Best Late-Night Happy Hours In Los Angeles
Everybody enjoys a good happy hour, especially when you're on a budget saving up for your next trip out of town. However, the funny thing about happy hour is that it's usually always going on during rush hour traffic, which usually starts around 3 or 4pm and lasts until at least 6 or 7pm. Perhaps the rationale behind these typical happy hours is that commuters will pass the time at their establishment during what could potentially be a very unhappy hour for some people. The problem with this rationale is that after a long day at work, most people want to go home first to change out of their work clothes and into something more bar-friendly. By the time they eventually get to the bar, happy hour is usually over. Luckily, there are a few great places in Los Angeles that offer a late-night happy hour that's perfect for grabbing a "nightcap" or two with friends.
Mud Hen Tavern
742 N. Highland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 203-0500
www.mudhentavern.com
You really can't beat the late-night happy hour specials here that run Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to midnight and include $4 well drinks, select draft beers and wine. The draft beer selection has fun names like PranQster (a Belgian gold from North Coast Brewing), Get Up Offa That Brown (a brown ale from Golden Road Brewing) and Mama's Lil Yella Pills (a pilsner from Oskar Blues Brewery). The wine selection is mostly from wineries in France and California. Mud Hen Tavern also has plenty of tasty food options to go along with the drinks, including Dr. Seuss-inspired green eggs and ham, pumpkin ravioli and roasted artichoke as well as American staples like burgers, pizza and salad.
Bodega Wine Bar
814 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 394-3504
www.bodegawinebar.com
Bodega's is pretty unique in that it doesn't carry the stench of pretentious you might find at a more upscale wine bar. It's still considered a classy place to hang, particularly if you're the introverted type who prefers smaller groups and intimate environments. The place is really laid back with a late-night happy hour that that runs Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to as late as 1:30 a.m. Happy hour prices start at $3 for beers, $5 for wine and $7 for pizza. The beer selection includes Framboise, a raspberry lambic that has yet to go mainstream, Guinness, Red Stripe, Stella and several others from California breweries. Bodega's also has a decent wine selection that ranges from light-bodied wines to full-bodied wines. It also has sake and, during happy hour, $6 Soju drinks. Come in on a Sunday for happy hour specials paired up with some board game fun.
EMC Raw Seafood Bar
3500 W. 6th St., Suite 101
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 351-9988
www.emcseafood.com
Located in Koreatown, EMC comes highly recommended by LA foodie Andrew Park who describes the seafood at EMC rich in both flavor and variety. There's no way a seafood lover like Park could pass up a late-night happy hour special of the sea. EMC's happy hour includes $5 draft beer, wine and select menu items and fresh oysters for $1.25. EMC offers late night happy hour 7 days a week. From Sunday to Thursday, happy hour goes from 10pm to midnight and Friday-Saturday from 10pm to 2am.
Related: Best Happy Hours In Beverly Hills
Pete's Cafe
400 S. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 617-1000
www.petescafe.com
Picture fine dining in a chic cafe setting that makes you feel like you're Dick Tracy. It's what Pete's Cafe calls "approachable fine dining." It's a go-to spot in downtown Los Angeles perfect for night owl types. Late-night happy hour starts at 11 p.m. and goes until 2am and includes $5 draft beer and wine. Pete's Cafe can be found where 4th and Main meet.
The Virgil
4519 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 660-4540
www.facebook.com/TheVirgilLA
The Virgil's farm-to-glass approach makes it a local hotspot for hipster types looking for quality cocktails made from fresh fruits and juices. The place is open every night from 7pm until 2am with a happy hour that starts as soon as the door opens until 9 p.m. But on Tuesdays, happy hour runs all night long from open to close. Happy hour specials include $6 craft cocktails and $5 well drinks, draft beer and wine. This place has a speakeasy feel with an eclectic array of background tunes controlled by the patrons using an old-school jukebox.
Related: Best Happy Hours In Hollywood
