I’m not a big drinker these days, so I never paid much attention to happy hour specials. However, I love trying new restaurants and I love saving money, so finding the best Tucson happy hour is actually right up my alley, regardless of the drink specials. I usually prefer to have a big lunch later in the day, rather than a big dinner. So, it turns out that eating during happy hour is actually perfect for my schedule. This is a post I’ll continue to update as I explore more happy hour specials in Tucson. So far, these are my favorites. For you night owls, many Tucson spots have a reverse happy hour with similar specials that start late-night!
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El Charro Cafe
My favorite Mexican restaurant in Tucson also has a great Happy Hour menu. With the $7 Fiesta Hour trios, you can sample some of their best bites, like shrimp chicharron, street tacos, and tostaditas. Add 1/2 off draft beer and margaritas, and you will go home full and happy!
Trident Grill
Trident Grill has great food and an interesting backstory. The owner, Nelson Miller, is a Navy SEAL and was on the team that rescued Jessica Lynch in 2003, so he’s a bit of a local celebrity. I’ve been hearing about Trident Grill since I moved here and finally got the chance to check out their Happy Hour. They now have four locations around the Tucson area and an eclectic menu. It’s basically a sports bar, but the food is so much better than sports bar food. I sampled the fish tacos and the green chili mac n’ cheese. The fish tacos were so good, it will be hard to convince me to try anything else! Check out their Happy Hour Monday through Friday 3-6 and all day Sunday and includes $4 bar bites and $1 off the 24 bars on tap.
Pastiche Modern Eatery
Pastiche is “American Food, Greek Hospitality,” and the menu has a large variety of dishes. Happy Hour is 3-6 on weekdays, and 4-6 on Saturday. They also have a “reverse happy hour” for late-night eats from 9 pm-close on Fridays and Saturdays. The pork potstickers come with a spicy teriyaki sauce that is delish. Panko-crusted fried avocado also seems to be a popular happy hour option. Their wine selection is a little more bougie, but there are a few options in a $4-$8 range.
Interested in a Tucson Wine Tour? Check out Sonoran Tasting Tours!
Ra Sushi Bar & Restaurant
Also located in La Encantada in the Catalina Foothills, this sushi spot is a great place for happy hour. With generous hours (3-7 and 10-close Monday through Saturday) and a large selection of rolls from $5-$9, this is definitely a repeat place for me. I’m not a huge sushi eater, but the crunchy calamari roll ($6!) is really tasty, with $2 off wine to boot.
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill
OK, maybe I spend more time at La Encantada than I think! I mean, if you’re there to shop, why not save money at all the great happy hours they’ve got going on? Firebirds has bar bites and drink specials Monday through Friday from 4-7 pm. You can’t beat $5 beef sliders and $5 wines.
Agustin Kitchen
Mercado San Agustin is one of my favorite spots in Tucson. The courtyard has seating for several restaurants, including Agustin Kitchen. Their Happy Hour menu includes their famous calamari, as well as Nopales Fries, a chef’s board, $6 specialty cocktails, and $5 wine.
Maynard’s Market
Maynard’s is part of the Hotel Congress family and is a fun location in the old train station downtown Tucson. They have a great patio and it’s a fun atmosphere. They have a happy hour for drinks every day from 4 pm to close, and the kitchen happy hour is Monday through Saturday from 4-6 pm. Enjoy loads of appetizers at special prices, and $6 wines by the glass.
Union Public House
Union Public House has an awesome location in St. Phillip’s Plaza right on the Rio Rillito and the Loop bike path, so it’s a great place to stop if you’re out for a bike ride. In addition to live music on the weekends and Whiskey Wednesday, they have a daily Social Hour from 3-6 pm. I once had a fantastic cheese and meat board here with the best bacon confit that still makes me drool two years later. Sadly, that’s not on the happy hour menu, but you will find great prices on other appetizers like poutine, pub fries and pulled pork sliders. You’ll also get $3 domestic draft beers and $7 glasses of wine!
Trattoria Pina
This Italian restaurant in the foothills has a daily happy hour from 5-6:30, with $1 off beer and wine, or $2 off cocktails. There’s a decent selection of happy hour appetizers, that range from $4 to $9. The dessert case looked super tempting and I’m not sure how I got out of there without indulging my sweet tooth!
The Parish
The Parish is a Southern Fusion Gastropub that serves up an eclectic mix of Cajun-style items. Live music and fun servers add to the atmosphere. The Happy Hour menu has $5 dishes like bacon popcorn, hush puppies and gumbo, while Happy Hour at the bar means you get $3 drafts and $2 off well drinks, cocktails, and wine, from 3:00 to 6:00 Tuesday through Friday.
Hotel Congress
Hotel Congress is closed through Fall 2020
This legendary downtown hotel has a Happy Hour from 4-7 Monday through Friday in both the Lobby and the Tap Room bar. I first visited this hotel on a Tucson food tour and we got a fun tour of the hotel from the GM who told us some of the more famous stories of the hotel. Hotel Congress is pretty much the epicenter of downtown Tucson and the hub of all nightlife. Whenever I have a hotel guest who wants to go downtown, I tell them to plug Hotel Congress into their Uber app and go from there.
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