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A burger and fries.
A burger and frites.
Saint James French Diner

14 San Diego Happy Hours to Try Right Now

Bar bites and drink deals for the discerning diner

by Candice Woo Updated
View as Map
A burger and frites.
| Saint James French Diner
by Candice Woo Updated

Take advantage of longer days and hit a happy hour somewhere in San Diego whether you’re unwinding after work or just getting the night started. Find beer and margarita flights, cocktail specials, and bonafide deals on substantial snacks ranging from fresh oysters to tacos, ceviche, and sliders.

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Park 101

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The sprawling 8,000-square-foot restaurant and sports bar in Carlsbad Village is known for its barbecue but chef Quinnton “Q” Austin recently rolled out a companion seafood-focused spot in the space. Called the Trap Shack, it’s offering everything from crawfish chowder-topped tater tots to Maine lobster rolls and a shrimp boil. Sample the menu during Park 101’s weekday 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. happy hour, when house cocktails, draft beer, and wine are all discounted.

3040 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad, CA 92008
(760) 434-2217
(760) 434-2217
A shrimp boil.
The “Boil-Bachi” shrimp boil.
The Trap Shack

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Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters

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The breezy La Jolla Shores restaurant’s 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. happy hour is pleasingly robust, with $4 off draft beer, wine, specialty cocktails, and well drinks and an extensive list of food that includes menu favorites like Baja fish tacos, smashburgers, steamed mussels, and crispy shrimp.

 

2259 Avenida De La Playa, La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 228-5655
(858) 228-5655
Baja fish taco
Baja fish taco
Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters

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Captain's Quarters

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The immersive nautical-styled speakeasy in Pacific Beach spotlights happy hour on weekdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., with deals on classic cocktails like gimlets and gin and tonics as well as food specials on bar bites.

910 Grand Ave Ste 105-107, San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 412-5237
(858) 412-5237
Kimberly Motos

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Bleu Bohème

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Kensington’s stalwart French restaurant has reinstated their social hour, available at the bar from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. It includes an assortment of dishes from executive chef

Ken Irvine, including escargot, crab croquettes, and mushroom ravioli along with deals on beer, wine, and cocktails.

 

4090 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 255-4167
(619) 255-4167

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Johnston's

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The University Heights bar and restaurant has a weekday 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. happy hour with an array of beverage specials, from its JDS Old Fashioned and 1888 Mule to draft beer, select wine, and well drinks all priced at $7. Snack-wise, chef Peter Ziegler is serving up fried cheese ($8) and housemade chips with beer cheese ($6).

4628 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 546-9187
(619) 546-9187
A restaurant with a front patio. Harrison Photographic

Fort Oak

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Fort Oak opens its bar and patio an hour early every Monday for a weekly 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. oyster-focused happy hour. Oyster Mondays feature $1 freshly-shucked oysters as well as wine and cocktails at special prices and other select food specials like chef Brad Wise’s signature half-pound burger topped with fried egg aioli, truffled onion jam, and cheddar. 

1011 Fort Stockton Dr, San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 722-3398
(619) 722-3398
Trust Restaurant Group

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Patisserie Melanie

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North Park’s charming French bakery has expanded beyond the morning hours to offer lunch and happy hour menus overseen by chef Anthony Bruno (The French Laundry, Café Chloe) with dinner service on the horizon. Running from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, the happy hour specials include a burger called Le Royale with cheese, featuring a blend of chuck, short rib, and brisket for the beef patty and a topping of brûléed Gruyère and Laphroiag-caramelized onions. There’s also a cheese and charcuterie plate as well as deals on beer and wine.

3750 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 677-2132
(619) 677-2132
A cheeseburger and a beer.
Le Royale with cheese.
Patisserie Melanie

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Fernside

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South Park’s friendly neighborhood bar extends its happy hour offerings from opening until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. There’s $6 beers, $8 cocktail classics like mojitos and Moscow mules, and $8 bar bites ranging from pork sliders to chicken wings.

1946 Fern St, San Diego, CA 92102
(619) 255-9591
(619) 255-9591
A cocktail bar with bar stools. Fernside/Facebook

Also featured in:

Monello

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The longtime Italian restaurant’s famous aperitivo, featuring complimentary light bites with the purchase of beer, wine, or a cocktail, was recently enhanced by a drink list that includes an espresso martini and appealing cocktails such as the Sangue e Fuoco with Bombay gin, lemon, oregano syrup, blood orange puree, and R&D fire bitters and the Pompelmo Amaro, a mix of Campari, vermouth, grapefruit juice, lime, demerara, egg white, and R&D citrus bitters.

750 W Fir St, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 501-0030
(619) 501-0030
A smoking cocktail.
Monello

Also featured in:

The Craft Creamery

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The Point Loma scoop shop’s kid-friendly happy hour runs weekdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. when children age 12 and under receive 50 percent off. Recently-remodeled and now partnered with local Moniker Coffee Co., the store sources its rotating flavors from independent creameries from across the nation, from San Diego’s own Mutual Friend to longstanding brands like Fosselman’s and Petersen’s Ice Cream, offering scoop flights, affogatos, and pints to-go.

1302 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92106
(619) 618-2240
(619) 618-2240
The front of an ice cream shop. The Craft Creamery

Craft & Commerce

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One of Little Italy’s foundational bars features 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. happy hour Monday through Thursday, and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, offers cocktails for $8 and a variety of specials on food including the C&C Slider and fried cauliflower.

675 W Beech St, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 269-2202
(619) 269-2202
A modern, industrial cocktail bar. Arlene Ibarra

Also featured in:

Fisher's

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Offered at the bar or patio, Fisher’s happy hour runs Monday to Thursday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The Mexico City seafood specialist offers deals on some of its most popular dishes, including shrimp cocktail, spicy tuna tostatas, and adobada fish quesadillas as well as cocktails such as the Maria Mezcal made with mezcal, hibiscus, lime, and orange juice.

555 W Beech St, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 915-4823
(619) 915-4823
Spicy tuna tostadas.
Spicy tuna tostadas.
Fisher’s San Diego

Saint James French Diner

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Downtown’s new chic bistro, which anchors the Palihotel, offers a rare happy hour that extends through the weekend. Featured Wednesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., it includes half-priced burgers created by executive chef Casey Lane, such as the burger Parisenne topped with caramelized onions, American cheese, and bordelaise sauce, as well as an $8 cocktail of the day and specials on select wines by the glass.

830 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 678-1007
(619) 678-1007
A burger and fries.
A burger and frites.
Saint James French Diner

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Provisional Kitchen

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Offered at the bar or on the patio, this Gaslamp restaurant’s cocktail hour runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday with specially-priced beer, wine, and cocktails like the Seaport Sparkler (tequila, vermouth, lemon, grapefruit) and Italian-style bites ranging from fried burrata to yellowtail crudo and tiramisu.

425 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 738-7300
(619) 738-7300
Assorted cocktails.
Featured cocktail hour drinks at Provisional Kitchen
Matt Furman

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Park 101

3040 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad, CA 92008

The sprawling 8,000-square-foot restaurant and sports bar in Carlsbad Village is known for its barbecue but chef Quinnton “Q” Austin recently rolled out a companion seafood-focused spot in the space. Called the Trap Shack, it’s offering everything from crawfish chowder-topped tater tots to Maine lobster rolls and a shrimp boil. Sample the menu during Park 101’s weekday 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. happy hour, when house cocktails, draft beer, and wine are all discounted.

3040 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad, CA 92008
(760) 434-2217
(760) 434-2217
A shrimp boil.
The “Boil-Bachi” shrimp boil.
The Trap Shack

Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters

2259 Avenida De La Playa, La Jolla, CA 92037

The breezy La Jolla Shores restaurant’s 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. happy hour is pleasingly robust, with $4 off draft beer, wine, specialty cocktails, and well drinks and an extensive list of food that includes menu favorites like Baja fish tacos, smashburgers, steamed mussels, and crispy shrimp.

 

2259 Avenida De La Playa, La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 228-5655
(858) 228-5655
Baja fish taco
Baja fish taco
Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters

Captain's Quarters

910 Grand Ave Ste 105-107, San Diego, CA 92109

The immersive nautical-styled speakeasy in Pacific Beach spotlights happy hour on weekdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., with deals on classic cocktails like gimlets and gin and tonics as well as food specials on bar bites.

910 Grand Ave Ste 105-107, San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 412-5237
(858) 412-5237
Kimberly Motos

Bleu Bohème

4090 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116

Kensington’s stalwart French restaurant has reinstated their social hour, available at the bar from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. It includes an assortment of dishes from executive chef

Ken Irvine, including escargot, crab croquettes, and mushroom ravioli along with deals on beer, wine, and cocktails.

 

4090 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 255-4167
(619) 255-4167

Johnston's

4628 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92116

The University Heights bar and restaurant has a weekday 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. happy hour with an array of beverage specials, from its JDS Old Fashioned and 1888 Mule to draft beer, select wine, and well drinks all priced at $7. Snack-wise, chef Peter Ziegler is serving up fried cheese ($8) and housemade chips with beer cheese ($6).

4628 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 546-9187
(619) 546-9187
A restaurant with a front patio. Harrison Photographic

Fort Oak

1011 Fort Stockton Dr, San Diego, CA 92103

Fort Oak opens its bar and patio an hour early every Monday for a weekly 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. oyster-focused happy hour. Oyster Mondays feature $1 freshly-shucked oysters as well as wine and cocktails at special prices and other select food specials like chef Brad Wise’s signature half-pound burger topped with fried egg aioli, truffled onion jam, and cheddar. 

1011 Fort Stockton Dr, San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 722-3398
(619) 722-3398
Trust Restaurant Group

Patisserie Melanie

3750 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104

North Park’s charming French bakery has expanded beyond the morning hours to offer lunch and happy hour menus overseen by chef Anthony Bruno (The French Laundry, Café Chloe) with dinner service on the horizon. Running from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, the happy hour specials include a burger called Le Royale with cheese, featuring a blend of chuck, short rib, and brisket for the beef patty and a topping of brûléed Gruyère and Laphroiag-caramelized onions. There’s also a cheese and charcuterie plate as well as deals on beer and wine.

3750 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 677-2132
(619) 677-2132
A cheeseburger and a beer.
Le Royale with cheese.
Patisserie Melanie

Fernside

1946 Fern St, San Diego, CA 92102

South Park’s friendly neighborhood bar extends its happy hour offerings from opening until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. There’s $6 beers, $8 cocktail classics like mojitos and Moscow mules, and $8 bar bites ranging from pork sliders to chicken wings.

1946 Fern St, San Diego, CA 92102
(619) 255-9591
(619) 255-9591
A cocktail bar with bar stools. Fernside/Facebook

Monello

750 W Fir St, San Diego, CA 92101

The longtime Italian restaurant’s famous aperitivo, featuring complimentary light bites with the purchase of beer, wine, or a cocktail, was recently enhanced by a drink list that includes an espresso martini and appealing cocktails such as the Sangue e Fuoco with Bombay gin, lemon, oregano syrup, blood orange puree, and R&D fire bitters and the Pompelmo Amaro, a mix of Campari, vermouth, grapefruit juice, lime, demerara, egg white, and R&D citrus bitters.

750 W Fir St, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 501-0030
(619) 501-0030
A smoking cocktail.
Monello

The Craft Creamery

1302 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92106

The Point Loma scoop shop’s kid-friendly happy hour runs weekdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. when children age 12 and under receive 50 percent off. Recently-remodeled and now partnered with local Moniker Coffee Co., the store sources its rotating flavors from independent creameries from across the nation, from San Diego’s own Mutual Friend to longstanding brands like Fosselman’s and Petersen’s Ice Cream, offering scoop flights, affogatos, and pints to-go.

1302 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92106
(619) 618-2240
(619) 618-2240
The front of an ice cream shop. The Craft Creamery

Craft & Commerce

675 W Beech St, San Diego, CA 92101

One of Little Italy’s foundational bars features 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. happy hour Monday through Thursday, and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, offers cocktails for $8 and a variety of specials on food including the C&C Slider and fried cauliflower.

675 W Beech St, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 269-2202
(619) 269-2202
A modern, industrial cocktail bar. Arlene Ibarra

Fisher's

555 W Beech St, San Diego, CA 92101

Offered at the bar or patio, Fisher’s happy hour runs Monday to Thursday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The Mexico City seafood specialist offers deals on some of its most popular dishes, including shrimp cocktail, spicy tuna tostatas, and adobada fish quesadillas as well as cocktails such as the Maria Mezcal made with mezcal, hibiscus, lime, and orange juice.

555 W Beech St, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 915-4823
(619) 915-4823
Spicy tuna tostadas.
Spicy tuna tostadas.
Fisher’s San Diego

Saint James French Diner

830 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Downtown’s new chic bistro, which anchors the Palihotel, offers a rare happy hour that extends through the weekend. Featured Wednesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., it includes half-priced burgers created by executive chef Casey Lane, such as the burger Parisenne topped with caramelized onions, American cheese, and bordelaise sauce, as well as an $8 cocktail of the day and specials on select wines by the glass.

830 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 678-1007
(619) 678-1007
A burger and fries.
A burger and frites.
Saint James French Diner

Provisional Kitchen

425 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Offered at the bar or on the patio, this Gaslamp restaurant’s cocktail hour runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday with specially-priced beer, wine, and cocktails like the Seaport Sparkler (tequila, vermouth, lemon, grapefruit) and Italian-style bites ranging from fried burrata to yellowtail crudo and tiramisu.

425 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 738-7300
(619) 738-7300
Assorted cocktails.
Featured cocktail hour drinks at Provisional Kitchen
Matt Furman

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