Sometimes it feels like you need to sell your left arm to go out for dinner in Manhattan. $18 cocktails and $39 entrees have become “reasonable”, but as a Frugal Foodie, there’s nothing “reasonable” about shelling out $60 for a typical Tuesday night dinner. My solution for getting a meal out without breaking the bank? Happy hour! There are plenty of Manhattan happy hours where you can enjoy a cocktail and meal for $20 and under. You just need to know where to go….
Luckily, you’ve got me over here doing the ground work so you don’t have to.
Let’s dive into 3 Manhattan happy hours that’ll leave you full and happy!
1. Georgie’s Chelsea for a $17 pizza cocktail combo
What?: $7 Margherita pizza, $10 Cocktails
When?: M-F, 3-6pm
Where?: 161 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Georgie’s Chelsea is a #trendy corner establishment situated just down the block from the Joyce Theatre. It’s the type of place where you can get a mimosa at 9am or martini at 9pm, and you can expect to see buzzing socialites taking advantage of both.
Georgie’s Chelsea has a surprisingly good happy hour considering how popular it is. On the drinks front, there are select $10 cocktails and $6 beers. Usually, I’m nicely perched on a “Happy Hour Drinks Must Be Below $10!!” soapbox, but the inventive options warrant an exception. I opted for the Georgie’s Marg, which consists of Tequila, mezcal, red bell pepper, guava, corn, and Thai bird chili. The balance of sweet, smoke, and spice was superb, and there was no buyers regret for a $10 happy cocktail.
The real star of the Georgie’s Chelsea happy hour is the $7 pizza deal. It’s a Neapolitan style pie, and pretty darn delicious for $7. (Especially considering the fact that some shops are selling a mere slice for the same price!) The crust had a nice char and perfect chew. There wasn’t too much cheese. The sauce was bright and acidic with just enough richness. Fresh basil tied it all together.
Georgie’s Chelsea has a Manhattan happy hour I plan on going to time and time again! Go before they realize it’s too good.
2. Foursome for $5 Bites
What?: $6 drinks, $5 small plates, $25 bottles of wine
When?: M-Thur, 4-6pm
Where?: 9 Jones St, New York, NY 10014
Foursome is a Turkish-Mediterranean restaurant that’s dishing up the flavors of Turkey, but with a modern twist. With a dinner menu full of $30+ entrees, it isn’t my definition of frugal. (Although, for the West Village, some might beg to differ.) However, they have that a surprisingly stellar happy hour. You and a pal can feast on 7 small plates and a drink each for a mere $25pp, which I’d call a frugal find!
I went with my best friend Amber, and we got almost everything on the happy hour menu.
The must tries. The summer salad with watermelon, feta, and pistachio was a home run. It was refreshing and sweet with a pop of salt from the feta which all paired surprisingly well with the nuttiness from the pistachio. I was also excited by how tasty the köfte slider was. The patty, which I’m guessing was a blend of lamb and beef, was mega juicy with a deep umami. My favorite happy hour plate, however, was the cauliflower “wings”. The chunks of cauliflower were tossed in a bang-bang style sauce that was a little sweet and a little spicy.
The dishes that were just okay. Watermelon, cauliflower, and half a mini slider weren’t enough to satiate two ravenous ladies, so we added on the flatbread and Çiğ köfte roll. The flatbread was perfectly tasty because cheese and bread is always delicious. But there wasn’t anything special about it. The Çiğ köfte roll was much more unique. Çiğ köfte is a traditional Turkish dish that consists of a spicy plant-based mix of bulgur wheat, pomegranate molasses, and spices that’s formed into a patty and pressed into flatbread. The blend of spicy and sweet was like a puzzle my taste buds had to solve. Did I love it? Hate it? The jury is still out.
Foursome has one of the best Manhattan happy hours for both food and drinks deals, and should be added to any Frugal Foodie’s list.
3. Motek, Where Everything Is $5….
What?: $5 Drinks and Small Plates
When?: M-F, 2-5pm
Where?: A few locales– we went to the one in Flatiron.
Motek is a Mediterranean restaurant that has come to NYC straight from Miami. It flaunts it’s “no-seed oil” menu and has a “healthy cool-girl” aesthetic with plenty of plants and soft lighting. The vibes scream “$18 for feta salad”, but they have a shockingly amazing happy hour that is by far one of the best in Manhattan.
Motek’s happy hour features a huge range of $5 bites and drinks, so obviously we had to order a bunch of things.
The must tries. The watermelon feta salad had sweet watermelon and loads of mint (which I love). The babaganoush had a lovely creamy texture and deep smoky flavor. My favorite bite was the labneh marmalade. It was creamy, tangy, a little sweet, and a little nutty. Fresh, soft pita just made it that much more enjoyable.
The dishes that were just okay. We also tried the arayes and chicken shawarma. I’m having a difficult time remembering why I thought the arayes was just average— suggesting that it was fairly predictable in it’s flavors and textures. The chicken shawarma was a hearty size, but the balance of sour and savory was amiss, and it didn’t quite land.
The happy hour at Motek is top-tier, but the cats out of the bag. I recommend going early to avoid a line!
These 3 Manhattan happy hours are perfect for dining out on a budget!
Stay tuned for more frugal finds to come.
