Question of the Day - 30 June 2007

That's a tough one, since "best" is always so subjective and depends on what you're looking for in your happy hour. Quantity or quality? Cheap beer or exotic cocktails? Tempting appetizers? Late-night specials? Assuming a mix of all of the above, we'll pick 10 from across the spectrum, listed in no particular order, that either we know from personal experience are good, or that certainly sound good. Feel free to send us your feedback about these or any other happy hours around town that we don't know about. Or that we know about but wanted to keep to ourselves ... Nah! We wouldn't do that. We love cheap beer so much, we want to share it with everyone!

• #1 As we're talking about happy hours, we have to start with the "happiest place on earth" and official birthplace of the bacon martini, namely the Double Down Saloon. Conveniently located out by the airport for that "welcome to fabulous Las Vegas" ice-cold beer or that "one a** juice for the road" final fling, happy hour here runs from 10 am-6 pm daily (no wonder it's so happy!) and features $3 well drinks, $2.50 beers, and $3 shots of that infamous *ss juice house brew, which, according to the jovial bar tender we spoke with, consists of 5 shots of various liquors, 2 shots of juice, and "looks a little cloudy, but it's cheap and effective." Can't say fairer than that.
• #2 Gentlemen's clubs are a sure bet for happy hours, with every joint we contacted offering some kind of special, from drastically reduced/free covers to booze and snack specials. It's tough to pick just one, so we'll suggest the $15 all-you-can-drink from 2 pm-5 pm at Minxx, $3.50 well domestic/well drinks from 7 am-7 pm, plus a free lunch buffet daily at Play It Again, Sam, and free drinks from 4 pm-6 pm daily, plus free buffet from 4 pm-8 pm at Treasures as being among some of the best values.
• #3 Sticking with the quantity over quality theme, Blondies Bar & Grill in the Miracle Mile shops offers $10 all-you-can-drink draft Miller Lite and well drinks from 4 pm-6 pm daily. Good place to catch sports events, with lots of big screens. And beer pong. And shopping.
• #4 The Pink Taco at the Hard Rock has a happy hour from Mon-Fri, 4 pm-7 pm, with 2-for-1 margaritas (not the best, but good enough) and beer, plus ½-off appetizers. Good deal.
• #5 If you're downtown, there are a number of options, notably the sidebar on 3rd Street, which also has complimentary valet parking. Daily drink specials available from 3 pm-6 pm include $2 beers, $3 well drinks, $5 "martini of the day," and three glasses of wine for $12.
• #6 Enjoy ½ price on all martinis, cocktails, beer, and sake by the glass, plus select appetizer items at Sapporo, as featured in a recent issue of LVA. This sushi joint on the west side of town (9719 W. Flamingo Rd.) hosts a happy hour from 4-7 pm daily, plus reverse happy hour beginning daily at 10 p.m., with all the same food and drink specials. Worth traveling for.
• #7 If it's cheap beer you're after, O'Sheas on the Strip offers $1 beers from Mon.-Thurs., 2 pm-8 am, with $2 beers on the weekend.
• #8 Next up comes a trio in the Fashion Show Mall, first featured in the May 2005 LVA and still going strong. Maggiano's offers a happy hour from Mon.-Fri., 4 pm-6:30 pm, with $1.95 appetizers (try the pizza) and ½-price drinks (we had good Stoli martinis last time we tried it).
• #9 The happy hour at Café Ba-Ba Reeba runs from 4 pm until 7 pm, again Mon.-Fri., so check out Maggiano's first, since it ends earlier. Specials here include $3 tapas and ½-off sangria -- they serve red and white and they're both good.
• #10 Last up in this trio comes Ra Sushi, next door to Ba-Ba Reeba, which also has happy hour from 3-7 pm weekdays (8-11 p.m. Sundays), with ½-price appetizers and select sushi, $1 hot sake, $2 domestic beers, $3 well drinks, and $4 wines and cocktails.

A new Korean BBQ and Shabu Bar opens Sept. 1 and will be offering a "reverse" (i.e., late-night) happy hour from midnight-4 am, Sun.-Thur., will all drinks and appetizers offered for 20% off. San-Toki is located at 4480 Paradise Rd. (opposite the Hard Rock). 07/24/07: Triple 7 also has a reverse happy hour, with 16 oz. microbrews for $1 from midnight to 7 am.