Best Happy Hour '98

Best Happy Hour

Cushing Street Bar & Grill
343 S. Meyer Ave.

READERS' PICK: We understand Cushing Street recently changed ownership, so we're not sure as of press time whether their half-price Happy Hour appetizers are fair game, or happy memory. But it sure was fun while it lasted: fresh focaccia bread, gulf shrimp cocktail, black-bean quesadilla, fried calamari, and other scrumptious specialties we can scarcely recall. Whether enjoyed under an umbrella on the spacious back patio, or inside one of the historic dining rooms, an hour passed here is bound to be a happy one.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: San Francisco Bar & Grill, 3922 N. Oracle Road

CLUE IN: Downtowners looking for a place to cool their heels and wet their whistles after a long day at the office should find their way north up Fourth Avenue to Café Sweetwater, 340 E. Sixth Ave. The swanky jazz joint and upscale restaurant offers happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. weeknights, with regularly featured appetizers--including mussels, oysters, scallops and escargot, soup du jour and small salads--discounted to as much as half-off. Forget the warmed-over buffet slop you get at most places--Sweetwater is all sophistication. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxed, the staff attentive and polite, and the food is first rate. And if you're so inclined, you can take advantage of the psychic abilities of Kia, who offers happy hour specials on tarot, palm and psychic readings.

1997 Winner: Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill
1995 Winner: Carlos Murphy's Restaurant