Happy Hour on a Dime

Downtown Drinking on a Dime

Our mission: To seek out downtown happy hour destinations where we can fill our bellies for $10 or less. The good news is that there are a ton of hot, hip fantastic options. That’s right, a table for two can enjoy cocktails and hearty appetizers and drop a $20.00 plus tip. So come along the LAD happy hour trail and drink up!

Places we went:

• 23 Hoyt
• Basta’s
• Carafe
• Clyde Common
• Masu
• Red Star
• Rock Bottom
• Silk
• Southpark
• Ten 01

23 Hoyt:

Here’s the great thing about 23 Hoyt’s happy hour menu: it runs until 7:00. Although I really like a good happy hour, I rarely make it out of the office in time to get somewhere by 6:00 p.m., so a later happy hour always makes me, well, happy. When I first went to 23 Hoyt’s happy hour I was seriously questioning whether it would pass the $10 happy hour challenge. I was expecting small portions and large prices, mostly given the location, atmosphere and clientele. I was pleasantly surprised on all fronts.

Here’s what you get for $10:

*Cocktail of the day - $5
This changes daily and is one featured drink selection from the cocktail menu offered at A discounted price. On the day I went it was a lemon drop — delicious and refreshing for those warm summer days.

*23 Hoyt Burger - $5
On this one I have to be completely honest-this is without a doubt my friends’ favorite burger in the whole city. House-made bun, pickles and ketchup with a generous side of perfectly crispy fries.

Total - $10
Although I completely used my $10 allotment on this one it was definitely worth it. Great drinks, fantastic food and inspired decor — a can’t beat happy hour. — Stephanie

Basta’s:

Bastas is by far one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants, so you can imagine my delight when I saw its new happy hour menu on the Portland Food and Drink blog. This classic Italian eatery is situated in NW Portland on 21st St. between Glisan and Flanders. Bastas has always been my restaurant of choice for a meal out with friends and given that it’s so close to my house, one might find it shocking that I had never been to the bar. This was a situation that needed to be addressed immediately, so I gathered up some equally excited friends and we headed straight there to check it out.

Here’s what you get for $10:

* Beer - $3
Assorted beers, both domestic and imported are available on tap.

* Chicken skewers - $3
This plate was served with two grilled chicken skewers wrapped in pancetta and a side of yam fries. For a happy hour plate this was surprisingly large and a great bargain, with a beer this could definitely be a stand alone meal. The yam fries added an interesting dimension that I really liked — it should be noted that my dinning companion thought they were overwhelmingly sweet and guessed that perhaps the potatoes had been dipped in sugar before being fried.

Total - $6

Overall the food was great but the service was spotty, with one waiter covering the majority of the bar area.– Stephanie

Carafe:

I’d heard about Carafe’s happy hour steals, but it wasn’t until last week that I got to experience all it had to offer. It’s easy to indulge at Carafe on a $10 dollar budget, as their happy hour menu items (escargots, mussels, burger, gnocchi…) are priced $ 3.95 and less. For only $8.95, I left in an unintentional food coma with a dollar to spare for my meter.

Here’s what you get for $10:

* French Martini – $4

This delicate, delicious pink martini made of pineapple, vodka, and Chambord, tasted more like dessert than a pre-happy hour refresher. However, my friend had the $4 Gin cocktail, which was perfect quencher after a long day’s work

* Carafe’s Burger – $3.95 w/ white cheddar + $1

This hearty burger was so juicy and plump it was hard to bite into, but trust me, the mess was worth it! Make sure to get it with white cheddar. Mmm. Delicious.

Total - $8.95 — Katie

Clyde Common:

Clyde Common packs a punch for its happy hour menu. It’s a daily happy hour that runs from 3:00 to 6;00 PM Monday through Friday.

Here’s what you get for $10:

We tried the posh tea sandwich which happened to be white bread slathered with chicken liver paté and a little good butter. It changes daily. ($ 4.00).

Plus a specialty cocktail for $ 5.00 or a glass of the house wine (Austrian Gruener in this case - for $ 6.00). — Lisa D.

Masu:

Masu is one of my favorite Portland sushi spots, so when I learned about their happy hour, I was curious to put this otherwise expensive restaurant through the $10 happy hour test. A convenient stop on my way home after work, I headed into Masu’s happy hour starving and craving fresh sushi. To my surprise, the happy hour food selection included many of the main menu items (curry entrée, daily hand rolls, udon noodles, agedashi tofu)

Here’s what you get for $10:

* Sapporo beer - $3

* Edamame - $2

* Squeel Tempura Roll - $5

with unagi, avocado, masago, kani kama, eel and fantasy sauces.

Total - $10 — Katie

Red Star

Red Star is a restaurant I’ve walked by many times and have been meaning to stop in and try their menu. Happy Hour! Perfect time to get a sample of what they offer. A friend and I stopped in after work and hit the tail end – happy hour ends at 6:00 p.m. There are some definite perks to this happy hour. They offer outdoor seating and a beer pairing happy hour menu to those interested.

Here’s what you get for $10:

* Red Star Cocktail - $5.00

* Bacon Wrapped Chicken Oyster Skewers - $4.00

Total - $9.00

or the beer pairing route…

* Mac N Jacks African Amber Ale $4.00

*Beer Battered Onion Rings $4.00

Total - $8.00

We enjoyed our food at Red Star but considered this happy hour to be light. We would recommend sharing dishes. All happy hour dishes are $4. — Jackie and Lota

Rock Bottom:

Rock Bottom’s happy hour seems to be very popular. Upon arriving, the downstairs bar was incredibly packed so we headed upstairs to the second bar. This was a perfect place to meet for a date after work, as the atmosphere (upstairs) is relaxed, fun and much quieter. Rock Bottom offers a lot of food for your money. I decided to go the Mexican food route, but they do offer a variety of other great happy hour items (Pulled BBQ Pork Sliders, Jambalaya and Ball Park Pretzels). I left Rock Bottom feeling very full and very pleased with what I got for my money.

Here’s what you get for $10:

* Smoked Chicken Enchiladas - $3.99
This is a large plate with two smaller enchiladas wrapped in blue corn tortillas and a large portion of Red Ale rice and black beans.

* Brewery Nachos - $3.99
I would consider this happy hour size nacho the same size as what many other restaurants offer on their appetizer menu. This plate consists of blue and white tortilla chips, melted cheese, fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and refried beans.

* Chips & Salsa $1.99
Very good salsa and perfect for two people.

Total - $9.97 — Jackie

Ten 01:

The LAD team took a field trip after work to Ten 01 and WOW did we find one of our favorite happy hour spots! Not only is their food great, but they serve large portions for small happy hour prices. We actually had to roll ourselves out of here with full bellies.

Here’s what you get for $10:

* Hub Organic Lager - $3

Great beer and made in Portland

* Green Curry Steamers - $4

Willapa bay clams, mussels, cilantro, Thai basil and curry

* Housemade Bacon-Shallot Tator Tots - $3

Not your typical tator tot. 6 tots served with classic Heinz ketchup.

Total - $10 — Jackie on behalf of the LADies

Southpark:

This happy hour is brand-spanking new, and in my mind, long anticipated. Southpark’s always seemed like a great place to sit outside with a glass of wine and a nibble after a long day at work - now it can be done for $10! This is by far one of the best happy hour stops for summer. Southpark has a European cafe feel, with outdoor diners kicking back amid a backdrop of trees from the North Park Blocks… and they’re dog friendly.

Happy hour choices are limited but well conceived.

There are 2 drink specials ($4): glass of bubbly and sangria.

And two 2 specials ($6): A half dozen oysters on the half shell with granita, and a cheese and fruit plate.

Amazing how that works out! The pairings are perfect. While my guest enjoyed her refreshing sangria with the cheese plate, I slurped oysters and sipped sparkling. Both bills came to $10 exactly and felt like a luxurious value. — Lota

Silk:

I heard about this one through the grapevine, and indeed it is one of the Pearl’s best kept happy hour secrets. This is the feng shui of happy hours - all the elements work together to leave a guest satisfied. Modern decor with casual, friendly service. Good size portions of high quality Vietnamese food, with prices between $7-$3. And beautiful presentation.

To get a full meal under $10, I recommend sticking with beer. Cocktails are $6, leaving you with only one food option - salad rolls. However, for a light snack I’m sure that combo would be awesome, and with an exotic cocktail list (try the Tuk Tuk martini with chili infused vodka and passion fruit purée) you might easily be steered that direction.

Since I was famished, I went for a tall glass of ice cold Kirin ($4 a pint) and paired it with the Lemongrass Chicken ($6), which came with grilled honey lemongrass chicken nestled atop a bowl of vermicelli noodles and sprinkled with peanuts. Yum… This is a full meal!

Other delicious food options include Pho ($6), Hoisin Ribs ($7) and Vietnamese Toastettes ($5) with grilled pork and peanuts, — Lota