Picking a favorite happy hour in D.C. is like picking a favorite child. Except this is a child that you must be at least 21-years-old to drink, which is a pretty complicated relationship to have with a kid. Below are the places DCist writers find themselves returning to for a cheap drink in neighborhoods across the city.

Photo by Anokarina.

URBANA: Urbana offers one of those rare a happy hours where you can cheaply eat a dinner that doesn’t consist of Bud Light and a pile of mozzarella sticks. There are no $2 beers here, but there is $4 Peroni, $7 Manhattans, $8 Neapolitan pizzas, $5 appetizers, and $1 oysters. You can have yourself a tidy little meal and a drink or two for about twenty bucks. It’s an even bigger value when you consider that you’d easily spend twice that much ordering off the regular menu. Urbana offers happy hour from 4-7 p.m. Monday through Friday. —Alicia Mazzara

Urbana is located at 2121 P Street NW.

SUSHI TARO: Most people don’t think sushi when they think of happy hour, but Sushi Taro makes a strong case eating fish with your beer. During happy hour, regular sushi is half price, along with beer, wine, and sake. Considering that the high-quality fresh fish at Sushi Taro will normally set you back a pretty penny, this happy hour is a steal for sushi-lovers. The only downside? There are just 11 seats at the bar, so you’ll need to get there early. Sushi Taro offers happy hour from 5:30-7 p.m. Monday through Friday. —Alicia Mazzara

Sushi Taro is located at 1503 17th Street NW.

FOX AND HOUNDS: If you find yourself at Fox and Hounds during the happiest hour of the day, you are probably only after one thing: liquor in a plastic cup. Sure, domestic beers are three bucks, but why would you order beer when for just one dollar more you can get essentially two rail drinks for the price of one? For the uninitiated, Fox and Hounds serves a drink that it quaintly suggests you mix yourself: patrons are presented with a cup of booze filled three quarters of the way full, along with a pony bottle of soda. If you can stomach the first bracing sips of bottom-shelf liquor, you will be rewarded with one of the cheapest buzzes around. Fox and Hounds offers happy hour between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. —Alicia Mazzara

Fox and Hounds is located at 1537 17th Street NW.

See also: Stoney’s (1433 P Street NW), which offers a $3 grilled cheese and IPA night on Monday plus other specials; GBD (1323 Connecticut Avenue NW), which offers $3 to $5 craft beer Tuesday through Friday, from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Photo by Mr. T In DC.

PING PONG DIM SUM: Maybe I’m just a sucker for pretty cocktails and bite-sized “parcels of deliciousness,” but who isn’t?! Ping Pong Dim Sum offers great happy hour food and drink specials on weekdays from 4 – 7 p.m. Selected dim sum (including baked, fried, and steamed rolls and dumplings), cocktails, spirits, drafts, and their wine of the week are all $5 each. Or, go nuts with a cocktail pitcher for $20. My favorite happy hour drink is the lychee and roses martini (complete with a tiny rose on top) and dim sum of choice are the shrimp and bamboo dumpling and honey roasted chicken puff. —Nicole Dubowitz

Ping Pong Dim Sum is located at 1 Dupont Circle NW and at 900 7th Street NW.

MANDU: The beer selection at Mandu may be small, but it’s good and, during happy hour, cheap. Beers are $3, while mandu (a plate of six dumplings), drinks made with liquor and sojutinis (martinis made with a Korean rice spirit) for $4. The K Street location features a nice outdoor seating area. —Sarah Anne Hughes

Mandu is located at 453 K Street NW and 1805 18th Street NW.

See also: Zengo (781 Seventh Street NW), which offers $5 small plates and cocktails between 3 and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday; Oyamel (401 7th Street NW), which offers $5 margaritas and ponche, $4 beer and two-taco specials Monday through Friday, 4 to 6 p.m.; District Chophouse (509 7th Street NW), which offers handcrafted beer for $3.25 and specialty beers for $3.75 Monday through Friday, 4 to 7 p.m.

PIOLA: They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but apparently there is such a thing as free bar snacks. Head to Piola during happy hour for $3 beer, $4 wine, and appetizers like tiny pizzas, skewers, and sandwich rolls on the house. If you get there early enough, you can also enjoy “Pizza Time” (4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday), during which pizzas are just $7 or $8 between 4-6 p.m. Happy hour is available from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. —Alicia Mazzara

Piola has locations at 2208 14th Street NW and 1550 Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn.

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR: Nellie’s Beat The Clock Happy Hour can be dangerous. Monday through Friday starting at 5 pm, all vodka drinks, Miller Lites and Nellie Beers are $2, raising a dollar each hour until 8 p.m. Nellie’s is know for crowds but usually happy hour is not as packed as later in the evening. —Rohan Mahadevan

Nellie’s Sports Bar is located at 900 U Street NW.

NUMBER 9: Number 9 is one of the classiest gay bars in the city. The lounge feel makes it a perfect after work destination. If the atmosphere isn’t a reason to go, the happy hour sure is. Like other bars on the list, Number 9 has BOGO. But unlike competitors, 9’s BOGO goes until 9 p.m. The happy hour is not limited to any specific drink, so you can experiment with any of their signature cocktails. —Rohan Mahadevan

Number 9 is located at 1435 P Street NW.

See also: A&D Bar (1314 9th Street NW), which offers $4 tallboys and $5 craft drafts Monday through Friday, from 5 to 7 p.m.; Rustik Tavern (84 T Street NW), which offers $2 off all beers and $3 off selected pizzas Monday through Friday, 4 to 7 p.m.

Photo by Christopher Chen

SMOKE AND BARREL: When cherished Adams Morgan dive Asylum closed and became Smoke and Barrel, many were skeptical. Sure, nothing can replace the charming dinginess of Asylum, but the beer, bourbon, and BBQ bar that took over could have been a lot worse. In fact, it’s actually a pretty solid bar with a great happy hour that celebrates the local craft beer scene. Stop in Monday through Friday between 5 and 7 p.m. for $4 local drafts, or $5 for a glass of whiskey ($10 for a double shot). If you’re looking for grub to pair with your booze, Taco Tuesday’s offers 3 tacos and a side for $5, while Monday is wing night ($5 for a plate of wings until 11 p.m.). That’ll do, pig. — Matt Cohen

Smoke and Barrel is located at 2471 18th St NW.

See also: The Blaguard (2003 18th Street NW), which offers $2.50 tallboys, beers from $3 to $4.50, rail drinks for $4 and $.50 wings Monday through Friday, 5 to 8 p.m.; Madam’s Organ (2461 18th Street NW), which offers half-price beer, wine and rail drinks Friday thorough Wednesday, from 5 to 8 p.m.

NOOSHI: With two locations in D.C., the newer one on Barracks row, all drinks ay Nooshi are half-off between 3 and 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. While there aren’t any food specials, the prices are pretty reasonable to begin with. And it just feels so good to pay $3.50 for a Dogfish Head at a decent hour on the Hill. —Sarah Anne Hughes

See also: Mr.Henry’s (601 Pennsylvania Avenue SE), which offers $3.50 drafts Monday through Friday, from 4 to 7 p.m., and reverse happy hour and BOGO on Sunday from 9 p.m. until close; Catina Marina (600 Water Street SW), which offers all days specials including $3 Tecate Tuesday and $4.50 Fat Tire Thursday; Sonoma (223 Pennsylvania Avenue SE), which offers $4 Peroni draft and three small plates for $9 upstairs in the Avenue Lounge, Monday through Friday, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

GRANVILLE MOORE’S: There are plenty of great places to drink on H Street NE, but Granville Moore’s has the most impressive beer list. Between 5 and 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, drafts are half off, while a half order of mussels will run you $8. —Sarah Anne Hughes

Granville Moore’s is located at 1238 H Street NE.

See also: The Argonaut (1433 H Street NE), which offers half-priced drafts during the same period Monday through Friday, and Smith Commons (1245 H Street NE), which offers $5 cocktails, beer and wine at the bar, Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m.

BRAVO: Bravo Bar, the newish, small, relaxed neighborhood bar at Georgia Avenue and Hobart Street, has a slew of good happy hour deals. Like DC Reynolds up the street, they have one of the newly trendy buy one, get one free happy hours until 8 p.m., but the real standout is $6 for a PBR, shot and hot dog before 8 p.m. After 8, it’s still $6, just without the hot dog. —Andrew Wiseman

Bravo is located at 2917 Georgia Avenue NW.

DC REYNOLDS: Look, you can discount special draft beers and cocktails all you want and call it “Happy Hour,” but nothing compares to the joy of buying one drink and GETTING A SECOND ONE FOR FREE. Yes, that’s right, Petworth’s DC Reynold’s happy hour is a no-frills special: from 5 to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, buy any drink, get any drink for free. Glory be. — Matt Cohen

DC Reynolds is located at 3628 Georgia Avenue NW.

See also: Kangaroo Boxing Club (3410 11th Street NW), which offers a burger and fries for $6, $3 well drinks, $4 wine, drafts and whiskey, Monday through Friday from 5 to 6:30 p.m; El Chucho (3313 11th Street NW), which offers $4 margaritas and beers plus half-off tacos all week; Red Derby, where the beer drops in price $1 between 5 and 8 p.m. everyday. That means $1 beer.