I know quite a few people who were hit with recent life events that directly affect their fun budget. Nothing wipes out expendable income faster than hiring a divorce attorney, caring for a sick pet, or losing your side gig. Maybe you’re trying to date a different person from that Coffee and a Bagel app every night, no judgment. But for social creatures, it’s hard to say, “I’ll chill at home for six months, until the dust settles.” Most of your potential sweethearts and best buds will be out on the town. Take heart, bummed out readers, there are great spots in Fort Worth to get drinks on the cheap and fend off Drunkarexia that don’t involve illegal smuggling of warm vodka flasks and Power Bars.
High quality tipple is budget-friendly at Thompson’s Bookstore (900 Houston St) on Mondays, when happy hour is all day, featuring $6 deals on the Manhattan, Moscow Mule, Old Fashioned, French 75, and Aviation. But if you want to eat and drink away the first-of-the-week blues, hitting the 5-7pm happy hour at Cane Rosso (815 W Magnolia Av) nets you a full-sized Margherita or Marinara pizza and a half-priced cocktail, all for $10.
Are you a person who can remember to bring your glass back to a bar? On Tuesdays, the Bearded Lady (1229 7th Av) rewards good memories. Buy a refillable mason jar for $8, and everything on tap is half off when you bring it back each week. Taco Heads (1812 Montgomery St) has strong daily happy-hour specials, but on Tuesdays, complement a $5 frozen margarita with a dollar off all traditional and breakfast tacos.
Upper 90 (961 W Magnolia Av) and MASS (1002 S Main St) tie for my favorite thrifty Wednesday. Upper 90 offers half-off drinks all day. MASS hosts Wayhomer Wednesdays, and for $3 you get to see a great band from 6 to 8pm. But if your vibe is more pinky-out that day, Grace’s bar side (777 Main St) offers an astoundingly good value at $10 for a three-course food and wine pairing from 4 to 7pm. It also serves half-priced champagne daily from 4 to 6pm.
Houston Street Bar & Patio (902 Houston St) kills it on Thursdays because happy hour is both cheap, with $2.75 domestic bottles and $3.25 wells, and long-lasting, from 3 to 8pm. Food-wise, T&P Tavern (221 W Lancaster Av) offers 25 percent off a bottle of wine and a cheese board. Cannon Chinese Kitchen (304 W Cannon St) is also a solid economical-appetizer-and-cocktail choice, with a special menu Mon-Fri from 5 to 6:30pm.
By Friday, the week is done, and you need the maximum about of carbs, which is where the fully loaded nacho bar at Chuy’s (2401 W 7th St) comes in. It will soak up those $3 beers and $4.75 house margaritas. A presumably healthier option than carb loading would be to hit up HG SPLY CO. (1621 River Run, Ste 176) from 3 to 6pm for drink specials and half-off off appetizers.
Saturday’s are perfect for day drinking at awesome little dive bars like The Horny Toad (9530 Camp Bowie West). Its prices are dirt cheap from 11am to 6:30pm daily. Even on the weekend, late night sustenance can be found at Wild Salsa (300 Throckmorton St, Ste 180), where there is a special discounted menu of apps and ’ritas at the bar from 10pm ’til close.
And lastly, on the day of rest, pull yourself out of bed at noon on Sunday for $1.84 frozen Bellinis at Taverna (450 Throckmorton St) and eat a bite or two of brunch before hitting up the Boiled Owl Tavern (909 W Magnolia Av) from 2 to 7pm, when it’s a dollar off everything. Now get some rest, you animals.
