If there’s ever a time to get out and about during the week, it’s those balmy summer days when the evenings are long and the workdays short. Restaurants are offering generous specials, from all-you-can-eat deals to free lobster. Stay tuned for more as the sunny season draws to a close.
Monday
Maki Mondays at Kushi
Hot weather calls for light summer fare. Start off the week with half-off rolls such as spicy tuna, California, and grilled pork belly and scallions, all washed down with $5 draft beers. Sweetening the deal: The discount runs all night, 5:30 to close, and extends throughout the restaurant.
Tuesday
Tapas Tuesday at Cuba Libre
Grab a table at Cuba Libre in Penn Quarter for an unlimited parade of tapas including guacamole with pineapple, Cuban sandwich spring rolls, and shrimp ceviche ($26.95 per person). The special runs between 4 and 9:30, and must be ordered by the whole party.
Wednesday
Commuter happy hour at Equinox
Traffic may still be worse in Los Angeles, but a hump-day crawl along our various overcrowded throughways is never a good time. Skip the headache and post up at Todd and Ellen Gray’s commuter-inspired happy hour, with discounts such as $3.95 (get it?) draft beers and $8.18 cocktail and mac and cheese. The special runs weekdays from 5 to 7.
*All-you-can-eat tuna at Izakaya Seki (very limited run)
U Street’s standout izakaya celebrates its one-year anniversary with a three-day, all-you-can-eat tuna sashimi deal, starting Wednesday, July 31. Chef Hiroshi Seki will butcher a hefty 100-pound yellowfin tuna at 5 on the starting day; head over to watch the show, and then partake in unlimited toro for just $15.
Thursday
Two-fer lobster at 2941
July’s deal for buy-one-get-one-free lobster during lunch at chef Bertrand Chemel’s airy eatery has almost run its course. Head over with a date for a menu of lobster rolls, BLTs, bisque, and more and get a second crustacean-filled dish for free.
Friday
Extended oyster happy hour at Trummer’s on Main
Fitting for long summer days, this Clifton, Virginia, destination offers a long summer happy hour at the bar. Head out on Friday between 5:30 and 10 for half off a half dozen locally sourced Rappahannock River oysters. The $8.50 platter of bivalves comes topped with horseradish-apple-celery granita, or uni for a little extra. Note the offer runs through September 2.
Saturday
It’s the weekend! Check out our list of 20 weekend happy hours to try now.
Saturday Night Special at the Red Hen
Indulge your night-owl tendencies on Saturday at this popular Bloomingdale Italian restaurant, which invites guests to come in between 9:30 and 11 for a discount menu. Pick any crostini and pasta from the menu—we’re fans of the smoked ricotta and truffle honey appetizer and the rigatoni with sausage ragu—and sip a glass of wine for a mere $22.
Sunday
Cool off at Blue Duck Tavern
Need more than air conditioning to cool down in the summer heat? Blue Duck Tavern helps guests settle in for dinner with gratis mini sorbet cones in flavors such as virgin mojito and peach. The special runs Friday through Sunday in August.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
