400 L St., Sacramento
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.- 10 p.m. Friday, 5-10 p.m. Saturday (The bar stays open later, depending on the amount of traffic.)
Happy hour: 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 5-7 p.m. Saturday
The real steal: Draft beers and well drinks are $4, Rolling Rock beer, $2.50; Skyy vodka-flavored Cosmos and house wines, $5; and Svedka vodka martinis, $6. They also have rotating cocktails for $6, such as mai tai, margaritas and a Jim Beam Manhattan.
If you’re hungry, their full-size bar bites are $5.95 each. Garlic fries and boneless buffalo chicken are available only during happy hour, and other popular choices are the Baja fish tacos, grilled artichoke with lemon aioli or calamari.
The vibe: think “Cheers” when you hear this restaurant’s name. why? well, it is the type of place where they know everyone by name. the restaurant is filled with warm and inviting colors, mahogany wood and plenty of windows to let in the sunlight, giving you a very San Francisco-like feel. A couple of faux plants are placed around the restaurant, and tables and chairs as well as booths line the perimeter. the bar takes up the middle of the restaurant with a wall of liquor and plenty of seating.
Signature drink: the Skyy vodka Cosmo tends to be very popular. the raspberry-flavored vodka is the most common choice. however, you can try it with passion fruit, blood orange, or coconut.
Bathroom break: the bathroom is tucked away in the back of the restaurant and has three stalls, two sinks, and four mirrors, including an oversized, full-length mirror. the dim lighting inside gives the bathroom the same warm feel as the rest of the restaurant, and in the springtime, they also have fresh flowers inside.
Alternative libations: just as much as the women love their Cosmo, men love the Manhattan at 4th Street Grille. Made with Jim Beam bourbon, this recipe reflects old-school style, with a classic recipe to give you an authentic experience.
Something extra: Sit at the bar where it’s easy to flag down a bartender, and the fans above keep you feeling cool and comfortable. the bartenders are also great company.Café Campanile
4359 Town Center Blvd., El Dorado Hills
Hours: 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday through Saturday. the kitchen closes at 9 p.m. however, from Thursday through Saturday, there is a pub menu available from 9 p.m.-midnight. the bar also may close earlier or later, depending on customer traffic. happy hour: 4-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday
The deals: choose from $2.50 domestic beers, $3.50 import beers, and $3 well cocktails and house wines. if you’re hungry, appetizers range from $3 to $10 and have options such as their oooey-gooey macaroni and cheese, soup du jour and french fries.
Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar
1565 Eureka Road, Roseville
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday; noon-10 p.m. Saturday; noon- 9 p.m. Sunday
Happy hour: 2-5 p.m. Monday through Friday
The deals: choose from the dollar bites menu, which ranges from $3 to $9 for appetizers such as the barbecue albacore tuna, crispy gyoza, fair Oaks roll, or edamame soybeans.
Drinks range from $3.50 to $7 with options such as $3.50 draft beers and small sake, $5 house wine, $6 Mikuni cocktails, and $7 cold sake bottle. the most popular cocktails are the key lime moto, Tokyo sunset, and the wasabi Bloody Mary. (Mikuni has a number of other locations; specials may vary.)
Public Market Bar (inside the Sheraton Grand Sacramento)
1230 J St., Sacramento
(916) 447-1700 ext. 4030
www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/index.html
Hours: 1 p.m.-midnight daily. (The bar may open or close earlier or later, depending on the amount of customer traffic.)
Happy hours: 3-7 p.m. Monday through Friday
The deals: enjoy Bud Light for $3 or local beers such as Sudwerk for $4. if you’re not a beer fan, well drinks are $5 each, and they also have a pinot grigio or pinot noir wine by the glass for $6.
All the small bites are $5, and you can choose from a bacon-cheddar slider with regular or sweet potato fries, buffalo wings, pecan-crusted calamari or Southwestern chicken nachos.
Do you know of a bar that has amazingly good deals on drinks and food? Share the scoop with the Bee, and we’ll highlight it as part of this new Night Life feature. Email sacbeenightlife@gmail.com.THIS WEEK’S FEATURED BARGAIN