Happy Hours in Del Mar

The horses have left the racetrack; the tourists are gone; holiday festivities are over and college-aged students have packed up their cleanly washed clothes (courtesy of Mom) to head back to school. All over the city Del Martians are breathing a sigh of relief to have the city back to themselves. Now what? Happy Hour in Del Mar, of course! Time to visit (or revisit) local restaurants and get acquainted with what they have to offer. I’ll be taking you on a journey visiting these Del Mar establishments over the next few months, highlighting a few Del Mar Happy Hours in each article. So, please, join me!

Let’s start at the Plaza with Il Fornaio, which opened in Del Mar in 1989. Happy Hour is daily, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays from 3:00 until 6:00 pm. The Happy Hour menu includes Italian and domestic beers ($6), wines ($7) as well as cocktails ($8). The wines are very good! There is a lovely antipasti/pizza menu. The Pizza Fradiavola is a customer favorite ($13), as is the Cavolfiori ($9) and Calamaretti Fritti ($13). All of the food offerings are also on the regular menu. Happy Hour at Il Fornaio is on the outdoor patio in front and along the side of the restaurant; there are also a few tables in the bar area which can be used during Happy Hour. Of course, Il Fornaio boasts a wonderful ocean view, and the ambiance is relaxed and fun. If you haven’t been to Il Fornaio for Happy Hour, you definitely need to try it!

Next, we move over to Pacifica, another long-time restaurant in Del Mar, to explore their Happy Hour. For over 30 years, Pacifica has been serving some of the best seafood in the area! Happy Hour at Pacifica is no exception, you can get the same items on the Happy Hour menu as you’ll find on the regular menu. Pacifica offers both Small Bites and Larger Bites on the Happy Hour menu; customer favorites include the Blue Fin Tuna Poke ($17), Hamachi Crudo ($17) and Mussels ($17), and all of the appetizer items are $2 off the regular menu price. New appetizer items include oysters on the half-shell ($1), ahi tostada ($2) and coconut shrimp ($3). In addition, featured cocktails are $2 off, as are wines by the glass (house wines are $9 per glass); beers are discounted $1. Happy Hours are 4:00 until 6:30 pm daily and all-night Sunday and Monday. Seating is outside or in the Ocean Bar, and the ambiance is one of a comfy escape. Revisit Pacifica during Happy Hour and see what you’ve been missing!

Let’s move across 15th Street to WestBrew, which recently renovated not only their space but their menu as well and had a grand reopening July, 2023. The first thing you notice is the beautiful firepit, fountain and the new seating pavilion, complete with blankets at each table – so nice on these cool nights! Happy Hour at WestBrew is daily, Monday through Friday, from 3:00 until 5:00. There is no special Happy Hour menu; instead, Happy Hour customers receive a 20% discount on their food and drink purchases! I can vouch for the smoky shrimp skewers with aji verde sauce over grilled pineapple ($15). The newly revised menu is quite vibrant and reflects the coast. Every Monday WestBrew offers a Burger and Pint Special ($20) and every Wednesday is Wine Wednesday: buy one glass and get one free, also 50% off bottles of wine (no further discount on either of these special offers). Beer selections are quite extensive which include Pale Ales, IPAs, Hard Seltzers, Lagers and more. The ambiance here is cozy, comfortable (thanks to the blankets) and relaxed. Why not visit WestBrew for Happy Hour?

Next month I’ll be reporting on three more locations for Happy Hour in Del Mar. Hope you’ll join me!