Come On Get Happy!

Once in a while, even the biggest work-a-holic needs to unwind with a good happy hour.The city hosts more than its fair share of food and drink specials to get us through to the weekend, and when it comes to bars, the beauty of a city like Philadelphia is choice. Not only is there a happy hour around every corner in every neighborhood, but there is also a wide array of places with distinctive styles that offer people of every taste a reason to get happy.  To eliminate the guesswork about which of Philly’s hot spots will satiate your craving for cheap, yet delicious drinks and killer finger foods, here is a selection of places that deliver the happiest happy hours in Philadelphia.
Although Center City is home to some of the city’s most chic bars, there are only a few places that offer noteworthy happy hours. One in particular, at Palace at the Ben, located at 834 Chestnut St., offers a taste of Indian cuisine through a complimentary sampling of their tasty appetizers Monday through Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Both the ambiance and the cuisine here richly resemble the royalty of Indian culture with burgundy colors that are brought to life by gold accents and candlelight. You’ll be invited to snack on the foods of the motherland that could include anything from Harabhara Kabab—fresh spinach rolls scrumptiously spiced and deep fried, to Seekh Kabab—ground lamb marinated with herbs and spices, then broiled on skewers over charcoal in a Tandoor oven. They sweeten the deal even more with $5 glasses of wine, specialty drinks priced at $5 and all beers at $3. Cocktails include a list of exotic mixes, such as the Pear Nirvana -- Absolut pear vodka, prickly pear juice and cinnamon stick Garnished with a green and yellow rock candy rim. The selection is complete with a list of unique Indian brews that you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the city.

Snockey’s Oyster and Crab House in Queen Village, offers a happy hour that no seafood lover could resist. Home to the city’s one and only “Clammy Hour”, this little crab shack, located at 1020 S. 2nd St., offers a family friendly happy hour at penny-pinching prices for two hours every single day of the week. The nearly 100-year old establishment is family-owned and housed in a historic brick building that boasts the appeal of a classic Philly oyster house. Mondays through Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. enjoy 50-cent raw and steamed clams including little necks, top necks, and Cherrystones. The famed “Clammy Hour” also includes raw and fried oysters for $1.99 and hot and juicy pick and peel shrimp for 35 cents each. Wash it all down with $1.99 domestic pints, $2.50 domestic bottles, and $3.99 Clam Mary’s – a Bloody Mary that is served alongside three, fresh, little neck clams. Over the weekend enjoy the same delicious discounts from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  With a menu that offers all the riches of the sea including everything from jumbo crabs, mussels, lobsters, scallops, shrimp, and crab cakes to original family recipe’s like Mrs. Snockey’s Oyster Stew, and a kids menu to keep the rest of the family happy while you relish in this unique happy hour setting, Snockey’s is by far the best catch of the day— everyday.

Celebrity chef Susanna Foo’sCenter City hot spot, Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine, located at 1512 Walnut St, has attracted some serious attention both locally and nationally. Foo’s signature spin on Chinese and French-infused fare, housed in a warmly colored dining room with red Chinese and top notch service, has helped the eatery achieve the Four Star Mobil Travel Award every year since 1998, and has placed it in the Nation’s Restaurant News’ Fine Dining Hall of Fame. But the famed restaurant has yet another thing going for it— a Monday through Friday happy hour that gives Philly foodies a sampling of Foo’s nationally renowned culinary talent. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., enjoy half price on Foo’s popular dumplings: for example, the Wild Mushroom-Chicken Dumplings in a Truffle Mushroom Sauce, normally priced at $10, would be just $5 while, The Shrimp Dumplings, served with Fuji apples and edamame in a sun-dried tomato sauce are sliced down to just $4, providing for a two hours blissful sampling of unique Chinese cuisine. . The delicious discounts apply equally to their irresistible drink specials -- $5 featured wines and $2.50 draft beers. If all else fails, the discount on featured Foo Bar cocktails are sure to really make you happy. Try the signature Sparkling Susana -- lavender infused honey combined with sparkling wine, for a sweet addition to your week, or perhaps the Chinese Firecracker -- Cachaça 51, sugar, fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, and soda topped off with a spicy pepper rim, for something more adventurous. All featured cocktails arefrom $6.50 to $9 during happy hour.

If its authentic pub grub you’re after, the Dark Horse Pub, located at 421 S. 2nd Street, offers dishes and draftsreminiscent of the great pubs of England and Ireland. A two story colonial row house houses six cozy rooms that feature dark wood, exposed brick, and a working fireplace, providing a cozy, atmospheric setting for enjoying domestic and imported pints paired with traditional pub fare. Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., diners are invited to enjoy $3 Blue Moon and Yuengling Lager 20 ounce draft, with $1 off specials on all drinks. Try a sampling of their appetizers, such as the lamb chops served with mustard-cider sauce and a cabbage and bacon salad or, for something a little more familiar, the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, served with coconut-crab aioli and almond salad, all for half the regular price.

Patou, located at 312 Market St., is one of Olde City’s most popular places to get superb French delicacies like Country-Style Paté and Creamy Spring Risotto. Owner and head chef, Patrice Rames keeps his dishes authentic and reminiscent of his hometown in the French Riviera. Both of Patou’s dining rooms exude superb style and offer a stunning setting for enjoying two hours of discounts during a comfortable, mid-week repast.  Tuesday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., fans of French fare can enjoy three small plates for $14 off of their featured happy hour menu. Indulge in house specialties such as Orecchiette Maritime--orecchiette pasta with mussels, clams, roasted peppers, arugula and a rustic tomato basil sauce, or the more traditional Pistachio-Crusted Petit Rack of Lamb served with French green lentil salad. The regular menu is also offered.$1 off Patou specialty martinis, such as the Patou Gimlet—bombay sapphire gin, lime purée, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and $4 Stella Drafts help quench the happy hour thirst.