RIVERSIDE CLUBHOUSE
2633 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento
(916) 448-9988
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-midnight Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m.-midnight Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday
Happy hour: 3:30-7 p.m. Monday-Friday
The real steal: Riverside Clubhouse has a hefty menu of goodies for $4 apiece. Bogle merlot and chardonnay, draft beers – Stella Artois, Widmer Heveweizen, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Full Sail Pale Ale – and well liquors fill out the drink menu. The list of food offerings is equally robust. Choose from Riverside Clubhouse classics such as fried calamari with lemon aioli, house-made potato chips with caramelized onion dip, sweet potato fries with blue-cheese dressing and peach ketchup, and customer favorite Buffalo wings with blue-cheese dip.
The vibe: The Haines brothers up California-casual neighborhood dining with oomph at all of their locations: the Bistro 33 restaurants, Spin Burger Bar and Suzie Burger. Land Park's Riverside Clubhouse attracts residents who want to walk to their evening destination and professionals relaxing after a long day at the office. Certain touches evoke the whimsy and good vibes of the Haines brothers – for instance, Riverside Clubhouse offers complimentary fresh-popped popcorn at happy hour, as do all the Bistro 33 restaurants.
Signature drink: Wines from Clarksburg's Bogle Vineyards get the nod here.
Bathroom break: The entrance to the kitchen is right next to the hallway leading to the facilities, so awareness of one's surroundings is key to avoiding getting caught up in the cross traffic.
Something extra: Friday nights from 5 p.m. until close, grab $12 pitchers of mojitos, a few close friends and a seat in the sunroom to kick off the weekend in style.
Take a seat: People-watch from the far side of the bar as the crowds filter into the eatery. You never know which old friend you'll run into here.
MVP SPORTS GRILL
2110 L St., Sacramento
(916) 444-1115
Happy hour: 3-7 p.m. Monda-Friday
The deals: This bi-level sports bar offers $2 domestic beers, $3.50 well drinks, half-price appetizers (including popcorn shrimp and chicken strips) and a mind-boggling number of televisions. Each weekday boasts a different special on top of the happy hour deals. Taco Tuesday, for example, features $5 margaritas, $3 Cazadores Tequila shots and a taco plate and Cazadores margarita combo for $8.50.
BREW IT UP!
801 14th St., Sacramento
(916) 441-3000
Happy hour: 3-6 p.m. every day
The deals: With 10-ounce drafts of Brew It Up!'s carefully crafted beers going for $2 each, happy hour is the perfect time to get adventurous. House wines and well drinks are $4, and select cocktails are $5. Small plates, priced at $3, feature such options as grilled asparagus with prosciutto and blue cheese and balsamic kettle chips. Most of the $3 small plates are more than half off the menu price.
EL TORITO
1598 Arden Way, Sacramento
(916) 927-0071
Happy hour: 2-8 p.m. Monday-Friday
The deals: House margaritas, wines, domestic drafts and well drinks are $3, and the long list of food specials includes $3.99 beef taquitos and $5.39 chicken nachos. For larger groups, a must-try is the $8.99 Fiesta Grande Platter, a sampler packed with chicken flautas, buffalo wings, cheese nachos, beef taquitos, a cheese quesadilla and fresh guacamole.
BJ'S RESTAURANT AND BREWHOUSE
Elk Grove: 9237 Laguna Springs Drive, (916) 753-1500
Roseville: 1200 Roseville Parkway, (916) 580-2100
Sacramento: 3531 N. Freeway Blvd., (916) 570-1327; 1689 Arden Way inside Arden Fair mall, (916) 570-1920
Folsom: 2730 E. Bidwell St., (916) 404-2000
Happy hour: 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 p.m.-midnight Sunday-Thursday
The deals: Take $2 off appetizers with flavor influences from across the globe, like Thai shrimp lettuce wraps, avocado egg rolls and nachos made with BJs Piranha Pale Ale chili. Mini pizzas are half off. Draft beers and cocktails are $1 off.
Do you know of a bar that has amazingly good deals on drinks and food? Share the scoop with The Bee, and we'll highlight it as part of this new Night Life feature. Email sacbeenightlife@gmail.com.THIS WEEK'S FEATURED BARGAIN
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.