15 Great Happy Hours For Foodies
By Al Mancini, creator of the Neon Feast restaurant guide, co-host of the Food and Loathing podcast.
UPDATED FOODIE HAPPY HOUR GUIDE (DECEMBER 2025) HERE.
For most, Happy Hour means inexpensive drinks. But Happy Hours are also a great time to sample the food of top restaurants, without breaking the bank. The restaurant’s goal, of course, is to impress you enough to justify a return visit at normal prices.
As a foodie who rarely drinks, my Happy Hour decisions are based almost exclusively on the culinary offerings. And each of the 15 spots below offers enough amazing food for you to have a gourmet dinner at a bargain price (so long as you’re willing to eat early).
BALLA ITALIAN SOUL (Sahara Las Vegas)
Happy Hours: Daily; 5:00 – 6:00 and 9:00 – 10:00
Superstar chef Shawn McClain (who operates Libertine Social at the other end of The Strip) tackles Italian cuisine in his Sahara restaurant. At Balla, he puts his personal spin on coastal Italian dining with subtle, contemporary takes on traditional preparations.
The prices are surprisingly moderate, making this a value proposition all day every day. But the two daily happy hours, offered every day from 5 to 6 and again from 9 to 10 at the bar, offer some exceptional value. And the timing makes it a great spot for pre-gaming, before catching Magic Mike Live in its nearby theatre, just across the casino.
Appetizers (meatballs, stuffed mushrooms) are $10 or less. You can get a margherita pizza or a plate of spaghetti for $15. Or just order some of their fantastic focaccia bread ($5) to enjoy with a beverage. Because you can get an Aperol spritz, bartender’s choice cocktail or sommelier selected red, white or sparking wine for just $10.
BALLA ITALIAN SOUL HAPPY HOUR
BARDOT BRASSERIE (Aria)
Happy Hours: Daily; 5:00 – 7:00 and 9:00 – Close; Lounge and Patio
One of five Michael Mina restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip, Bardot Brasserie in Aria is the celebrity chef’s take on casual French classics, with some elegant twists. The entire restaurant is visually stunning, thanks to dark wood, tile floors, lots of glass, and classic light fixtures. But the grandiose bar area near the entrance is particularly stunning.
It’s in that bar area where you’ll find some amazing bargains at the restaurant’s two daily Happy Hours, from 5 to 7 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. until closing. During those hours, select cocktails are available for $14, select beers for $7 and select glasses of wine for $12 – $16. And the food options are even better.
Happy Hour diners can get four deviled eggs for $8 and oysters on the half shell for $3 apiece. Steak tartare is just $13, as is the blue crab rillette. And the three’s a trio of small sandwiches: petite croque madame ($7); heritage pork “pâté melt” ($8); avocado tartine ($12).
BARDOT BRASSERIE HAPPY HOUR
BLUE RIBBON SUSHI (Red Rock Resort)
Happy Hour: Daily; 3:00 – 5:00
New York’s famed Bromberg Brothers have made a few attempts to bring their Blue Ribbon brand to the Summerlin area, with varying degrees of success. Their Red Rock sushi spot has been a hit from Day 1. Fans love the dark izakaya-like dining room and bright outdoor patio. More importantly, this restaurant has never skimped on quality – offering the same pristine fish and expert knife skills one would expect in any Japanese restaurant on The Strip. And while it’s a little pricier than some neighborhood sushi joints, it’s a bargain compared to Las Vegas Boulevard.
For even greater value, you’ll want to try Blue Ribbon Sushi’s daily social hour, from 3 to 5 p.m. It’s then that they offer their best deals, on both food and beverages.
On the sushi front, five different hand rolls that are normally priced from $12 to $23 can be enjoyed for just $9 apiece. Nine bucks will also score you a bowl of edamame (available three ways), French fries cooked in wagyu beef fat, or bites of their famous fried chicken with chili sauce and wasabi honey.
BLUE RIBBON HAPPY HOUR
BREZZA (Resorts World)
Chicchetti Hour: Daily; 3:30 – 5:00; Lounge Only
The Spanish have tapas. The Venetians have Chicchetti: small shareable snacks that are usually served in bar. And every day, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., Resort’s World’s Strip-side Italian spot Brezza offers a Chicchetti Hour menu of nine dishes priced from $9 to $15, with more than half of them available for $11 or less.
The offerings include snacks like marinated olives with fennel and orange ($9), crispy pork skins with citrus and espelette peppers ($9) and peppadew peppers with herbed goat cheese ($11). But you can also samples Brisson’s mussels ($13), octopus ($15) or calamari ($15).
Unfortunately, the chef’s dry-aged beef (which is considered some of the best in the nation) isn’t featured on any of these bargain bites. But if you want to taste those steaks on a budget, we recommend a post-Chicchetti Hour visit to Bar Zazu, right next door, where her beef is packaged raw (under the Bistecca Brisson label) for you to take home and cook on your own grill.
BREZZA HAPPY HOUR
FERRARO’S (4480 Paradise Road)
Happy Hour: Daily; 3:30 – 7:00; Lounge Only
After 40 years of serving some of Las Vegas’ best Italian cuisine, Ferraro’s has become a local institution with fans around the globe, and named one of the world’s top Italian restaurant’s by Italy’s Gambero Rosso. And the family who run it have done an exceptional job of integrating the modern trends they encounter on their frequent trips to Italy into the menu, alongside the Italian-American classics longtime patrons love.
They recently extended their popular Happy Hour to run from 3:30 to 7:00, every day, Available only in the lounge (which is 21-and-over), it starts with 25% off all drinks, including bottles of wine from their award-winning list. And everyone who purchases a beverage can also order food from the Happy Hour food menu.
That menu features ten different small plates priced from $10 to $14 – including meatballs and polenta, arancini, fried calamari and bresaola with mascarpone and asparagus. There are three different pizzas for $18 or less, as well as some very reasonably priced high-end dishes, like vitello tonato ($16) or beef carpaccio ($18).
Alternately, in the main dining room, a four-course pre-theater menu with multiple options is available for just $60, from 4:00 to 6:00 daily.
FERRARO’S HAPPY HOUR
HANK’S FINE STEAKS & MARTINIS (Green Valley Ranch)
Happy Hour: Daily; 3:30 – 7 p.m.; Bar and Lounge Only
The most elegant steakhouse in Henderson is beloved by locals for its award-winning wine list and excellent cuts of beef (this is the only restaurant in Henderson to offer certified A5 Kobe beef). But the Green Valley Ranch restaurant is also home to a gorgeous lounge area, compete with marble floors, an illuminated onyx bar, crystal chandeliers and a piano.
That lounge is a gathering spot for locals in the know during Happy Hour, in large part because all martinis (14 in total, usually priced from $16 to $20) are 50% off, and there are some good deals on wine. There’s also a piano player tickling the ivories. But don’t overlook the bar menu of items designed exclusively for those hours.
There are ten Happy Hour food items on that menu, priced from $13 for fried calamari to $24 for Buffalo fried oysters. Other highlights include rotisserie chicken arancini ($13), crispy tuna tacos ($14), wagyu sliders ($14) and a lobster roll ($18).
HANK’S HAPPY HOUR
HARLO (Downtown Summerlin)
Harlo Hours: Daily; 4:00 – 6:00; Bar and Lounge Only
This Downtown Summerlin steakhouse has proven there’s a market for a high-end steakhouse, comparable to the very best on The Strip, way out in the ‘burbs. And its Summerlin clientele love Chef Gina Marinelli’s cuisine so much, they’re happy to pay prices that can sometimes come close to those on Las Vegas Boulevard. But for those who may balk at $75 steaks, a $29 burger or $30 appetizers, the Harlo Hour menu offers some knockout dishes at the bar, at some very reasonable prices.
About 75% of the dishes on that menu are priced at $15 or less. They include steamed mussels ($15), lobster toast ($15),deviled eggs ($9) and a wagyu high tea sandwich, with foie gras, house pickles and petite leeks ($9). For a few more bucks, you can get Tater Tots with trout roe ($19), fried calamari ($16) or a steeply discounted burger ($19).
The Harlo Hour beverage selections are just as impressive. Eight different cocktails are available for $11. Four wines can be purchased for $10 a glass or $35 a bottle. And you can get select beers for as little as $5.
HARLO HAPPY HOUR
KUSA NORI (Resorts World)
Happy Hour: Daily; 4:00 – 5:30; Bar/Lounge Only
Resorts World’s Japanese restaurant is upscale and elegant with a diverse menu that includes sushi, sashimi, robatayaki, share plates and more. And like most high-end Japanese restaurants on Las Vegas Boulevard, it’s easy to rack up a hefty bill as you get caught up in sampling all the deliciousness.
But a Happy Hour visit allows you to try the cuisine without checking the spending limit on your credit card. Available in the bar and lounge only, the Happy Hour menu offers appetizers, pristine cuts of sushi and robata skewers, at a significant discount.
There are six different appetizers priced at $16 or less, including bluefin tuna tartare ($15), wagyu gyoza ($16) and a quartet of oysters ($12). Sushi rolls (specialty rolls and hand rolls), which are normally priced between $15 and $27, are available for $6 to $10, while skewers of robata-grilled meats are discounted by $2 apiece, bringing them in at $7 to $10 each.
Save room for dessert, because the mochi ice cream is a mere $3. And wash it all down with a specially priced cocktail or sake bomb.
KUSA NORI HAPPY HOUR
MAIN ST. PROVISIONS (1214 S. Main St.)
Happy Hour: Daily; Opening – 6:00; Bar Only
The Las Vegas Arts District is currently the most exciting neighborhood in our valley. So no visit to Las Vegas is complete without spending at least a few hours exploring it. When you do, make sure to drop by this pioneering restaurant.
Main Street, south of Charleston Boulevard is unquestionably the neighborhood’s main drag, and home to many of its most important bars, restaurants and entertainment venues – including this steak-focused modern American restaurant. And it’s at their bar that you’ll find the neighborhood’s best Happy Hour deals, seven days a week, from the restaurant’s opening (4:00 on weekends/ 4:30 on weekdays) until 6 p.m.
The discounted menu features Vegas-brewed beer for $5, glasses of select wine for $7 and well cocktails for $8. On the culinary front, it offers five different dishes for $8 each. They include a trio of oysters, filet mignon tartare and a slider-of-the-day with fries. But don’t be afraid to get adventurous and try the hummus with the restaurant’s signature Native American fry bread, or the dirty martini dip (blue cheese, olive brine and gin-soaked olives, with rye toast for dipping).
MAIN ST. PROVISIONS HAPPY HOUR
NENE JAPANESE CONTEMPORARY BISTRO (4165 S Grand Canyon Drive)
Happy Hour: 3PM to 6PM every Monday to Saturday & 4PM to 10PM on Sundays
This small West Valley Japanese spot has fantastic hot and cold menu items, and plenty of choices from the robata grill. But it’s the sushi and sashimi selection that really stand out, with cuts you rarely find in neighborhood restaurants at extremely reasonable prices. And if you visit between 3:00 and 6:00 every Monday through Saturday or 4:00 and 10:00 on Sundays, the deals on everything get even better.
The Happy Hour menu boasts 15 appetizers for less than $10. Robata skewers are reduced to $3 apiece for chicken and your choice of three veggies, with none more than $6. And then there’s the sushi and sashimi.
Four different sushi rolls can be had for $8 or $9 during these hours. Seven types of nigiri are just $1.95 a piece, with six more available for $2.95. But it’s the prices on some high-end items that will really floor serious sushi fans. Fatty Chu Toro, for example, is a mere $3.95 while its even fattier cousin O Toro is just $4.95. And Hokkaido sea urchin (not the local stuff from Santa Barbara) can be had for $8.45.
NENE JAPANESE CONTEMPORARY BISTRO HAPPY HOUR
RI RA (Mandalay Place)
Happy Hour: Sunday – Thursday; 3:00 – 6:00 (holiday exclusions apply)
This large Mandalay Place pub, with long wooden bars imported directly from Ireland, offers the best modern Irish cuisine in the city, a fantastic beer selection and over 300 types of whiskey. It’s a prime spot for watching soccer or rugby, even if they sometimes have to open early to compensate for the time zones. And you’ll always find Golden Knights and Raiders games, and any other high-profile sporting event, on their TVs.
Every Sunday through Thursday, they offer cosmopolitans, house wine and pints of Carlsberg or Heineken for just $6 and knock 50% off the price of all appetizers. That means the classic potato cakes are just $6.75. You can get a deviled Scotch egg for just $8.75. And baked goat cheese with peppadew pepper is discounted to just $8.25. There are eight food options in total, including chicken bites and wings with your choice of seasonings, and none will cost you more than $10.
RIRA IRISH PUB HAPPY HOUR
SCOTCH 80 PRIME (Palms)
Social Hour: Daily; 5:00 – 7:00
No question about it, casino steakhouses can be pricey. But you can get a full meal at one of Las Vegas’ top off-Strip steakhouses without breaking the bank, by visiting Scotch 80 Prime early on a weekday. That’s when chef Marty Lopez offers some of their top menu items at 30% off.
Lopez is known for supplementing perfectly executed classics with more original dishes that feature international flair. And the 17 items he discounts for Social Hour include some of the restaurant’s most popular appetizers, steaks, entrees and sides.
You can start with classics like shrimp cocktail ($18.90) or steak tartare ($18.20), and follow it up with a world-class USDA Prime 8-ounce filet from South Dakota ($50.40) or an 8-ounce Greater Omaha ribeye cap ($45.50). For the more adventurous, start with brie fondue ($11.20) or Hokkaido milk bread shrimp toast with chili jam aioli ($18.20), before moving on to an Adobo-seasoned Duroc pork chop over garlic rice ($39.20) or Mary’s Free Range Chicken confit and saffron-ginger risotto with a farm egg and crispy garlic ($31.50). Sides come in at less than $10 apiece, and you can turn a steak dinner into surf-and-turf by adding a lobster tail for $35.
SCOTCH 80 PRIME HAPPY HOUR
OCEAN PRIME (63 City Center next to Aria on The Strip)
Happy Hour: 7 Days a week 3PM to 6PM
For those just diving into the Vegas dining scene, Ocean Prime made a splash in the summer of 2023 with its first Sin City location, tucked into the sleek-yet-understated 63 City Center building. You’ll find it perched above Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue with an exclusive elevator up from the pedestrian bridge connecting The Shops at Crystals to The Cosmopolitan.
This nationally acclaimed steak and seafood destination doesn’t just rest on name recognition. Ocean Prime delivers a luxe yet approachable experience, especially when it comes to seafood. The raw bar is a standout including oysters, jumbo shrimp, crab cocktail, and lobster—but here’s the twist: guests can build their own seafood towers. It’s fully customizable and half off during happy hour ($15 to $32), making decadence surprisingly affordable.
And the hits don’t stop at the shellfish. Happy hour bites include elegantly seared lamb lollipops, shareable apps, and inventive sushi rolls that go far beyond the basics. Ocean Prime’s Las Vegas debut might be quietly tucked away—but food lovers in the know are already riding the elevator up.
OCEAN PRIME HAPPY HOUR
Check out the Best Damn Foodie Happy Hour Guide in Vegas
Vegas is upping their Happy hour game. There are more exceptional food-forward happy hours in this town than ever. We will continue to cover them and report back every week. It’s a tough job!
