Philadelphia, PA - Philly is a renowned restaurant town, where some of the city’s most desirable dining destinations go out of their way to host happy hours that emphasize quality, value, and selection. Here is a dozen of Philadelphia’s absolute best happy hour deals for food lovers, encompassing a multitude of neighborhoods, cuisines and daily schedules:
Center City Philadelphia Happy Hour
Alma de Cuba – One of Rittenhouse’s longest-running and best-loved restaurants, Alma does big happy hour business, thanks to the generosity of both the timing (weekdays, 4-7 p.m.) and the high-quality food and drink selections. Going for just $6 a pop, bebidas include mojitos (the classic and a daily special), sparkling wine and red sangria. Bites, ranging from $2 to $6, include ceviches, smoked marlin tacos, beef picadillo empanadas and old-school flan for dessert. 1623 Walnut Street, (215) 988-1799, almadecubarestaurant.com
Bar-Ly – Chinatown’s premier beer lover’s hangout doesn’t mess around when it comes to daily and late-night happy hours (every day, 3:30-6:30 p.m., and Sunday-Thursday,10 p.m.-midnight). That’s when draft beers, wines, cocktails, martinis and small carafes of sake go for $3.50; beer and wine flights are $5.75; and eats include meat-and-seafood skewers ($1.40 each), four-piece sushi sets ($3.25), mini lo mein or Pad Thai ($6.25) and house special calamari ($3.95). 101 N. 11th Street, (215) 922-2688, bar-ly.com
Capofitto Forno – Old City’s charming Italian lunch-and-dinner destination, from the owners of the beloved local gelateria Capogiro, throw a full-on pizzata (pizza party) every weekday (5-7 p.m.). That’s when their wood-fired, Neapolitan-style marinara and Margherita pies cost just $10 (down from $12 and $14), and the bar serves up select $5 beers, wines and cocktails to enjoy before moving into full-on gelato mode. 233 Chestnut Street, (215) 897-9999, capofittoforno.com
Oyster House – The reason the Mink family’s venerated Center City seafoodery fills up fast in the late afternoon: buck-a-shuck happy hour, when a rotating menu of shellfish runs a dollar a piece (5-7 p.m.), and both booze-and-bivalve oyster shooters and draft beer go for $3, with house punch ringing in at just $4. The same deal takes place Saturday nights, 9-11 p.m. 1516 Sansom Street, (215) 567-7683, oysterhousephilly.com
Sampan – Seven days a week from 4-7 p.m., hungry and thirsty patrons descend in droves upon this glam 13th Street spot for chef/owner Michael Schulson’s extensive list of discounted drinks and bites. House wines, a specialty cocktail, and a featured beer are just $4 each, while other mixed drinks are knocked down to $9. Edible offerings, which range from $3 to $5, can include Schulson’s signature truffle edamame dumplings, pork bao buns, Vietnamese chicken satay, kimchi fried rice or kung pao chicken wings. 124 S. 13th Street, (215) 732-3501, sampanphilly.com
SOUTH Kitchen & Jazz Parlor – This hopping bar, restaurant and live jazz venue on North Broad Street offers a hefty selection of beer, wine and cocktails discounted to between $4 and $7, Monday to Friday, 4-7 p.m. True to its directional name, South’s kitchen cooks up soul-satisfying happy hour specialties that hail from the South—chicken-fried oysters, rock shrimp po’ boys, crawdad fritters and Nashville hot chicken sliders—for $4 per order. 600 N. Broad Street, (215) 600-0220, southjazzkitchen.com
South Philadelphia Happy Hour
Bistrot La Minette – Celebrated for its French fare and romantic atmosphere, La Minette is a place for casual fun during weekday happy hours (5:30-7 p.m.), when select beers cost $2, house red and white wine goes for $3, and classic Kir cocktails and glasses of rosé sell for $4 and $6, respectively. Better yet, a la carte appetizers—beef tartare, foie gras terrine, escargots—are half price. 623 South 6th Street, (215) 925-8000, bistrotlaminette.com
Ela – Chef/owner Jason Cichonski’s Queen Village brunch and dinner spot have made a name for itself as a great happy hour hang. From Sunday through Friday (5-7 p.m.) and on industry-friendly Thursday nights (10 p.m.-midnight), draft beers and select bottles cost $3, wines are $5, and cocktails range from $4 to $6. From Tuesday to Thursday, Cichonski, also the owner of Little Noodle Pasta Co., serves $5 pasta bowls. Options could include baked potato mac ‘n’ cheese and buckwheat noodle yakisoba with smoked soy sauce. 627 S. 3rd Street, (267) 687-8512, elaphilly.com
Frida Cantina – A deep South Philly go-to for comida authentic and beautiful native art, Raúl Castro’s Frida also offers some mean happy hour deals. On weekdays (5-7 p.m.), the bar serves $4 Mexican drafts, $5.50 margaritas and $5 house citywide (a can of Tecate and a shot of house tequila) alongside $5 snacks such as three-per-order tacos (al pastor, carnitas, suadero or chicken tinga). 1000 Wolf Street, (215) 462-1030, facebook.com/fridacantinainsouthphilly
Second District Brewing Co. – Point Breeze’s food-forward brewpub puts on a weekday happy hour (5-7 p.m.) that’s the ideal foray into chef Doreen DeMarco’s selection of quirky snacks and comfort fare. In addition to knocking $2 off all pints, the kitchen offers a rundown of $2 bar snacks, which includes popcorn, pimento cheese dip, deviled eggs and crispy pork rinds (both traditional and vegan). 1939 S. Bancroft Street, (215) 575-5900, seconddistrictbrewing.com
River Wards Philadelphia Happy Hour
The International Bar – From the owners of Standard Tap and Johnny Brenda’s, this hip, friendly beneath-the-El neighborhood tavern takes a global approach in the kitchen. Rotating beer specials and a $5 cocktail of the day (one day, a classic; the next, a daiquiri made with shishito pepper-infused rum) join a $5 snack board—charcuterie, cheese, and veggies— uniquely designed to coincide with that night’s drink, Tuesday to Friday 4-6 p.m. The International will be open on Mondays starting September 10, 2018, and happy hour specials will be available that night too. 1624 N. Front Street, facebook.com/theinternationalbarphilly
Jerry’s Bar – Northern Liberties residents know Jerry’s, only a few blocks from the busy 2nd Street strip, is the place to go for a relaxed evening out. And the friendly establishment’s happy hour, which runs Monday to Friday, 5-7 p.m. and Sundays, 8-10 p.m., is the ideal way to kick off such nights, with discounted draft beers, $5 house wines and sangria, $5 Old Fashioneds and a $6 cocktail, along with $2 fresh-shucked oysters and $7 mussels, plus discounted apps, sandwiches and more. 129 W. Laurel Street, (267) 273-1632, jerrysbarphilly.com
