Find $5 cocktails, discounted appetizers, and an afternoon aperitivo at these local bars and restaurants.
At Boonedogs, a $5 Old Fashioned is an all-day offer. At Centro, $7 buys two glasses of house wine during happy hour. And at Mileta, an afternoon cocktail can come with bar snacks before dinner service begins.
Happy hour in Lexington takes several forms, from a downtown wine stop to drinks and wings on Euclid Avenue. Some specials fit neatly between work and dinner. Others give diners a reason to head out on a weekend afternoon.
Here are nine places for some of the best deals.
1. Mileta: An afternoon aperitivo
Where: 3565 Nicholasville Road, Suite 932
When: 4 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, and 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday
Website: miletarestaurant.com
Mileta calls its happy hour “Aperitivo Hour,” with drinks and small bites ahead of dinner. That means $8 bar snacks, discounted appetizers, and $10 signature and classic cocktails, plus $2 off draft beer, wine by the glass, and liquor.
The restaurant makes its pasta in-house and draws on several cuisines for its seasonal menu. Happy hour offers a way to try the kitchen without committing to a full dinner, with afternoon service limited to the bar.
Tuesday brings another way to save for wine drinkers: 40% off bottles during happy hour and dinner service, including selections from the reserve list. The bottle discount continues through dinner service.
2. The Melroy: Small plates and cocktails
Where: 144 N. Broadway
When: 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday
Website: themelroy.com
This members-only social club is open to “socially conscious professionals aged 35 and up.”
It offers happy hour specials, date nights, and other events. Because it’s a private club, it hosts members and private parties, such as corporate events, meetings, baby showers, and comedy shows.
It has a dedicated menu of smaller plates, shareable bites, and handcrafted cocktails. Happy hour smaller plates like fries, tacos, or beer cheese fondue start at $6.
3. Corto Lima: A $5 margarita and nachos
Where: 101 W. Short St.
When: 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday
Website: cortolima.com
At the corner of West Short Street and North Limestone, Corto Lima serves Latin-inspired food and cocktails. Happy hour includes several drinks and an order of nachos for $5 each.
The Signature Margarita Slush, Planter’s Punch, and a select white wine are among the $5 choices. An order of happy hour nachos with queso blanco also costs $5.
Ask about other happy hour dishes. Rotating items include their specialty Crunchwrap.
4. Epping’s on Eastside: An Old Fashioned in an old bottling company
Where: 264 Walton Ave.
When: 4 to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday
Website: eppingsoneastside.com
Epping’s occupies a renovated building that once housed Epping Bottling Works. Today, the Warehouse Block restaurant offers an early evening stop for a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine.
Happy hour specials include a $3.50 Mirror Twin Warehouse Bock, a $5 Old Fashioned, or half-price wine by the glass. The choices give beer, bourbon, and wine drinkers a reason to agree on the same meeting place.
Keep in mind that the restaurant lists a 3% processing fee on credit card purchases, a detail to factor into the bill.
5. LexLive: Drinks before the movie or bowling
Where: 301 S. Broadway
When: 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays
Website: lexlive.com
LexLive combines movie theaters, bowling, and places to eat and drink, giving happy hour a built-in activity. A discounted drink can be the first stop before a movie or hitting the bowling lanes.
The venue has weekday drink specials. Thursday’s offer includes $2 domestic beers and a $12 appetizer plate.
6. Centro: Two-for-one wine on Cheapside
Where: 113 Cheapside
When: 4 to 7 p.m. daily
Website: centro-lexington.com
Centro gives the after-work crowd until 7 p.m. to catch its “Happier Hours.” The posted offers include $5 Tito’s, Tanqueray, Four Roses, and Old Forester, plus two-for-one house wines for $7.
The bar overlooks Courthouse Plaza at the Fifth Third Pavilion and offers indoor and outdoor seating. Its downtown location makes it a convenient meeting point.
Centro’s building adds a little history to the stop. The bar opened in 2015 in a limestone building with original brickwork and tile dating to 1898.
7. Boonedogs: A $5 Old Fashioned all day
Where: 5902 Old Richmond Road
When: The $5 Old Fashioned is available all day. Additional happy hour specials run 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday
Website: boonedogslex.com
Boonedogs makes its local Old Fashioned with Kentucky bourbon and Lexington’s Gents Original Old Fashioned mix. The restaurant lists the cocktail at $5 all day, so the price doesn’t depend on arriving before the early evening cutoff.
It also advertises happy hour specials like $1 Boone Beer and $1 off apps like Boone Fries or the beer-cheese platter.
The restaurant sits among horse farms on the edge of Lexington and serves hot dogs, sausages, and other casual fare. For something more substantial, the regular-menu Pimento Dog comes topped with fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, bacon, and pickled red onions.
8. Bear & the Butcher: Wings and a Wednesday bonus
Where: 815 Euclid Ave.
When: 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with all-day bar happy hour Wednesday
Website: bearandthebutcher.com
Bear & the Butcher’s posted drink menu makes the savings easy to follow: $1 off beer, $2 off bar snacks, $3 well drinks, and $4 house wine. The house wine choices are Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay.
Wednesday extends the bar happy hour through the day’s operating hours. The restaurant also advertises a Wednesday wing deal: Buy six smoked wings and get six more for half price.
The sports-focused restaurant has multiple televisions, making it an option for catching a game with food and drinks. Its regular happy hour includes weekends, too.
9. Le Deauville: Half-price appetizers at a French bistro
Where: 199 N. Limestone
When: 5 to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday
Website: ledeauvillebistro.com
Le Deauville’s happy hour gives patrons a chance to nab half-price appetizers and drinks. Or that could just be the start to a decadent French dinner. Its regular menu includes escargot in garlic butter, pâté, and beef carpaccio. Every Tuesday, mussels and fries are all-you-can-eat for $22.50 from 5 to 9 p.m.
The bar has a dining room, bar, and sidewalk terrace for warmer weather. Happy hour is truly one hour, so get there early for the deals.
Make an evening of it
The right happy hour depends on a plan: a quick downtown drink, wings during a game, or appetizers that lead into dinner. Check the latest menu offerings before heading out, and leave room in the budget for tax and tip.
