Who has the best Happy Hour food / Early Bird special? [DTW] ...esp Oakland Co.
On the rare weekday that the wife&kid are doing their own thing, AND I actually get out of work at a decent hour, I'd like to make the most of it...and by "it" I mean my budget: a good beer or wine (or two) and chow, for about $20. Who has the best Happy Hour plates?
Ronin is my tops so far. I scored three huge, high (for Midwestern) quality sushi rolls, a big Sapporo AND a sake all for under $19+t&t. Wow, the scenery was great, too.
Unlike Sir Boagman, I don't also happen to be endowed with 225LBS of highly toned muscle, so I kind of dread having to jostle with 45 people just to get one of the mere 25 bar seats that are bestowed the infamous Happy Hour menu privileges at Roast. Oh, and speaking of meat, the seemingly nicely priced Happy Hour carpaccio at Fleming's is downright disgusting (not that I'm highly experienced with this dish, but crap is crap).
Morton's Steakhouse has a good raw tuna tres tacos for $7, but I'm going to try their $7 "prime" cheeseburger next time. McCormick&Schmick was alright, as was Mitchell's, but I'd like to do better. What d'ya got?
Thanks
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I've liked the happy hour at Big Rock in Birmingham. $3 - $5 plates that serve two. Calamari with lemon has always been excellent! Sliders - both chicken and beef - OK. And some house wines for $3. Friends and I get out of there with several plates and drinks for $12. Four to seven p.m. and we're there pretty much for all that time having fun talking. ;) Might not be top of the heap food, but atmosphere and service is just great! Zazio, the new place @ Woodward and Maple in Birmingham has a good happy hour according to my sister. Five buck good personal pizzas and some other specials. Tried to go there recently but it was closed for a private party.
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re: berkleybabe
Thanks BB. I'll give them a try. They are controversial recs, but at HH prices, I guess I don't have much to lose. Big Rock scenery is mostly WASP dudes, so the latest food and beer/wine lists better be decent. Alert your sister that if she sees an old, skinny-armed, bald guy at Zazio's, she should say 'hi' since he's probably cool and me.
PS--Did I whine that the parking at Big Rock is not easy for newbies?-
re: VTB
VTB, I tried Big Rock's HH once, and wasn't overly impressed, just so you know. The "scene" is pretty much as you described it, and I thought the food was pretty "meh". I haven't been back, and yes: the parking was ridiculously stupid, *especially* for someone who isn't able to valet. Considering that the executive chef was recently given the 2012 Chef of the Year award for something or other, perhaps I was there before he arrived there.
Either way, it's pretty much what I consider "Buhminghahm" to be, and I'm not crazy about it.
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re: VTB
I always park on the side street, always room. Can't stand valet parking in suburbia. For a couple years just out of UM, I used the train that rain from the Eton station (now Big Rock) to commute downtown. Beautiful building and the train ride was relaxing, able to read a book, etc. I guess I'm glad BR didn't trash the place but kept some character. I still can see the window where I used to buy train tickets.
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I'm a big fan of the Happy Hour at Jeremy Restaurant and Bar. The chow being the Filet Mignon sandwich with fries ($13) and a Grapefruit Passion ($5 during Happy Hour), for $18 plus tax and tip. I guess they realized that they had lightning in a bottle with the Filet Mignon sandwich, since it used to be available *exclusively* at the bar, and now it's available anywhere, anytime they're open. The $5 price on the Grapefruit Passion is only during HH, though (someone got tired of typing out "Happy Hour").
And yes: they raised the price on the sandwich, but they also included a side of fries, which are good, and if you wanted to upgrade to sweet potato fries or onion rings, they'll let you for an extra $2, which still fits your designated budget. I don't drink beer, so I don't know what they have or its price during or outside of HH.
Still: nice place to stop by for HH for sure.
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re: boagman
Excellent news Sir. Based on your past recs I had gone to Jeremy with my boy but since he couldn't sit at the bar I couldn't get the filet mignon sandwich. Will try again, now that they have the new program. I heard that one of the head honchos at Jeremy is a sangria obsessive. I don't like the concept of putting stuff into wine, but I did once have a memorable sangria in a Spanish coastal village and would enjoy the opportunity to reminisce a bit. If the sangria fiend at Jeremy is still slinging it in October, I'll have to give it a try. I think he adds some fine liquers and peppercorns and other quality exotic spices and artisinal treatments to it. Serious love.
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