Happiest Hour

AALTO LOUNGE | 3356 SE Belmont St., 503-235-6041, aaltolounge.com. 5 pm–midnight Tuesday– Saturday. Happy hour 5–7 pm.

When Aalto Lounge opened in 2000, its design-conscious sleekness and swanky drinks seemed an odd fit for the earthy-crunchy Sunnyside neighborhood. High-concept cocktail culture has infil- trated every corner of the city in the years since, but Aalto still shines for both its ambience and one of the best happy-hour menus in town. Three-dollar Jell-O shots, $5 mixed drinks, and a $7 grilled-cheese sandwich served with a cup of tomato soup are just a few of the reasons to return to this Portland original.

Also recommended: The spare but classic happy hour at Montavilla’s stylish Blank Slate, 7201 NE Glisan St., Suite C, blankslatepdx.com. Happy hour 4–6 pm Monday–Saturday

BACKYARD SOCIAL | 1914 N Killingsworth St., 503-719-4316, backyardsocial.pdx. 4–9 pm Monday–Tuesday, 4–10 pm Wednesday–Friday, 9 am–10 pm Saturday,9am–2pm and 6–9pm Sunday. Happy hour 4–6 pm.

This North Portland spot is exactly what it says on the tin—a welcoming bar with a cheery selection of drinks, a par- ty-sized backyard, and a menu of small plates meant for sharing with friends, family, or whoever’s at the other end of your big old picnic table. Happy-hour staples include house wine, specialty cocktails, and a Caesar salad with shaved Brussels sprouts and radicchio that you might want to keep all to yourself.

Also recommended: Happy hour at The Sudra with vegan South Asian snacks and $2 off lively house cocktails. 28 NE 28th Ave., thesudra.com. 3–5 pm daily.

BARTINI | 2108 NW Glisan St., 503-224-7919, bartinipdx.com. 4–11 pm Sunday–Thursday, 4 pm–midnight Friday–Saturday. Happy hour 4–6 pm and 10–11pmTuesday–Thursday,4–6pmand10 pm–midnight Friday–Saturday, 4–11 pm Sunday– Monday.

Look, there’s no need to sniff that most of the drinks on Bartini’s abundant martini menu are actually just cocktails served in martini glasses: No one likes a martini snob, Colin. The point here is fun, and Bartini has some fun-ass drinks. Mojitotini! Zesty Cucumber martini! Thin Mint Cookie martini! At a happy-hour price of $7 each, you can afford to be satisfied with just a few sips of an overly sweet drink before getting distracted by the menu of small plates, which features gussied-up versions of familiar bar snacks (chips and guac, mini corn dogs) as well as more substantial fare.

Also recommended: Mexican snacks and fruity drinks are in abundance at Lulu, 726 SE Grand Ave., lulubarpdx.com. Happy hour 4–6 daily.

BRIX TAVERN | 1338 NW Hoyt St., 503-943-5995, brixtavern.com. 11 am–10 pm Monday–Thursday, 11 am–11 pm Friday, 9:30 am–11 pm Saturday, 9:30 am–10 pm Sunday. Happy hour 3–10 pm Sunday– Monday, 3–6 pm and 9–10 pm Tuesday–Thursday, 3–6 pm and 9–11 pm Friday–Saturday.

The brunch at the Pearl District location of Brix has garnered raves for years, but its happy hours should definitely share top billing. All drafts and wines by the glass are $1 off, well drinks are $7.50, and a slate of 10 house cocktails rings in at $9.50 each. The food menu is equally lengthy, with soups, salads, and plates of totchos and pork sliders for $7.50 each.

Also recommended: Smoky wings and time- tested drinks at the Woodlark Hotel’s Bullard Tavern, 813 SW Alder St., bullardpdx.com. Happy hour 4–6 pm daily.

C BAR | 2886 SE Gladstone St., 503-954-2516, cbar.pub. 10 am–11 pm Sunday–Thursday, 10 am–midnight Friday–Saturday. Happy hour 3–6 pm daily.

With $1 off both well drinks and drafts and $6 classic cocktails (Alabama Slammer, Dark and Stormy), the happy hour at this kick-back Creston-Kenilworth pub is a budget delight. If you’re after dainty bowls of olives and nuts, go someplace else: C Bar’s menu is salty, substantial, stick-to-your-ribs Southern goodness all the way down, with kielbasa, mac and cheese, and vegan-chili Frito pie. In other words, you can probably skip dinner.

Also recommended: The easygoing fare at The Automatic Bar, 3652 SE Division St., theautomaticbarpdx.com. Happy hour 4–7 pm Monday–Friday, all day Sunday.

GOLD DUST MERIDIAN | 3267 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 503-239-1143. 2 pm–2:30 am daily. Happy hour 2–8 pm Monday– Saturday and all day Sunday.

With one of the longest, and longest-running, happy hours in town, Gold Dust Meridian is always a treat. The Hawthorne stalwart has midcentury modern styling (pitched ceilings, roomy banquettes and booths, brick accents); happy hour discounts on well drinks, wine, and beer; and a menu stacked with cocktail-party classics like deviled eggs and spinach-artichoke dip (both $4). Get there early for prime people-watching at the streetside patio tables.

Also recommended: The lengthy, deep-fried- everything happy hour 15 blocks down the street at the Space Room Lounge, 4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd., spacerooomlounge.com. Happy hour 11 am–5 pm Tuesday–Sunday.

LAVKA MARKET AND DELI 960 SE 11th Ave., 971-346-2698, kachkapdx.com/lavka. 11 am–8 pm Sunday–Thursday, 11 am–9 pm Friday–Saturday. Happy hour 4–8 pm daily.

Plan to arrive hungry at Kachka’s sec- ond-floor market and deli: Happy hour includes plates of vareniki filled with cherry or cheese, Armenian cheese, tinned fish with rye bread, and house- made pickles. You might have trouble choosing from the list of $9 house vod- kas infused with everything from cacao nib to klyukva (cranberry), but you can’t miss with the house’s stellar, extra-tart Moscow mule.

Also recommended: There’s no rule that says you can’t double up on happy hour, and Kachka is right down the stairs. Happy hour 4–6 pm daily.

This story is part of Taster Magazine, Willamette Week’s new guide to the best of beer, wine and spirits in Portland. It is free and can be found all over Portland beginning Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Find your free copy at one of the locations noted here, before they all get picked up! See more copy from Taster magazine here.