29 best happy hours in San Francisco for cheap drinks

There are a lot of happy hours in San Francisco to choose from. But we think the best happy hours in the city last longer than a mere hour, come with deep discounts and offer ambiance to boot. 

From happy hours catering to those back in the office to fantastic deals on oysters, here are the city’s drink— and food — deals worth putting on your radar.

Editor’s note: All prices listed below were accurate at time of publication. Since specials and hours can change, be sure to call your happy hour spot of choice to confirm before heading out.

When: Daily, 2:30–5 p.m.

Considering that this is a fine-dining establishment with million-dollar Bay views, Waterbar’s daily happy hour is rather affordable. The bar offers one $5 beer, two options for $8 wine and two $10 select cocktails. It also offers a daily featured oyster for $1.55 each, with a limit of 24 per table.  

Find it: Waterbar, 399 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105; 415-284-9922

When: Monday–Friday, 5–7 p.m. for drink specials; Tuesday for discounted oysters. 

This swanky Barbary Coast-themed lounge recently unveiled new happy hour deals to help you celebrate every day of the week in addition to their usual Monday through Friday deals on grog and select flights. Oyster Tuesdays offer half dozen or a dozen oysters for $1.22 each. Wine Down Wednesday features half off bottle of wines and champagne, while tacos go for just $5 on Thursday. Come Friday, you can get any cocktail on the menu for $11. 

Find it: Barbarossa Lounge, 714 Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA 94111; 415-434-4204

When: Monday–Saturday, 5–6:30 p.m.

Nestled just a block away from Alamo Square, Bar Crudo is Divisadero Street’s most charming seafood bar. During happy hour, you can order from an array of discounted seafood options. Beer is just $5; wine is $9.  

Find it: Bar Crudo, 655 Divisadero St., San Francisco, CA 94117; 415-409-0679

When: Tuesday–Friday, 4–6 p.m. 

With one of the most extensive and generous happy hour menus in the city, the $1.75 oysters are just the beginning. Pair your drink with $5 chicken sliders, $8 truffle fries, an $8 Caesar salad and other goodies at this popular Marina parlor. You can also get a $6 martini made with Tito’s vodka or Hendrick’s gin — you’ll be doing the world some good because The Dorian donates $1 from every martini sale to a local youth charity. There’s a limit of two happy hour martinis per person, but that’s probably for the best. 

Find it: The Dorian, 2001 Chestnut St., San Francisco, CA 94123; 415-358-7054

Find it: Scopo Divino, 2800 California St., San Francisco, CA 94115; 415-928-3728

When: Daily, 5–7 p.m.  

There’s a reason this small San Francisco chain has been topping the best happy hour lists and drawing young professionals for years: the food and drink deals are generous, including oysters that go for $1.50 each and come with a tangy lime dipping sauce. But the happy hour offerings don’t end there. Drinks range from $5 for a beer to $7 for selected cocktails. Other happy hour tapas, like gyoza and fried calamari, are under $10. There are a few locations, but our favorite is the Embarcadero location for its Ferry Building views. 

When: Tuesday–Friday, 3–6 p.m.

Fact: Oysters taste better when you can eat them by the water and they are $1 or under. This Mission Bay waterfront restaurant offers both. Get a minimum of six and a max of 24 oysters at just a buck a piece, then wash them down with a frozen cocktail for $10 or a house wine for just $7. The deal applies to the casual first-floor restaurant only on nights when the Chase Center is not having an event. 

Find it: Mission Rock Resort, 817 Terry A. Francois Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94158; 415-701-7625

When: Tuesday–Saturday, 3–6 p.m.

Conferencegoers and tourists flock to this Union Square mainstay, but locals will also appreciate its robust happy hour menu. A half-dozen oysters go for $10.50, but don’t sleep on the $3 steamed pork buns, $2 squash dumplings and $10 calamari (to name a few highlights). The drink options are also copious with $9 cocktails, $8 sake, $7 wine and $6 beer. 

When: Monday–Friday, 4–6 p.m.; Saturday, 5–6 p.m.

The only thing not $8 on this extensive happy hour menu are the oysters, which go for half off and come with a perfect champagne mignonette, fresh horseradish and lemon. You could easily make a meal out of the bar bites, which include deviled eggs, crispy chicken wings and fontina and spinach arancini. Well cocktails, draft beer and house wine are also $8, drawing an after-work or a pre-baseball game crowd to this SoMa wine and whiskey bar. 

Find it: District, 216 Townsend St., San Francisco CA 94107; 415-896-2120

When: Tuesday–Friday, 4–8 p.m.

What’s better than happy hour? How about a happy hour that lasts a whopping four hours. Located across the street from the Ferry Building, this upscale restaurant is the perfect spot to wait for your ferry or work up a buzz before hopping on BART or Muni. Enjoy $10 deviled eggs, $9 chickpea fries and a delicious “loaded latke” for under $9 in this classic SF establishment.

Find it: One Market, 1 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94105; 415-777-5577

When: Monday–Friday, 3:30–5:30 p.m.

This cozy bar specializes in globally sourced wine and barrel-aged spirits in swanky, historic quarters in the Financial District. During happy hour at The Barrel Room, bar bites like fried Brussels sprouts, garlic fries and ceviche can be paired with cocktails that go for just $8 each. After you’re done imbibing on these deals, check out the speakeasy in the basement that dates back to 1905. 

Find it: The Barrel Room, 415 Sansome St., San Francisco, CA 94111; 415-956-6900

When: Monday–Saturday, 4–5:30 p.m

Founded by chefs Michael Mina and the late Ken Tominaga, PABU offers a modern take on traditional izakaya dining. Happy hour features discounted items such as steamed pork buns for $3.88, karaage for $7.88 and a hand roll for $6.88. For drinks, highballs are the move here and go for $10.88. You can also enjoy a shot and a beer deal and discounted Sapporo. 

Find it: PABU Izakaya, 101 California St., San Francisco, CA 94111; 415-535-0184

Another Michael Mina outpost, this time the favorite SF restaurateur teamed up with Ayesha Curry to offer wood fired steaks, seafood and ribs. During happy hour here, Curry’s cornbread with Thai red curry butter goes for just $2 a slice and the smoked pork belly bao bun is just $5, among other great deals. On the drink side, select cocktails are $8, while a Montucky Cold Snack is $5. 

When:  Monday–Friday, 3–5 p.m.

This grand Peruvian restaurant with water views is not for those on a budget, unless you head to the restaurant’s Cebiche Lounge where happy hour goes down Monday through Friday. Enjoy discounted prices on select cocktails, such as the delightful prickly pear margarita, priced at $7. Additionally, the house wines — red or white— are available for just $6 (sparkling is $8), select beers for $4 and empanadas for $5 each. The signature Cebiche Clásico usually goes for $21.50, but you can snag it for $14 during happy hour. 

Find it: La Mar, Pier 1 1/2, The Embarcadero N., San Francisco, CA 94105; 415-397-8880

When: Monday–Friday, 4–6 p.m. 

Like the name suggests, this friendly, unpretentious SoMa wine bar will help you “wine down” after a day on the clock, especially if you go with friends or coworkers: together you can can enjoy $5 off carafes of wine, pitchers of beer and meat and cheese plates, which they call “feasts.” Single glasses of select wines go for $9, while a beer is $7. 

Find it: Wine Down, 685 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA 94107; 415-829-7005

When: Monday–Friday, 4–6 p.m.; Saturdays 50% off select bottles all night.

The only thing better than happy hour during the week is happy hour during the weekend … not to mention one that lasts all night. While the Monday through Friday happy hour is solid, with $2 off all wine by the glass and 20% off select bottles, the deal increases to 50% off select bottles on Saturdays (per glass deal not included on Saturdays.)

Pro-tip: Hit this spot before or after a trip to SFMOMA to round out a great date night. 

Find it: Press Club, 20 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA 94103; 415-744-5000

When: Monday–Friday, 4–6 p.m.

A pioneer of casual, communal dining and loved for their Roman-style pizza and upscale small plates, this popular Marina spot has expanded to downtown SF, bringing a solid happy hour with it. The $8 drinks include a house red or white, prosecco or sparkling rosé and a few cocktails; two beers are available for $6. The snacks are $10 and feature some of the best items on the menu, including pizzettas, spicy cauliflower and buttery, garlicky prawns. 

When: Monday–Friday, 3-6 p.m.

Located close to the Moscone Center, Tropisuneo is a great spot to check out after a conference or on your way home from another spot downtown. The restaurant’s happy hour offer $6 specials on margaritas, sangria and well drinks, $5 beer and cheap appetizers such as $5 ceviche and guacamole.

Find it: Tropisueno, 75 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco CA 94103; 415-985-2264

When: Monday–Friday, 3-5 p.m. (except major holidays and sports events).

If you’re near Union Square, Bartlett Hall can be a solid place to pop in for a drink and a snack. The bar’s discounted food and drink specials include $6 glasses of wine, $5 beers and $7 chili nachos, wings and flatbread pizza.

Find it: Bartlett Hall, 242 O’Farrell St., San Francisco CA 94102; 415-433-4332

When: Tuesday–Friday, 4-6 p.m.

On a nice day, there’s nothing quite like spending happy hour on the 620 Jones rooftop, which sits between the Tenderloin and Nob Hill, when the bar and restaurant offers $6 wine and sangria, $5 beers and a $9 cocktail special. If you’re hungry, discounted food options include $7 papas bravas, $9 buffalo wings and a $10 double pepperoni pizza with local SF Molinari pepperoni.

Find it: 620 Jones, 620 Jones St., San Francisco CA 94102; 415-845-2257

When: Monday–Friday, 4–6 p.m. 

One of the city’s most popular rooftop bars gets even more poppin’ on weeknight afternoons when prices on a selection of the famed Latin American drinks and street food are slashed in half. Draft beer starts at $5, a classic margarita goes for $7 and you can get a pitcher of the delicious sangria for $18. Finger food, such as guacamole and chips, empanadas and fried chicken are priced at just $7. 

Find it: El Techo, 2516 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94110 ; 415-550-6970 

When: Tuesday–Friday, 4–6 p.m. 

This vibrant Peruvian grill and rotisserie in the Marina has a variety of deals throughout the week that will encourage you to make every hour a little happier. Their Tuesday through Friday after-work deal gets you a cocktail flight of three libations for $16 between 4 and 6 p.m. Celebrate Wine Wednesdays with discounted wine bottles all night, or Thirsty Thursday with live music and half-off spritzes from 6 to 9 p.m. Show up to brunch on Sunday in your best pajamas and you’ll earn a bottle of bubbly on the house. 

Find it: Jaranita, 3340 Steiner St., San Francisco, CA 94123; 415-655-9585

When: Monday–Friday, 3–7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1–7 p.m. 

Happy hour goes down everyday and is extended to six hours on weekends with unheard of old-fashioned prices. Beers start at just $3, wine for $7, while a variety of cocktails top out at $9. The warm, cavernous atmosphere, eclectic decor and frequent events and live music add to the charm. 

Find it: Lush Lounge, 1221 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109; 415-771-2022

When: Monday–Thursday, 5–7 p.m. for half-priced bottles of wine; 5:30–6:30 p.m. for food

This popular gastropub has been drawing Marina crowds to its lively bar and spacious outdoor patio since 2010. Locals know the trick to making the most of the Pig’s staggered happy hour is to get there right at 5 p.m., when all wine bottles are 50% off. While you wait for 5:30 to roll around, peruse the menu of upscale happy hour bar bites, which include burrata, “pretzel” bites, mac ‘n cheese, popcorn shrimp, mini burgers, BBQ pork sliders, a cheese plate and a couple of salads, all priced between $7 and $9. 

Find it: The Tipsy Pig, 2231 Chestnut St., San Francisco, CA 94123; 415-292-2300

When: Tuesday–Saturday, 12–3 p.m. for lunch specials and 3–6 p.m. for drink specials.

The Snug in Pacific Heights breaks the mold of the traditional Monday-Friday happy hour and instead offers its happy hours on both weekdays and weekends, which means even if you don’t work or live near the bar you have a chance to take advantage of the deal. For lunch, try a discounted salad, cheeseburger or chicken sandwich. Stay around a bit and wash it down with a $6 draft beer, $10 draft wine or $10 signature cocktail.

Find it: The Snug, 2301 Fillmore St., San Francisco CA 94115 

When: Monday–Friday, 3–6 p.m.

The happy hour at the Mission’s Tacolicious offers a house margarita, sangria and wine for $10. The bar also offers $5 Tecate and $7 Negra Modelo. If you’re hungry, a “T-lish Prix-Fixe” option only available at happy hour gets you a tequila, a tecate and a taco for $14. The restaurant also offers $10.25 made-to-order guacamole, chicken tacos, and holy trinity dip samplers.

Find it: Tacolicious, 741 Valenica St., San Francisco CA 94110

When: Monday–Thursday (plus Fridays in Alamo Square), 5–6 p.m.

When: Tuesday–Friday, 4–6 p.m.

The Palm House offers discounted snacks and drinks in the Marina. Food options include $6 ahi poke tostadas or jerk spiced fries and $14 coconut-crusted prawns. Discounted drinks are some of the restaurant’s most popular, including a chipotle mango margarita, an old cuban or a glass of wine for $7 or boozy slushy for $10. If you want to keep it simple, the restaurant also offers $1 off draft beers and half-off bottles of wine.

Find it: The Palm House, 2032 Union Street, San Francisco CA 94123; 415-749-9959

This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at kristina.moy@hearst.com.