Happy Hour at BRC Gastropub

Photos by Troy Fields

Some things at BRC Gastropub -- the subject of this week's cafe review -- can be hit or miss. Even the wonderful mac 'n' cheese, which was named Best Mac and Cheese in this year's Best of Houston® issue, can have performance anxiety. But one thing that isn't hit or miss at BRC is the daily happy hour.

Not only do the hefty prices come down quite a bit, it's also the perfect time to enjoy a pint or two from the restaurant's dazzling selection of American craft beers. Hopheads may lament the fact that Taps House of Beers on Washington Avenue proved to be little more than a cocktease when it came to actually providing the goods, but why despair of that when the Big Red Cock up the road has all the lager and ale you crave in spades?

With 28 taps and specialty casks tapped quite frequently, BRC's cozy bar is a beer-lover's heaven. That's one of the reasons we also awarded it Best Beer Selection this year. And the spectacular thing about BRC's happy hour is that you aren't limited to just Bud Light and Corona as your choices; any pint is $2 off, so feel free to start exploring all 28 of those taps.

Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. with food and wine specials in addition to the cheap(er) beer. Right now, you can get a short rib taco with onions, sour cream and cilantro, a slider with pickles, onions, mustard and ketchup, or a barbecued half-shell oyster with cheddar cheese and jalapeno for $2. (The short rib taco gets you more for your money, but the slider is the better-tasting of the trio.)

And if happy hour isn't your scene but inexpensive food is, then head out to BRC on Mondays for the quickly-becoming-famous Pub Burger & Fries for $6.50. Burgers and beer are two things BRC does right, all the time.