Happy Hours
Happy Hours Found the best bar deals near you

An interactive and comprehensive listing of happy hours in neighborhoods around Charleston, SC.


You don't have to hit up a sushi bar to get your raw fish fix
You don't have to hit up a sushi bar to get your raw fish fix Take a swim

Some of us at the City Paper would eat sushi every single day if we could. But we can't. Fewer restaurants will put a dent in your wallet like a sushi bar. Of course, it's damn hard to avoid being tempted, especially when you consider that you can find nigiri and sashimi and tataki at more than just one of the Holy City's fine sushi bars. In fact, you can get your raw fish fix from true blue sushi to tataki and tartare at some of the most unlikely places. Read on to learn more.


Izakaya Hiro experiments with drinking vinegars
Izakaya Hiro experiments with drinking vinegars Acid Test

Drinking vinegars, while traditional to most Asian cultures, may have been unfamiliar to most people in Charleston before they showed up on Izakaya Hiro's menu when the King Street restaurant opened this summer. But in fact, FIG has had the traditional Asian drink on its menu for years, serving the SOM brand, produced by the Pok Pok restaurant in Portland, Ore.


Sipping small-batch bourbon and crazy-ass infusions
Sipping small-batch bourbon and crazy-ass infusions Spirited Away

Remember that infused-liquor craze from a few years back, the one that began with novel Absolut concoctions and then spread faster than an internet meme? And remember how Charleston had its own little breakout hit with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka?


Eating sushi the way the Lord intended
Eating sushi the way the Lord intended Body Art

Wanna get a bachelorette party really kicking? Sure you do. Here's what you do: Strategically arrange 30 sushi rolls and 60 sashimi pieces atop a naked, and oh so hunky, male model. Serve with copious amounts of alcohol and enjoy.


Beer of the dragon
Beer of the dragon From a subtle triple-hop to a Belgian-spiced ale, Japanese beer is not what you think

If you've ordered a brew at a Japanese steakhouse or sushi joint — say a Sapporo or a Kirin Ichiban — you might think you've tasted all of what the Land of the Rising Sun has to offer beer-wise. But ask about the Japanese craft beer selection at the Charleston Beer Exchange, and Brandon Plyler will fill you in on some surprises: an understated triple-hop ale, a yeasty beer aged in oak sake casks, and a decadent imperial stout brewed at the foot of Mt. Fuji.


Take your liver on a journey to the Orient
Take your liver on a journey to the Orient Pacific cocktails

It's not always easy finding Asian-inspired drinks at non-Asian restaurants, but we scoured enough menus and harassed enough bartenders to find some exotic exceptions. In many cases, these Far East-inspired drinks are some of the most popular on the menus, despite their sometimes unfamiliar ingredients. Don't know what shochu is? Never heard of Yamazaki? Read on.


Dining by day, dancing by night
Dining by day, dancing by night Why do so many Asian restaurants turn into nightclubs when the sun goes down?

A strange and curious transformation happens inside some of the Holy City's best Asian restaurants late at night after the last plate hits the sink. The sushi cart rolls out, and the deejay cart rolls in. Smiling chefs in white hats step from behind the glass partitions, and a burly bouncer posts up at the door. The candles on the tables go out, sometimes the tables themselves are taken away, and diners make way for dancers.


An Unseasonal Fall Beer Roundup
An Unseasonal Fall Beer Roundup A journey through four winners, one world-class beer, and perhaps the worst beer ever

Autumn is a time for Oktoberfest lagers, pumpkin beers, and wet hop ales, but fall fever doesn't keep other styles from hitting the shelves. Here's a rundown of six notables.


Sipping sake across the Holy City
Sipping sake across the Holy City White rice tastes so nice

Monday night is Sake Night at Octobachi. Inches away from me, two coeds are making out, occasionally bumping up against me as I slurp a peach/pear/apricot sake smoothie. It's delicious.


Tourist in your own bar
Tourist in your own bar Hotel bars are fun for locals, too

There's something about drinking at hotel bars that makes you feel like you're on vacation, even if you're just a few miles from home.


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