The best way to keep warm in this long, long winter: happy hour, and lots of it. There’s spring light at the end of the tunnel, but until then, these weekend respites for cheap food and drink should do the trick.
Friday Duke’s Grocery
1513 Seventh St., NW
Early drinkers can get a start at noon during Duke’s extensive daytime happy hour, which runs from 12 to 7, Monday through Friday. Go for $5 select beers, wines, and spirits, stay for the crave-worthy Proper burger.
6939 Laurel Ave., Takoma Park
Happy hour begins on the early side: 3 to 7, Monday through Friday. Start the weekend with $3 half-pints, $6 Aperol spritzers, and $1 oysters, or end the evening with a similar lineup from the late-night menu. Oysters go for a buck from 10 until last call, while “bingers” (beer and shot) like Jim Beam and Natty Boh are served for $5.
1501 Ninth St., NW
Get your late-night happy hour fix at this Shaw ramen and cocktail joint, which offers discounts on food and drinks from 10 until 2. Drinkers can order half-priced draft cocktails, select beers, and wines. The fun doesn’t stop here; head in for more discounts on Saturday and Sunday, 4 to 7.
Saturday Thip Khao
3462 14th St., NW
This new Laotian hotspot from the Bangkok Golden team offers happy hour at the bar every day from 5 to 7 (except Tuesday, when they’re closed). There’s limited seating, so get there early on weekends for a generous menu of specials. Think $3 Lao beers, a $5 old fashioned, and $5 snacks such as crispy honey wings, grilled chicken hearts, and the signature crispy rice salad.
1737 Connecticut Ave., NW
Holing up with beer and board games sounds like an excellent way to spend a wintery weekend. This bi-level Dupont bar offers a wealth of games like Jenga, Battleship, and Monopoly, as well as Saturday and Sunday happy hour with $4 drinks (rail cocktails, wines, and beers) from noon to 7.
2003 18th St., NW
No-frills beer drinkers can sip $3 Stroh’s and Natty Bog from noon to 7 on Saturdays, while Sundays bring $4 mimosas and screwdrivers in the same time frame. A chill vibe, sports on TV, and dim pub lighting make for idea wintery day-drinking conditions.
7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean
Hello, discount martinis. The Hilton bar/restaurant recently began a series of daily happy hour specials, most from 3 to close. Start off on Friday with $4 craft beers, go harder on Saturday with $6 select martinis, and drop by on Sunday for DIY mimosas (in the dining room) for $25 between 11 and 1.
Sunday Jack Rose
2007 18th St., NW
Wrap up a chilly weekend with Jack Rose’s new fondue hour, which runs Sunday through Wednesday from 5 to 10 in the upstairs balcony room. A gas fireplace provides warmth, as do $6 hot cocktails, $7 whiskeys, and a menu of sweet and savory fondues like melty cheddar or s’mores ($12 to $18).
1317 Connecticut Ave., NW
It’s happy hour every day at the deli’s cozy specialty bar, which runs a big menu of food and drink specials. Sundays can sometimes be more relaxed than busy weeknights, so grab a chair and chill with $4 craft brews, $7 martinis and Manhattans, and tasty bites like fried chicken or brisket sliders, pastrami chili, and Reuben egg rolls with Russian dipping sauce.
1914 Ninth St., NW
Go underground at Dino’s subterranean bar, which runs an all-day happy hour on Sundays. The menu of snacks and drinks ranges from $4 to $8, with Italian specials like duck fat potatoes with pecorino, bellinis, spicy meatballs, and house wines. If you’re still craving deals after the weekend, the same specials run all night on Monday.
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.
