Zinburger

Do you ever find yourself sitting at home on a rainy Saturday wishing there was a cozy place to cheaply booze your sorrows away?  Well, I'm here to tell you- there is!  Zinburger's happy hour is daily from 4-6 pm with half off all alcohol and sides.  You have to pay full price for the burgers if you want a full meal, but for the food and atmosphere it tends to be worth it.

Wine list

If you're going for wine, it's more economical to buy a bottle.  We went by the glass and with the amount we drank, the bottle would have been a much better choice.  I tried three different kinds, my preferred being the red malbec/syrah for 3 dollars a glass with happy hour pricing.

Ravenswood "Zen of Zin"

The sides menu is mainly just fries.  We ordered the zucchini fries and they were pretty delicious.  Covered in breadcrumbs and parmesan and served with a side of ranch.  And zucchini is a vegetable, so obviously you're being healthy.  I saw a few tables getting a split order of two different fries.  Our server didn't tell us about this, but it's probably the smart choice if you want some variety.

Zucchini Fries

Sides menu.  I didn't see anyone getting half-off cottage cheese, but I guess it's possible.

I prefer to sit out on the patio.  I went on a rainy night and the fireplace and heat lamps got rid of the chill entirely.  In fact it was so comfortable, we ordered another glass of wine after the meal just to stay and enjoy the atmosphere.  I can only imagine how nice it would be on a sunny day.

We ordered dinner on this trip, both meals being tasty and priced around ten dollars.  We both left happy and with leftovers! (my favorite part of a good meal.)  If you stick to the sides and wine, you'll walk away feeling very thrifty.  And I definitely want to go back and try their shakes.  They're not on special during happy hour, but I'll gladly pay full price for a strawberry cheesecake or creme brulee milkshake.  On second thought, Zinburger- put your shakes on your happy hour menu!

Clint's "Almost Famous" Vegetable Burger- smoked mozzarella, tomato marmalade & mayo

Zinburger- manchego cheese, zinfandel braised onions & mayo

Overview:
Time: Daily, 4-6 pm
Specials: Half off glasses and bottles of wine, beer, cocktails, and side dishes.  

Rating: 4/5 shots

Zinburger
1865 East River Road #101
Tucson, AZ 85718

Sunsets at Sapphire

A few weeks ago I attended Sunsets at Sapphire, put on every Friday from 5-9 by 92.9 "The Mountain."  It was a beautiful Tucson day and the rooftop was a great place to spend some time.

 A few bands performed short sets, long enough to enjoy the music without taking away from conversation.  One of the bands encouraged everyone to sing-along, creating a campfire mentality once the sun went down.

The bar area

Onto the drinks!  The only special is two for one vodka drinks. If you're vodka-averse, this might not be the happy hour for you.  A drink runs for about 6 dollars, so it's a pretty good deal. We happened to be a group of three, so we had one extra drink each round to share between us.  There are waitresses around to bring cocktails, but we preferred to order them ourselves at the bar.  Sapphire doesn't have a kitchen, but they had a makeshift "all you can eat" taco bar set up for 5 dollars.  I decided not to partake, but others seemed to be enjoying them.

Fairly strong vodka-pineapples. 

This happy hour was a pretty fun experience and I can definitely see doing it again, especially in the summer heat.

Kind of ironic, but the buildings blocked the sunset

Overview:  
Time:  Every Friday from 5-8 pm, music starts at 6.   
Specials:  2 for 1 vodka drinks, 5 dollar glasses of wine, and 3 dollar all-you-can-eat taco bar.

Rating: 3.5/5 shots

Sunsets at Sapphire Lounge
125 East Congress Street
Tucson, AZ 85701-1707

First Installment

Hey there!
Coming at you from a small apartment in central Tucson to welcome you to the Happy Hour Headquarters.  I love to drink, eat, and socialize and I want to explore what this town has to offer...on a budget.  I plan to show you the happy hours and dining deals around town, the good and the bad.
I hope you join me in my journey of cheap enlightenment! And if this means that I have to frequent more happy hours, well it's all in the name of research.

Cheers! Let's explore the happiest hour.