If you are looking for our regular list of Victoria happy hours, you can find it here. This is a trial of sorts in switching up the way the site display happy hours. I’m going to share a little back story about about why the switch and how this website came to be. If you don’t want to read, follow this link to jump down the page or view the bigger list of 50 happy hour menus here.
My passion for happy hours dates back to 2014 when the BC Government first permitted them. The Idea for this website was born then, but it wasn’t until 2018, with a nudge from a friend, that I finally launched it. Frustrated by the need for comprehensive happy hour resources during our travels, we created this website.
We started by Google-searching for happy hours in Victoria and found many restaurants that listed their menus on their websites. But there wasn’t a comprehensive list besides the old Cheap Eats site. We then created a massive spreadsheet and inputted the data into this website.
At its peak a couple of years ago, our Victoria page listed more than 100 menus and restaurants. We were receiving lots of traffic and generating some ad revenue.
Since then, I’ve taken the reins and expanded the reach to 120 cities worldwide. However, we’ve recently experienced a significant drop in traffic. It is disheartening to see that my primary traffic source no longer considers this site a valuable resource for all the cities we have pages. Many search results for Happy Hour Victoria are outdated articles that do not provide a complete list of all happy hours or list specific items.
From my experience updating this website for the last six years, many restaurants change their happy hour offerings every 4-6 months. These types of articles could be more helpful, but I am joining the party and writing this article on the eight best happy hours in Victoria, BC, for 2024.
Our old list of over 50 happy hour menus still exists here, which was updated last month.
Thanks for taking the time to read, and let’s get into it!
1 – Boom and Batten
I remember when Boom and Batten opened a few years ago, falling in love with the restaurant’s fantastic view and feel. When they first started offering happy hour, I was impressed with the amount of items on their food and drink menus. I love the meatballs, and it’s nice to see they are still offering them. What also sets them apart is the hours they offer happy hour.
Their specials run Monday to Sunday, 2 – 5 PM and 9 PM – Close. You can see their full menu here, but here are some highlights.
For drinks, the Grapefruit Radler is for $7, a 5oz Mission Hill Estate glass is for $9, Shafts is for $10, and a bottle of Fitzpatrick Vineyards’ Fitz’ is for $25.
On the food side, my favourites are the meatballs, which are $13; fried chicken, which is $15; and smoky pepperoni pizza, which is $18.
2 – Belleville’s
Outside of having the biggest patio in Victoria, I love Belleville’s local vibe. Having enjoyed a few happy hours here, I noticed that the restaurant gets pretty busy inside, too.
Much like Boom and Batten, their food offerings are extensive. You can see their full menu here.
Their extensive drink specials run from 9 AM – noon, 7 days a week, while house wine and highballs are $7.95 from 3 – 6 PM.
Some food that stands out is the poutine for $15.50 and the bacon mushroom flatbread for $16.50. The food specials run from 3 – 6 PM 7 days a week.
3 – Tug Eatery
Another great establishment with a large patio is the Tug Eatery. This was one of the first places I went to back in 2020 when the COVID restrictions started to lift, and sitting on that patio with friends on a warm summer’s day felt special.
Their specials run Monday through Friday from 2 to 5 OM. My go-to food items are the fish tacos for $16 and the Tug Burger for $20. They offer 20oz pints for $7, which seems really reasonable for 2024 prices. Along with beers, they have a good list of wines and cocktails to enjoy on the patio this summer.
You can view their full menu here.
4 – Earls
It is another chain to list, but Earls’ happy hour has always been solid. Not only because they offer specials Monday – Sunday, 2 – 5 PM, and 9 PM – close, but also because of the expansive food and drink deals.
Rhino Draughts are $5 but on the smaller size at 12 ounces, while Moscow Mules are $8. The Sushi taco for $4 is a great deal but not enough for me, so I get the roast beef sliders for $16, which fills me up plenty.
You can view their full menu here.
5 – The Courtney Room
Since opening a few years ago, The Courtney Room has been one of my favourite spots for happy hour. I love the lounge and bar’s vibe. They also have a solid list of food and drink specials from 2 to 5 PM, Monday through Sunday.
Features are a 16oz feature draught beer for $6, an assortment of classic cocktails for $12 and plenty of nourishing food specials starting at $15.
You can view their full menu here.
6 – Glo
Glo is another go-to spot for me. They consistently offer a solid happy hour menu that changes quite often. The room is open and vast, creating a pleasant atmosphere, and their patio is always busy.
Drinks start at $7, while a few wines are $9, and they also offer 2-oz cocktails for $9. Their food offerings start at $8 with the staple Glo flatbread. A newer menu item is the Glochujang fried chicken popcorn, which I tried a couple of weeks ago and loved.
You can view their full menu here.
7 – Sizzling Tandoor (all locations)
I love Indian food, and I’m thankful that Sizzling Tandoor locations all offer happy hour. I’ve been to their downtown and Westshore locations a few times and love the vibe of both rooms.
The butter chicken poutine for $15 is a hell of a deal and filling enough on its own but I usually get two vegetable pakoras to take home. Their $5 each. Their drinks are pretty cheap too, with $5 1oz highballs and house red and white wine starting at $5 for a 5oz, with 8oz pours being $9.
You can view their full menu here.
8 – The Fernwood Inn
The Fernwood Inn had taken its menu down for some time, but it was back up when I updated the bigger list last month. Shout out to Ricky, who had been at the Beagle Pub for years but is now working as a bartender at the Fernwood Inn.
It’s nice to catch up with Ricky and a few Fernwood locals for their happy hour, which is Monday – Sunday, 3 – 5 PM, and 9 PM – close.
Fernwood Lager pints are $5 and go nicely with the Fernwood chicken wings for $15. Speaking of chicken wings, I created a list a couple years ago of wing night specials in Victoria BC. It needs to be updated and I hope to soon.
Here’s The Fernwood Inn’s full menu.
There you have it, my favourite happy hours in the city. You can view a bigger list here with 50 menus listed.
My name is Jordan Caron and you learn more about me here.