Somebody had to do it.
The Easy Reader this week turned its investigative team loose on the one of the most incomprehensible, sprawling, engrossing issues facing the South Bay – the current state of the local happy hour. Reporters by nature are reluctant drinkers and delicate eaters, but reluctantly we did drink, and indelicately we did eat.
We learned a few things. Happy hours are banned in several states, including Massachusetts and Utah, and heavily regulated in numerous other states that control promotion, hours, and the nature of the happiness offered (Alabama, for example, has outlawed 2-for-1 drinks). Happy hour’s origins are a bit murky, but it is believed to either have arisen from the U.S. Navy’s scheduled times for entertainment aboard its ships or else the pre-dinner drinks at illegal speakeasys across America during the Prohibition Era.
One of our reporters (who shall go unnamed, but his initials are BW and he has an inclination for the arts) also discovered a phenomena he dubbed “Sad Hour” – possibly the 9 p.m. hangover that accompanies the 6 p.m. happy hour, or maybe just a genetic predisposition for sadness when the drinks are all drunk.
Most crucially, we learned that happy hour in the South Bay is alive and vibrantly well. What follows is a survey, by no means comprehensive, but certainly exhaustive.
Patrick Molloy’s
I believe in fried pickles. This wasn’t always the case – not long ago, I didn’t really know such a pickle existed. But on a recent Monday afternoon, in the midst of the Easy Reader’s by now epic Happy Hour investigation – tough work, but somebody had to do it – I found myself at Patrick Molloy’s contemplating the best damned pickle I’d ever sunk my teeth into. Malloy’s happy hour, of course, is a Pier Avenue staple in Hermosa Beach. All drinks are 1/2 off, and a very wide array of food is on special: $4 for onion rings, a double batch of fries, grilled cheese, and quesadillas; $5 for orders of teriyaki chicken skewers, chicken strips, tacos, sliders, Irish nachos and (yes!) Guinness battered fried pickles; $6 and you enter meal territory, with burgers, margherita pizza, spinach dip, and Louisiana chicken bites; $7 for signature burgers, wings, and calamari. But let’s get back to that pickle. In America, when in doubt, we deep fry, and while this comes with some side effects – a national obesity epidemic, for starters – on a Monday afternoon in June, sitting on a patio a block from the beach….well, it makes for a happy hour. – MM
Happy Hour: all day Mondays, 3 to 8 p.m. the rest of the week. 50 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, (310) 798-9762. patrickmolloys.com.
Charlie’s
Let us now praise Charlie Byrd. Years ago, he brought his family’s Italian recipes to Redondo Beach and opened Cialuzzi’s, one of those hidden-gem-in-shopping-plaza kind of joints that become beloved by locals in the know. A few years back, he had the wisdom to bring in Steve Roberts – the man who founded Café Boogaloo and who presaged the foodie (and craft beer) trends locally by about 15 years, shopping at farmers markets and taking particular care of his patrons. Happy hour is good time to get a sample of what makes Charlie’s special: the $5 menu features a six inch bar pie (arguably the best New York-style pizza in the South Bay), spectacular fried ravioli, Caesar’s salad, a meatball/sausage sampler (smothered in Charlie’s for real marinara sauce and accompanied by his Nana’s bread), Buffalo style chicken wings, a very serious artisanal burger. “It’s a way to say, ‘This is what we do,’” Roberts says of the happy hour menu. “It’s also a give-back to our customers.” Happy drinks-wise, it’s $4 for house wines or a choice of 20 craft beers, $3 for bottled beer, PBR or Bud Light. All in all, Charlie’s is always an occasion for happiness. – MM
Happy Hour: Monday – Friday 3 to 6:30 p.m., 601 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach. 310-374-8581. CharliesItalian.com
Shellback Tavern
In keeping with the eternally laidback Shellback philosophy, the tavern above the pier in Manhattan Beach doesn’t get too worked up or fancy over happy hour. Sure, you can get a 24-ounce schooner of Bud for $4.50, pint-sized mixed drinks for $4.50 to $7, domestic bottles for $3.50 and imports for $5.50, and the famed Shellback Fanta Shot (which I did, in the name of journalistic excellence), which recently made one customer so ecstatic he ordered it for everyone in the house. The Fanta Shot, by the way, comes in curious shot-within-a-shot cup called a disposabomb, a happy hour innovation if ever there was one. “We were the first on the West Coast to carry these,” says bartender Rob Seets. Two other features make the Shellback a happy hour essential: the sweetest waitress of them all, Natalina (a budding actress soon to be seen on “Sons of Anarchy”), and, oh yeah, the nearby Pacific Ocean. – MM
Happy Hour: Monday – Friday 3 to 7 p.m. 116 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach,(310) 376-7857. Shellbacktavern.com.
Fishbar
Fishbar does a lot of things right. Hands down, they have the sharpest, friendliest, and loveliest (if you know Lehua, you know what I mean) bartenders and servers this side of Highland Avenue. Its Lobster Mac and Cheese, clam chowder, and fresh bread are sublime happy hour accompaniments. $5 Absolut cocktails and $5 oyster shooters are damned good deals, and $3 domestic beers and well drinks are a good shake. But above and beyond anything else, they do something downright beautiful: it’s called reverse happy hour, and it begins at 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. For El Porto residents, this has become a genuine neighborhood hang, a reliable source of happy at any hour. – MM
Happy Hour (s): Monday – Friday 2 to 6 p.m., Sunday – Thursday 9:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. 3801 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach. Fishbarmb.com.
Rockefeller
Rockefeller arguably represents the apex of the foodie happy hour. If you don’t believe me, ask Roxy Nicholson, server extraordinaire, who will guide you through the craft house’s brief but potent happy hour menu. Take her recommendation for the Truffle Mac ‘N Cheese ($5.99), for example, which features truffle oil, parmesan, jack and tallegio cheeses (“I believe in it,” Roxy says. “I really do.”), or the braised short rib “street style” tacos. The seasonally-oriented “flatbread du jour” might mimic a pizza in heavier times (i.e. winter) but in summer features such ingredients as gorgonzola and arugula and is at all times a beautiful meal unto itself (at a crisp $4.99). Then there is the artichoke fondue and the curries sweet potatoes bombs…and well, you get the idea. With select craft beers and fine wines for $5, it’s a palate-happy experience.
Happy Hour: Monday – Friday 5 to 7 p.m. 418 Pier Ave. Hermosa Beach. (310)372-8467, eatrockefeller.com.
Saint Rocke
If cheap food and drinks alone don’t fulfill your happy hour standards, Saint Rocke is your answer. The premier live music venue in the SouthBay brings free live performances to your happy hour Wednesday to Friday, the likes of Texan blues act Jonny and The Jones and electro-lounge DJ and trumpet player Ireesh Lal gracing the stage.
The dimly-lit, cavernous interior creates an intimacy between the performers and the onlookers. Another incentive is, get this, the $5-across-the-board happy hour deal, ranging from spicy tuna cucumber rolls and spinach dip, grilled vegetable crostini’s and build-your-own burgers to an assortment of craft beers. On Tuesday nights, tacos are $1. – EK
Happy Hour: 5 to 7:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. 142 N. Pacific Coast Hwy., Hermosa Beach. 310-372-0035. strocke.com.
Paul Martin’s
The first good sign when we entered Paul Martin’s crowded bar on an early Thursday evening was operating partner Mike Aloia stepping forward and offering to seat us on the patio after seeing us unsuccessfully looking for a table in the bar.
The next encouraging sign was the margarita. It’s hard to find a good margarita because there are so many bad mixes out there. Paul Martin’s fresh lime and house-made sweet and sour mix makes its Milagro Silver Margarita ($8) the equal of any we’ve had in the SouthBay. Their fresh mint Mojito was subtler, but equal in quality.
The happy hour menu is both familiar and imaginative. The healthy slab of house smoked salmon, accompanied by several slices of grilled crostini and eye-watering horseradish ($8) could have passed for an entre. The pork street taco (two for $4) deserved the recommendation it received from our waitress, and like the salmon, was sufficient for a meal. The two of us were happy for our stomachs’ sake that we stopped ordering with the house-made flatbread ($8), with prosciutto and argula covered in melted burrata cheese. Obviously from the description, this was not the watery burrata commonly served with salad, but the crisp combination was a tasty take on the popular cheese.
Four drinks, including a glass of Parducci Sustainable Red ($4) and the three large appetizers made for full meal at just $40. – KC
Happy Hour: 3 to 7 p.m. daily. 2361 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 180, El Segundo. (310)643-9300. paulmartinsamericangrill.com
La Playita
The small exterior of La Playita in Hermosa Beach is the spot for folks looking for a quiet happy hour. This is no meet market scene. A dozen tables, half on the outdoor patio and half inside, offer an intimate spot to unwind and watch the beach while enjoying a cocktail and arguably the best chips and guacamole this side of the Sea of Cortez. Owner Harold Cohen tends a garden around the restaurant and has coaxed beautiful roses that rival the colors of the sunset. Specials on margaritas, Long Island iced teas and a $6 steak nachos can make any worry seem a world away. – KC
Happy Hour: 3-6 p.m., Monday-Friday. 37-14th St., Hermosa Beach. (310) 376-2148.
Zane’s
There are no surprises on Zane’s happy hour menu. The surprise comes with the signature touch given each of the familiar sounding offerings. The CapreseTower ($5), true to its title was a towering assemblage of mozzarella and tomatoes. The grilled pesto shrimp ($8), touched off goats cheese, tasted as good as it looked and the four shrimp were large enough for an entre. The fried calamari ($6) arrived hot and was gone before it cooled. But the highlight was the healthy mound of Mini Sushi Grade Ahi Tartar ($9), served atop an equally healthy mound of avocado.
What amounted to a tasty, four course meal with two rounds of drinks was under $60. – KC
Happy hour: 5 to 7 p.m. daily. 1150 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach. (310) 374-7488. ZanesRestaurant.com
Bouzy
“Nothing beats fried sparrows brushed with honey,” I told Marmosette, a very small woman with large brown eyes. Twenty minutes earlier, as she’d walked out of Trader Joe’s in Riviera Village, I approached her and said: “Hey, baby, how ‘bout you and me having a drink?”
“Nice try, paperboy, but my husband’s waiting in the car.”
“So what? Well, enough of this small talk. Let’s get going.”
Now we’re in Bouzy, a gastropub that occupies the front room and patio at Chez Melange, and Marmosette is sipping one of the $4 house cocktails. There’s the Pommy Martini, the Bourbon Cooler, a few others, but she likes the tempestuous-sounding Bouzy Hurricane, made with Matsusalem rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, a dollop of Grenadine, and – the pedal on the medal, so to speak – Kraken Black Spiced Rum.
Meanwhile, I pumped a few quesadillas ($3 a hit) into my mouth.
Our server Dave was attentive and checked up on us regularly – in a good way, not in the sense of doing background checks or anything. The quesadillas (I could have gotten fries or potato tots) are tasty and surprisingly filling, the atmosphere is inviting, people seem comfortable here, and it’s not too noisy. Debra Young’s abstract paintings add splashes of color to the walls.
“It’s been an hour, Marmosette. I reckon you need to get back to your husband.”
“What husband?”
“Dave, bring her another Bouzy Hurricane.”
Twenty-seven house cocktails, at just $4 each, came to only $108. – BW
Happy Hour: 4 to 7 p.m. daily. 314 Ave. I, Redondo Beach. (310) 540-1222 or chezmelange.com.
Tapas y Vino
“Have you ever eaten a cobra?” said Aurevoir.
“What?”
“Cobra. It’s a snake.”
“I know that. I didn’t think you meant the car. What’s it taste like?”
“Hamster,” she replied with a dusky, deep-throated laugh.
“That’s funny,” I said. “In this country we say that everything tastes like chicken. Anyway, drink up, sweetheart; Kevin’s footing the bill.”
“Footing the bill? What does that mean?”
“I hand him a receipt and he kicks back a few Euros from his account in Geneva.”
“You Americans! I love it here in the SouthBay.”
Aurevoir and I are sitting outdoors, near the sidewalk, at Tapas y Vino. Our waitress, Stevie (“as in Stevie Nicks or Stevie Wonder,” she explains), brings out something called Patatas Bravo con Chorizo ($5). I place my head sideways on the tablecloth and Aurevoir tips the table on end so that the contents on the platter slide straight into my mouth.
“It’s a trick I learned when I worked as a clown for Ringling down in Orlando.”
Serene music is playing, none of that hippity-hop stuff, and there’s an open fireplace that’ll bring out the Aborigine in any visiting Australian.
The humus ($4) is light and airy, and goes well with a few gallons of wine (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet) or beer (Stella Artois). No one’s rushing us, and people at the surrounding tables aren’t overly loud. I can relax here, I tell my mysterious friend. Meanwhile, Aurevoir is telling me that in her country there are certain kinds of fruit that, when handled by sensuous young women like herself, will never ripen too soon.
Eighteen glasses of wine, at just $5 each, came to only $90. – BW
Happy Hour: 3 to 6 p.m., Mon-Fri. 1729 S. Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach. (310) 791-8200 or tapasyvino.com.
Redondo Beach Brewing Company
“This isn’t just another corner bar in a corner city,” I said to Librette, whose father was an opera composer named Giuseppe who’d named his first son Libretto.
We were climbing the stairs of the Redondo Beach Brewing Company to the second floor, where we grabbed a table next to the glass-fronted wall that provides a pleasant if garbled view of Catalina Avenue, a bit of Palos Verdes, and some tenements down near the Esplanade.
“Did you know that sopranos, on the day they’re singing, will eat oily foods in order to lubricate their vocal chords?”
“Sure, who doesn’t know that,” I lied, not wanting to be taken for a fool, at least not so early in the evening. Then I turned and ordered a plate of calamari from our server Wally.
There were seven kinds of beer on tap and I figured that a tall glass of Lagunitas Ipa (a medium blonde, like Librette herself) would be a healthy start since it bore a name like something you’d pull down from the medicine cabinet. On my receipt, however, it says India Lagunitas, which makes it sound like a travel destination. Well, a good alcoholic drink can certainly escort you (sans inhibitions) to another place, right? Heh-heh, you bet.
The appetizers, apart from the Marsala mushrooms (“I thought you said Marsupial mushrooms,” said Librette), tend to be fried. Our squid was fine, although it called out for some spices, with its point guards Marinara and Tartar on the sweet side.
Because of the enclosed space it can get noisy if the folks around you decide to get boisterous, or if a nearby couple gets into an argument that will lead to their divorce, but Librette and I were there midweek and it was peaceful. Wally was businesslike but personable, and spoke frankly about various items on the menu. I like that, I told Librette. What I don’t like is when you go into an eatery and ask ‘em what’s good and they say “Everything.”
I looked at my watch. “Sing an aria for me, Librette, and let’s get going.”
Twenty-nine beers, at just $4 each, came to only $116. – BW
Happy Hour: 4 to 6:30 p.m., Mon-Fri. 814 S. Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach. (310) 316-8477 or redondobeachbrewing.com.
Kincaid’s Restaurant
Happy hour at Kincaid’s Restaurant is a fusion of the finest things the SouthBay has to offer – ocean views, friendly people, gourmet food and some expertly-mixed drinks.
We arrived just before 6:30 p.m. on a Friday – in time for a pastel sunset – and as we sat on the patio and watched the PV Peninsula rising out of the sea, we listened to the waves crashing beneath us and felt the worries of the workweek dissipate.
We sipped $5 cranberry mojitos and pomegranate margaritas and munched on a smorgasbord of epicurean eats – macadamia-crusted baked brie with fig jam and sliced granny-smith apples; warm bread with salted butter; ahi tacos; salmon toro; teriyaki filet mignon with spicy pineapple – and hours later, when the full moon rose, our attentive waiter Chris moved us nearer to a heat lamp and we ordered another drink. After all, it was 9. It was happy hour all over again. – RR
Happy Hour: 3 to 6:30 p.m. and 9 to close daily. 500 Fisherman’s Wharf, Redondo Beach. (310) 318-6080. kincaids.com.
Hudson House
Hudson House is an unassuming place, a modest charcoal building on a busy Redondo Beach street, tucked between a liquor store and a Moose Lodge.
But enter the heavy wooden doors during any given happy hour, and you know you’ve stumbled into a Redondo Beach favorite. Hudson House is always packed.
People are curious about the reputed hole-in-the-wall, which earned national acclaim last year when owner Brooke Williamson won Top Chef. But the locals know the food is all it’s cracked up to be, and they turn out in droves for happy hour and $1 tacos and $2 Tecates on Tuesdays.
We ordered a Pale Ale brewed exclusively for Hudson House by El Segundo Brewing Company, a Pink Pearl (vodka, lillet, grapefruit juice, peach puree, soda), and The Pickle (vodka, pickled veggies, cabrales, and a bleu-cheese stuffed olive), plus the kale-and-grit fritters with pickle tartar sauce; the honey-soy edamame with peppers; and the curried chicken wings. All, I can say with confidence, were mouth-watering good.
I was with two of my college girlfriends, and we met a group of people in the adjacent booth, and we pulled our tables together, and we chatted and munched and sipped to the backdrop of a reggae playlist, and we were content. – RR
Happy Hour: 5 to 7p.m. weekdays. 514 N PCH, Redondo Beach. (31) 798-9183. hudsonhousebar.com.
Tony’s on the Pier
Recently voted one of the best six beach bars in the country – yes, really, in the country – Old Tony’s is a Redondo Beach icon if ever there was one.
It’s famous for its Mai Tai and its Fire Chief – a Mai Tai with Bacardi 151 and grenadine, arguably the SouthBay’s strongest drink, known to pack a serious punch. The bartenders let you keep the glass if you order either one, as testament to your tolerance.
During happy hour (Monday through Thursday, 3 to 6 p.m.), the Mai Tai and Fire Chief and all other drinks are $1.50 off. Other Tony’s gems are the bartenders, many of whom have decades of experience mixing drinks in that seaside hideaway, and the 360-degree view of the ocean from the second-story Crow’s Nest.
There’s no better place to unwind than Tony’s on the Pier. – RR
Happy Hour: 3 to 6 p.m. daily. 210 Fisherman’s Wharf, Redondo Beach. (310) 374-1442. oldtonys.com.
The Underground
Underground may seem a bit of a misnomer for a second floor pub but perhaps the bar’s name refers to a loyal following and the little-known bar specials. The Underground offers half-price appetizers, $3 beers and $2 off well drinks weekdays from 3-7pm, not to mention daily lunch and dinner specials. Locals pull up spots at the bar and chat with, or at least like, old friends. The eclectic happy hour crowd includes twenty-somethings playing pool, young professionals having a cocktail after work, and retirees who seem to be having more fun than anyone else. The drinks aren’t fancy, the food even less so, but the price is right and the staff is great. Nicole will keep your pint glass full and chat easily with you while you wait for your nachos, quesadillas, chicken wings, or whatever cheesy/fried craving to which you surrender. – AM
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 3-7pm 1332 Hermosa Ave, HB. (310) 318-3818. www.undergroundpubandgrill.com.
Mediterraneo
Trying out SouthBay happy hour drinks and appetizer specials may seem like an ideal job assignment until you get through three or four spots and realize that you’d rather perish than have another Bud Lite or mozzarella stick. Then you walk into Mediterraneo and regain your will to live. Or at least to drink and eat.
Half-off draft beer at Mediterraneo doesn’t mean choosing the least-offensive domestic. It means debating over 30 microbrew selections including coveted cult favorites like Pliny the Elder. And you won’t find sliders or wings on the “2-for-1” appetizer menu but, rather, well-crafted tapas like caprese salad and housemade meatballs. The caprese uses only the ripest, juciest cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, crisp basil, coarse sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil to deliver an Italian classic done with minimalism to let the quality of the ingredients shine through. The polpetti, or Italian meatballs, are rich in flavor but light in texture served with savory homemade marinara. Burrata cheese, citrus honey, and walnut pesto on grilled bread and grilled chicken skewers with tzatziki sauce round out a perfect afternoon snack that will keep you full and satisfied long after sunset. – AM
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 5-7pm. Mediterraneo: 73 Pier Ave, HB. (310) 318-2666.
The North End Bar and Grille
Ask a local why they love the North End Bar and Grille (or Critters, as many continue to call it), and you’ll hear about the laid back crowd, the friendly bartenders, and, quite often, the underrated food.
It’s not fancy-the menu features mostly pub standards: burgers, sandwiches, salads, fried goodies, with the addition of lunch and dinner specials like meatloaf and enchiladas. But what the North End does, it does right.
Happy hour is no exception. Three dollar domestic beers and well cocktails wash down four dollar chicken tenders, chicken wings, and quesadillas and five dollar sliders and cheese pizzas. Throw in some cheap onion rings and fries, and you can have a heck of a guilty little meal for well under $20.
The added bonus to the North End’s happy hour is the likelihood of being served by Milo, New York transplant and longtime SouthBay resident. He seems to know everyone who walks in the door and, even if he doesn’t, will make you feel right at home. –AM
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 3-6 p.m.. 2626 Hermosa Ave, HB. (310) 379-5379. www.northendbar.com.
Ortega 120
Ortega 120’s Day of the Dead decorations and old school movies projected onto the wall make for a fun daytime or evening atmosphere. Their $5 happy hour margarita is a surprisingly large size and their $2 tacos are perfect for an afternoon treat. The pitchers are perfect for a group of girlfriends out for the afternoon and come with what the staff calls, the “shut up,” a carafe of tequila that stops anyone from complaining of not enough liquor in their drinks. Their not so secret blend of fresh lemon, lime and sweet agave takes the bite out of their famous mix and helps the drink go down and helps to drain a pitcher quickly. The evening’s usually long wait is circumvented during their 4 – 6 p.m. happy hour only because most people aren’t off work yet. Once 6 p.m. hits a line begins to form out the door and the party begins!
Happy hour: Monday 4 p.m. to close, Tuesday – Thursday 4 – 6 p.m. and Friday – Sunday 3 – 5 p.m. 1814 South PCH, Redondo Beach. Call 310-792-4120 or go to http://ortega120.com
ROK Sushi Kitchen
ROK Sushi’s spacious interior harbors a hushed, low-key atmosphere. Parties of two or three occupy tables here and there, but by 6 p.m. the bar is lined with single parties flanking a beer or cocktail. Above the sushi chefs a Bruce Lee film is playing on mute to the tune of The Beatles. Brent, my attentive waiter, explains ROK owner Michael Buchanan’s affinity for the martial arts master.
Under the direction of a new Spanish chef, ROK Sushi Kitchen is in the midst of rolling out changes in both the menu and concept. Its recently renovated happy hour menu is classier than most, yet it’s just $5 across the board, including sweet potato fries, albacore, eel, tuna, salmon collar and a five-piece spicy katana roll. I go with two newly added items: the five-piece Hermosa roll made of shrimp, avocado, cucumber drizzled with spicy mayo and eel sauce; and the crispy calamari with chili aioli. Drinks range from $3 Coronas, Blue Moons, Stellas and Kirins to $4 house wines and $6 hot sake. – EK
Happy Hour: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 9 p.m. to close Sunday. 1200 Hermosa Ave. Hermosa Beach. 310-798-4765. roksushikitchen.com.
Silvio’s Brazilian BBQ
Tucked in the back of Hermosa’s pier plaza, Silvio’s BBQ is a haven for sports fans, Brazilian barbeque enthusiasts and those like myself, someone looking for a happening, beachside happy hour scene with good booze and eats to boot.
We’re seated out on the patio, where the beach is close enough to smell and the sun still burning strong above our heads. Inside the bar, Game 7 is on: Chicago Blackhawks versus Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Silvio’s prides itself as the premier Chicago sports bar in the area, which explains the line of Blackhawks fans decked in red jerseys sitting at the bar, their eyes glued to the TV screen. The atmosphere is lively, with random eruptions of cheers startling those like myself not paying attention to the game.
Silvio’s happy hour menu ranges from $3 to $8, consisting mainly of comfort bar appetizers: house fries, garlic fries, pulled pork and barbeque chicken sliders, chicken wings, artichoke dip, frango fingers, and the like. Budlight and specialty drinks are half off, and craft beers $2 off.
We’re however most intrigued by something called Caipiroskas, marked at $5. Our server explains that it’s a popular cocktail in Brazil, concocted with fresh fruits, cane sugar and vodka. It sounds straightforward enough; we order the watermelon and the pineapple. This is what I learned: the cocktail is not for folks with low tolerance like myself, as to me it tastes like straight vodka with food coloring. Even our barbeque chicken wings ($5 for 7 pieces) drenched in sauce cannot overpower the eye-twitching taste of the vodka. Considering its modest price, one order of Caipiroska will render you sufficiently buzzed. – EK
Happy Hour: 3 to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. 20 Pier Ave. Hermosa Beach. 310-376-6806. silviosbbq.com.
Four Daughters Kitchen
Four Daughters Kitchen draws in droves of hungry South Bay locals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in its cozy spot in North Manhattan Beach. Lesser known is its stellar happy hour. Not only does 4DK offer all of its house wines, sangria, and appetizers, including hummus, bruschetta, sliders, ceviche and shrimp skewers, for five dollars, and half-off beer on draft, their happy hour is one of the very few in the beach cities that runs seven days a week.
The shrimp ceviche is not to be missed. Chopped shrimp, tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, and cilantro marinated in zesty lime rest under a layer of sliced avocado sprinkled with sea salt, and the ceviche is served with tortilla chips for scooping, though a fork is all you need to enjoy the dish.
The sliders include pulled pork in savory barbecue sauce and hamburger sliders with FDK sauce, a tangy and creamy topper to the tasty little patties.
The sangria is a highlight, as well. White sangria is flavored with stone fruit and the red with berries and citrus. Both are served in generous portions and topped with dry sparkling wine to cut through some of the sweetness, creating perfect refreshment. – AM
Happy Hour daily from 4-7 p.m. 3505 Highland Ave, MB. (310) 545-2444. www.fourdaughterskitchen.com.
Suzy’s Bar and Grill
Tucked in a strip mall next to a Big Lots and Dance Studio in the uppermost tip of Hermosa Beach is one of the most local bars in the South Bay, Suzy’s Bar and Grill. Around 4 p.m. on Thursday the bar, that’s been around for 27 years, is already almost completely full and if you’re new, the locals will usually buy you a round. The dimly lit bar is the perfect refuge from a hot day especially with such friendly cliental and a bar tender that’s genuinely interested in what brought you in, where you come from and most importantly, what kind of drink you love. In the corner is a surprisingly large stage that’s home to one of the longest running open mic nights in the SouthBay. A calendar taped to the wall indicates that they almost always have live music, and the locals shouted which days are the best to visit when they saw me looking. Apparently trivia night on Wednesday is very popular. Their $6 avocado wraps are a perfect happy hour food and you never know what kind of beer they’ll have on tap, the bar tender said that they try to focus on California IPA’s. In June, food truck superstar Stephen Domingue, owner of the Ragin Cajun, will partner with Suzy’s and the bar will reopen with the name, “Suzy’s Ragin Cajun Café.” The combined venues will include the entire menu that was located at their original Pier Ave. location as well as Suzy’s lively live music scene.
Visit it at 1141 Aviation Blvd, Hermosa Beach. Call 310-379-6171 or go to http://suzysbargrill.menutoeat.com/
Happy hour is Monday – Friday 12 – 7 p.m.
Happy hour specials include $2.50 Bud Light and $8.50 Bud Light pitchers as well as many specialty beers that change daily.
Dolphin Bar
The Dolphin Bar in North Redondo is another unexpected local gem. The ocean blue building proudly displays a rainbow flag and opens their doors to anybody starting at 7 p.m. everyday, after they turn on their blue-light beacon located just outside the door. Their happy hour drinks are strong and the bartender, who switches working nights with only one other bartender, serves them with a smile, a joke and a genuinely friendly conversation. They don’t serve food, but carry-in is allowed, and Las Brisas, the Mexican restaurant next door hits the spot for happy hour-like prices and good food. Karaoke on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday is popular and Monday’s all-day happy hour and 80’s music-theme brings in a wild crowd. The cool neighborhood bar often hosts parties for their regulars that are open for anybody that wants to stop by and is a fan of themes like Alice in Wonderland vs. Wizard of Oz. If you’re brave try their deadly Rumbleball shot for $5- a combination of Rumplemintz and Fireball liquor- a recipe not often mixed or enjoyed, but fun to watch the drinker’s face as they down it. Their covered smoking patio with a dolphin mural is perfect on hot summer days and keeps the vibe California-cool.
Visit it at 1995 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach. Call 310-318-3339 or go to www.thedolphinbar.com
Happy hour is everyday from 7 – 9 p.m. Specials are $3 wells, $3 domestics, $4 imports, $4 wines.
Ocean Bar
Oddly enough, this happy hour is one of the SouthBay’s best-kept secrets. Ocean Bar serves the splendid food and drinks from Abigaile, located on the first floor, but that second floor is something to behold. A grand ocean view with hand-crafted food (the “testing menu”, $6.88 per item, features Abigaile’s experiments, which range from pork belly to pepper mussels on the day we were there) astonishingly good beer for $4 (try the Half Nelson XPA or the Black Mass Porter and you’ll get the astonishment) made on the premises, creative cocktails (try the Penelope, a house-infused serrano chile tequila, grapefruit, agave nectar scratch cocktail…what are we missing here? Absolutely nothing. In fact, it’s 5:18 p.m., and this is the last bit of happy hour reportage for this reporter; off to Ocean Bar we go. – MM
