Best Beachside Happy Hours In LA
Sand, sun, fun anyone? Southern California takes pride in its gorgeous weather, spectacular beaches and some of the happiest happy hours you can find. Enjoy these three perks all at once as you slip off your shoes, throw on some sandals, kick back and enjoy the view. Happy hour beachside -- the feeling of being on vacation even though you are already home.
Beachside Restaurant
14160 Palawan Way
Marina del Rey, CA
(310) 439-3033
www.jamaicabayinn.com
If you enjoy the marina you will love this place. Situated in beautiful Marina Del Rey, Beachside Restaurant is home to some of the best views this beautiful harbor has to offer. Beachside Restaurant is located in the newly renovated Jamaica Bay Inn. This boutique hotel is decorated with a taste of the West Indies, inspiring a feeling of peacefulness and serenity.
Happy hour is daily from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Enjoy a glass of wine for $5 or a specialty cocktail for $6. When you start to get hungry, a succulent jumbo shrimp cocktail or BBQ Baby Back Ribs may get your attention. These are some nice additions to the usual happy hour menu, with prices that will make you even happier. Dress is upscale casual.
Gladstone's
17300 Pacific Coast Hwy
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
(310) 454.3474
www.sbe.com
Gladstone's was the first beachside restaurant I went to after landing in LA many moons ago. It is still one of my favorite places to go. Gladstone's is fun. The beach is in front of you, Pacific Coast Highway behind, seagulls above you and peanut shells at your feet. Gladstone's offers happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with 50 percent off all specialty drinks, $5 glasses of wine and draft beer for $4. Some of the food options include Lump crab avocado martini, seafood mac n' cheese and $2 oysters on the half shell just to get you started.
If you have leftovers your server will wrap them up in gold aluminum foil and shape it into pretty much anything you request. Dress is fun in the sun casual.
Sidewalk Cafe
1401 Ocean Front Walk
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-5547
www.thesidewalkcafe.com
Venice Beach -- there is no other place like it the world. For some of the best people watching you will ever experience you must put the Sidewalk Café on your must-do Happy Hour list. Sidewalk Café is right in the center of the boulevard facing the ocean, making for an attention-grabbing setting. It is always super busy and never boring. This is where tourists and Angelenos make new friends. Happy hour here offers more than affordable drinks -- they have pool tables, dart boards, arcade games, 10 TV's and three big screens, which show all the sports you desire. Sunset Happy Hour is from 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays. Nachos, tacos, spicy hot wings, cheeseburgers, pulled pork Hawaiian sliders all for $5 and under. All well drinks are $3.50 and a pitcher of beer for $11. If you are a college student or simply on a tight budget, the Sidewalk Café is the perfect place for you. Dress however you want; Venice Beach is kinda crazy.
Paradise Cove
28128 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265
(310) 457-2503
www.paradisecovemalibu.com
When I talk Happy Hour beachside Paradise Cove-style, I'm talking literally stick-your-toes-in-the-sand beach side. Paradise Cove is one of the very few beaches where you can legally enjoy an adult beverage on the sand. Family owned since the 1950's, this cozy little piece of paradise, hence the name, is a personal favorite of mine. I especially love the old photos of Los Angeles in its infancy covering the walls. There is a $25 parking fee but this is discounted to only $3 if you spend $20 in the restaurant, which is easy to do. Here's the deal -- every day after 4 p.m. if you buy a drink at the bar, you can then enjoy a free salad bar and an amazing bowl of clam chowder. With drink names like the Cocolada, Surfer Girl, Run Runner, Mango Jalapeno Margarita and Hurricane you just know you will leave content. On Tuesdays, they offer all-you-can-eat clams and, on Wednesdays, all-you-can-eat shrimp for about $25. Dress like you are going to the beach.
Killer Shrimp
4211 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 578-2293
www.killershrimp.com
Killer Shrimp is another family-owned neighborhood favorite. If you want a guaranteed view of the harbor, Killer Shrimp will make your wish come true. All 240 seats offer waterfront views and this includes the bar area as well. What makes Killer Shrimp truly unique is it's "dock and dine" option. If your boat is within 300 feet of the dock it is considered public, so if it's Happy Hour, you can dock, dine and drink with the most magnificent views of Marina del Rey. Happy Hour is seven days a week, jam-packed with drink specials from $3 to $5 that Marcos Tello, resident mixologist, will happily make for you.
The Original Killer Shrimp secret recipe is served every Monday at its original price of $9.95 and Happy Hour food specials such as popcorn shrimp, fried calamari and baja fish tacos go for $4 to $6. They offer a late night Happy Hour every night starting at 10 p.m., so you can start the fun early or late.
Sharla can be found out on the town livin' it up LA Style! Her party all the time website is clubbinproductions.com and she can also be found on Facebook.
