What kind of Happy Hour atmosphere suits you best? Quiet and tranquil, spacious with an ocean breeze, or pulsating with the energy of live music and foot traffic?
The Downtown Long Beach restaurant and bar scene offers an extraordinary variety of Happy Hour options, each one enticing you with its own vibe, along with a wide array of food and drink specials. These 18 hot spots across the area include Happy Hour offerings from businesses that actively promote their specials. Note: specials do change, so it’s always good to check before you go or ask your server or bartender.
PINE & PROMENADE
M-F open-7pm, Fri & Sat 10pm-close, Sat & Sun 3-7pm
150 W Broadway
“It’s almost always happy hour” is their catch-phrase for a reason. Big Catch has a great selection of traditional bar fare with a twist like $4.50 truffle fries and $3.50 onion rings, as well as their signature seafood offerings like $1.50 oysters and $8.50 fried seafood. Everything pairs perfectly with a $3 pint of Sapporo or $5 glass of wine. They even have weekly specials like $1 pitchers of beer with the purchase of a dozen oysters. This is a great place to catch a game or to have a quick, casual lunch.
W-F 5-6:30pm, Sat & Sun 3-5:30pm
144 Pine Ave.
What’s not to like about a rooftop or “rooftap” bar in DTLB? It’s always lively and fun at Bo Beau, and the crowd ranges from 20-somethings to conventioneers. Get started with $3 off any draft beer and their famous brussels sprouts for $10 during Social Hour. The menu even includes dessert and a salad, making it the perfect place for an early dinner before spending the evening trying out their delicious cocktails.
CAFE SEVILLA
W-F, 5 – 7pm, All-night Happy Hour on Wednesdays
140 Pine Avenue
Founder Rogelio Huidobro wants Cafe Sevilla guests to feel like they’re “taking a trip to Spain without the airfare.” He certainly got it right; With some live flamenco, a plate of Paella Valenciana, a pitcher of Blood Orange Sangria, and a little imagination, one can definitely feel transported at Cafe Sevilla. Tapas, those little appetizers made so famous in Spain, figure prominently in the Cafe Sevilla Happy Hour menu; Try a plate of Datiles Rellenos (medjool dates, Cabrales blue cheese, and applewood bacon), Spicy Octopus Ceviche, or Croquetas de Paella, and complement your tapas with $5 beers and wines, $7 sangrias and well drinks, and $8 craft cocktails. Cafe Sevilla also features excellent live music; Check the schedule on their website for bands and start times.
Sunday 11:30am – 3pm, Monday: ALL DAY, T- F, 3 -7pm
201 East Broadway
Ale — Almighty Ale. It is regarded so highly here that Happy Hours are known as “Masses,” and there is a Mass going on almost every day — including Midnight Mass on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Congregation Ale House has a deep tap list from which you can select Congregation Ales (such as Apricot Wheat, Berliner Weisse with Tart Cherries, Saison Verano with Peaches and Verbena) along with equally arcane “guest taps” from England, Belgium, Mexico, and beyond. During Masses, there are $2 discounts on all pizzas and selected pub menu items, $1 off all Congregation Ale pours and guest taps, a $5 “Chosen One” daily draft special, and $5 well drinks.
M-F 3-6pm, Sun 3-10pm
210 E Third St.
The happy hour menu is compact, but it features all the key elements of Dog Haus: $3.99 burgers, $2.99 sausages, $1.49 fries & tots, and $3 PBR tall cans. This is a great place to have a casual, relaxing bite and a beverage, and their patio is perfect for people-watching!
Daily 3-7pm
135 Pine Ave.
Stepping into George’s makes you feel like you’re hanging out with family (in the best possible way). Everyone is so warm, welcoming, and wants you to have the absolute best experience possible. Their famous lamb chops (2 chops for $8), dips ($4 for one or $7 for two), other appetizers ($4 per item), and beer ($5 each), wine ($5 each), and fun martinis ($7 each) make this a diverse menu with options for everyone.
Daily 4-5:30pm
101 Pine Ave.
Homemade pasta, delicious cocktails, swanky ambiance, and outstanding service – what more could you want from a dining experience, let alone at a discount? L’Opera has delicious pasta and appetizers like carpaccio and calamari ranging from $9-$11, $4 beer, wine, and $7 premium cocktails on the menu, and fantastic company sitting around you as it’s the place to see and be seen in DTLB.
LUPE’S DE LA MAR
Tuesday through Sunday, 4 – 6pm
301 The Promenade North
The room-length picture windows in this airy bar allow you to take in the Third Street hustle and bustle while relaxing over some Mexican seafood dishes created by prominent local chef Jason Witzl. Oyster Hour at Lupe’s gives you a chance to sample Witzl’s wares; In addition to his daily selection of raw oysters for $1.50 each, the Oyster Hour menu features creations such as Masa Rellenos, Shrimp al Diabla, Camote (bone marrow, crema, and pasta de chile) plus more traditional Happy Hour fare like Nachos Supreme and Roasted Mushrooms. Watch bartender Mitch Frank mix your Happy Hour cocktail with style and flair in the sunken bar; The $10 Lupe’s Marg and the same-priced Paloma (Blanco Tequila and fresh-squeezed grapefruit) are two of his specialties.
Weekdays 3-6pm
210 The Promenade
If you’re into mood lighting, a cozy atmosphere, live music, and fantastic craft cocktails and food, then The Ordinarie is your place! The staff is welcoming and knowledgeable, their food and beverage offerings cannot be beaten. The $8 Old Fashioned and $6 small plates (especially the Chicken Pot Pie Bites) are hard to pass up.
ROSEMALLOWS
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 5 – 7pm
255 Long Beach Boulevard
A cocktail bar with a vibrant, retro feel, Rosemallows keeps its Happy Hour simple — 30% off all drinks on the menu — and what a drink menu it is! Specialty cocktails include the Lemongrass Mojito, the Secret Garden (kiwi-carrot-cucumber-ginger juice, tequila plata, green chartreuse, lemon, and agave), and the Hibiscus Mai Tai, with which one can toast the glowing neon hibiscus above the pool table. The draft beer and wine lists are equally exciting, and the “Tiki Tiki” menu — Trinidad Sour, Hemingway Daiquiri, Oaxacan Old Fashioned, and other creative concoctions — will have you requesting Exotica music all Happy Hour long. Keep an eye out for guest chefs and pop-ups, which happen periodically.
WATERS EDGE WINERY
W-F, 3 – 6pm
217 Pine Avenue
We’ll let winemaker and owner Collin Mitzenmacher describe Waters Edge Winery: “We are Long Beach’s first and only winery; We make everything right here, on-site. We make up to 40 different wines annually. We offer wine tastings, wine by the glass, wine by the bottle, and an amazing bistro menu.” Happy Hour is a great time to partake, with substantial discounts on bottled wine and beer, and wine and sangria by the glass. The compact-but-enticing bistro menu offers tasties such as Meatball and Italian subs, Mac ‘n Cheese, and Roasted Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts. The Petite Board (artfully arranged charcuterie) will definitely enhance an afternoon sipping Waters Edge Wine on its breezy side patio.
WATERFRONT
M-F 4-6pm
71 S. Pine Ave.
This is the quintessential Irish pub that makes you feel like you’re sipping a pint of the black beer back in Donegal. If you’re looking for a warm, classic pub experience with great food, live music, and your favorite team on the big screen, this is your heaven! Their upscale version of classic pub dishes like $6 fish and chips bites, $5 scotch eggs, and $5 crisps (aka potato chips on this side of the pond) pair well with their $5 Perfect Pint of Guinness or $6 Dublin Donkey (Irish mule cocktail).
M-F 3-6pm
435 Shoreline Village Dr.
An optimal place for happy hour on the ocean. A wrap-around patio lets you enjoy the sunshine (almost) 365 days per year, and the indoor bar offers a more traditional lounge vibe. Their happy hour menu is massive and includes everything from seafood (like $8 clams and $10 shrimp scampi) to burgers ($17) to chowder fries ($9) to sushi ($9-13 per roll), and their happy hour wines ($7.50 per glass) are more diverse than just “red or white.”
Q SMOKEHOUSE
Monday All Day (Noon ’til close), Tuesday thru Friday 3 – 6pm
300 South Pine Avenue
“We bring authentic Southern-style BBQ to the Downtown Waterfront,” says the Q Smokehouse website. In other words, they have the meats. Menu items such as Texas Hot Links and Smoked Brisket Tacos will stir up a mighty thirst, which you can slake during Happy Hour with $7 signature drinks like Wild West Lemonade and Pitmaster Punch. Among the other Happy Hour drink specials are $4 bottles and $20 buckets of beer. Food-wise, all appetizers are 1/2 off and there’s a different BBQ appetizer featured every day of the week. Bartender Brian Millado described the atmosphere in this comfy, countryfied establishment as “friendly — like family.”
M-F 3-6pm
407 Shoreline Village Dr.
If you’re looking for Taco Tuesday vibes all week long, this is the place for you! Tequila Jack’s is a great place for a $5.95 schooner of margarita on the waterfront, and their menu includes traditional Mexican favorites like nachos, chimichangas, and tacos, as well as classic bar foods like wings, sliders, and potato skins, for $5.95 each.
EAST VILLAGE
DISTRICT WINE
M-F, 4 – 6pm, Saturday 12 – 5pm
144 Linden Avenue
Whether you’re a wine connoisseur, a novice, or just a Happy Hour aficionado, District Wine will intrigue you and surround you with its extensive wine selection. Happy Hour at District Wine features special pricing on beer and wine by the glass, and also on their Flatbreads (Barbeque Brisket Flatbread got our attention) and Small Bites (Smoked Shrimp Ceviche, Gorgonzola Honey Crostini, and more). If you’re looking for a calm atmosphere with a creative energy percolating underneath, a Happy Hour at District Wine may suit you just right.
MEZCALERO
Monday thru Thursday, 7 – 10pm
525 East Broadway
Muy Sabroso — very flavorful, and flavor is what you’ll get at Mezcalero and its sister restaurant downstairs, Padre. Both venues are beautifully appointed and lit, enticing you to try one of their specialty and classical cocktails, which are $2 off during Happy Hour; Get into some serious flavor with a “Smoke ‘Em if You Got ‘Em” (roasted corn-infused Milagro tequila, byrrh quinquina, cinnamon, fresh celery, and lime juice) or a Coconut Mezcal Daiquiri. A hip selection of canned beer is available during Happy Hour as well, for $5 a pop. Stick around for dinner on the patio, with a spectacular assortment of Tacos and Burritos, perhaps a more elaborate dish like Mole Almendrado (grilled chicken breast over Spanish rice, covered with a smooth almond mole sauce), and a Banana Chimichanga for dessert!
Daily 3-7pm, Tuesday all-day
621 Atlantic Ave.
Sura offers classic KBBQ with a twist – one thing that makes them extra special is that they have a ton of vegan options, as well as $8 fried “shrimp” and “bulgogi” (marinated beef). They have several flavors of soju ($7 per bottle) and soju cocktails ($5 per glass or $10 per pitcher), and their street food options, like $7 dumplings, $5 rice cakes, and $9 Gochuchang Bao Buns, are outstanding. Dining outside can be a little noisy and windy from being right next to the street, but inside it’s cozy and inviting.