizzled in Thai chili aioli
Sweet potato fries in Thai chili aioli at Ohana Grille.
Ohana Grille

Apple Blossom

Why settle for beer and wings when there are pastrami-infused Old Fashioneds and Spam bánh mì sliders to be had? It’s that sort of cleverness that distinguishes the happy-hour menu at this downtown farm-to-table gem, generously offered from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and again from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.; with nearly everything priced at $8 or less, it calls for at least a couple of rounds of, say, sparkling wine accompanied by grilled tofu kebabs with pecan satay sauce or dirty martinis alongside hemp-crusted goat cheese with smoked almonds and fig jam. 

Spam bánh mì sliders
Spam bánh mì sliders at Apple Blossom.
Apple Blossom

Ace Eat Serve

From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, this ever-thronged ping-pong parlor–meets–pan-Asian joint in Uptown delivers a slew of sweet (and sour, salty, and spicy) deals. While the bar pours $8 highballs and Chef’s Specials — aka a 16-ounce Montucky and a bourbon shot with a kimchi back — along with $4–$6 wines, sakes, and beers, the kitchen serves up everything from fried kimchi and takoyaki to its signature tiger wings and brussels sprouts with shishito peppers for $5–$7, along with $11 bowls of ramen.

A bowl of ramen at Ace Eat Serve
Ramen goes for $5–6 dollars less than regular price during happy hour at Ace Eat Serve.
Anna Regan/Ace Eat Serve

Baba & Pop's Pierogi

And now for something completely different: Tuesday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., this cheery modern Polish spot serves up five different types of pierogi (including pizza- and chile relleno–inspired versions) along with cabbage rolls, still other snacks, and cocktails for $2 off their regular — not to mention already reasonable — price. The same goes for a full slate of wines and beers, which at $1 off run $6–$8.

Plate of pierogi with bacon and onion alongside a cocktail
Cocktail-paired pierogi at Baba & Pop’s.
Joni Schrantz

Postino 9CO

Following the launch of the first Colorado location in LoHi in 2015, Denverites embraced this Arizona-based wine bar concept so heartily that there are now three more — one in Baker, one in Highlands Ranch, and this one in Hale. The chain’s famous happy hour is no small part of the allure: From open to 5 p.m. daily, all glasses of wine and pitchers of beer go for $6 (roughly 50 percent off). And on Mondays and Tuesdays after 8 p.m., couples benefit from the Board + Bottle deal — $25 for a quartet of bruschetta with wine.

bruschetta and red wine from Postino Wine Cafe.
The Board & Bottle promotion at Postino runs every Monday and Tuesday after 8 p.m.
Postino WineCafé

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Vesper Lounge

Cheers to the friendliest of neighborhood hangs in Cap Hill, where happy hour runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, and all day Monday. That’s plenty of time to slurp down $4–$6 cocktails, extra-generous $7–$8 wine pours, and already cheap beers for $1–$1.50 off while filling up on everything from dips and pita to shrimp and pork-belly lettuce wraps to a variety of sliders — all of which go for $4 or less.