Living seems to come with a strong dose of sticker shock at the moment, where anything from a trip to the grocery store to a late night Uber can make your eyes bulge in disbelief at the price.
Fortunately, though, happy hours still exist throughout Los Angeles. In that gap of time between the end of the workday and the beginning of the nightlife, plenty of bars and restaurants across the county still host discounted prices on libations and food.
In some instances, the deals simply roll back to what you remember paying before the pandemic. Other times, the prices are low enough to trigger an ‘00s flashback.
You’ll find a wealth of happy hour options along Metro routes. These can be ideal because you’ll get out of the bar early enough to catch a train home instead of refreshing your phone for a half-hour to see if the rideshare price will drop.
This list focuses on Metro’s A Line, which runs from Long Beach to Azusa. You’ll find the largest concentration of happy hours near stations in downtown Long Beach and downtown Los Angeles, as well as the stretch of stations between Highland Park and Pasadena’s Memorial Park.
Here are some of the highlights.
George’s Greek Cafe
For lamb lovers, the happy hour chops on the menu at George’s Greek are a delight. And, at $9 for two tender, flavorful mini chops, you might be tempted to order more than one plate. However, the happy hour bites available at the Long Beach restaurant are ample, with most ranging between $5 and $8 an order, so you might want to sample the mezze-style offerings instead. We ordered our lamp chops alongside an order veggie dolmathes, three small, stuffed grape leaves served with a generous drizzle of yogurt and a few forkfuls of tomato cucumber salad on the side.
As for the drinks, the $8 martini list— which includes lemon drops, Manhattans and a small variety of fruity options— is the highlight, but you can also get beer, wine and well drinks for $6. Happy hour runs daily from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. George’s Greek also has a 1/2 off draft beer special daily from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.
Location: 135 Pine Ave., Long Beach, 90802
Happy Hour: 3 p.m. until 7 p.m
Chatterbox
You can live your best indie sleaze life at Chatterbox during happy hour while sipping on a cocktail served at downtown ‘00s prices. Look for the sign of the Grayson Building glowing on Broadway, then head through the tiny sandwich shop and into Chatterbox, where the happy hour specials are posted above the bar.
When I stopped by a few months ago, select cocktails, including a fantastic mule, were $6 until 8 p.m. If you feel like sticking around late into the evening, peek inside Slipperclutch, the punk bar-within-a-bar (walk towards the bathrooms and look for the door covered in stickers) for pinball or pool.
Location: 351 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, 90013
Happy hour: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
La Cita
La Cita’s happy hour actually runs most of the day. You’ll find drink specials from when the downtown bar opens before noon until about 9 p.m. daily. The specials vary, usually it’s between $1 to $3 off per drink, so ask your bartender what’s available before you order.
While there are themes and events throughout the week, like the popular punk rock-centric Angry Hour on Fridays, there are plenty of times when you can slide up to the bar and watch a game on the television set while listening to a patron or two sing along with sad song filtering through the bar.
Location: 336 S. Hill St., Los Angeles, 90013
Happy Hour: Monday - Friday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Friday - Sunday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
The Escondite
Even at its regular price, the $10 Double D smash burger served with a side of house made chips is a pretty good deal. Knock off $2 during happy hour, which runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and you’ve got dinner with a price tag (and taste) that might beat your local fast food drive-thru.
Better than happy hour, though, is the 50-cent wings special, which a a couple friends turned me on to recently. On Mondays and during NFL games, you can order wings (buffalo, bbq or mango habanero) alongside your drink for $2.50 for five or $5 for 10. Do this during happy hour and you have an extremely budget-friendly dinner. When my husband and I came down here on a Monday happy hour, the post-tax, pre-tip bill came out $22.45 for 15 wings, plus an IPA ($6) and a well vodka tonic ($7).
Location: 410 Boyd St., DTLA 90013
Happy Hour: Monday - Friday 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Far Bar
As far as happy hour drinks go, Far Bar in Little Tokyo runs on the pricier side, with cocktails at $10-11 and a Sapporo draft and sake shot combo for $9. The food menu, though, is quite budget friendly. For solo diners, the best bet is the Far Bar Burger special, which is $13 and includes fries along with either a Sapporo or a soda. If you’re snacking with pals, get the wasabi fries ($6), which are addictive, and maybe an order of wings ($8). Happy hour runs all day on Monday and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday.
Location: 347 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, 90012
Happy hour: Monday: all day, Tuesday - Friday 3 p.m - 7 p.m.
Golden Dragon
While not a happy hour, Golden Dragon in Chinatown absolutely deserves a shout out here for its assortment of tropical drinks that are regularly priced at around $8.50. Yes, this includes the scorpion bowl. The long-running restaurant has a small, dark wood and leather bar up at the front, but you can order adult beverages along with your meal in the dining room as well. Their piña colada has become a favorite of mine.
Location: 960 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, 90012
Hours: 8.30 a.m. - 8.30 p.m.
Goldline
The Goldline is a vibe. It’s a dark bar with a living room feel where you can sip on a caipirinha while listening to folks play records from Peanut Butter Wolf’s collection. It can be, however, an expensive vibe. That’s where happy hour comes in handy. It’s still dimly lit inside Goldline between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. and selections from the famed DJs stacks will play through venue, but, at this time, the $16 caipirinha is only $10.
Location: 5607 N. Figueroa St., Highland Park 90042
Happy hour: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Canoe House
Located about a half-mile away from the South Pasadena A line stop, Canoe House might seem like a bit of a trek for those who aren’t regular Metro riders, but it’s worth the walk. The Hawaiian restaurant serves happy hour in the bar and on the patio weekdays from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. and the menu includes tasty teriyaki wings, as well as nachos that are loaded with pulled pork and avocado that, like the well drinks, draft beer and wine, are $7.
In addition to happy hour, there are also daily specials like Mai Tai Mondays, where you can get a regular Mai Tai for $7.95 or upgrade to a tiki glass for $8.95. It’s basically two drinks in one glass, served with a thick pineapple wedge and cherry on top.
Location: 805 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena 91030
Happy hour: Monday - Friday 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Congregation Cocina and Brewery
Congregation Cocina and Brewery, the church-themed craft brewer and gastropub, has three of its four locations placed along the A Line. The actual brewery is in Azusa and there are satellites in Pasadena, about a block away from the Del Mar station, and in Long Beach, near the 1st Street stop.
Note that the beers available might change from location to location, so check the signs when you get there to see what’s on tap. However, happy hour is the same at the A line-adjacent Congregations. It’s daily from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. and all-day on Thursdays. Although Congregation is best known for beer, you might want to get yourself a margarita, which will only set you back $5. As for the grub, the nachos are a heaping serving. With two diners on my trip, we could barely finish the plate, but it’s an ideal option for a group of three or four people.
Locations: Various
Happy hour: Daily 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.; all day Thursdays
Lucky Baldwin’s
The first thing you should know about happy hour at Lucky Baldwin’s is that the portions are, essentially, a meal. Most of the food options are priced between $9 and $13, so it makes for a late lunch or early dinner that’s a bit easier on the wallet than what you’ll currently find at sitdown spots across L.A.
I got the Pig in a Blanket, a full-sized sausage wrapped in flaky pastry dough and served with fries and mustard on the side for $10. Add a $6 beer to the tab and it’s still a good deal. Happy hour is from 2 p.m to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Location: 17 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, 91105
Happy hour: Monday - Thursday 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
