The hour(s) that are happier than ever! The feeling of getting to enjoy good food and drinks after a weekday is unmatched! San Francisco has some of the most creative ways to offer happy hour and pull in guests from all over the city and even within the Bay Area. Now that indoor and outdoor dining is available again, it is more of an incentive to get out to your favorite places or try a new spot you’ve been craving to go! Over the years I’ve been to many amazing happy hour spots and this list is a few of my recent favorites!
Beretta: this Italian-style restaurant gained notoriety as the Mission District staple at Valencia and 23rd, and is a long-time industry favorite. Now Beretta has opened a pop-up store on Divisadero street where patrons can get all their favorite items from the pizza, to the appetizers and cocktails. Happy hour is from 4-6pm here and includes 3 cocktails (aperol spritz, valenciana, and diablo), 3 wines (red, white, sparkling), and 3 appetizers (fried cauliflower, caper aioli, meatball in spicy marinara, and pizza margherita). All the happy hour drinks are $6 which is a steal in San Francisco! My favorite cocktail was the Valenciana!
Mezcalito: A craft cocktail bar in Russian Hill offering Mexican regional plates with an extensive menu featuring the best traditional Mezcals available. The space is lively, casual, and artsy. Conversation pieces range from a Mezcal Altar, a wall of pickled vegetables, Huichol beaded artwork, Chacmool sculpture, beautifully lighted Mezcal locker wall and an exterior mural. They offer Mezcal Tastings: Taste a time & place in Mexico. For those interested, they offer various flights and an impressive Mezcal collection to customize a tasting. Happy hour is from 5-6:30pm. Grilled fish tacos, mezcalito burger, and guacamole and chips are my favorite items on the menu, along with their famous house mezcal margarita!
Dumpling Time: A dumpling and beer house from the acclaimed restaurant team behind San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Omakase and Niku Steakhouse. One of the unique features of Dumpling Time is that it allows guests to watch dumplings being made by hand throughout the day. If you are a dumpling fan you must come here, as they offer 6 different types of dumplings! This place doesn’t have an official happy hour menu, but the entire menu might as well be! Almost all the items on the menu are $10 or less, including the drinks! It is best to order family-style here and grab 4-5 items on the menu to share. The crispy vegetable spring rolls, pork gyoza, siu mai pork and shrimp dumplings, and the gan ban noodles were my personal favorites! For drinks, I recommend the Caligraft Tiki Time or the Fort Point Animal IPA!
El Techo: One of my favorite places in all of San Francisco! As the most well-known rooftop restaurant bar in the city, El Techo has a wide range of incredible items on their menu that attracts crowds from all over. Located in the heart of the Mission atop sister restaurant Lolinda, El Techo serves Latin American street food and cocktails in an unparalleled rooftop location with expansive city views. Seats at the all-alfresco El Techo are highly coveted, and patrons line up early to score a spot. The roof stays open come rain or come shine, thanks to heat lamps and wind screens. Happy hour here is from 4-6pm and offers the following: $4 beers, $7 cocktails, $18 sangria pitcher, $4 tacos, and select appetizers for $5-7!
Palm House: Situated behind the oldest palm tree in San Francisco, Palm House evokes a bygone era of tropical leisure. Palm House invites you to experience its bold flavors, tropical eats, quixotic drinks and humble service in the spirit of the old adage, “It’s happy hour somewhere.” Happy hour here is 4-6pm. Half off bottles of wine, $6 palm house slushy, $1 off beer, $7 Old Cuban and Chipotle Mango Margarita, and appetizers ranging from $4-6. My favorites are the island wings and jerk spiced fries!
I hope you enjoyed my SF’s Happy Hour spots post and found it helpful for your upcoming endeavors! Please comment thoughts and questions below, and share with your friends and family! Thank you for your continued support!
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