It’s amazing what price will do for a person’s perspective. Ask a non-tourist to go to happy hour at Ivar’s and you’re gonna get laughed at. Tell them it’s the Ivar’s on the waterfront at Pier 54, and the chuckling only gets louder. Volunteer that the happy hour at Ivar’s boasts well cocktails and the good stuff on draft for $3.50 from 3 p.m. to closing every single day—not to mention ridiculously cheap snacks like four-piece fish and chips for $7—and you’ve got a friend ready to pick up cab fare. In a city with shamefully few places to sit, sip, and admire Elliott Bay, Ivar has always been there for us, even if we haven’t always been there for him. CHRIS KORNELIS

Mondays-Sundays, 2010