Our Favorite Happy Hours in Minneapolis
The bad news? It'll be getting dark at 4pm soon. The good news? Happy hour is about to feel more like a night out on the town. In the spirit (get it?) of helping thirsty Twin Citizens find the ideal happy hour for every type of imbiber, I joined forces with my fellow City Cast Twin Cities creative producers Tiffany Bui to share our top picks for happy hour in Minneapolis.
The Decadent Choice: Hai Hai
Sunday - Thursday, 4:00 - 5:30pm
$8 cocktails, $7-$9 appetizers, $5 beer, $9 house wine
Our pick: Wonton Nachos & Indeed Bia Side Pilsner (exclusive collaboration between Indeed and Hai Hai, lemongrass ginger pilsner)
Everything on Hai Hai's menu is delicious, and it's quite a treat to be able to get some of their cocktails and bites at a discounted price. It can be hard to make it there on time after work with happy hour ending at 5:30pm – try to get off work a little early or head over there on a Sunday to get the good deals.
The Best Food Deal: Ama Sushi (Edina)
Daily, 11:00am - 3:00pm
$9.95 for 2 sushi rolls, $12.95 for 3 sushi rolls, $14.95 sushi sashimi lunch
Our pick: Sushi Sashimi Lunch
Sometimes you want to feel like you're balling out on a Tuesday afternoon when you're really not spending all that much. Yes, we're bending the rules a little bit by featuring a restaurant in Edina, and a lunch special might not technically be a happy hour, but hot damn it's pretty awesome to get 4 pieces of sushi, 6 pieces of sashimi, and a tuna roll for under $15. Plus, Ama Sushi is owned by the same folks who own Momo Sushi in NE Minneapolis, so every dollar you spend at Ama helps Momo recover from the catastrophic kitchen fire they suffered over the summer.
The Late Night Deals: Taberna Tacos and Parkway Pizza
Taberna Tacos
Daily, 11:00am - 6:00pm and 9:30pm - Close
$3 - $5 - $7 deals on food and drink, $5 beer pints
Our pick: Taberna Sangria and Mexican Fries
Parkway Pizza
Daily, 2:00 - 5:00 and 8:00 - Close
BOGO beer and wine, $7 appetizers
Our pick: a Sociable Cider for you, a Steel Toe IPA for your friend that's into that kind of thing, artichoke dip, and some Sebastian Joe's ice cream.
We aren't going to die on the hill that Taberna's has the best food in town, but I'd be lying if I said there's anything that tastes better than fries with cotija cheese and jalapeños at the end of a night. And even though you might not think, "pizza place" when you think of happy hours, Parkway Pizza is truly one of the best deals around. It's pretty great to be able to grab BOGO drinks at 9pm and chase it down with some ice cream on a low-key night of self-care.
The Surprise Hero: Beckett's
Monday - Friday, 2:00 - 6:00pm
$5 off cocktail buckets, $5 burgers, $5 big beers
Our pick: Burger and a Skol Bucket (vodka, grape liqueur, lemonade)
Even if you don't like a sports bar, Beckett's happy hour is well worth your while. Kick your night off with a cocktail bucket and a burger for cheap, then head over to play some games at UpDown on the same block.
The No-Nonsense Picks: NE Moose and 331 Club
NE Moose
Monday - Friday, 2:00 - 6:00pm
$2 taps, $2.25 domestic pints, $1 off almost every other drink, and different food specials every day
Our pick: Go on a Tuesday to get 2 tacos for $5 and a $2 tap beer
331 Club
Monday - Friday, 3:00 - 6:00pm
$4 Fair State and Pryes Pints
Our pick: Fair State Party Forward Hazy IPA, friendship, and music
Northeast Minneapolis is rich with dive bars, and the Moose and 331 Club are two great options. The fact that you can grab a beer and 2 tacos from the Moose for $7 is just unbeatable. I also love to meet friends at 331 Club during happy hour, grab a beer, and stick around for whatever live music they have scheduled that evening (they have bands every night of the week).
Did I miss your favorite happy hour? Send me an email at [email protected] and I might include it in our next newsletter.
More about Where to Eat
Top 5 Late-Night Eats
The Twin Cities punches above its weight in many categories, but late-night food is not one of them. But we do have a couple standout options in the category.
Sean McPhersonJul 15, 2026
7 Takeout Options for the Big Game
The Super Bowl is coming up on Sunday. The game is between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. But for many of us, the real competition is between the snack table and the beer fridge. We implore you to not try to handle all the food needs of Super Bowl Sunday at the grocery store, since you’re worth more than your favorite dip. You’re worth more than the veggies you feverishly cut up right before Charlie Puth sings the Star Spangled Banner. Restaurants all over the Twin Cities are hurting right now, and there is no doubt that immigrant-owned restaurants are hurting even more. Throw some business to a great local restaurant and dive in. We recommend you pull up for air to take in the Bad Bunny performance, and then dive right back in for some third-quarter snacking!
Sean McPhersonFeb 3, 2026
Top 5 Twin Cities Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are the perfect food to argue about. Pizza is too factional; people are set on their preferences, and little can be done to shake them. Sandwiches are too subjective, and some clever fool will say, “well is a taco a sandwich?” and then I have to get into a physical fight, which is always rough. But a chicken wing is not easily categorized, and a good one can win you over even if you didn’t expect to like it. For instance, I’m generally iffy on dry rub wings. I like a saucy wing. But I have to admit that after years of cajoling from my friend Martin, I loved the Burger Dive dry rub, and I wish I had tried it earlier. Similarly, I generally don’t like the full wing; I like the flats and the wings to be separated. But the full wing treatment from Ray-J’s in Northeast and Woodbury is a celebrated wing for good reason. So, there’s room for everybody in a chicken wing discussion. The five chicken wings I recommend are top-tier options, but there are always more to recommend. I still haven’t tried the wings at Soul Lao, I can tell you the pickle wings at Bunny’s are worth a visit, and D Spot is the wing-lovers capital of the Twin Cities, but I didn’t personally find a flavor that landed in my top five. With those caveats out of the way, I present to you the Top 5 Chicken Wings in the Twin Cities according to my chicken-wing-loving self.
Sean McPhersonJan 6, 2026