There's always a crowd enjoying happy hour at Mayor Mike's.
(Credit: Dave Moran)
And, since several of the most popular restaurants in the Hartford area also happen to call that particular stretch of street home, lunch and dinner time hours tend to find those same establishments extremely crowded as well.
How does the lower end of Asylum Street stack up to the rest of downtown during happy hour? Well, not bad, actually. It depends on the day that you go, who you go with, and whether or not you plan on sticking around for dinner afterwards.
America's Cup Bar & Lounge
1 Haynes St. (inside the Goodwin Hotel), Hartford
860-246-7500
America's Cup has a very short, cozy bar and a few small tables. There's a big TV mounted over the bar, so you can catch a game if one's on and, due to the size of the place, you're pretty much guaranteed a good seat.
Happy hour runs Wednesday through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. with different specials each day: Wednesday, $4 glasses of wine; Thursday, $5 specialty martinis; Friday, $3 domestic beer and $4 imported beer. And there's always some sort of free hors d'oeuvres in the warming plate by the door. Monday through Wednesday there is live piano music in the foyer.
If you go with a group of friends after work to kill some time before dinner, or if you're staying in the Goodwin from out of town, the relaxed, relatively subdued atmosphere of America's Cup is appealing.
Tapas on Ann
126 Ann St., Hartford
860-525-5988
The interior of this Mediterranean eatery and bar is very small , so when it's packed, it is packed, with elbow room at a premium. But for good reason. The food at Tapas on Ann is great.
Tapas' happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. Drafts are $3, speciality martinis are $5 and there's some small snacks to soak up some of that alcohol.
The Asylum Cafe
253 Asylum St., Hartford
860-524-8635
So the Aylum Cafe doesn't seem like much of a hang-out place. But maybe it could be. It's got a great view of Asylum Street and passers-by through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m, with $2.50 draft beers (six on tap). Unfortunately, no discounts on any of the delicious pizzas or appetizers during that time.
Mayor Mike's Restaurant
283 Asylum Ave., Hartford
860-522-6453
There's always a crowd enjoying happy hour at Mayor Mike's. Seats at the bar are usually all taken, as are many of the tables. Mayor Mike's has the definite feel of a neighborhood bar and the crowd to match. Guys in blue jeans and t-shirts sit beside much older gentlemen in heavily starched suits, white shirts and power ties.
Happy hour specials are available Monday through Friday from 4 p.m.-7 p.m., and include $4 cosmos and $3 drafts of Coors Light, Blue Moon or Guinness. Sadly, no food specials or live entertainment.
Pig's Eye Pub
356 Asylum Street, Hartford
860-278-4747
The Pig's Eye Pub is one of the most popular spots in downtown Hartford for late–night fun. On any Thursday, Friday or Saturday night you'll find this spacious bar packed with college students and young professionals. But can Pig's Eye draw a crowd while the sun is still up? Does the rambunctious, free-spirited vibe also appeal to downtown office workers as an after work diversion?
Pig's Eye makes a very strong effort to reach out to tired and harried workers of all types as a potential oasis from the grind of another long, hard work week. The result is one of the more impressive and entertaining happy hours in downtown Hartford, but it's only on Friday.
It runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Get any of the 18 drafts for $2. The free buffet included hot wings, potato skins, meatball subs, chips and dip and several varieties of pizza after 5 p.m., as well as a live solo acoustic performer playing popular cover tunes.
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