Drinks • The
Mai Tai Bar is located at the Pike
in Downtown Long Beach on top of the
popular Bubba Gumps restaurant. Tracey
Roman / Online Forty-Niner
Long Beach’s Hottest
Happy Hour Spots
By Rod Speer
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
When students are in dire need of a study break, they often head for their favorite
watering hole to escape the
myriad of academic stresses they are dealing with. Many bars and restaurants
in Long Beach cater to students by enticing them with great happy hour specials
on food and drinks.
One great restaurant is Tequila Jacks in Shoreline Village. Jack’s has
$2.95 margaritas and draft beer from 3 to 6 p.m. in addition to $1 taco specials.
It has a fun beach and college crowd. Jack’s has over 125 different types
of tequila to satisfy your taste buds.
Another must-see hotpot is Mai Tai Bar, at the Long Beach Pike. This place appeals
to the college and beach crowd, and hosts two happy hours per night. The first
is from 4 to 7p.m. featuring $5 appetizers, $4 martinis, $3.50 well drinks and
$2.50 domestic beers. Then from 8 to 11p.m. the beer and well specials are still
in place, but the food specials are not.
Mai Tai Bar is a Hawaiian-style setting with flat-screen televisions, big couches
and live bands each week.
During spring break they have booked groups such as ‘Star 80,’ ‘Urban
Dredd’ and ‘34 Below’ to perform.
If the typical college hangout bar isn’t your scene, check out a neighborhood
bar, such as Alex’s, on Anaheim Boulevard in Long Beach. Alex’s features
Demo Listen Mondays, with $1.75 wells, $2.50 tap beer and $2 kamikaze shots.
That night musicians can bring in
their vinyl or CD demo and have it played and possibly be booked for a gig. Alex’s
clientele is a mixture of area residents and college students. They also have
a free barbeque Sundays from 2 to 7p.m., in addition to the specials that run
on Mondays.
If you are in the mood for a more alternative scene, there is Choices, near Broadway
and Alamitos. Choices (formerly Hamburger Mary’s), has just undergone a
menu change that seems to be popular with customers. In addition to offering
great hamburgers, they now feature items such as New York steak and savory pork
chops.
On Sundays, it hosts an all-you-can eat brunch that includes bottomless mimosas,
all for under $13. They also host different theme nights and a have a dance floor
for the 18 and older crowd to enjoy.
If none of these places seem to peak your interest, check out any of the following
places and you are guaranteed a good bargain and a fun experience as well. There
are other neighborhood bars such as the ones on 4th Street including the Red
Room, V Room, or O’Connell’s. All have good beer specials between
4 to 7p.m.
Fun taco and margarita dives include Taco Surf on 2nd Street or Taco Beach on
Pine Avenue. Both have $1 tacos and cheap beer and drinks during their happy
hours.
If you dig karaoke, then head down Redondo Boulevard. to the Silver Fox on Wednesday
nights.
Whatever your scene, there is no shortage of happy hour hot spots in the Long
Beach area. It’s nice to know there are so many options when so many of
us students are on a tight budget. If you stay in town over spring break, or
if you need to relax after class, definitely stop by one (or more) of these places
to experience the ultimate study break.
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