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It's totally possible to drink at Midnight Rambler on a budget during Twine Time.
It's totally possible to drink at Midnight Rambler on a budget during Twine Time.
Lori Bandi/EDFW

Where To Booze On The Cheap: Dallas' Best Happy Hours

Live large between 4 and 7 p.m.

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It's totally possible to drink at Midnight Rambler on a budget during Twine Time.
| Lori Bandi/EDFW

With all that (very necessary) air-conditioning sending utility bills skyrocketing, finding a good place to drink on the cheap is especially important this time of year. You don't have to settle for ice-cold cans of PBR and crappy vodka, either — it is, in fact, possible to drink fancy-schmancy cocktails in Dallas on the cheap.

But where do you find Dallas' best happy hours? Pretty much everywhere, fortunately. From the city's best cocktail lounges to cozy dives, Dallas bars know that cheap booze is a crucial component to success. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekdays – and beyond! – you can easily find a solid spot to work up a buzz without spending more than $20.

Whether you're trying to live large in Uptown or enjoy a few cocktails before dining on Greenville Ave, these 15 happy hours are reliably Dallas' best.

Is your favorite happy hour haunt missing from this map? Shout it out in the comments.

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Bolsa's happy hour runs weekdays from 4:30 to 7 p.m. All specialty cocktails normally priced at $10 or less are just $5, and talented barman Kyle Hilla's always got something fresh in the mix.

Boulevardier

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Wednesdays means house cocktails by talented barman Eddie Eakin are just 6 bucks all night. Pair your drinks with some oysters, which are discounted from 4:30 p.m to 7 p.m.

Cook Hall

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You can happy hour at this Victory Park bar seven days a week. From 5 p.m. until close on the weekdays, order from a menu of daily specials like $5 margaritas and half-price burgers on Monday, $1 wings and $5 drafts on Wednesday.

The Dram

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Tuesday at The Dram is industry night, which means $5 vintage and classic cocktails all night long. (They open at 7 and it gets increasingly more clubby as the night goes on, so go early if you're not into that.)

Joyce & Gigi's

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Happy hour here runs Monday through Friday 5-7 p.m. (Wednesdays it's extended till 10 p.m.) with half-price cocktails including the classic caipirinha, plus half-price appetizers like empanadas and escabeche.

Malai Kitchen

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Happy hour at this West Village spot (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and all day Sunday) means $5 Jason Kosmas-designed cocktails like the Vietnamese Limeade with house-infused green tea vodka, plus select apps are $5 or 2 for $9 -- don't miss the killer sweet-and-spicy chicken wings.
Happy hour at this neighborhood-y Oak Cliff spot runs Monday through Friday 4 p.m.-6 p.m. and all specialty cocktails are $5, including classics like the Pimm's Cup and Dark N Stormy.

The People's Last Stand

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Happy hour (4-7 p.m. weekdays and all day Wednesday) means $6 classic cocktails all night at this tucked-away Mockingbird Station bar. Try a textbook-perfect Sazerac or a gin and housemade tonic.

The Standard Pour

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This McKinney Avenue hot spot from barman Brian McCullough has excellent happy hour deals: Monday through Friday 4-7 p.m. means $5 "Founding Fathers" (classic cocktails) as well as deals on appetizers.

Sunset Lounge

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Enjoy a staycation at Sunset Lounge with $5 tiki-inspired drinks and $3 food (including tacos) during happy hour, Monday through Friday 4-7 p.m.
Take notes, because Tate's happy hour specials are a bit more complicated, albeit totally worth remembering: Agave Mondays means discounted tequila drinks that go way beyond the usual margaritas, and Whiskey Wednesdays means their huge selection of whiskeys is half-price when "served neat, on the rocks, with a splash of water or as an Old Fashioned." (Tuesdays also means half-price food.)

Victor Tangos

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VT's happy hour runs Monday through Friday 5-7 p.m., and all cocktails are $2 off, making most of them $8. We're fans of the tangy Passionfruit Gimlet and the Pepper Smash with gin and red bell peppers.

Windmill Lounge

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The drinks at industry favorite Windmill are already priced quite fairly, so an additional dollar off drinks during happy hour (4-7 p.m. everyday) is nothing to sneeze at. We opt for classics like the Manhattan and the Aviation. (And if you're on a serious budget, there's also $3 drink specials all day everyday including things like a Cuba Libre or a bourbon and coke.)

Parliament

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This Uptown bar’s happy hour is likely the best fancy drinkin’ happy hour in town. The cocktails aren’t cheap, but there are plenty of opportunities to drink them at half-price. When it rains, the bar’s typically pricey cocktails range from just $4 to $7. Happy hour is the perfect time to imbibe in as many Ramos gin fizzes as you want — they’re usually $14! If it’s sunny out, happy hour runs Monday-Saturday, 5-8 p.m., and all day Monday.
Belly up to the bar at this modern take on an old-school soda fountain from 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays for $5 highball cocktails (plus $2 housemade sodas for your designated driver, and food specials as well). Then Thursday through Saturday from 10 p.m., get the same cocktail deal (plus mini ice cream sundaes for five bucks).

Bolsa

Bolsa's happy hour runs weekdays from 4:30 to 7 p.m. All specialty cocktails normally priced at $10 or less are just $5, and talented barman Kyle Hilla's always got something fresh in the mix.

Boulevardier

Wednesdays means house cocktails by talented barman Eddie Eakin are just 6 bucks all night. Pair your drinks with some oysters, which are discounted from 4:30 p.m to 7 p.m.

Cook Hall

You can happy hour at this Victory Park bar seven days a week. From 5 p.m. until close on the weekdays, order from a menu of daily specials like $5 margaritas and half-price burgers on Monday, $1 wings and $5 drafts on Wednesday.

The Dram

Tuesday at The Dram is industry night, which means $5 vintage and classic cocktails all night long. (They open at 7 and it gets increasingly more clubby as the night goes on, so go early if you're not into that.)

Joyce & Gigi's

Happy hour here runs Monday through Friday 5-7 p.m. (Wednesdays it's extended till 10 p.m.) with half-price cocktails including the classic caipirinha, plus half-price appetizers like empanadas and escabeche.

Malai Kitchen

Happy hour at this West Village spot (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and all day Sunday) means $5 Jason Kosmas-designed cocktails like the Vietnamese Limeade with house-infused green tea vodka, plus select apps are $5 or 2 for $9 -- don't miss the killer sweet-and-spicy chicken wings.

Nova

Happy hour at this neighborhood-y Oak Cliff spot runs Monday through Friday 4 p.m.-6 p.m. and all specialty cocktails are $5, including classics like the Pimm's Cup and Dark N Stormy.

The People's Last Stand

Happy hour (4-7 p.m. weekdays and all day Wednesday) means $6 classic cocktails all night at this tucked-away Mockingbird Station bar. Try a textbook-perfect Sazerac or a gin and housemade tonic.

The Standard Pour

This McKinney Avenue hot spot from barman Brian McCullough has excellent happy hour deals: Monday through Friday 4-7 p.m. means $5 "Founding Fathers" (classic cocktails) as well as deals on appetizers.

Sunset Lounge

Enjoy a staycation at Sunset Lounge with $5 tiki-inspired drinks and $3 food (including tacos) during happy hour, Monday through Friday 4-7 p.m.

Tate's

Take notes, because Tate's happy hour specials are a bit more complicated, albeit totally worth remembering: Agave Mondays means discounted tequila drinks that go way beyond the usual margaritas, and Whiskey Wednesdays means their huge selection of whiskeys is half-price when "served neat, on the rocks, with a splash of water or as an Old Fashioned." (Tuesdays also means half-price food.)

Victor Tangos

VT's happy hour runs Monday through Friday 5-7 p.m., and all cocktails are $2 off, making most of them $8. We're fans of the tangy Passionfruit Gimlet and the Pepper Smash with gin and red bell peppers.

Windmill Lounge

The drinks at industry favorite Windmill are already priced quite fairly, so an additional dollar off drinks during happy hour (4-7 p.m. everyday) is nothing to sneeze at. We opt for classics like the Manhattan and the Aviation. (And if you're on a serious budget, there's also $3 drink specials all day everyday including things like a Cuba Libre or a bourbon and coke.)

Parliament

This Uptown bar’s happy hour is likely the best fancy drinkin’ happy hour in town. The cocktails aren’t cheap, but there are plenty of opportunities to drink them at half-price. When it rains, the bar’s typically pricey cocktails range from just $4 to $7. Happy hour is the perfect time to imbibe in as many Ramos gin fizzes as you want — they’re usually $14! If it’s sunny out, happy hour runs Monday-Saturday, 5-8 p.m., and all day Monday.

Remedy

Belly up to the bar at this modern take on an old-school soda fountain from 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays for $5 highball cocktails (plus $2 housemade sodas for your designated driver, and food specials as well). Then Thursday through Saturday from 10 p.m., get the same cocktail deal (plus mini ice cream sundaes for five bucks).

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