Our Picks for Happy Hour in the East Bay
Photo: Casa Orozco/Facebook
For those who prefer a casual evening in the bar rather than a sit-down meal, check out these staff-recommended East Bay locales for happy hour. We visited Casa Orozco in Dublin, Bridges Restaurant & Bar in Danville, Metro in Lafayette and Simply Fondue in Livermore.
Casa Orozco
DUBLIN – If you’re looking for a fun spot for a girls’ or guys’ night out, check out Dublin’s Casa Orozco. Their happy hour menu features tapas and pitchers of margaritas that are perfect for sharing.
My date and I started with the Mexicali roll, which is a spinach tortilla stuffed with chicken, avocado, cheese and jalapenos, then fried. I likened it to a wrap, served chimichanga style. The yummy roll came with a house-made chipotle ranch for dipping.
I was intrigued by the tapas-sized nachos, so we got a plate with chicken as our meat of choice. Although the plate teeming with chips, beans, chicken, melted cheese and enchilada sauce was huge, we devoured them.
Happy hour tapas start at $7.50. Discounts on select beer and margaritas. Hours are 2 – 6pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays enjoy happy hour all day.
7995 Amador Valley Blvd., Dublin | CasaOrozcoDublin.com
Photo: Bridges Restaurant & Bar/Facebook
Bridges Restaurant & Bar
DANVILLE – Sometimes getting anywhere by 6pm is impossible. That’s why I love happy hour at Danville’s Bridges, where the deals last all evening.
My date and I enjoyed glasses of wine alongside tender chicken satay skewers in the bar. While sitting there, we couldn’t help but notice plate after plate of grilled cheese sandwiches headed to nearby tables. Deciding we didn’t want to miss out, we ordered our own to share. The decadent sourdough triangles were oozing with white cheddar, Havarti, gruyere and goat cheese. Bridges’ crispy truffle frites went well with them. Both are on my recommended comfort food list for this winter!
For a heartier option, check out the $10 blue plate special.
Happy hour bites start at $5. Enjoy select beer, wine and well cocktails for $3-7 in the bar or on the patio, weather permitting. Hours are Monday – Friday, 5pm to closing.
44 Church St., Danville | BridgesDanville.com
Photo: Metro Lafayette/Facebook
Metro Lafayette
LAFAYETTE – If all you want is an early bite or a late evening snack, head to Metro Lafayette. From nibbles like olives and roasted nuts to small meals such as crispy chicken with mashed potatoes, the happy hour menu has a little something for everyone.
My date and I decided on two of their roasted tri-tip sliders. The flavorful meat was served on fresh sourdough bread with cheddar cheese. We paired these with a generous plate of tasty truffle fries.
You can also order from the main menu, so we rounded out our meal by sharing the chopped salad. It was filled with crispy bacon, avocado and hard-boiled egg tossed in buttermilk blue cheese dressing. It was a perfect, healthy addition to our evening.
Happy hour bites start at $3.50. Enjoy discounts on select beer, wine and simple cocktails. Hours are Monday – Friday, 3 – 6pm and 9pm to last call.
3524 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette | MetroLafayette.com
Photo: Simply Fondue/Yelp
Simply Fondue
LIVERMORE – If you’re a martini fan, then the happy hour at Livermore’s Simply Fondue is for you. My date and I paired ours with artichoke hearts that were batter-fried to a perfect golden brown.
Next, we savored two of the skewer selections. The teriyaki marinated grilled chicken skewers contained pineapples, red onions and red bell peppers. Although they were good, the beef kabobs with six-pepper tenderloin were our favorite. They included red onions, bell peppers and mushrooms with creamy horseradish providing the perfect finishing touch.
Lounge dishes start at $12. Discounts on select beer, wine and martinis. Happy hour is all day Sunday and Monday, and Tuesday – Thursday, 3 – 6pm.
2300 First St., Suite 110, Livermore | SimplyFondueLivermore.com
Janet Fazio writes ‘Tastes of Your Town’, a monthly feature on East Bay dining in the print editions of Your Town Monthly. A version of this article was originally published in the February 2020 East Bay editions.
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