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Newly updated in 2011, a look at the best of the many Happy Hours in LA's Beach Cities.

South Bay Happy Hours
Best Bargains at the Beach Cities Bars

Being happy at Happy Hour is what it's all about in the South Bay,

Discounted drinks and diminutive dinners. A social setup mixed better than a martini.

Happy Hours have been around seemingly forever. It's just that now with layoffs, the recession and issues with the economy, professionals are having to live a little like college students again.

The South Bay has lacked a one-spot "go to" Happy Hour destination since the demise of Tequila Willie's more than a decade ago. What the beach cities of Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo now offer are a chorus of choices, each distinctive in its own crowd and atmosphere. It's more like a full-course menu rather than a single appetizer. But which spots have the best Happy Hours?

This article the the answers, and it has been updated in January of 2011.

PubClub.com's criteria in judging the Best Happy Hours are simple: Establishments that combine Happy Hour deals with a ripe social atmosphere that also has the staying power to keep people in the bar after the food and drink specials have expired. They combine the come-hither attraction of a sex symbol with the substance of a Super Bowl champion.

Most of these places are at their peak on Friday from 5:30-7. But that's not always the case and other popular nights are noticed and noted. Be sure and see the section on weekday specials, a look at which locations have what on given days of the week.

For this article, PubClub.com has examined four areas: Hermosa Beach, downtown Manhattan Beach, El Porto (or North Manhattan for you newbies) and what is referred to as the "Rosecrans corridor," the lineup of restaurants along or near Rosecrans just east of PCH.

Generally speaking, the Hermosa Beach Pier gets the youngest crowd (20s to mid-30s), the Rosecrans corridor has mid-30s and up professionals and downtown MB and El Porto have a combination of both age groups and lifestyles.

And if this is not enough, PubClub.com has a separate article that details food & drink specials every night of the week. Ahh, life in the South Bay.

Agree with these choices? Disagree? Have any thoughts, suggestions or comments? Send us an e-mail and we'll post it.

• #2 SALT CREEK GRILL

The best place to mingle at Salt Creek Grille is the couch lounge.

An elegant restaurant in the new El Segundo Plaza, the Salt Creek Grill is one many places along the Rosecrans corridor that attracts the true Happy Hour crowd – those who come in after work for a few cheap(er) drinks and food before heading home or elsewhere for the night. The largest of the Happy Hour bars, Salt Creek offers a soothing setting to set the weekend mood with a living room setting by a fireplace, a comfortable patio, spacious and classy bar area, and live music (though it's a bit too loud, making mild conversations challenging). There's free wireless Internet for those who want to get in a bit of business before the tables and barstools are taken. The mingling area is on the couches and the best nights are Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 4-6:30 p.m.
Specials: $4 draft beers, Half-priced wines by the glass (Salt Creek has some excellent choices). Additional specials are 1/2-priced mini-bottles of wines (Monday, 4-close) and wines by the glass (Wednesday, 4-close) and $8 martinis (Thursday, 4-6:30). Food menu includes three mini Kobe burgers, shrimp stuffed with horseradish, baby-back ribs, $8.
Best Food Choice: The ribs. They fall off the bone and come with fries.

• #3 SAINT ROCKE

Happy Hour ends at 7:30, but people often stay for the live entertainment.

The place is so beautiful it's hard to believe it was ever an old dive bar, the Pitcher House. It's nice decor and live music bring in people for Happy Hour and keep them afterward. Some people say Saint Rocke is their top Happy Hour choice. The best nights are Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 5-7:30 p.m.
Specials: $5 on all food and drinks. Food items includes Kobe beef (and grilled chicken) sliders, chicken tacos and calamari,
Best Food Choice: The Kobe burgers are the most popular item but also consider the Baja tacos.
Review: Saint Rocke Happy Hour

• #4 MUCHO

At $5 each, drinks and appetizers are good as Mucho, as is the bar.

The thing that impresses about Mucho is the food and the mood. Both are good. It's casual/upscale and so are the patrons. The tasty appetizers and cool "beached up" crowd make it quite tempting to stay past the expiration time of Happy Hour. As a result, a couple of drinks and appetizers can easily turn into a longer night than originally anticipated. And that is what makes a winning Happy Hour. The margaritas, which include flavors such as strawberry and mango, contain a lot of ice but also a lot of tequila. If Mucho was the size of Salt Creek, it would be a strong challenger for the #1 position, and what elevates it slightly about the fourth- and fifth-ranked Happy Hours places.
Happy Hour Specifics: Sun-Fri, 5-6:30 p.m. (Note: The Happy Hour has recently been extended to Friday.)
Specials: $5 margaritas, beer, house wines and appetizers with free chips and salsa. The appetizer menu is limited but satisfying: chicken quesadilla, carnitas sliders and chicken taquitos,
Best Food Choice: Taquitos. Also the BBQ Shrimp tacos (2).

• #5 UNION CATTLE & OCEAN CLUB

The burger is tall and comes with tasty fries; it's the best HH food item.

The atmosphere along makes Union Cattle an outstanding Happy Hour destination.

It's upstairs Ocean Bar has not only a view of the Pacific but also a fireplace. This is adjacent to a classy bar with lots of seating and a third option is the bar on the main floor. In other words, there's good space here, and that's a good thing because this is a popular spot to spend a Happy Hour.

The specials have changed recently, mainly with the menu. The star of the show is the burger that comes with good-tasting fries; it's $8 and is a full meal. The Ahi Tuna "small plate" is algo good; the rest of the food items on the Happy Hour menu are appetizers.

Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 5-7 p.m.
Specials: $5 draughts, select wines, margaritas and a grog. Food items are mostly appetizers
Best Food Choice: Burger.

Review: Union Cattle Happy Hour

• MORE SOUTH BAY HAPPY HOURS

• BLUE 32

The friendly lounge by the sea has been getting grilled by the Hermosa Beach City Council but it won't get it from us for its Happy Hour specials. "Blue" as locals call it, has great food and a calm coolness about the place. What's best, arrive by 7 or 7:30, load up on the appetizers and drinks, and be set for when the place gets cranking by 9ish on Thursdays and Fridays. You're already in, settled, and on your way to a great night.
Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 4-8p.m.
Specials: Buckets of Bud, Miller and Corona (5 bottles), $15. Single beers $5 (this is not a Happy Hour special but regular price). Half-priced appetizers from a menu that includes blue crab cakes ($7), mac and blue cheese ($7), braised beef quesadilla ($8). and nachos ($10).
Best Food Choice: Nachos.

• COZYMEL'S

Cozymel's is the only cantina in the Rosecrans area. Some Happy Hour regulars scoff at the place, feeling it's not as nice as the other places. But it has a great setup with an outdoor patio and fireplace. And of course, it has margaritas! The house ones are okay, a bit of a "corporate pour" but made with fresh lime juice and not a mix. Put this one under "plenty of potential."
Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 4-7 p.m.
Specials: $3.50 house margaritas ($4.50 large size), $2.25 domestic beers, $3.25 imported. Food includes nachos and quesadilla ($6.25)
Best Food Choice: Shrimp Flameado. It's shrimp in a cheese sauce that's set on fire, and it comes with three tortillas ($5.25)

• FLEMING'S

The cheeseburger with a $3 Stella at Fleming's Steakhouse.

The draw here is simple: It's a hamburger.

And that leads to its drawback: It's so popular it can be difficult to get a seat to enjoy that hamburger.

Actually, it's really a bacon cheeseburger, and it's made with high-quality meat, comes with a couple of large onion rings and a mini-wedge of lettuce. In other words, it's a full meal.

Served in the quaint bar area, it comes with $6 wine or cocktails and there's always a $3 draught beer (this rotates and the taps include Stella Aritos, so it's high-quality offerings).

Happy Hour Specifics: 5-7 p.m., seven days a week (including holidays)

Specials: Five to seven, meaning five different cocktails, wines by the glass and appetizers, until 7 p.m. $6 each, plus a $3 draught beer of the day. In addiiton to the burger, appetizers include lobster tempura, calamari, Cajun BBQ shrimp, roasted mushroom ravioli and French Onion soup.

Best Food Choice: Fleming's Prime Burger ($6).

Review: Fleming's Happy Hour

MANGIAMO

Half-priced wine and goat cheese brushetta help make Mangiamo shine.

A classy place with the "fish bowl" window looking out over the Pier and the foot traffic of Manhattan Beach Blvd., this Italian restaurant is a very good call for Happy Hour in the South Bay.

It has an array of excellent wines for half price and half-priced beer, as well. The bar brings in people mostly in pairs (sometimes, but not always, couples) and locals have a great rapport with management and the bartender. It's not unusual for all the stools and seats to be taken at Happy Hour, so it's advisable to be among the first to secure a coveted spot, for this is an intimate place in a classy, cozy but also beach casual environment.

The quality of the vino served here makes the drinks a great deal; the menu is good but unlike many other Happy Hour places the items are priced more to savor than to move.

In addition to the weekday Happy Hour, Mangiamo also has Pasta Night on Sundays (chef's special w/salad for $18) and Lobster Fest on Mondays (1 1/4-pound lobster dinner, $25).

The Tiger prawns and tuna tar tar are popular menu choices.

Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 5-6:30 p.m.
Specials: Half-priced wine by the glass and beer. Happy Hour Menu. Braised short rib quesadilla ($8), tuna tar tar wiht crispy shallots ($10), grilled Tiger prawns ($9), mac & cheese ($8), goat cheese brushetta.
Best Food Choice: The grilled Tiger prawns aresauteed in garlic butter with red chili peppers, but the real prize is the least expensive item on the menu: The goat cheese brushetta.

• MEDITERRANEO

It has one of the bigger of the relatively modest patios on the Hermosa Beach Pier. And it's usually full for its very loyal locals who love the half-priced tapas for Happy Hour.

The food quality is good and the ambiance is ideal for groups who want to gather together. It's not necessarily ideal for mingling; the reason for that is most people are in small groups and are having too good a time together to pay attention to the other tables. The problem with Mediterraneo's Happy Hour is that some of its best taps are not on the Happy Hour menu. A prime example of this is the prosciutto-wrapped asparagus.

Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 5-7 p.m.
Specials: Half-priced tapas (not ALL tapas; the severs are good about pointing out which ones are included and which ones are not), half-priced draft beer and house wine.

• McCORMICK & SCHMICK'S

For a long time, this was the "happening spot" among workers in the Rosecrans corridor. It still gets a crowd but the problem is that there is little mingling going on between people at the tables and at the bar. The patio is a better place to hang. The food specials are the place's calling card and some local businesses receive $20 food and drink coupons. So you may see someone you know here. As an additional bonus, PF Chang's is across the street and while it has no Happy Hour specials, it makes for a nice change of pace to bounce between the two places. It's impossible to beat the cheeseburger bargain at McCormick's but the tab can add up quickly with drinks. For instance,PubClub's tab for two appetizers and three beers was $22.78.
Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 4-6:30 p.m. 9-11 p.m.
Specials: No drinks specials, only food. Menu includes quesadillas, wings and a Cajun chicken sandwich.
Best Food Choice: The cheeseburger. A 1/3 pound full patty with fries.

• PATRICK MOLLOY'S

It's location on the Hermosa Beach Pier and next to Sharkeez make this an ideal spot for Happy Hour. The small patio is popular on nice days and evenings (which are most of them) and the staff is always smiling. The drink specials are good – $3 Stellas for example – and goes until 8, an hour later than its next door neighbor. There are several food choices in different price categories. While the menu is extensive, only a few items are really good so ordering the same three or four items can be a bit "routinish" after a few visits. It's also not quite the social beehive of its neighbor to the east.
Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 4-8 p.m.
Specials: Half-priced drinks (all but premium). The food menu has choices for ranging from $2,95-5.95 (note the $4.95 burger does not include a side). Request extra sauce for the pepperoni pizza.
Best Food Choice: Hermosa skewers ($5.95).

• SHARK'S COVE

There are two locations, on Hermosa Ave., and Manhattan Beach Blvd. PubClub prefers the latter because it has more of a cozy feel. The Happy Hour is combined with daily specials, a couple of which don't kick in until after 8 and go until closing, making it a welcome change from the rush to get in that order the minute before Happy Hour ends. The bar is a great place to sit if it's open because the bartenders are accommodating and readily engage in conversation.
Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 3-7 p.m., weekends open-7:30 p.m.
Specials: $3 beers, $3 wells, $5 house wines. The appetizer menu is limited with 30-cent wings and a $695 combo platter (wings, Jalapeno poppers, nachos, fries) but there are daily specials click here for details.
Best Food Choice: Wings.

• SHELLBACK TAVERN

The legendary beach dive at the pier is an ideal off-the-beach bar. It is particularly popular in the summer months and when the volleyball classes end at sunset as many players make a stop in Shellback a priority. For some long-time locals, this a second home for Happy Hour regardless of the season or the reason.
Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 4-7 p.m.
Specials: $3.25 well, $2 of pitchers and $1 off all draft. Half-priced appetizers include wings ($3.50), crispy tacos ($3) and chicken quesadillas. ($4).
Best Food Choice: Chicken quesadillas.

• SHORE

The fun, friendly enviroment of Shore gets even better with its Happy Hour. The best thing about it are not even the specials but the fact it includes the weekends. It's a great way to start a weekend night, Friday or Saturday.
Happy Hour Specifics: Tues-F, 5:30-7:30 p.m., weekends open-7:30 p.m.
Specials: $3 beers, $4 wells and house wines. $6 martinis. Appetizers from $5-7, includes tacos (maui, shrimp or steak, $6), chicken and waffles ($7) and skirt steak sandwich ($7).
Best Food Choice: Mini tacos.

• WATERMAN'S

This Polynesian-themed bar – a favorite of PubClub – on the Hermosa Beach Pier has a killer deal. That's because it has premium beers at incredible prices. How's a coveted Longboard Lager for just $2.75. Plus Stella, Drifter and more. And they are served in a tall, real glass! It's awesome, that's what it's like, folks.

When the weather is nice – and there's an average of 325 days of sunshine in L.A. – the place to enjoy these great brews is on the patio with a view of the Pacific and others on the Pier Plaza.

Happy Hour Specifics: M-F, 4-7 p.m.
Specials: Half-priced drinks, including premium draught beers.

COMMENTS

• This article was last updated in March of 2011. The Daily Grill on Rosecrans has closed and updates include Fleming's and Union Cattle.

– PubClub.com

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