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Three brightly colored cocktails in a highball, lowball, and tulip shaped glasses on the wood bar inside Centro. The background shows a bright pink and red cross stitched styled mural.
Cocktails at Centro.
Kevin Kramer/Eater Twin Cities

Cut Out of Work Early for These Twin Cities Happy Hours

Deals on bar bites and drinks around the metro

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Cocktails at Centro.
| Kevin Kramer/Eater Twin Cities

What’s better than capping off a long day of work by indulging in a cocktail (or three) with friends? Ordering a round that’s half-off, of course. The Twin Cities has some great happy hours to choose from, whether you’re in the mood for a plate of oysters on the half-shell, indulgent bar snacks (think totchos and deep-fried green beans), or lobster fried rice. Pair all of the above with a glass of chilled house wine, an espresso martini, or a draft beer. Here are some great spots for happy hour around Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Note that these restaurants are listed geographically.

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Lakeside happy hour is the best kind of happy hour. 6Smith in Wayzata has more than a few times to choose from: weekdays from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., late nights Monday through Thursday, Saturdays until 5:30 p.m., or all day Sunday. Stop by for $5 tap beers, $9 for classic cocktails, and $10 for “good wine” (the rosé of the moment looks like a winner). Oysters on the half shell and $10 lobster sliders on the shores of Lake Minnetonka? Yes, please. 

With a decade under its belt, Terzo’s wine menu, organized by region, and excellent menu of contemporary Italian cuisine is still a favorite. The intimate wine bar’s happy hour is Monday through Saturday at the bar only, when deals on wine, beer, and cocktails are on offer.

Nico's Taco and Tequila Bar

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Happy hour happens twice at Nico’s Tacos in Uptown, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to close. Enjoy $5 queso or shrimp ceviche and chips, plus $8 nachos or three tostada sliders. Or, get one taco or sopa for $5 or two for $8 — clearly the better deal. $2 off specialty margaritas seal the deal.

P.S. Steak

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P.S. Steak’s social hour, offered daily from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., is an excellent way to get a more affordable taste of an upscale menu. Slip into this elegant bar and restaurant at the base of the 510 Groveland building and pair house wines, Old Fashioneds, or weekly classic cocktails with oysters, lamb burgers and fries, or chilled poached shrimp.

Nolo’s Kitchen & Bar

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NOLO’s happy hour, served Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., is comfortable and chic all at once. Grab a $10 espresso martini or a $5 draft beer, and pair it with chili garlic noodles, shrimp cocktail, or loaded fries. Throw back a wine shot for just $2.

Red Rabbit Minneapolis

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This pasta and pizza restaurant in the North Loop serves a fantastic selection of drinks and wine, making it an ideal post-work stop. Order a $7 lemon drop martini, espresso martini, cosmopolitan, or paloma. Red Rabbit’s fried ravioli are a great bet, or opt for the $8 ricotta toast, pizza rolls, or margherita pizza. Served Tuesday through Friday 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Sonder Shaker

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Sonder Shaker, just across the river from Nicollet Island in Minneapolis, has a hearty happy hour food menu: Fill up on a wagyu burger, surf ‘n turf tacos, or pork sliders. If you’re looking for something lighter, try the strawberry poppy seed salad. (Note that this isn’t the cheapest happy hour — most dishes are around $12.) Two dollars off all cocktails, beer, and house wine by the glass, daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 10 p.m. to midnight. On Sunday, happy hour runs all night.

Aster Cafe

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With views of downtown Minneapolis across the Mississippi river, Aster Café’s cobblestone-lined patio is magical spot for an early evening drink. Aster only offers happy hour Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., but the $7 nitro sangria on tap is worth the visit alone.

Day Block Brewing Company

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Day Block offers a generous weekday happy hour Tuesday through Friday — and as an added bonus, it also serves a Sunday happy hour, both for brunch and later in the evening. From 11 a.m. to noon, the entire brunch menu can be paired with $5 bloody marys, mimosas, beer, or specialty cocktails. Stay all day and enjoy happy hour again from 4-9 p.m., with $1 off craft beers or $4 whiskey cocktails.

This fast-casual restaurant and its succinct menu of tacos, quesadillas, nachos, and enchiladas gets even more appealing Sunday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. Margaritas, rose sangria, palomas, and Rosaritos are $8; tap beers are $5; house wine is $7 a glass; and chips and salsas are $5.

The Blue Door Pub

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It’s hard to beat $3 off tap beers and happy hour tots slathered in wing sauce. Blue Door Pub’s happy hour is popular for good reason: Local craft beer meets the ultimate bar snacks. Pair a tap pour with half-off french fries, tater tots and totchos, and deep-fried green beans and pickles. The legendary Blucys aren’t on the happy hour menu, but it might be worth ordering one anyway.

Bull's Horn Food and Drink

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This popular, budget-friendly neighborhood bar is known for burgers, wings, fried chicken sandwiches, and other classic pub grub items. Bull’s Horn is even more budget-friendly Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., when beer, house wine, and rail drinks are a $1 off, and food specials rotate.

The Gnome Craft Pub

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Pop into The Gnome Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for half off cocktails and wine, and two bucks off all tap beers. The happy hour eats menu is a little sparse (think snacks like chicken or cauliflower wings, giant pretzels, and fries), but the patio is massive and the service delightful. The gorgeous wooden bar inside is always a good choice if you’re seeking a classic Saint Paul vibe.

Pajarito

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For platters of chicken verde tostadas in a cozy, vibrant setting, head over to Pajarito Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and order a round of Modelo Negra for the table. At just $5 each, it’s easy to be generous here. Not a beer drinker? House cocktails are all $2 off.

Parlour St. Paul

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The famous Parlour burger may not be available at a reduced price during happy hour at this North Loop staple, but loaded fries — piled with smoked pork belly and a luscious cheddar cheese sauce — sure are. That’s reason enough to stop by Parlour on West Seventh Street daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Beers are $5, wine is $7, and a rotating happy hour cocktail is $9.

El Burrito Mercado

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This market and restaurant hybrid and pillar of Saint Paul Mexican food has been serving the West Side since 1979, run by multiple generations of the same family. In addition to a stellar taco Tuesday deal, the happy hour menu is robust: Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., classic margaritas are $5, micheladas are $6, and house tequila shots are just $4. For food, score half-off nachos, $7 burritos, and $2 tacos or tostadas, among other specials.

Brunson's Pub

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The quintessential neighborhood pub, Brunson’s menu is made-from-scratch bar food done right. The happy hour menu is extensive, with a cheeseburger and chips clocking in at under $10 — which, of course, pairs well with a $3 Hamm’s. Wednesdays are peak sipping for wine and whiskey lovers: House wines, plus pours of Red Locks Irish, Jim Beam and Johnny Walker Red, are just $5.

6Smith

Lakeside happy hour is the best kind of happy hour. 6Smith in Wayzata has more than a few times to choose from: weekdays from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., late nights Monday through Thursday, Saturdays until 5:30 p.m., or all day Sunday. Stop by for $5 tap beers, $9 for classic cocktails, and $10 for “good wine” (the rosé of the moment looks like a winner). Oysters on the half shell and $10 lobster sliders on the shores of Lake Minnetonka? Yes, please. 

TERZO

With a decade under its belt, Terzo’s wine menu, organized by region, and excellent menu of contemporary Italian cuisine is still a favorite. The intimate wine bar’s happy hour is Monday through Saturday at the bar only, when deals on wine, beer, and cocktails are on offer.

Nico's Taco and Tequila Bar

Happy hour happens twice at Nico’s Tacos in Uptown, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to close. Enjoy $5 queso or shrimp ceviche and chips, plus $8 nachos or three tostada sliders. Or, get one taco or sopa for $5 or two for $8 — clearly the better deal. $2 off specialty margaritas seal the deal.

P.S. Steak

P.S. Steak’s social hour, offered daily from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., is an excellent way to get a more affordable taste of an upscale menu. Slip into this elegant bar and restaurant at the base of the 510 Groveland building and pair house wines, Old Fashioneds, or weekly classic cocktails with oysters, lamb burgers and fries, or chilled poached shrimp.

Nolo’s Kitchen & Bar

NOLO’s happy hour, served Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., is comfortable and chic all at once. Grab a $10 espresso martini or a $5 draft beer, and pair it with chili garlic noodles, shrimp cocktail, or loaded fries. Throw back a wine shot for just $2.

Red Rabbit Minneapolis

This pasta and pizza restaurant in the North Loop serves a fantastic selection of drinks and wine, making it an ideal post-work stop. Order a $7 lemon drop martini, espresso martini, cosmopolitan, or paloma. Red Rabbit’s fried ravioli are a great bet, or opt for the $8 ricotta toast, pizza rolls, or margherita pizza. Served Tuesday through Friday 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Sonder Shaker

Sonder Shaker, just across the river from Nicollet Island in Minneapolis, has a hearty happy hour food menu: Fill up on a wagyu burger, surf ‘n turf tacos, or pork sliders. If you’re looking for something lighter, try the strawberry poppy seed salad. (Note that this isn’t the cheapest happy hour — most dishes are around $12.) Two dollars off all cocktails, beer, and house wine by the glass, daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 10 p.m. to midnight. On Sunday, happy hour runs all night.

Aster Cafe

With views of downtown Minneapolis across the Mississippi river, Aster Café’s cobblestone-lined patio is magical spot for an early evening drink. Aster only offers happy hour Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., but the $7 nitro sangria on tap is worth the visit alone.

Day Block Brewing Company

Day Block offers a generous weekday happy hour Tuesday through Friday — and as an added bonus, it also serves a Sunday happy hour, both for brunch and later in the evening. From 11 a.m. to noon, the entire brunch menu can be paired with $5 bloody marys, mimosas, beer, or specialty cocktails. Stay all day and enjoy happy hour again from 4-9 p.m., with $1 off craft beers or $4 whiskey cocktails.

Centro

This fast-casual restaurant and its succinct menu of tacos, quesadillas, nachos, and enchiladas gets even more appealing Sunday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. Margaritas, rose sangria, palomas, and Rosaritos are $8; tap beers are $5; house wine is $7 a glass; and chips and salsas are $5.

The Blue Door Pub

It’s hard to beat $3 off tap beers and happy hour tots slathered in wing sauce. Blue Door Pub’s happy hour is popular for good reason: Local craft beer meets the ultimate bar snacks. Pair a tap pour with half-off french fries, tater tots and totchos, and deep-fried green beans and pickles. The legendary Blucys aren’t on the happy hour menu, but it might be worth ordering one anyway.

Bull's Horn Food and Drink

This popular, budget-friendly neighborhood bar is known for burgers, wings, fried chicken sandwiches, and other classic pub grub items. Bull’s Horn is even more budget-friendly Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., when beer, house wine, and rail drinks are a $1 off, and food specials rotate.

The Gnome Craft Pub

Pop into The Gnome Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for half off cocktails and wine, and two bucks off all tap beers. The happy hour eats menu is a little sparse (think snacks like chicken or cauliflower wings, giant pretzels, and fries), but the patio is massive and the service delightful. The gorgeous wooden bar inside is always a good choice if you’re seeking a classic Saint Paul vibe.

Pajarito

For platters of chicken verde tostadas in a cozy, vibrant setting, head over to Pajarito Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and order a round of Modelo Negra for the table. At just $5 each, it’s easy to be generous here. Not a beer drinker? House cocktails are all $2 off.

Parlour St. Paul

The famous Parlour burger may not be available at a reduced price during happy hour at this North Loop staple, but loaded fries — piled with smoked pork belly and a luscious cheddar cheese sauce — sure are. That’s reason enough to stop by Parlour on West Seventh Street daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Beers are $5, wine is $7, and a rotating happy hour cocktail is $9.

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El Burrito Mercado

This market and restaurant hybrid and pillar of Saint Paul Mexican food has been serving the West Side since 1979, run by multiple generations of the same family. In addition to a stellar taco Tuesday deal, the happy hour menu is robust: Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., classic margaritas are $5, micheladas are $6, and house tequila shots are just $4. For food, score half-off nachos, $7 burritos, and $2 tacos or tostadas, among other specials.

Brunson's Pub

The quintessential neighborhood pub, Brunson’s menu is made-from-scratch bar food done right. The happy hour menu is extensive, with a cheeseburger and chips clocking in at under $10 — which, of course, pairs well with a $3 Hamm’s. Wednesdays are peak sipping for wine and whiskey lovers: House wines, plus pours of Red Locks Irish, Jim Beam and Johnny Walker Red, are just $5.

Related Maps