There are plenty of ways to meet a significant other in the District, but after-work dates can be expensive and add up quickly. A wallet-friendly option? Happy hours that double as dates. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite deals, complete with discounted drinks and food, plus why they’re good for dates.
When: 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 4 to 6 p.m. Friday and 3 to 10 p.m. Sunday.
The scene: Lulu’s newish “Golden Hour” deals are served alongside pop tunes, warm hues, wicker and plenty of greenery at this summery, boho spot located a few blocks from the hubbub of 14th Street. Lulu’s offers several dining options: an ivy-lined outdoor patio, a casual streetside outdoor patio, an indoor dining area with tables and a bar, and a back outdoor courtyard with tables and a bar. All outdoor seating is partially tented. Aim for a spot in the intimate back courtyard, with overhead string lighting, plants, flowers and fountain-backed seating. You can make reservations (and can specify which seating area you’d prefer), but you should be able to walk in most days. There are only roving servers — you can order via QR code or at the indoor bar.
The deals: Food options run from $7 to $11, and the choices are well-suited for sharing with a date: The creamy white queso has a touch of heat and pairs well with crisp tostadas, while the avocado lime Caesar has peppercorn and Parmesan-topped avocado slices and can easily be made vegan. Wines are served by the glass for $9 or by the bottle for $35. Options are varied, ranging from champagne to Rhône white blends to chardonnay.
Lulu’s Winegarden, 1940 11th St. NW. luluswinegarden.com.
When: 4:15 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The scene: The happy hour menu is wonderfully lengthy at this Japanese restaurant just off the Dupont Circle Metro stop. Inside you’ll find a mix of booths, high-tops and bar seating, and outside there are tables with cherry red chairs tucked close to the restaurant as well as streetside, hedge-lined tables on both Q and 19th streets — all of which are well-suited for a date. Rakuya takes reservations for all its seating options during happy hour, but most days you can walk up for a spot. Make sure to order only what you can eat — packing up your happy hour leftovers to go is not allowed.
The deals: The nigiri and sushi rolls are a good deal at $6 to $11. There are abundant nigiri and sushi options, from a spicy tuna roll to madai snapper nigiri, and each is presented beautifully. Highlights on the small plates section include the savory, sticky chicken yakitori and the crispy fried shishito peppers. There are four Japanese beers offered, plus a draft beer that rotates ($4-$8). Go for the light, not-too-sweet Hokkaido Yuzu Lager or a 20-ounce Kirin Ichiban. Cold and warm sake options are priced $8 to $12 by the glass, or $16 to $23 by the bottle if you want to go big to impress your date. The cocktails ($8-$11) feature plum wine, fruits and spirits.
Rakuya, 1900 Q St. NW. rakuyarestaurant.com.
Momo Chicken and Grill (Navy Yard)
When: 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The scene: Steps away from the Waterfront Metro station, this restaurant focused on Korean fried chicken is a good option if your date is a Capitol Hill staffer or works near the Southwest Waterfront. Records line the wall, golden age jazz tunes hum, and hanging fluorescents and purple neon lights contrast with the modern mixed wood and black decor. The seating is indoor only but has several options: half-booths, window bar seating, classic tables and bar seating. Happy hour deals are offered at all seats. You can reserve a table, but you should be able to walk in to snag an open table or bar seat.
The deals: $6 appetizers (go for the plush steamed vegetable dumplings and edamame); $5 draft beers (choose from Kirin Ichiban, Heavy Seas’ Loose Cannon IPA, Stella Artois or Sam Adams’s Boston Lager), served in chilled stein mugs; and $7 glasses of wine (chardonnay or cabernet). Korean fried chicken is not part of the happy hour, but you and your date should order a plate of the crispy, tangy-sweet wings anyway.
Momo Chicken and Grill, 1001 Fourth St. SW. us.momo.com. (Momo’s Bethesda location has a different happy hour menu.)
When: 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The scene: Officina’s downtown cafe location, which reopened in March, is a convenient choice for those who work near suit-clad K Street. This ritzy Italian spot’s “Aperitivo” happy hour starts with on-the-house olives and chips and offers generous food portions and quality drinks. Aperitivo deals are served throughout the restaurant: the indoor dining area that stretches out to the streetside outdoor patio, and the lower-level bar and table seats. This is a good choice if you’re looking for a classy, quieter place where you can really get to know your date. If you stay until happy hour closes, your table may be treated to a complimentary housemade pastry. Walk-ins are welcome (you should be able to snag a table), but they also take reservations.
The deals: This is a spot for carb lovers (and not for the lactose intolerant). The spuntini appetizers are $2 to $3 each: Cheese-crusted arancini houses risotto melted with veal, provolone and peas, while golden and perfectly charred crostini sourdough slices accompany dip options (the fluffy whipped ricotta, topped with herbs and a healthy dash of peppercorns, is the standout). The Roman pizza is the heartiest of the food deals; try the salsiccia for a welcome riff on pepperoni pizza. Wine, cocktail and beer specials range from $6 to $9. The offerings rotate, but they are consistently all Italian. The nicely balanced Aperol Spritz is a gorgeous tangerine hue, and the Sant’Antimo Rosso Collosorbo is a nice dry red wine blend. Peroni is the only beer special ($6).
Officina Cafe, 1615 L St. NW. officinadc.com. (Officina’s Georgetown and Wharf locations have different happy hour menus.)
When: 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Late night: 9 to 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 9 to midnight Wednesday and Thursday.
The scene: This buzzy, bustling restaurant on 14th Street serves Vietnamese street food-inspired dishes. Specials are served at the inside-outside bar on the upper level and the tables around it, and at all outdoor seating, including the outdoor patio, tables near the restaurant and tables on 14th Street. You can make reservations only for the tables around the upper-level bar, but if it is nice outside, the best spot for a date is the plant-lined outdoor patio. If you or your date has a schedule better suited for a moonlit meetup, specials are also offered late at night.
The deals: If you and your date are hungry, go for a meat or veggie sampler tower ($30.50) and split it. Each tower features a handful of dishes spanning the menu — including dumplings, bao buns, vegetables and beef jerky. If you are looking for shareables, order the crispy Brussels sprouts, which are crisp to the touch and dressed with a subtly spicy nuoc cham dressing, or the fluffy stuffed banh bao buns and zesty steamed dumplings from the food bites menu ($4.50-$7.50). The signature cocktails ($8) taste like tropical vacations with notes of guava, dragon fruit and mango, and the dragon fruit Saigon Sparkler is a standout with its fuchsia hue. The $9 “Patio Season Spritz” options, called tropical vodka sodas by the bartenders, sport Grey Goose. There are also $8 sweet, fruity seasonal daiquiri “theo mua” options, such as the refreshing watermelon Thai basil. All wines by the glass are $2 off. Singha, a Thai pale lager, is on draft for $5, and bottles and cans range from $7 to $8.50.
Doi Moi, 1800 14th St. NW. doimoidc.com.
Ted’s Bulletin (Capitol Hill)
When to stop in: 3 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The scene: While this D.C. comfort food mainstay may not be the first place you think of for happy hour, Ted’s is perfect for a wholesome date setting. The environment is complete with wooden booths, tufted seats, soulful Motown music and an old black-and-white film projected on a wall. Ted’s serves twists on classic American bites and cocktails, such as bacon cheeseburger empanadas and the Oldest Fashioned, alongside wine and draft beer for its happy hour. Deals are served at all seats, and you can make reservations.
The deals: The food deals, which range from $6 to $7, are small plates ideal for sharing. The hand-breaded chicken Parm sliders are a fun nod to the Italian classic, the Reuben tacos marry sauerkraut and chipotle Thousand Island dressing, and you can’t go wrong with the crispy, crunchy fried pickles. Draft beers are a steal at $3 — take your choice of Other Half Brewing’s Green City Double Dry Hopped IPA and Narragansett. All signature cocktails are $7 — try the spicy Jalapeño Pineapple Margarita or the lemon-garnished Rites Of Spring #11. Wines by the glass are $5.
Ted’s Bulletin, 505 Eighth St. SE. tedsbulletin.com. (The happy hour menu varies slightly at Ted’s Bulletin’s other locations on 14th Street and in Gaithersburg, Fairfax, Reston and Arlington.)