When our work day comes to an end, we can’t wait to leave the office and all the deadlines behind. Think of us as the Fred Flinstones of the newspaper world. But sometimes we don’t feel like going home right away. Sure, we could go to the gym or for a run, do the family grocery shopping for the week or run any other errands on the agenda, but where’s the fun in that? We want to unwind, not exercise or battle traffic.
And we can’t think of a better way to let the stress float away than with a cold beer (or two) and some buffalo sauce-drenched wings.
We’re talking about happy hour here people, and last week we set out to find some of the best spots in the downtown area. Yes, we know that happy hour deals can be found at great restaurants and bars all over the city, but let’s be honest – if we listed every establishment here there wouldn’t be much room for anything else. We had to make yet another tough decision and just focus on one area of town. So we parked the car on a downtown side street and set off in search of some frosty brews and tasty grub – and here’s what we found.
Tandy’s Top Shelf
It might be called happy hour, but there’s many hours where Tandy’s will make you happy. Every day of the week, the Eagle Square establishment offers happy hour drink specials from 2 to 10 p.m. And Sunday through Tuesday, those hours extend to 11 p.m. when Tandy’s closes for the day.
Whether you grab your favorite martini, a rum and Coke or some fruity concoction, it will be half the price it is either before 2 or after 10 – unless you go Sunday through Tuesday, when the deal extends past closing time.
The same can be said for the 12 draft beers flowing from the taps or the long list of bottled brews and wines.
The food does not come with a discounted price, but the prices are reasonable and you can find all your favorite pub grub, like wings, nachos and quesadillas, all priced between $5 and $8. There’s other food too, but you’ll just have to check out the menu for that.
Penuche’s
In the truest sense of the phrase, the Nooch actually offers just a single hour of specials. It just happens to be twice a day.
From 5 to 6 p.m. and 9 to 10 p.m., draft beers are a whopping $2 and that’s a 50 percent discount from what they usually are. And with 13 beers on tap, you’re sure to find one – or many – that you like. Who knows, maybe you’ll even try to run the gauntlet. And on Tuesdays starting at 9 p.m., all New Hampshire beers are just $2.50.
The Draft
From 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, all draft beers are a flat rate of $3.50 at The Draft. That’s a savings of anywhere from 25 cents to almost $3, which if our math serves us correct means you might be able to get three for the regular price of two.
Margaritas
From 4 to 6 p.m., Margaritas hosts its version of happy hour, Margaritas After Work, in the bar and lounge. There’s $5 original margaritas, $4 20-ounce Dos Equis and $2.50 Bud Light drafts, also in 20-ounce form.
There’s five appetizers for just $5 and include guacamole, a Jack Crisp, the Tomato Garlic Nachos, Queso Fundido and Hector’s Quesadilla.
Cheers
Cheers doesn’t have happy hour in the traditional sense, but it has different specials that go all day long during the week. There’s Margarita Mondays, where house margaritas are just $5, and is followed by Bacardi Tuesdays with $4 single – shot drinks – made with Bacardi, of course.
There’s Wicked Wednesdays where you can grab a $2 Bud or Bud Light draft and other drink specials, along with a food special for less than $8. And then there’s Thirsty Thursday, where draft beers are $1.50 off. And don’t forget about the small bites menu in the bar area from 3 to 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close.
Barley House
There is no happy hour at The Barley House, but they typically have a different burger special each week along with a combo that includes a burger, whiskey and a beer. And if you’ve ever been in there, you know the draft beer selection is top notch and rotates all the time.
