The Ten Best Happy Hours in Fort Lauderdale

In South Florida, we have no dearth of happy hours to keep us floating through the week. Especially in Fort Lauderdale, where you can find dozens of restaurants from the beach strip to Las Olas and Himmarshee Boulevard offering deals aplenty.

To sort through them all took some dedicated drinking, from the half-priced oysters and cocktails to four-for-one drink specials and happy hours that start at 11 a.m. Needless to say, there's a little bit of something for every type of imbiber.

Here are the ten best happy hours for noshing and slurping in our very own Fort Liquordale. 
1. The Himmarshee Block Party. What’s better than a really good happy-hour deal? A really good happy-hour deal that’s interchangeable at multiple restaurants for a giant block party’s worth of deals. Starting this month, Himmarshee Public House (201 SW Second St.), Rok:Brgr (208 SW Second St.), TacoCraft (204 SW Second St.), PizzaCraft (330 Himmarshee St.), and Apothecary 330 (330 Himmarshee St.) will offer a special two-for-one-drink happy hour that’s redeemable at any of the five locations. Guests will receive a wooden chip upon purchase of their first drink, then choose from a variety of select cocktails, wines, and craft beers at each location. To add to the happy-hour glee, each restaurant will also introduce an all-new bar bites menu with a selection of dishes priced at less than $10 each. Featured dishes include short-rib sliders at Rok:Brgr, calamari at Public House, polenta fries at PizzaCraft, and the chips and salsa trio at TacoCraft. Happy hour is available Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. Multiple locations along Himmarshee Street, Fort Lauderdale; jeygrroup.com.
2. El Camino. One of Delray Beach's most popular purveyors of tacos and margaritas, El Camino Mezcal & Tequila Bar, recently opened a second outpost in Fort Lauderdale this year. While the restaurant now added a bottomless brunch to the mix — something the Palm Beach County location doesn't offer — it kept its other deals the same, including a dueling happy hour. That's right; twice the happy, people. Early happy hour takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. daily with $2 tacos, $2 bottled beer, $4 draft beer, $3 glasses of wine, and $5 select margaritas and spirits. Then they do it all over again from midnight to close. 17 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 561-865-5350; elcaminoftlauderdale.com.
3. Township. The creators of Yolo, Boatyard, Rooftop, TRP Taste, and S3 recently opened their latest concept on the outskirts of Himmarshee Village. While all these spots are great for happy hour, Township is offering up deals aplenty. That includes a spirited two-for-one happy hour that also pays homage to the downtown area's longstanding nightlife staple, Tarpon Bend. If you remember those wooden drink chips — or want some of your own — try playing "Flip the Chip," a game where you bargain happy hour "chips" with the bartenders. Land on the tarpon side and get two complimentary drinks (but miss it, and you'll pay for your second drink). Township will also offer a number of new promotions and items unique to the area, including men's and women's stein lifting competitions. "Beat The Bell" will offer guests specials on select beer; prices start low and move to full-price as the day goes on. Either way, there's plenty of ways to save on sipping those crowler-sized cocktails or 72 taps at two bars, all available to order in third-, half-, and full liter steins. 219 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-338-4070; townshipftl.com.
4. Colada Cuban Coffee House & Eatery. There’s more than just coffee and Cuban pastries at Colada in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village. The happy-hour offerings change throughout the week, starting with 15 percent off any alcoholic beverage from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Hungry? Pair your drink with a number of small bites, featuring a new special each day. Happy hour begins with $10 mojito pitchers Monday and continues with $10 sangria pitchers on Tired of Taco Tuesday when you can order $3 chicharrones. On Waffle Wednesday, get tres leches waffles and a craft beer for $10. On $3 Thursday, order select beers and the 3 Little Piggies (bacon-wrapped maduros) for $3 per order. And everyone’s favorite weekday is Frita Friday when you can order a classic frita burger with fries and a beer for $10. Saturday might just be the best, dubbed Colada Saturdaze, when bottomless mimosas, sangria, and beer are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Weekday food and drink specials are offered from noon to close. 525 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; 954-368-4705;  coladahouse.com.
5. 5 O'Clock Charlies. There’s happy hour and then there are the happiest hours. That’s the way they like it at 5 O’Clock Charlies in Fort Lauderdale. This beachside dive bar offers plenty of deals every day (and pretty much all day long). You can throw back two-for-one well drinks and shots — and get $1 off premium cocktails, 22 draft craft beers, and bottled beers — during two separate happy hours offered twice daily from 3 to 8 p.m. and again from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. There’s also a full menu of half-priced appetizers, with options like buffalo chicken dip, gouda and cheddar quesadillas, fried calamari, and a fried shrimp basket. 425 S. Fort Lauderdale Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-533-4480.
6. Louie Bossi's Ristorante Bar Pizzeria. Come happy hour, Louie Bossi’s is the place to be. The restaurant is packed to the hilt nearly every night of the week, but it’s the bar and lounge area that really gets jumping. It probably has something to do with $2 off specialty cocktails. More specials abound on different days of the week, with half-priced martinis Monday and $1.50 meatball sliders from 4 p.m. to close. Then, on Wednesday, get half-priced bottles of wine under $99 with the purchase of an entrée. Bonus points for the half-priced happy-hour pizzas, a secret that those in the know aren’t too quick to share. Happy hour is from 4 to 7 p.m. daily at the bar only. 1032 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-356-6699; louiebossi.com.
7. Lulu's Bait Shack. If you’re looking to drink on the cheap after a day at the beach, Lulu’s Beach Shack at Beach Place is your spot. This fun and festive upstairs tavern on the city’s oceanfront strip offers a great happy hour with a prime view. You can order Creole/Cajun bar food plus fishbowl-sized cocktails any time of day, but the deals come into focus five days a week with $2 domestic drafts, $2 house wine, $2.50 well cocktails, $3 house margaritas, and $1 off all bottled beer. Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. 17 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-463-7425; lulusbaitshack.com.
8. SuViche. Happy-hour options abound on Las Olas Boulevard, but none is quite as bustling as SuViche’s, when the restaurant’s indoor/outdoor Peruvian pisco bar transforms into a raging after-work gathering spot. Order two-for-one drinks such as homemade macerados (fresh berries, herbs, and spices infused into pisco), chilcanos (macerados mixed with ginger ale and bitters), and cocktails like the chicha maracuya (purple corn macerado mixed with passionfruit juice and Peruvian chicha morada). On Tuesdays, you can also order buy-one-get-one half-priced sushi rolls all day. And don’t leave without a shot or two of drunken gummies: a shot glass full of pisco-soaked gummy bears. Happy hour runs from 3 to 7 p.m. daily. 401 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-656-3663; suviche.com.
9. Grille 401. Boasting two bars, Grille 401 kicks off every night with a jam-packed happy hour. It gets especially busy on the 800-square-foot outdoor deck, one of the best spots on the strip to enjoy the South Florida sun. You can get half-priced cocktails such the cucumbertini, the passionfruit margarita, and the Laverne & Shirley (the bar’s take on a Dirty Shirley, made with Grey Goose vodka, Sprite, and grenadine and garnished with filthy cherries). There’s also a large selection of bar bites priced from $6 to $8, including wood-fire grilled artichokes, Kobe beef sliders, and Buffalo shrimp. Happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. 401 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-767-0222; grille401.com.
10. Wild Sea Oyster Bar & Grille. Whenever fresh seafood is involved, the dinner tab is usually high. Not so during happy hour at Wild Sea Oyster Bar & Grille, where you can get 50 percent off cocktails, beer, and wine — as well as select oysters — five days a week. While that may seem good enough already, Thursday is the best day to visit Wild Sea. That's when the bar offers half-priced drinks and oysters from 5 p.m. all the way to close, while standard happy hour takes place from 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. 620 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-467-2555; wildsealasolas.com.