The New York summer might not be in full effect just yet, but we’re coming at you with the next installment of your Summer Friday Happy Hour Guide: Myrtle-Wyckoff L edition. Pack your bags and skip out of work ASAP this Friday because we’re going on vacation (or as close to one as you can get without leaving Brooklyn).
Sally Roots
Happy Hour: 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm everyday
This Caribbean bar and restaurant located at 195 Wyckoff Avenue is a little piece of paradise on a Summer Friday – or any other day of the week for that matter.
In the thick of a city christened as the dirtiest in the nation, Sally Roots is a refreshing departure from the neglected patios and grimy dive bars that orchestrate your average Friday night. You won’t find a graffitied bathroom in sight at this pristine hideout, the staff are genuine sweethearts (shoutout to the babely bartender who hooked me up with a shot of rum), and they also have some cheap drinks to boot.
Get your hands on $3 well shots or $5 well drinks all day everyday, and if you stop by during happy hour from 12 to 7, you can lock down a table in their spacious backyard with a $4 well drink or $1 off draft or wine.
I came to terms with a nightmare workweek between the bamboo and brick-lined walls of their patio and can promise that this gem is the perfect setting to bid the last five days goodbye.
The Bad Old Days
Happy Hour: 2pm – 8pm everyday
Posted up at 1684 Woodbine Street, The Bad Old Days might be in Ridgewood proper but it’s only a 10-minute walk from every other stop on the happy hour circuit (or five from the L if you’re late to the party).
Grab a chair in their sidewalk patio space if you can, but I’m more about the funky ‘50s furniture, Twilight Zone screenings, and relics of more than a few garage sales that make up its eccentric interior – mad scientist vibes included.
Get a start on your post-party recovery with a $6 mimosa during happy hour (God knows you could use some vitamin C in this food desert we call Bushwick) or work the rest of their versatile happy hour with discounted beer and wine, $5 well drinks, $8 Bloody Marias, or $6 house punch.
Dromedary
Friday Night Happy Hour: 5pm – 8pm
You’re now two bars deep and introducing some carbs to the mix is essential if you plan on escaping tonight without a hangover (not that I ever need an excuse to eat). Luckily, you can have it all at Dromedary Urban Tiki Bar at 266 Irving Avenue.
Their Friday night happy hour specials include a $7 Single Hump Burger and Coors beer combo that’s easily one of the best deals in Bushwick, and if you really intend to do some damage, their $12 Double Hump Deluxe Cheeseburger or BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich both include fries and a beer shot that will set you up for the rest of the night.
If you have a cocktail mentality but your economic status is more in the High Life financial bracket, Dromedary’s happy hour drinks cover your bases with their $7 daily daiquiri and $8 Mt. Kilauea Coladas.
Their specials also include $1 off draft, $4 well, and a $5 beer shot combo that will have you slipping into island time before you know it.
The Starliner
Happy Hour: 3pm – 8pm everyday
I may have been forced to block the last person I went here with on Instagram (learn to take a hint, Paul), but don’t hold that against The Starliner, located at 1446 Myrtle Avenue.
Spend the day in their backyard while sharing a $15 bottle of rosé with your partner in crime, and when night falls you can head inside to get loose on their generous dance floor.
The aesthetic at The Starliner has been likened to that of a 1950s cruise ship and there’s almost always room to spare. Best of all, you have the option of whipping next door to Bootleg Bar for a $6 pickleback if the mood strikes.