Root Table - Ballard

2213 Market Street
4:00pm - 6:00pm & 9:00pm - 11:00pm Daily

Hoot: Oooh this is neat! So far so good, the ambience and menu design are really cool and it smells delicious up in here. Umm wait, the kitchen closes at 10:00pm but the happy hour is until 11:00pm? So lets get this straight: "until 11:00pm" means "we want your asses paid and out of our restaurant by 11:00pm." Gotcha.

Holler: Yeah, the waiter was a little brusque about us getting our order in immediately, wasn't he? However the design and layout of the restaurant is top notch, with an open kitchen set just above the dining area. Small wooden tables, seats that looked as though they had been hand carved from ancient tree stumps, menus constructed of two pieces of wood hinged together. Everything is really attractive and the cuisine appears to be Asian fusion. The happy hour menu is discounted tapas and drinks, with some delectably creative food options. Only one beer on special, so I jump on it of course (an amber ale by Rogue brewery, decent) for $3.00 a pint.

Hoot: A lot of trees did die to make this place look awesome - fact! But I digress, back to the food. I'm generally all about tuna, so its a given that I found the Tuna Bites to be good-times. The Blanket Shrimp (shrimp stuffed with marinated ground chicken, wrapped in a wonton) didn't really do it for me. It really didn't taste like anything, which was shocking because the restaurant was so aromatic that I thought it was going to be a flavor explosion in my mouth. But (big but).... I think there were so many interesting offerings that I'll deal with one miss on the menu and come back to try the others, keeping in mind to next time arrive promptly at 9:00pm.

Holler: Agreed, the Tuna Bites were deliciously spiced and served in a house curry sauce (a bit unusual but super tasty), while the Blanket Shrimp were a little underwhelming. I would definitely visit this place again based on the vibe alone, proof that: A) I'm a sucker for good marketing and brilliant aesthetics and, B) sometimes beauty trumps substance. Sorry kids, its the cold truth about the way the world works. Plus, the happy hour prices were excellent. Shazam!

Happy Hour Total Tab: $14.50
Tuna Bites $4.00
Blanket Shrimp $4.00
Rum & Coke $3.50
Rogue Amber $3.00

The Taphouse Grill - Downtown

1506 Sixth Avenue, Seattle
10:00pm - close Monday - Thursday
11:00pm - close Friday - Saturday
3:30pm - close Sunday

Holler: You can't really go wrong with a place that specializes in beer, can you? The Taphouse Grill in downtown Seattle claims 160 different beers on tap, along with some pretty serious food offerings, which is basically a fat alcoholic's wet dream. So, yeah, my wet dream. The bar feels slightly swanky, maybe because you have to descend a red-carpeted staircase from the street level which opens up to a restaurant with scattered tables and booths, a long, curved bar and a holy smorgasbord of interestingly designed tap handles. We arrived a little early for the happy hour (okay, two and a half hours early), so what could we do to amuse ourselves? Drink our faces off, of course.

Hoot: Correct! Our 2.5 hour pre-happy hour binge (plus one hour actual happy hour) demonstrates our dedication to find the Ultimate Seattle Late Night Happy Hour! BTW: This wasn't it. Holler, you're probably wondering why... let me tell ya: the beer was not on special, and even though the food was discounted more then 50% off of their regular price, none of what we ordered blew my fine feathery skirt up. All of the dishes we tried were seasoned the same: burn your esophagus spicy. But I digress, the beer kept us there for three and a half hours so I can't squawk too much.

Holler: True, the food tasted like it had been liberally sprayed with bear mace, and there were no drink specials. However, the beer is exceptional even if it is expensive. So much delicious dark beer. The Alaskan Perserverance Imperial Stout is blacker than tar and just as thick, but way more tasty. Do you remember trying a beer flight on a previous excursion (that's right, getting swanky!) with two porters and two stouts? Where else can you snag a beer flight? I agree that I can't recommend The Taphouse Grill for the overpriced and over-spiced happy hour, nor do I really dig the generic decor, but if you are in the mood to grab a couple of interesting brews, this place has a selection that is tough to beat.

Hoot: Agreed - I probably wouldn't sweat being there for happy hour, and I'd probably skip the food next time, but I'll be back - Arnold style. Perhaps for another beer flight?! How much did it rock to spot the Elysian Night Owl Ale? Our namesake beer! Pretty awesome and not a half-bad brew to wet one's beak. 

Happy Hour Total Tab: $37.35
Tortilla Soup $1.95
Goat Cheese Volcano $3.95
Pork Sliders $5.95
Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale (2) $12.00

Bruery Autumn Maple Seasonal $7.00
Alaskan Perseverance Imperial Stout $6.50

Dragonfish Asian Cafe - Downtown

722 Pine Street
3:00pm - 6:00pm & 9:00pm - 1:00am Daily

3:00pm - 1:00am Every Monday

Hoot: Watch out for the giant golden dragon! I'm groovin' on the kitschy asian theme inside this bad boy. Dragonfish is probably the most populated late-night happy hour we've been to so far. Bartender, a lychee drop cocktail, stat! The drink offerings are stellar: beer, cocktails, sake & wine. Holler, we may be here awhile.

Holler: The cocktails are delicious, cheap and made with house infused vodka (lemongrass or lychee)! I especially loved the brutally honest bartender who wisely steered us away from the watermelon flavored beer. The ubiquitous Black Butte porter was on tap (a decent option when nothing else dark and tasty is available) as well as Mac & Jacks, which the lady owl enjoyed. I topped off my night with a dram of Momokawa Nigori sake, which was served in an overfilled sake glass with a tray beneath to catch the excess (no wasting!). Yes, I slurped from the little tray. As for stuffing our gizzards....

Hoot: It was hard to choose what to order from the Happy Hour menu... a bunch of stuff intrigued me. The Poke Roll & Spicy Tofu Roll were pretty good/not bad (which from a sushi snob like myself is a pretty good rating). The Lemongrass Crusted Tofu was "meh" but the Potsticker filling was "yumm." If this gizzard wasn't full of alcohol, I would have scooped up a couple more tidbits from this fusion menu. Is calling it a fusion menu pretentious of me? It isn't really traditional Asian or North American so... I figure its better then calling it a mutt menu.

Holler:  Girl, you crazy! I thought the vittles were quite tasty, the Lemongrass Crusted Tofu included. Not my favorite sushi happy hour in Seattle (Jesus, there are more sushi restaurants than rainy days in this city), but a solid place to grab a snack and a cocktail. The cocktails were probably my favorite part, since even discounted fancy drinks usually run $5 and above. Well done, Dragonfish!

Happy Hour Total Tab: $28.55

Momokawa Sake $2.95

Mac & Jacks African Amber $2.95

Dragonfish Lemongrass Collins $2.95

Lychee Drop Cocktail $2.95

Black Butte Porter $2.95

Poke Roll $2.95
Spicy Tofu Roll $2.95

Lemongrass Crusted Tofu $3.95

Chicken Potstickers $3.95

Il Bistro - Downtown

93A Pike Street
10:00pm - 1:00am Monday-Thursday
11:00pm - 1:00am Friday-Sunday

Holler: Without question, the best late night happy hour we've experienced in Seattle. Hidden next to Pike Place Market right next to Post Alley, this Italian trattoria has good beer and wine selections, outstanding food, and prices that feel like thievery. The romance quotient here is off the charts. We're talking candlelight, moody mid-tempo jazz-hop and a red rose at every table. If I were a dispossessed Italian baron trying to woo a Seattle girl on a budget, this is where I'd take her. As it stands, I'm attempting to woo a gorgeous Canadian owl.

Hoot: Jazz-hop? So now you're inventing music genres? I would call the music jazzy/conscious hip hip. Anywho, lets get back to the real deal... the amazing food. Sausage Crostini = good times. Seared Calamari = the business. Goat Cheese Ravioli = ring the bell 'cuz we have a winner! Holler, have I mentioned how handsome you look in candlelight? It really brings out the colour in your feathers.

Holler: Flattery will get you nowhere with me. I need to be wined and dined, I ain't no cheap trick! Speaking of wine, Il Bistro has a solid list of wine offerings (none of which are on special during the late happy hour) and one of my favorite local beers: Maritime Pacific's Nightwatch Ale. Smooth and roasty, just dark enough to be tasty. The beer isn't on the happy hour either, but it's worth having a pint. The highlight of the food selections for me has always been the Cozze e Vongole, clams and mussels steamed in a saffron broth. Intense. Plus, the staff is always friendly and attentive. Hoot even has a crush on the foxy bartender.

Hoot: Outting my crush, eh?! Ha. The thing that I love about this happy hour is that even though there aren't any drink specials (which I would usually frown upon) the food is delicious and so cheap... I'm leaving full, buzzed and with change in my pocket - booyah.

Happy Hour Tab Total: $22.35
Grilled Italian Sausage Crostini $2.95
Goat Cheese Ravioli $3.95
Seared Calimari $4.96
Maritime Pacific's Nightwatch Ale $5.25 x 2

Via Tribunali - Capitol Hill

913 E Pike Street
Late Night Happy Hours: 10:30pm — close

Holler: Via Tribunali looks legit. A pizzeria that feels like the inside of a catholic church, complete with glowing stained glass and monastic-looking light fixtures dangling overhead, and featuring a sizable wood-fired oven squatting at the far end of the bar. Wooden pews instead of booths. A priest instead of a bartender and a confession booth instead of a men's bathroom. Nah, I made that part up. But it would have been cool. They were playing a fine selection of old-school hip hop, however. Score.

Hoot: Its one of those places we’ve walked by a half dozen times and each time I say: “that place looks cool. We should check it out one night”. I really dug the vibe. It seemed like a good date kinda place with the type of candlelight-esque illumination that benefits even the most unfortunate looking peoples. Who doesn't want to look good on a date?

Holler: If it weren't for dim lighting and alcohol, I'd still be a virgin. The personal pizzas were less than impressive. They offer 3 varieties at $5 each. Maybe their full size offerings are better. There was one beer on special (Maritime Pacific's Old Seattle lager). Not my favorite beer, but not bad. However, we did order some tiramisu (although the dessert was not part of the happy hour) and it just about changed my life.

Hoot: With its one beer offering, slim pizza pickings and stingy toppings, it didn’t give me much to hoot about. Granted, the crust was yummy, the whiskey and ginger was nice'n'stiff and the tiramisu was so good it made me want to punch yo' mama.

Holler: ...don't punch my mama.

Hoot: Just make sure shes well away from my tiramisu and nobody gets a mouthful of feathers.

Happy Hour Tab Total: $23

Whiskey & Ginger $4

Marinara Pizza (pomodoro, oregano, garlic) $5

Salame Pizza (pomodoro, fresh mozzarella, salame) $5

Draft Beer $3

Tiramisu (not on Happy Hour Menu) $6

Elliott Bay Brewery Pub - West Seattle

4720 California Ave SW
Late Night Happy Hour: Everyday 9:00pm — Close

Hoot: Ahh... West Seattle, a new neck of the woods for us, eh?! One advantage of having to climb a giant hill to get into town from the the beach is that one works up quite a thirst by the top. Elliott Bay Brewery Pub wasn't much to look at but the "No Doubt Stout" neon sign called to you like a beacon of refreshment.

Holler: After the epic climb from Alki, that sign drew me like a shark to blood - fact. The only reason it stood out from all the other bars in that area is that the neon sign advertising stout reminded me of a similar sign in the window of the Six Arms Pub in Capitol Hill. The inside was typical of most pubs, with the notable exception of local art being displayed on the brick wall above the booths. The beer offerings however (brewed locally!) were anything but ordinary. The No Doubt Stout was buttermilk creamy with a fine bite, blacker than pitch, and one of the tastier local stouts that I've enjoyed. We were also on the hunt for a bit of dessert and Elliott Bay Brew Pub came through with Stout Cupcakes!

Hoot: I think you may have squealed like a little owlet when you eyeballed the Stout Cupcake on the happy hour menu for $1.50. Don't let that delicious, bountiful cream-cheese frosting fool you! The cake was as dry and denser than Osmium. I could have used another fancy beer to wash it down if I could have found someone that wanted to sell me one.

Holler: Agreed. The cupcake could have been a little more moist, but it was a beer flavored dessert! How can that be wrong? They also offer a stout float (yeah, ice cream in dark beer. Yum) and beer mixers (beer/cider and beer/lambic). It was strange that our server seemed eager to get us out the door. Maybe we smelled funny? I would have gladly ordered a round of what you were having (Big Al Porter), but she brought us the check without asking us if we wanted another round. Bummer. Overall, I thought the happy hour was a solid deal, especially with the interesting dessert offerings and the excellent beer, but I hope we luck out with a better server next time.
Happy Hour Tab Total $11.75
2 Stout Cupcakes $3
Pint Big Al Porter $5.25 (regular price)
Pint No Doubt Stout (Organic)
$3.50 (with $1 off for HH)

 

Introductions...

The Emerald City. Land of hobos, excessive moisture and the late night happy hour. No matter what day of the week it is, you can guarantee that somewhere a bar is offering discounted booze and food. And that's where you'll find us.

Because we're connoisseurs of the cheap meal? Maybe.

Because we're alcoholics? Probably.

But what better way to explore our newly adopted city than to hit the town and drink in our surroundings? Literally!

Hoot & Holler