Do you feel it? That end-of-summer mourning in the air? Autumn’s equinox still lies ahead of us, which means it’s the perfect time of year to bask in the bittersweetness of summer’s end. Feel what you need to feel, but don’t forget that when the outdoor movies and concerts leave the D.C. area, so do the heat waves, humidity and mosquitoes. And when fall comes, it brings (however briefly) near-perfect temperatures, bright colors, and delicious seasonal drinks.
If you need a light at the end of the tunnel to get you through the changing of the seasons, or — less existentially — you’re just looking for a new spot for post-work drinks, we’ve got you covered. Here are eight new happy hours around D.C. that you should check out this fall.
CHESAPEAKE CRAB HOUSE: Drinks, With a Side of Crab
925 U St. NW
Happy hour(s): Wednesday-Friday, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
A little bit of Chesapeake Bay has arrived in the heart of Shaw. Chesapeake Crab Shack & Bar, a crab house from the mind of restaurateur Daniel Kramer, officially opened its doors on August 19, and they’re now offering a three-day-a-week happy hour. Beers go for $5, and a glass of wine or a rail drink is $7. Don’t miss out on an orange or grapefruit crush, a house specialty. The crabs remain market price during happy hour — no surprise, given the low numbers in the bay this year, but starters such as crab mac-and-cheese ($17) and crab soup ($9) are $2 off. Chesapeake Crab House is entirely outdoors, so you can enjoy cooling weather and on their spacious patio.
HOLLINGER’S: Raw Bar and Booze
8606 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring
Happy hour(s): Weekdays from 4 p.m.- 6 p.m.
Indulge your stomach without indulging your wallet too much at J. Hollinger’s Waterman’s Chophouse, the latest Silver Spring restaurant from namesake Jerry Hollinger (his other ventures are The Daily Dish and The Dish & Dram). The new seafood establishment offers a happy hour menu with a mix of luxurious foods and drinks, including raw bar offerings like a half lobster, a crab cocktail, or six oysters for $18 each, and non-seafood bites like steak and cheese egg rolls and fries doused in gravy and cheese (both $10). On the discounted drink menu, you’ll find $10 craft cocktails like a rum, coconut and campari concoction called Fools Crush In, $9 classic cocktails, $8 wine glasses and $6 beers.
CLARENDON BALLROOM: Evening With a View
3185 Wilson Blvd.
Happy hour(s): Wednesday-Friday, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.
Summer may be rooftop season, but the more sufferable weather of early fall may be better suited for a terrace rendezvous. Have yours this season at Clarendon Ballroom, which is opening back up permanently for the first time since 2020. (The iconic venue never fully left, but operated with pop-up themed bars for the last two years.) The beloved spot has gotten a lot of upgrades, and its spacious rooftop also got a facelift with cabanas and a new happy hour that features $6 rail cocktails; $5 margaritas, wine and seltzers; and $3 domestic beers. Protip: the happy hour runs a few hours later than most in the area, though it’s only three days a week.
MI VIDA: Tacos and Tequila
1901 14th St. NW
Happy hour(s): Weekdays from 3 p.m.-6 p.m.
At the newly-opened 14th Street Mi Vida, the “hora feliz,” menu is nearly identical to the at the original Mi Vida at The Wharf, except for the addition of a “fiesta de botanas,” a sampling menu of the restaurant’s most popular grub. Priced based on the size of your group ($35 for three, $47 for four, and $59 for five), the platter includes chicken taquitos, a shrimp cocktail, steak skewers, empanadas and chicharrones. If you’re not in the mood for a party, you can still take advantage of the deals: chicken wings go for $2 each, a plate of taquitos costs $6, and queso fundido is $8. Drinks-wise, you’ll find tequila cocktails starting at $7, wine for $7, and $5 beers. Don’t forget about Taco Tuesday — you can score two tacos for $9 during happy hour.
PAPPE: Kathi and Cocktails
1317 14th St. NW
Happy hour(s): Every day from 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
Cocktails and kathi rolls go hand in hand on Pappe’s new happy hour menu. The modern Indian restaurant brought some much-needed South Asian cuisine to the 14th Street corridor when they opened in 2018. They’re keeping things fresh with recently-debuted happy hour offerings, which include kathi rolls, a Bengali street food consisting of a kebab wrapped in a paratha flatbread. Lamb, spicy chicken, paneer and chickpea masala varieties start at $7 on the discounted menu, which is offered seven days a week (a rarity on this list). Pair your roll with a $12 old fashioned, French 75, or a Ginger Bliss, which mixes rum, elderflower and fresh ginger. Moscow mules and house wines are available for $10, and draft beers are $2 off.
FIGHT CLUB: Three Rounds
633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Happy hour(s): Weekdays from 12 p.m.-2 p.m., 4 p.m-6 p.m., and 11 p.m-12 a.m.
Are we allowed to talk about the happy hour at Fight Club? Because we should: the thrice daily event is one of the best new deals in the city. The sandwich shop, a former pop-up, now has a permanent location in Capitol Hill, and their recently debuted happy hour menu is offered on weekdays at lunch, traditional happy hour time, and around closing. On the menu you’ll find $10 glasses of wine, $2 off draft beers, and boilermakers — a 16 oz. beer served with a shot of rye whiskey — for $7. (No food specials here, though many of their sandwiches are big enough to feed two if you’ve got a friend willing to split.)
REBEL TACO: Sangria and Margaritas
508 K St. NW
Happy hour(s): Every day from 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
A daily happy hour between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. sounds too good to be true, but it’s the reality at Rebel Taco’s new K Street NW location, which opened its doors last month. The Mexican street food establishment has outposts in Arlington, Loudoun County, and Philadelphia, and had a brief stint on U Street NW. Now, they’re bringing tacos to Mount Vernon Triangle. (They’re not alone, as Eater points out.) On the Rebel Taco happy hour menu, you’ll find $8 margaritas, $6 sangrias and wines and $4.50 beers as well as $20 buckets of beer and $36 margarita pitchers. Only booze is eligible for a discount, but even at full-price, the food doesn’t break the bank, with tacos starting at $3.75.
UNCONVENTIONAL DINER: Highballs and Habanero Butter
1207 Ninth St. NW
Happy hour(s): Weekdays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Got the summer’s ending blues? Comfort yourself with comfort food from Unconventional Diner, Ninth Street NW diner that has landed a spot on Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand list since 2018. Their new happy hour menu, offered weekdays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., features $6 cornbread muffins with habanero butter, $7 kale nachos, $10 crab fritters with remoulade, and $7 pot pie poppers. Fill up your glass with a $6 draft beer or wine, $8 highballs, or $10 cocktails. On the cocktail menu is a dirty shirley, an old fashioned, a Heart of Gold (tequila, pineapple, lime, soda), and a Pink Panther (mezcal, lime, grapefruit soda).
RED BEAR BREWING: Half Smokes and Beer
209 M St. NE
Happy hour(s): Mondays-Thursdays from 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
Physically, you might be at NoMa mainstay Red Bear Brewing, but mentally, you could be on the coast of Italy while you sip a FuROARi, the brewery’s take on an Italian Pilsner. The beer’s can just got a makeover, and during happy hour, you can score one for $5.75. Red Bear’s new happy hour menu is geared more toward day drinking, with a time that expires at 5 p.m. It does have discounted food items, which include $14 crab cakes and an $8 half smoke. With ample outdoor and indoor seating, Red Bear is equipped to be your daytime spot all season long.
SUCCOTASH PRIME: Southern Hospitality All Day Long
915 F St. NW
Happy hour(s): Weekdays from 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m, weekends from 4 p.m.-8 p.m.
The length and frequency of Succotash Prime’s newly-launched happy hour begs the question: Are they really offering a happy hour? Or are they just offering an odd few unhappy hours? Either way, we’re not complaining. At Chef Edward Lee’s progressive take on Southern classics, a discounted menu is offered basically all day on weekdays and for four hours on those elusive weekends. Dig into snacks like $1.50 deviled eggs, $2 smoked wings, $5 hush puppies and $13 fried oysters. Pair your food with a $7+ glass of wine, a $4-6 beer,, or a specialty cocktail: $7 buys you a Southern Sangria (bourbon, red wine, orange liqueur and watermelon), and $8 gets you a Milk Punch (bourbon, rum, pineapple, lemon, bitters and clarified milk).
