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Best Happy Hours in Cincinnati

Do you love a good deal? Are you interested in a little relaxation or catching up with friends over drinks or some snacks? If so, you might take advantage of the best happy hours in Cincinnati. From one location to the next, each bar or restaurant may take a slightly different approach to their happy hour offerings. When you reside in a St. Xavier Park apartment community or are otherwise in downtown Cincinnati, you might choose to explore some of the neighborhood bars for their various happy hours.

The Not-So-Secrets of the Best Happy Hours in Cincinnati

According to HuffPost, happy hours originated from the desire to increase happiness and reduce boredom for individuals in the Navy with activities like music and movies. Shortly thereafter, during Prohibition, cocktails and other alcoholic beverages came into the mix. Unsurprisingly, even once Prohibition ended, people were eager to continue these hours, and businesses in the hospitality industry also took interest in leveraging the popularity of happy hours with time-specific discounts. While most happy hours are no longer a secret, they are often still an opportunity for friends to connect, for fun to be had, and for great deals to be enjoyed. Check out these features of the best happy hours in Cincinnati and many other locations:

  • Drink variety: From designated specials to broad coverage of a specific drink type, like draft deals, the best happy hours in Cincinnati typically offer more than one beverage option in order to appeal to a wide variety of guests. Sometimes, locations vary the happy hour specials by day, or they may keep a more consistent schedule. Consequently, whether you like to wind down with a tangy margarita or a refreshing lager, you’ll likely be able to find a happy hour that accommodates your preference.
  • Food pairings: While most guests appreciate any available savings, the option to enjoy lower prices on both a delicious cocktail and an appetizer or small plate provides even more appeal. From classic bar bites like soft pretzels or chips and dip to smaller variations of standard menu selections or the usual appetizers, the food selection sometimes determines whether to enjoy one happy hour in downtown Cincinnati versus another one.
  • Themes and Activities: Successful happy hours often include particular activities or thematic inspirations, as further explored at the hospitality software resource, Cvent. Whether these hours focus on home games, trivia, live music or highlighting local charities, this extra effort may result in increased happy hour traffic for that event and beyond.

Happy Hours in Downtown Cincinnati to Try

In each of Cincinnati’s more than 50 neighborhoods, it’s likely that you’ll find a happy hour to enjoy. You may also find that more and more locations are offering happy hours outside of the pre-dinner hours. For those who reside in downtown Cincinnati or who are just stopping through, here are 4 happy hours that you might try (although subject to change)!

Baru Sushi: This cocktail and sushi restaurant offers a happy hour from 4-6 p.m. on Monday-Friday. While they offer a variety of drink options each of these five days including select sake, as well as wine, beer and cocktails, Maki & Sake Mondays might be their happy hour highlight. During this special happy hour, dine-in guests can enjoy half off maki rolls, as well as sake, wine and champagne bottles. Now that’s one way to get rid of the Monday blues!

Righteous Room: At this bar and lounge, drinks are the focus of the happy hour and nightly specials. What makes this happy hour spot stand out is that it not only offers drinks for ½ price happy hours during the usual schedule of Monday-Friday from 4-7 p.m. but also offers nightly specials that vary in type and timing throughout the week or coincide with live DJS or other events. For example, on Wednesday after 7 and until close, guests can enjoy a $5 seltzer, Jameson or El Jimador. On Sunday, it’s reverse happy hour with ½ price drinks starting at 8 p.m.

Vintage on Race: Watch the game with fellow fans and enjoy Monday-Friday happy hour deals from 3-6 p.m. Its daily happy hour menu features select beer and wine, as well as cocktails, mocktails and a few light bites. Vintage on Race also features daily exclusives on Wednesdays and other all day specials. For Girls Night Out on Wednesdays, guests can enjoy a special dinner combo, ½ priced glasses or bottles of wine, or $10 Espresso Martinis and Dirty Martinis all night long!

The Davidson: While this happy hour is only available at the bar, it runs Monday-Thursday from 4-6 p.m. as well as Friday-Sunday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. In addition to its more extended timeline, guests can enjoy lower prices on some of this restaurant’s impressive food menu including Tuna Tartare Cones, Arancini and Vodka Rigatoni while sipping draft beer, wine or select cocktail specials! For an elevated happy hour treat, you might check out this location!

Whether chosen for their drinks, food, fun or all of the above, the best happy hours in Cincinnati are ready to serve up their special offerings. In addition to the many attractions and activities in Cincinnati, the restaurant and bar scene is yet another reason that so many people may be searching for apartments in the area. Contact our leasing experts today, so that they can help you with your apartment search!