Eat, drink and be merry: Some of the best happy hours in town

Happy hour makes a lot of people ... happy. At the end of a long day, you can meet up with your friends, complain about your boss, knock back a couple of cocktails and do it all at a price lower than during normal business hours.

We've scoured Charleston to find you the best and coolest happy hours in town ... tough job, we know. In addition to the best deals, we also wanted to show you some of the hippest spots that you may not have heard of.

Downtown

When we went looking for some of the best happy hour spots in downtown, Fish on King Street popped up on almost everyone's list.

Courtney Schoenbaechler of Patrick Properties says of Fish's happy hour, "Our small plates are $6-$7, which makes for great happy hour sharing. Our manager, Evan Powell, is a truly talented mixologist and has created a one-of-a kind cocktail menu that will suit any taste, from his sweet spin on a margarita (the nectarita) to a gentlemanly high fashion bourbon cocktail, you'll certainly find something to enjoy while enjoying the unique, modern decor of the renovated bar area."

In addition to the small plates, the happy hour at Fish, which is 5:30-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, features $1 dim sum, $2.50 select beers, $3.50 house liquors, $4 specialty cocktails, and $5 house wines.

Another spot for a downtown happy hour is The Blind Tiger on Broad Street. The only French Quarter pub with a happy hour on Broad Street, 5 o'clock brings in lawyers and art gallery owners, among many others, who populate this section of the city.

According to Atom Miller, one of the chefs at The Blind Tiger, you will find "a great staff with Charleston's largest and most historic patio bar. We feature amazing pommes frites and spicy corn fritters on our menu as well as escargot and Charleston's best mussels. On Sundays, we feature a happy hour menu that starts at 6 p.m. that includes such great drink specials as $4 Jaegar Bombs, $4 Grand Marnier shots ... and a $5 Stoli Martini list."

Across town, you will find Lana Restaurant, a little gem on Rutledge Avenue. The happy hour runs 5-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and features deals such as $2.50 glasses of featured wine, $2.50 house liquor and $4.50 for featured cocktails. While you are there, you can satisfy your appetite with the tapas menu that includes many affordable options, such as potato croquettes with red pepper and feta dip for $4.50, oven-baked goat cheese with tomato sauce and garlic oil for $5, and small bowls of marinated olives for $3.50.

Drazen Romic, one of the owners of Lana, says, "We have been very pleased with the response to our happy hour specials. People seem to enjoy the menu and have a great time when they join us."

Pearlz on East Bay Street is another favorite and was voted "Best Happy Hour in the City" by The Post and Courier. Some of their featured specials are a dozen gulf oysters for $6.95, fried oysters for $4.95, crab pizza for 8.95 and fish tacos for $4.95 for two. Their drink specials include $2.50 pints of homegrown draft beers, $3 house wines including champagne and $3 house liquors.

Beyond the peninsula

As we all know, Charleston spans well beyond downtown, and there are many great happy hours to be found in surrounding neighborhoods.

In South Windermere, the Med Bistro is a great place to stop in for a cocktail. On Wednesday, you can get $3 Margaritas and $2 vodka drinks, and Thursdays offer half-price bottles of wine $50 and under. Enjoy these deals while looking at the cool art that hangs on the wall, most of which is for sale.

One of the best spots for happy hour festivities in James Island is Zia Taqueria on Maybank Highway. Zia is a cool, laid-back little joint providing high-quality, moderately priced regional Mexican food and beverages using only natural ingredients. Zia features a 3-for-3 special during happy hour, which runs 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. The deals are $3 Zia Ritas, a tasty take on the margarita, $3 Mexican imports and $3 well liquors. All day Monday, Zia offers fish tacos, baja or grilled style, for $2.50.

One of the newest spots to open on James Island is the Smoky Oak Taproom on Camp Road. Quickly becoming a J.I. favorite, Smoky Oak features $1 off all bar drinks during happy hour and various bucket specials. Currently, it features a $10 bucket of Heineken, but it changes its beer specials regularly. For food, you will find half-price appetizers and wing specials. The happy hour at Smoky Oak is 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Ben Berryhill's Red Drum Restaurant is one of the best stops in Mount

Pleasant for happy hour specials. Imbibe magazine actually wrote of Red Drum: "It's official. The Drum is one of the Best Places in America to have a beer." That is high praise indeed! From 5-7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, you can get $2 PBR, $3 Dos Equis and $2 off well drinks and select cocktails from the drink menu. Additionally, Red Drum offers half-price bottles of wine every Tuesday, all night long. The food specials include $3 tortilla chips and salsa, $3 "kitchen's favorite" spicy fries, $5 tuna empanadas and the $8 Red Drum Cheeseburger and fries.

According to Judy Hirigoyen of Red Drum, "We have offered a happy hour for the past year. The selections have changed over time; however, the current program is a winner and here to stay. The clientele is literally eating it up. Have the Shrimp Tacos and two Dos Equis or a RD Cheeseburger-Fries and two PBR for $12. It's a real deal!"

If you are looking for a view with your cocktails, Red's Ice House on Shem Creek is a great place to chill on the water.

With deals such as $10 for a bucket of Bull's Bay local oysters and two Bud Selects, it is an affordable option for a classic Charleston happy hour.

Just a taste

By no means is this a comprehensive list of happy hours. That would be impossible, because there are so many wonderful restaurants and bars in our city, and we love them all. Want us to write about another happy hour? We will do that. E-mail previewfood@postandcourier.com and let us know what's up.