Each week City of Ate will give you the lowdown on a local happy hour in Quittin' Time, with the details and why you should or shouldn't take up the featured bar or restaurant on its drink specials.
Where: The Meridian Room, 3611 Parry Ave.
When: All day Monday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday
What: $1 off drafts, $1 off wells and calls, $2.50 domestic bottles
Why (or why not): Because after the discount, you'll pay $3 to $5 apiece for premium craft beers and imports like Maredsous 8 and Harpoon IPA -- or snag a shot of Scotch, Irish whiskey or bourbon for $3 to $6.50. That's still a bit pricey for someone who just wants a cheap cold one after work, but for some beer lovers a pint of Maredsous 8 for $5 is a helluva deal. And if cheap is what you want, $2.50 for a Bud or Miller Lite ain't bad. Plus, chances are good you can combine happy hour prices with another daily deal to get further discounts on your bill -- or at least come home with new glassware.
Monday nights are Service Industry Nights, which means you can get 25 percent off your total bill along with the all-day happy hour deal (though bartender/co-owner Vince O'Keefe may jokingly accuse you of lying about that waitressing job). Tuesdays and Thursdays in March offer keep-the-glass pints, and the place offers half-price food all day on Wednesdays. Fish and chips or crab cakes for $4.50, jalapeno hummus for $3 or homemade bread pudding for $2.50 beats the hell out of most bar-food deals.
The atmosphere is inviting and warm, with a dim lighting reflecting off the red-painted ceiling to cast everything in flattering warm tones that help remind you that you're hungry -- even if you just ate. The music playing on the house soundsystem could be described as 30-something hip: Paul's Boutique-era Beastie Boys, Midlake, Radiohead, Interpol and so forth. The Exposition Park hangout makes for a fine spot to have dinner before a night of karaoke or dancing at the nearby Fallout Lounge. Careful, though -- too many sweet potato fries and you may not feel like leaving.
