The Best Happy Hours in Washington DC

Cheers!

Happy Hour at a bar or restaurant has the tendency to evoke images of done-with-work sighs and jolly group hangouts. Sightseers are perfectly content with relaxing at the bar a bit early after a long day of lines, crowds, and navigating. There are, of course, too many options for happy hour locales in our nation’s capital to list them all here, but below are some great picks in Washington DC (all of them not too far from where you’ll be all day) to mark on your map.

Pubs are the best places to start if you want to go casual – the Dubliner has live Irish music every night and is a block from Union Station; Kelly’s Irish Times on Capitol Hill has a long history, quirky memorabilia, and best deals on Fridays; the Ugly Mug and the Pour House are also good choices for the thirsty, the latter having loads of specials including an extended Happy Hour on Fridays.

Art and Soul on Capitol Hill has Seasonal Happy Hour specials Mon-Fri 4pm-7pm and a perfect patio from which to enjoy them. Cocktails, regional tap beers, wines and munchies are all discounted. The restaurant is Southern-themed and a bit pricier, but worth it (it’s reportedly one of Obama’s known spots, and the chef/owner used to cook for Oprah).

Firefly, a yummy and environmentally conscious restaurant with gluten-free options, has Happy Hour Mon-Fri from 4pm-7pm. This place offers quirky cocktails, artisan spirits, and plenty of craft beer. You can also bring your own wine – as long as its not on the menu – for a $15 corkage fee.

Sign of the Whale is a rambunctious place great for louder gatherings – there’s also a bottomless Bloody Mary deal at brunch on the weekends. Other deals include $1 Mug Night on Tuesdays, discounted champagne and wine on Ladies Night on Wednesdays, all-day specials on beer and cocktail pitchers for Deckless Deck parties on Thursdays, and the traditional Happy Hour with half-price drinks Mon-Fri 4pm-7pm. Bottoms up!

 -Natalie Grant

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