Looking for a way to support our local restaurant scene without having to break the bank? Happy Hour at one of our many wonderful local establishments may be the ticket. Here is a glimpse at 5 of the Valley’s top places to grab an affordable bite and libation.

CRUjiente Tacos

If you like a little heat with your happy hour, head on over to CRUjiente Tacos for their daily happy hour from 4-6, or reverse happy hour from 9 till closing. Award-winning taquero, Chef Richard Hinojosa, and business partner Jason Morris dish out some mean tacos and libations. Order the Salsa Trio—verde, pasillo, habanero—for $5, Guacamole and Chips for $9, Queso and Chips for $8, or one of the specialty Crunchy Tacos, which cost $4.50 to $6 for choices of potato, beef, lamb, and pork. Wash it all down with the Premier CRU Margarita—voted best in Phoenix—for $8. Draft and bottles of beer are $1 off, cans of Modelo Especial and Tecate Light are $3.50, and glasses of wine are $2 off. Too hot to pass up for sure!

Jade Bar at the Sanctuary

For happy hour with the best sunset in town, look no further than to Jade Bar at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa. From Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 pm, Christiaan Röllich, a recent Los Angeles transplant from Suzanne Goin’s Lucques, serves $10 classic Jade cocktails that have exotic names like Mekong and Marrakech, plus $10 select glasses of wine. The Happy Hour Menu includes the famous Jade Bar Burger ($17) and the stunning Farm Fresh Vegetable Crudité platter ($15), a colorful selection of local produce served with Citrus Hummus, Olive Tapenade and Spiced Pita. Seafood enthusiasts flock to Jade Bar every Tuesday for Two Buck Shuck Tuesdays where oysters on the half shell are $2 a piece. Go for the sunset but stay for the vibe.

Sushi Roku

It is always a scene at the W Hotel in Scottsdale, and none more so than at their signature sushi restaurant, Sushi Roku. Monday thru Friday from 5:00 – 6:30, Sushi Roku hosts a special on sake (hot and cold) for $6, Kirin Ichiban for $5, the Fuji Apple Martini $6 and the signature cocktail, Roku Fusion, with vodka, pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon, for $7. Don’t miss the $6 Brussels sprouts chips, the $7 albacore sashimi, or one of the sushi rolls—spicy tuna, California, or vegetable rolls—for $5. Kampai to that!

Fat Ox

Aperitivo Hour in the bar of Matt Carter’s sleek and sexy Fat Ox runs every day from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Specials start at $6 for the Castelvetrano Marinated Olives, to $24 for an 8-oz. Linz Prime Ox Cut Steak. Many of these small dishes are a meal in and of themselves, like the Veal Meatballs ($10), the Calabrian Shrimp ($18), and even a few of their pasta dishes, like the popular Cacio e Pepe-style Tajarin ($20). There are select glasses of wine for $9, sangria for $9, and specialty cocktails like the Fat Ox Negroni and Old Fashioned for $12. Cin cin!

The Parlor

Grab your friends and pile into a booth at The Parlor Pizzeria for happy hour specials from 3-6 pm daily. Parlor favorites—Fritto Misto, Cauliflower Gratinata, Caponata Bruschetta, and Polenta–are $8. Or order a small pizza for $9 along with a choice of one of three $8 cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Garden Mojito, and Camelback Collins. To top it off, The Parlor offers $2 off draft beer, glasses of wine, well liquor, and sangria. IMHO that’s amore!

Written by Marci Symington
Photography by Luke Irvin & Marci Symington