Happy Hour in Tacoma - February 17, 2005

When I hear the words "Happy Hour" I think of stories my mother told me. Picture this: 1962 Manhattan. A young secretary and up and coming broker rendezvous at a bar off Wall Street for cocktails at 5. The bar is crowded, standing room only, the women are coiffed holding glistening cocktails, the men in suits……bossanova fills the air.
Ah, the stories my mom told me. Well, Happy Hour has changed; I was so born out of my era. For the last couple of weeks, I trolled downtown Tacoma in search of the very happiest Happy Hours.
Happy Hour was created for us, the working stiff, the nine-to-fiver, the majority. A chance to unwind, de-stress and generally chill out before heading home to the family. Hell, Happy Hour saves marriages…and kills them; depending on how long you stay. With that, dear workers, here is your guide.
I began my quest at the Melting Pot. I’ve been told their Happy Hour rocks and indeed it does. From 4:30 – 6:30pm, all week long, well drinks are ½ price, wine is only $5 (three reds, three whites), and microbrews are just $2.50. Pretty standard issue Happy Hour, but where the Melting Pot prevails is in the food. Salads are $3.50, and a whole pot of cheese fondue is only $8. Choose from Fiesta, Mediterranean, Cheddar, Swiss or the Wisconsin Trio; a single fondue is more than enough for two people, and believe me, it’s dinner. As far as the atmosphere goes, this place gets packed, so show up early.
Up at 21 Commerce Happy Hour goes from 4-6pm on weekdays. Small plate appetizers range from $3-$5 featuring 21’s savory pan-Asian delights such as Tempura Asparagus, Sesame Scallops and Raspberry Fire Chicken. Downtempo beats are barely noticeable over the mingling chatter of white collar worker bees unwinding. The signature martini of the week is only $5. Quite frankly, Happy Hour at 21 doesn’t warrant the exasperation that comes with trying to wrangle a parking spot anywhere within walking distance. However, I lucked out in showing up on the third Thursday of the month. A delectable little bonus called the martini club! From 6-8pm pay only $10 and gain access to the super swanky martini lounge in back. All martinis are only $5 and you can partake in the kickass satay bar to boot. They also offer little perks like flavored vodka tasting and chocolate covered strawberries. The crowd was sparse in the martini lounge but I didn’t care; Frank was on the hi-fi, Cary Grant on TV and an ice cold martini was in my hand.
Monday soon came and I hit the pavement promptly at 5pm. I hopped on the light rail (somebody’s gotta do it) and rode along Pacific, stepping off near UW Tacoma. Legend has it the Harmon Brewery offers $3 steak and fries for Happy Hour on Mondays. I was a little surprised that my friends and I were the only people in the bar. The Harmon offers a different $3 menu item each night of the week. Steak and Fries on Monday, 4 Tacos on Tuesday, one pound of buffalo wings on Wednesday, a whole pepperoni pizza on Thursday and a half a chicken with fries on Friday. The steak was amazingly tender, it’s small (duh) but so good, the fries are a stack of garlicky goodness. I haven’t tried all of their specials but would gladly vouch for the food at this joint. As far as drinks go, it’s three bucks for ales, wells and wine.
Here’s the thing about Happy Hour, by the time it’s over you’re feeling fairly buzzed, full and sleepy….and it’s not even 6:30 yet. A very rough life. So I took a break for a couple of days and the next Thursday headed around the corner from my office to Vin Grotto. I love this place; the colors, the sounds, the staff…. .the brick. It’s a cell phone dead zone and God knows I love that. From 3-6pm you can enjoy a classic champagne cocktail for $2.95 (how I adore thee) or receive $2 off any open bottle of wine. There are no food specials but I understand. The food here is worth every penny of the full price. Try the grilled veggie sandwich sometime, it’s amazing. Unfortunately, the place was empty except for my companion, me, and the bartender.
With an hour to spare before Happy Hour came to a screeching halt, we decided to toddle down the block to Meconi’s. The bar was packed! Meconi’s offers typical Happy Hour deals: $3 wells and microbrews, $2 domestic beers from 3-6pm weekdays and all day Sunday. Appetizers are half off. I recommend the big old basket of shoe string fries for $3. More than enough for you and a friend.
Leaving Meconi’s there was still half an hour left until 6pm. Time for another Happy Hour! We dropped into the old lunch-hour standby, La Costa. I’d never actually been in the bar before. I can’t figure out if it’s really kitschy or really creepy. The bartender is a fine fellow and the drinks are stiff. $3 wells and margaritas and $2 beers. My "well" vodka tonic was made with Absolut. Sweet.
Friday finally arrived and my co-workers and I decided to treat ourselves to Happy Hour at Stanleys. While not technically downtown, if you’re willing to make the short jaunt up the hill, you’ll find it worth your while. $3 scratch margaritas (normally $7.25), $3 wells and ½ price appetizers. We ordered the "Tower"; hot Dungeness crab dip, teriyaki tenderloins, and garlic tiger prawns. Normally $19.95, all that righteousness is yours for under $10. The bar was crowded, as it always is, with striking young professionals. Once again I was wishing I didn’t look like I’d just put in 18 hours at a sweat shop, but what the hell. Give me a lavender cosmo and some garlic prawns and Happy Hour has made this working girl very happy indeed.