Like sweltering summer temperatures, prices for everything are on the rise. Thank goodness for happy hour deals, which make dining and imbibing a little more affordable, which means more fun, too. Cheers to these eight current Fort Worth deals on drinks and eats during happy hour — possibly the happiest (and cheapest) time of day.
Blue Mesa Grill
Fill up on $2 tacos and wash them down with $5 large blue margaritas during happy hour at this favorite for Southwestern and New Mexican cuisine. The covered patio is kept cool with misters and fans or find an air-conditioned spot in the spacious bar area. The happy hour taco menu includes ground beef-chorizo, grilled chicken, red hot chicken, and pulled barbecue pork. Drink specials also include $5 mojitos and house wines. Visit Tuesday through Friday from 3-6:30 pm.
Trinity College Irish Pub & Beer Garden
The specials go on and on at this Ireland native-owned pub and grill near West 7th Street, where a tented patio provides respite from the sun’s rays and there is plenty of table seating inside. Happy hour here is Monday through Friday from 3-7 pm and features Shiner Bock and Manhattan Project Irish Red pints for $4.50 and Irish Mule craft cocktails for $6. Also on the drink menu are $5 house wines and Irish car bombs. Don’t miss the drunken mussels ($6 for a half-pound), which are steamed in creamy beer broth and served with toasted garlic crostini. Other stand-out happy hour dishes (all only $6) include the corned beef and cabbage rolls, Irish nachos, and spicy cheese curds. Even more, fish & chips are buy-one-get-one with the purchase of two drinks on Mondays, and whiskeys over $12 are half-off on Wednesdays.
The Bearded Lady
The funky South Main restaurant is worth an afternoon hang for well-crafted cocktails at budget-friendly prices. The Bearded Rita, shaken with fresh lemon and lime juice and topped with a splash of club soda, is only $5. So is the popular Southside Mule and the Orange Highball made with whiskey and ginger beer. Local craft beer fans will appreciate the lengthy list of cans on special for $3.50. Also local are the ingredients in the Best Maid Martin House beer-infused dill queso with house-made kettle chips and the Best Maid Salty Lady fried pickles with homemade ranch, both on the happy hour bites menu for $6 each. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3-6 pm.
Buffalo Bros.
The frugal feast well at this TCU hangout that’s popular for pizza, wings, and beer. There’s also a sprawling location in Sundance Square, and both always broadcast every major live sporting event on multiple TVs. Domestic draft beers here are super cheap during happy hour — only $2.50 for Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite on weekdays from 3-6 pm. Even more, well liquors are only $3. Stay nourished with 75-cent boneless wings in any flavor (try the Cajun or garlic parmesan) and half-price pizza by the slice.
Grace
The sophisticated downtown fine dining establishment is where folks go to get fancy, but that doesn’t mean the bill has to be through the roof. Visit Grace’s chic bar area and patio during “bubble hour,” when all wines that sparkle and fizz are sold for half-price — both by the bottle and the glass. This means Italian prosecco can be as low as $3.50 a flute, and bottles are as inexpensive as $13.50. Bubble hour is from 4-6 pm every day of the week. Don’t miss chef Blaine Staniford’s chorizo-stuffed dates ($12) or the house-ground tenderloin burger with fries for only $16.
Cru Food & Wine Bar
Relax and “un-wine” at this modern but approachable Clearfork wine bar, where happy hour is Monday through Friday from 3-6:30 pm. Get $3 off all wines by the glass or wine flights, and pair them with fancy happy hour dishes like ahi tuna tartare, margherita pizza, and steamed Prince Edward mussels, all only $8 each. Don’t miss Pizza Mondays when customers can get a free pizza with the purchase of any wine bottle, or Champagne Social on Thursdays when every bottle of champagne is half-off after 4 pm.
Branch & Bird
Take happy hour to new heights at this sky-high downtown bar and restaurant. Branch & Bird is located on the 12th floor of the Frost Tower, where skyline views are paired with good deals on cocktails and bites. Grab a table on the breezy terrace for High-Rise Happy Hour, held Tuesday-Friday from 4-6 pm. Margaritas and the day’s featured cocktail are only $5, domestic beers are $3, and all cocktails with house liquors are $6. Or get a glass of happy hour wine for $5. Happy hour bites range from savory spiced peanuts for $3 to Buffalo chicken flatbread for $10. On Wednesdays there’s live music from 5-8 pm, along with half-priced bottles of wine.
The Post at River East
Every day features a different, budget-friendly drink special at this Race Street bar, restaurant, and live music venue. Here’s the lineup: Lone Star beers are $2 on Tuesdays; house wines and house-made sangrias are $5 on Wednesdays; classic cocktails (think gin Fitzgerald, French 75, and old fashioned) are $5 on Thursdays; craft beer cans are $5 on Fridays; and brunch cocktails including mimosas, bloody Marys, and micheladas are only $3 on Saturdays and Sundays. Enjoy live music in the open-air courtyard with patio seating under umbrellas, or sit inside the Trinity Room where live shows are held. All drink specials run all day long.
Fish & chips are buy-one-get-one with the purchase of two drinks on Mondays at Trinity College Irish Pub.
