Happy Hour!

Happy hour is indeed a happy, happy thing, and to facilitate your happiness, here are some good ones around town. We here at the Weekly are working constantly between the hours of approximately 5-7 p.m. to update this list for your happy pleasure; if you know of a happy hour that we're missing, e-mail food@seattleweekly.com and we will get right on it. And hey, it never hurts to call first to make sure happy hour is still happy. Happy!

Lockspot Cafe Part sports bar, part hunting lodge, and part longshoreman's tavern, the Lockspot might be your favorite neighborhood bar if you lived in Ballard. And this ain't no hipster joint—it's the real deal. The bartenders chat with the regulars and take long drags of their cigarettes behind the bar. The clientele, all sporty and Seattle-like, sit at wooden tables with old friends and watch ESPN on elevated TV sets. The fish and chips are fried to a T—deliciously golden and crisp on the outside, soft 'n tasty on the inside. A tub of tartar and a domestic draft beer ($1.75 from 5-7 p.m. and midnight-2 a.m. daily) or a happy hour well drink ($2.25/$2.50 with juice) make it a meal. 3005 N.W. 54th, 789-4865.

Jack's Roadhouse Happy hour at Jack's Roadhouse is your typical cheap tacos and 'ritas affair. For two bucks, you can feast on a couple of meat tacos, a cheesy quesadilla, or even cheesier nachos, and $3.75 will get you a tasty (albeit weak) Sauza Silver margarita. For two dollars more, you can get a shot of Sauza Silver in your Corona (ay-ay-ay!) What sets Jack's apart from other happy hours on the Hill is the breathability factor. The space is vast, with good-sized booths and banks of French windows that open onto East Olive Way, creating a welcome breeze and a tricky I'm-indoors-but-it-feels-like-I'm-on-a-veranda effect. Happy hour's from 5-7 p.m. weekdays and 5-9 p.m. weekends. 1501 E. Olive Way, 324-7000.

BALLARD

Acorn Eatery and Bar On the outdoor patio at the Acorn, lily padlike umbrellas stand over the tables, keeping the patrons cool, contemplative, and indifferent to their crummy view of McDonalds and Chevron across the street. Little pots of grass sit on each table, reminding everyone that nature does in fact exist. Good microbrews are on tap, and from 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, everything is dirt cheap: Pints and well drinks are $2.50, margaritas $3.50, and salads, pizza, and pasta range from $3 to $10. 9041 Holman N.W., 297-0700.

Azteca The cheesy, grande Mexican chains Ballard outpost has happy hour every day, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., offering $3 beers and a few Ameri-Mexican snacks for the same price. Ol鮠2319 N.W. Market, 782-7079.

Hirams at the Locks Tourists love Hirams for its amazing view of the Ballard Locks, but locals enjoy Hirams for a different reasonits twice-daily happy hour. While Midwesterners gawk at the pretty boats, Seattleites behold nearly half-price mahi mahi fish tacos, burgers, oyster shooters, and other specialties. From 4 to 6 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m. daily, draft beers are $1 off regular price. Outdoor deck seating is ample but fills up quickly on sunny days, and whether you traveled from Finland or Fremont, the view is nothing to sneeze at. 5300 34th N.W., 784-1733.

The Peoples Pub Wouldnt things be better if every day was like Oktoberfest? Well, the gute life is now only a trip to Ballard away, courtesy of the Peoples Pub 4 to 7 p.m. happy hour every day of the week (except for Tuesdays, when the whole place is shut). All well drinks and most of the beerswhich include German favorites from Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, and Bitburgerare just $2.50 a pint, and house wines are but $3 a glass. And on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, appetizers (deep fried pickles! Jalape�oppers freshly made with goat cheese!) are 50 percent off. Prost! 5429 Ballard Ave N.W., 783-6521.

BELLTOWN

Axis New bar menu items include Jamaican jerked chicken wings with creamy dill sauce and the one-third-pound Angusburger on an Italian roll with choice of New York cheddar or Oregon blue. Happy hour pizzas from the wood-fired oven just $2.99, and nice appetizers like rock shrimp popcorn, steak salad, Thai wok-seared shellfish, and a prime rib sandwich and fries half-price, $4.50-$6. OUTDOOR SEATING! 5-7 p.m. daily and 10-midnight Tues.-Thurs. 2212 First, 441-9600.

Brasa goes extra-Spanish every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m., with the flamenco guitar of Marcos Carmona and tapas-style appetizers-sherried mushrooms, seafood paella, grilled sardines, empanadas, flash-fried squid, and egg-and-potato-cake torta espa�passed dim-sum-wise and just $3 an item. 2107 First, 728-4220.

Cascadia For a fancy and happy hour or two, come here and sit at the gorgeous illuminated bar; the caf頡nd bar spring menu of "Ten Bites for Under $10" will most certainly be prepared to Cascadia's exquisite standards, and includes beef tenderloin cheeseburgers, air-cured duck, penne pasta with truffle oil, and wine-braised chicken with new potatoes and spinach. OUTDOOR SEATING! Mon.Sat., 5 p.m. till close. 2328 First, 448-8884.

En A short and extremely worthwhile walk from downtown, En is a prime post-work retreat; happy hours Monday through Friday, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The house wines ($3.95) and imported beers ($2.95) dont mess around, and the modern Japanese appetizers (two-for-one during happy hour) will knock you on your ass if the drinks havent already. The food, like the decor, is exquisitely understated. The agedashi is enough to make a grownup cry, its tofu cubesgolden on the outside, silky soft on the insidebasking in a pond of salty fish-broth goodness. With all the good food and ample portions, the happy prices will make you feel like youre getting away with something. Get to know Wei, the owner. 2429 Second, 770-0250.