In times of scarcity, a deal is golden. Happy hour specials, two-for-one beers or half-price bottles of wine all beckon diners and drinkers to make a stop. And while you might be looking to save a buck these days, you still want a good time at a good place with good food and drink.
Sadly, more often than not, it's cheaper to head out to the store, pick up a bottle of liquor and hang at your house.
But day in and day out, you start to realize that having drinks at home doesn't quite have the same allure and you realize you need a bit of variety coupled with significant social interaction. You want to save money but you still want to have fun.
So, I checked out a few locales offering daily and weekly deals, to see which were economically safe for regular visits.
An evening with a half-price bottle of wine is probably the closest way to get to the price you'd pay at the store. You won't find wine by the glass any cheaper and the half-price cost at most bars and restaurants is essentially retail price.
More and more restaurants are offering this option more nights of the week but there are a few I think really stand out. La Merenda sells its entire wine list at 50 percent off every Monday and Balzac offers a selected list at half off on Sundays followed by half-off flights on Mondays.
But you don't have to opt for a wine bar to catch this special. Café Lulu spices up dinner with the same special every Wednesday and the new La Dolce Vita features it during happy hour Sunday through Thursday.
For those who can manage to push Friday or Saturday night back to Sunday or Monday, "Service Industry Night" in this town is calling your name. Dozens of bars offer specials to anyone in any kind of service job and they usually run all evening one or two nights a week. Clear at the Intercontinental Hotel gives you $5 martinis on Monday nights, half-price drinks at Wicked Hop with DJ E.Rich and Kid Cut Up.
The two-for-one is a deal but occasionally leads you to question whether you are spending less or drinking more.
Art Bar on Tuesday night is one of my favorites, serving up two-for-one drinks until midnight. There's a decent crowd but plenty of room and your options run the gamut of wine, beer, hot drinks or mixers.
If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, happy hour is probably the ticket of choice. There isn't a bar in town that doesn't offer a special, generally between 4 and 6 p.m., and some of the deals are just insane. Rascal's offers $1 rail or tap anything. Enough said.
But if you're looking for something a bit more laid back, Ginger in the Fifth Ward menus a good portion of $3 tapas, $3 glasses of wine and $3 Pabst tall boys. Comet Café rotates a nightly discounted theme. Starting at 6 p.m., specials include deals on taps, classic cocktails, bottles of wine and craft beer. Plus, there's always bacon.
No matter which you choose, there are ample ways to save some cash but spend some time out of the house; and if you go, you'll find plenty of Milwaukeeans doing the same.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Maureen Post grew up in Wauwatosa. A lover of international and urban culture, Maureen received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
After living on the east side of Madison for several years, Maureen returned to Milwaukee in 2006.
After a brief stint of travel, Maureen joined OnMilwaukee.com as the city’s oldest intern and has been hooked ever since. Combining her three key infatuations, Milwaukee’s great music, incredible food and inspiring art (and yes, in that order), Maureen’s job just about fits her perfectly.
Residing in Bay View, Maureen vehemently believes the city can become fresh and new with a simple move across town.
