Off the Clock
Your time-off itinerary for things to do in Long Beach and beyond.
Good morning, pioneers of the post-pandemic world. Today, we’re going to talk about happy hour—or more specifically, how we can maintain the time-honored tradition in this economy, which may as well be driving some of us to drink (if only we could afford it).
It’s true that the $15-$20 cocktail became a fixture on menus across Los Angeles County many years before the pandemic, but lately, it seems that inflation has finally infected our local watering holes and their happy hour menus, or disintegrated some of them altogether.
For example, Lola’s Mexican Cuisine recently upped all of the prices on its happy hour menu by a buck or two. In the past, Mezcalero offered $3 beers; now they’re $5.
The other inflationary factor arrived with the pedestalization of The Craft Beverage—whether that’s a craft cocktail, craft beer or even a craft mocktail, which can end up costing almost as much as its boozy counterpart (sometimes this makes sense, especially when a zero proof spirit is used, but in most cases, it doesn’t).
Don’t get me wrong, I love a fancy muddled-herb-pinky-up-magic concoction just as much as I appreciate the wizardry of the mixologists who make them—I’m just recognizing that it can be difficult to budget.
That’s why I’ve created this little starter list of Long Beach places—from divey to high brow—where you can still find anomalies like the mythological $3 beer, the $5 well cocktail or even more rare, a craft cocktail under $10.
And finally, let me reiterate that this is a starter list. Look out for another list of happy hour deals in a later newsletter.
Cheers and remember to call an Uber or a saintly friend if you enjoyed this list a little too much.
Lola’s Mexican Cuisine – Retro Row
When: Monday through Friday, 3 to 6 p.m.
What: Despite experiencing a recent rise in prices, Lola’s Mexican Cuisine still has a decent happy hour menu and we’re giving them bonus points for offering deals on Fridays.
Lola’s easily offers some of the best deals on Retro Row—$12 appetizers, $6 Modelos, $8 house margaritas, $8 Mexican mules and $10 for specialty margs like the spicy watermelon margarita. Plus, you can get a boilermaker (that’s a shot and a beer) for 10 bucks.
Till 2 Club – Wrigley
When: Monday through Thursday, 3 to 7 p.m.
What: Diving right into one of Long Beach’s diviest, we’ll visit the Till 2 Club in the Wrigley neighborhood, where they do in fact serve the mythological $3 cans of beer and well drinks for $4.50, but be warned—they pour ‘em strong.
Mezcalero – East Village/Downtown
When: 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 3 to 6 p.m. on weekends.
What: This upstairs mezcal-focused bar has DJs on most nights and a pretty strong Taco Tuesday with $3 street tacos. During regular happy hours, they offer $8 margaritas (which are absolutely mouth watering), $5 beers, $10 nachos and more treats. Plus, the patio provides a rare Downtown rooftop experience.
Bamboo Club – Zaferia District
When: Monday through Friday, 3 to 6 p.m.
What: Okay, so Bamboo Club’s happy hour specials aren’t jaw-dropping, but let’s just say, if I’m going to light money on fire for a drink, it’s probably going to be here. I’ve tried most of their drinks and have seldom been disappointed. My personal favorites are the Navy Grog and the Jet Pilot.
During happy hour, they offer $2 off specialty drinks, $5 well drinks and $5 draft beer. Plus, $4 oyster shooters, $4 fries and more.
Belmont Brewing Company – Belmont Shore
When: Monday through Friday, 3 to 6 p.m.
What: Surprisingly for a city with “beach” in its name, this is one of the few restaurants and bars that is close to the water, so they get points for that. They offer $6 house beers, $7 house wine, $8 well drinks and $3 off bar food.
The Wrigley Tavern – Wrigley
When: 5 to 8 p.m. daily
What: This hip little joint in the Wrigley neighborhood hosts happy hour every single day. They also have a digestif menu, which holds my personal favorite, the amaro buena with reposado tequila, amaro casiglio, absinthe, pineapple and lime juice, topped with ginger beer—it’s not on the happy hour menu, but I do think it’s worth 12 bucks.
During their happy hours, they offer $2 off all beers (most of them cost $7) and $2 off well cocktails.
Do you have a favorite happy hour spot in Long Beach? Tell me your secrets. Email or DM me on Twitter @katjournaling.
Kat Schuster is the assistant editor for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her at [email protected].