More Great Happy Hours in San Diego

It's hard to keep up with all the restaurant openings and closings, and even more difficult to keep track of all the happy hour specials. I've taken a second look at some of my favorites, and added a few new restaurants, which may become favorites. I'm not much of a drinker, so I dont' focus on the drinking end of happy hour. I'm more interested in the food. We will often go to happy hour for dinner. This is easy to do, and here are just a few of the hundreds of choices you have San Diego. I've included a few that are located in San Diego, just for variety.

1. Coyote Bar and Grill on Carlsbad Village Drive in Carlsbad is a noisy, hopping place. Happy Hour is from 4-6pm everyday. Draft and bottled beer is only $3, and most appetizers are $3 off.

2. P.F. Changs is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants, and you can go there for happy hour and get a complete meal. Order your food between 3-6pm and you can take advantage of reduced prices. $3 imported draft, $3 spring roll, $4.75 steamed dumplings, and $6 chicken lettuce wraps are just a few of your many choices.

3. Flemings has always been a favorite of mine. Between 5-7, when happy hour is in full swing, get a prime cheese burger with bacon for just $6.

4. Islands is another chain with a great burger and fries. During the 4-7pm happy hour, you can $1 off beer and wine, and 1/2 price appetizers, in addition to free chips and salsa.

5. Su Casa has always been one my favorite Mexican restaurants. Between 4-7pm you can get a light draft beer for $3.25, a beef, chicken or pork taco for $2.25, nachos for $4.25, or a cheese quesedilla for $3.65.

6. Mr. A's. When you're in the mood for something a little fancier than a burger joint, try Mr. A's happy hour from 2:30-6pm. $3 for a light beer, $6 for a glass of wine, and $7 for appetizers, including fried calamari, swordfish sliders and truffled fries. Of course the beautiful view is included.

So many choices, so little time. One final place that I want to mention but don't have facts and figures on is Ocean Beach Noodle House. It has a great reputation, but their website does not show the menu or happy hour options. It's near Hodad's in OB, so if you're ever in the area, give it a try. They call it Asian fusion, but it is actually Vietnamese and Chinese. Yum.

More Happy Hour News

I've been neglecting happy hour now for quite a while, but I recently went to a couple of places I thought I would pass on to you. Everyone seems to have a happy hour, or some form of reduced prices at off hours, so here are a few places you might like to check out.

Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks has a happy hour from 3-5pm everyday. At that time you can get a Frappuccino for 1/2 price. As if Starbucks wasn't busy enough without happy hour, now they're really humming during these off hours. I was recently at a newly remodeled Starbucks in Westwood (right near UCLA campus) at 4pm, and waited in line for 15 minutes. I couldn't believe it.

Pacific Coast Grill on Coast Highway in Solana Beach has had a happy hour for years, even before they became the rage. It takes place everyday between 4-7pm, and you must eat in the bar area or the outside patio. They have about 10 wonderful items, really small meals, for about $6.95. A burger and fries is one of my favorites.

In La Jolla, an old favorite restaurant of mine is The Spot, right on Prospect Ave, in the heart of the village. (it's just across from La Valencia Hotel). From 3-6pm they offer 1/2 off appetizers, $4 well drinks and drafts. The food is good and plentiful here.

In Encinitas, I love D Stree Bar. Monday must be their slow day, because they offer 1/2 off entrees on Monday only. Other days they offer $2 off appetizers. Check the website to see exactly what they offer. Oh, and on Tuesdays, they have "taco Tuesdays."

If you feel like a fancy dinner out but don't want to spend a fortune, try the happy hour at Mr. A's. From 2:30-6:00pm you can order from an extensive list of $7 happy hour items. Kobe beef sliders, truffle fries, swordfish steak sliders, and frito misto basket are among the offerings. Get 2 appetizers, a glass of wine, and for around $20 you have a wonderful (although rather early) fancy dinner.

Finally, I recently enjoyed a wonderful happy hour with a group of friends at Firefly in Encinitas. They have a varied array of items, all half off, including a huge wedge salad with bacon and blue cheese dressing, swordfish sliders with seaweed salad, flatbread with various toppings, mussels and clams in broth, and mushrooms stuffed with fennel and sausage. $5 martinis and wines for around $4. The food was delicious. Again, check the website to everything they have.

So these are a few of my latest finds. There's lots more out there, and I will be checking out as many local places as I can. Try some of these if they find interesting, and stay tuned for more.

Happy Hour at Flelming's

One of my favorite restaurants for a big splurge is Fleming's. Of all the great steakhouses we have here in San Diego, Fleming's is the one I keep coming back to. I've been to Ruth's Chris, The Palm and Donovan's, but Flelming's stands out. (I know I'm going to get some disagreement on this). The bill for two can be pretty steep. It's not hard to spend $125-150 for two, including tax and tip.

Well, check out 5 for $6 'til 7. This is the Fleming's happy hour promotion. Here's what you get, up until 7 pm. A choice of 5 cocktails, including a white cosmo, an appletini, and a margarita. Or try one of 5 wines, including a pinot grigio and a chardonnay. Make a meal of two appetizers, which include tenderloin carpaccio, sweet chili calamari, cajun barbequed shrimp, seared ahi tuna and jumbo lump crab cakes. All of these items are $6 each, in the bar area only. Sounds like a great deal to me.

The other deal to try is their Sunday three course prime rib dinner for $29.95. We went to the Woodland Hills location not long ago, and loved the dinner. It was quite a bargain. For the first course, you get a choice of the wedge salad or a caesar salad. This is followed by a 12 ounce prime rib and one side dish. Finally, a choice of several decadant dessert choices. This is a limited time offer, so check it out before it's gone.

So here's two great choices of moderate priced dining at Fleming's. No steak dinner, but great food and ambience at a price we can all afford.

Great Del Mar Happy Hours

As I've said before, I could write about happy hour every day and never run out of material. For you Del Martians, or those who live in the the Del Mar area, here are two restaurants to consider for an early, light, and cheap dinner.

Paradise Grill, which I have tried several times for lunch and dinner and been very pleased, also has a great happy hour. Tuesday-Sunday, from 2:30-6;30 and Monday from 5pm until closing, you can eat and drink in the bar area on stools and lounges for a fraction of the cost of the dinner from the regular menu. Margarittas and Martinis are $5, beer is $2 off, and wine is $1 off. The menu sounds great. Everything is $4, and here's what they offer: shrimp taco, Barbequed pork slider, two jerk chicken skewers with jicama slaw and mango salsa, cheddar burger slider, mini margaritta or pepperoini pizza, mini bacon blue salad, and parmesean chive fries. It's a delicious sounding menu, and so reasonable.

The Brigantine, with several locations, has lots of specials. Taco Tuesdays, where fish taco are $2 each in the bar area is a great deal. I think they have one of the best fish tacos around, so check them out on Tuesday night. Wine Wednesday is great if you're eating in the main dining room, as they offer selected bottles of wine at 1/2 off. First Catch is their three course meal special starting at $19.

These are two of many great places to try in Del Mar. I hope you get a chance to try them, and as always, if you discover something that you think others want to hear about, please let me know and I will review them.