Six Favorite Happy Hours
Aug 20, 2019 12:40PM ● By Rebecca Parsons
by Rebecca Parsons
Summer is upon us, bringing with it throngs of tourists, long days, and warm evenings. More hours of daylight means more time after work to spend with family and friends, exploring the plethora of dining options our town has to offer. Eating out can get expensive but luckily, there are a number of happy hours in town that offer food and drink at an affordable price. Here are six of our favorites.
The Fisherman Restaurant & Bar
611 Avenida Victoria
Located on the San Clemente pier, with 180-degree views of the sea and a front row seat to the surf, The Fisherman has been an Orange County restaurant hotspot for years. With the restaurant situated on the south side of the pier and the bar on the north, the picturesque restaurant offers Pacific Northwest seafood along with classic bar menu items. While The Fisherman may not be the go-to spot for penny pinchers, they do offer a sunset happy hour in the bar, weekdays from 4-7 pm. The menu rotates each night and includes barbeque chicken, fish tacos, and ribs along with drink specials like Mai Tai’s, Long Island ice tea, and their namesake margarita, all at an affordable price.
BeachFire
204 Avenida Del Mar
BeachFire is a classic southern California restaurant, serving up coastal cuisine made with fresh, local ingredients. Featuring live music seven nights a week and over one hundred pieces of local artwork lining the walls, BeachFire takes pride in being part of San Clemente’s dining and art scene. In addition to music and art, the coastal restaurant offers a happy hour from 3-7 pm Monday through Friday. The happy hour includes a collection of drinks as well as small plates, including popular items such as Ahi tacos, a poke bowl, flatbread pizza, and pulled pork sliders. In addition to happy hour, BeachFire offers a Taco Tuesday each Tuesday from noon to close that includes specials on south of the border drinks and of course, tacos.
beachfire.com
HH Cottons
201 Avenida Del Mar
Located on the historic downtown street of Del Mar, H.H. Cotton’s is an American style family-friendly restaurant with a full-service bar and a collection of flat screen televisions. Inspired by Hamilton H. Cotton’s social spirit, the folks at H.H. Cottons hope to “provide local families with a lively fun place to gather and enjoy delicious food and drink in the company of friends and neighbors.” While the restaurant is popular all throughout the week, their happy hour is of particular interest. Running Monday through Friday form 3-6 pm, their happy hour includes small plates, appetizers, and drinks, all for under $10. In addition to happy hour, H.H. Cottons has a Taco Tuesday menu as well, with discounted tacos, nachos, and drinks.
Avila’s El Ranchito
204 Avenida Del Mar
Established in 2003, Avila’s is a chain of family-owned Mexican restaurants in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas that offers authentic Mexican food, creative margaritas, and a family friendly environment. The San Clemente location is popular for its delicious food, beach décor, and its amazing happy hour. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 4-8 pm and includes $4.25 margaritas, $4 well drinks and $3 drafts as well as a selection of tacos and quesadillas, all for under $4. In addition to in-house dining, Avila’s offers catering for those looking to bring the fun home with them.
avilaselranchito.com
La Siesta
920 N. El Camino Real
Founded in 1956, La Siesta has been a staple in San Clemente for authentic Mexican food for over 60 years. With a large dining area, a fully stocked bar and bottomless chips and salsa, La Siesta is the go-to place for fresh, authentic food. Included in their thorough menu is a generous happy hour, running Monday through Friday from 2-5 pm. Happy hour drinks include tequila, beer, wine, margaritas, and well drinks while their food options include tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and taquitos. Like any good Mexican restaurant, they also offer a $2 Taco Tuesday special, every Tuesday from 2-10 pm.
The Cellar
156 Avenida Del Mar
The Cellar is an American style eatery and wine bar with a diverse menu and indoor/outdoor dining. Unique to the area, The Cellar also offers an onsite cheese shop, with a variety of top of the line cheeses available for purchase. For those looking for good deals, The Cellar offers a happy hour, Tuesday-Sunday from 4-6 pm, which they lovingly refer to as ‘Ecstatic Hour.’ Ecstatic Hour includes a collection of discounted drinks, appetizers, and even a couple sweet treats. If you stick around until 7 pm, the downtown restaurant also offers live music Tuesday-Sunday, with a rotating schedule of talented artists.
