New Happy Hours App Spurs Hot Love Affair

Turn that frown upside down!

​Last week Seattle Weekly and GoTime launched the "Happy Hours" app for mobile devices (yes, iPhone AND Android!). It's a free app that can be used to find happy hours in over 40 Seattle neighborhoods, day or night, and fills you in on the details of said happy hours--from how many minutes you have left to get that last drink order in to what, and for how much, the happy hour specials are.

Many people's experience with apps, especially the free ones, is that they're not always what they're cracked up to be. But this one is--and a whole lot more. Drinkers and deal-chasers, prepare to sit back and let your fingers do the walking.

Following are the results of our week-long test drive.

3:18 pm Monday, Downtown Seattle: Happy Hours brings up 205 results, including the Alibi Room, which offers $3 drafts, $4 wells and a $5 happy hour food menu that ranges from the expected (bruschetta) to the unexpected (mini spicy mac n' cheese).

6:47pm Monday, Alki Beach: A search on Happy Hours brought up nothing in this neighborhood. Disappointing as it was, a quick walk through this beachside enclave confirmed Happy Hours' results--no happy hours to be had! Apparently this neighborhood spends most of the year recovering from West Seattle's Greatest Happy Hour, otherwise known as Summer.

9:24am Tuesday, Ballard: Home to many a Norwegian fisherman, Ballard is perhaps the easiest neighborhood (other than downtown, which doesn't really count) to find a happy hour. Happy Hours didn't fall for this early morning trick and came back with one result for a Tuesday morning. The Hi-Life's "not-so-early bird" happy hour features $5 breakfast burritos, biscuits & gravy, flapjacks and panino. Happy Hours' users rate the Hi-Life #4 in Seattle, and #2 in Ballard, so this might be one to mark for p.m. happy hour as well. Maybe.

3:31pm Tuesday, First Hill & Capitol Hill: Lumping these two neighbors together in an "it's never too early for happy hour" Happy Hours search returns a respectable 22 results, from the lady-centric Wild Rose to the ball-centric Garage. Whatever whets your whistle, Happy Hours pretty much guarantees you a great selection.

3:12pm Wednesday, Burien & Northgate: Northgate has shopping, Burien has the best Bingo parlor of all time, and between the two there are 11 places to stop in for hump day happy hour. Happy Hours reports $2-$5 appetizers at the Saffron Bar & Grill in Northgate (ranked #6 in Northgate) to $2 Rainier drafts at the Sidestreet Kitchen & Bar in Burien (ranked #3 in Burien).

4:37pm Thursday, Georgetown: Never a neighborhood to disappoint, Happy Hours finds eight Thursday afternoon happy hours in Georgetown. $1 off appetizers and $1.50 PBR's at Georgetown Liquor Company (ranked #5 in Georgetown), $6 PBR pitchers and $4 wells at Smarty Pants (rated #2 in Georgetown), and $5 pizza and $8 ½ liter of house wine at Via Tribunali (#8 in Georgetown) cover just about any craving. Happy Hours even points out there's 1 hour 23 minutes left to get there.

1:15pm Sunday, West Seattle: Happy Hours reports only two results for this ho-hum timeframe, but the second one is deserving of an additional click. For there you find the Beveridge Place Pub--ranked #93 in Seattle, #7 in West Seattle for happy hour--which has happy hour from 12-6 both Saturday AND Sunday. Guess I know where I'll be watching the next game.

Oh, Happy Hours, I am really beginning to love you. I'm so glad I downloaded you and I'd do it again, forever and ever.

Cheers to you, my love.

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