Best Happy Hours in Rice Village, Houston: 10 Verified Deals

The best happy hours in Rice Village, Houston, are packed into a few walkable blocks between Kirby Drive and Greenbriar Drive. Our top picks are $2 oysters at the bar at Navy Blue on Times Boulevard, served every day from 2 to 5 p.m.; half-price martinis and $3 East Coast oysters at Hudson House on University Boulevard; and a $7.50 frozen screwdriver at Under the Volcano on Bissonnet Street. Every deal below comes from the venue’s own website or official menu.

In Rice Village, happy hour starts at 7 a.m. Black Walnut Cafe on Morningside Drive runs an “early bird” happy hour on weekday mornings, then a second one in the afternoon.

Happy hour deals change often. Treat every time and price below as “typically,” and check the official site the day you go.

What counts as Rice Village in this guide?

For this guide, Rice Village means the blocks between Kirby Drive on the west and Greenbriar Drive on the east, from Bissonnet Street on the north down to Times Boulevard on the south. That’s the same line we use in our other Rice Village guides. It takes in the University Boulevard and Morningside Drive dining strip, the side streets around Rice Boulevard and Dunstan Road, the Bissonnet block and Times Boulevard.

The Rice University campus sits just east of Greenbriar and isn’t part of this list. Upper Kirby, River Oaks and Montrose are outside it too. For those, start with the citywide best happy hours in Houston or our guide to the best happy hours in Montrose.

How we chose

We kept only bars and restaurants inside our boundary whose own website or official menu showed a Rice Village address, current hours and a posted happy hour, with prices where the venue publishes them. We checked every site in November 2026. Places that didn’t post happy hour terms online, or whose sites we couldn’t load, were left out, even when we like them. The result is ten deals, every one of them a short walk from the next.

The quick list

• Cheapest oysters: Navy Blue, $2 oysters at the bar every day from 2 to 5 p.m.
• Earliest start: Black Walnut Cafe, with a weekday morning happy hour from 7 to 9:30 a.m.
• Latest weekday finish: Under the Volcano and Little Woodrow’s, both until 7 p.m.
• Every day of the week: Navy Blue, Upstairs Bar & Lounge and The Owl Bar.
• For wine people: Sixty Vines, with $3 off select pours from 60 wines on tap.
• Best snack deal: Hamsa, where happy hour bites start at $4.
• Half off the bar: Hopdoddy, with half-price cocktails, beer and wine Monday to Thursday.
• Cheapest glass of wine: Little Woodrow’s, $3 house wines.

Seafood and martinis

1. Navy Blue

2445 Times Blvd · Oyster Hour daily, 2 to 5 p.m. · bar only

Navy Blue is Aaron Bludorn’s modern American seafood restaurant on Times Boulevard, and its Oyster Hour is our pick for the best-value seat in Rice Village. The bar menu lists $2 oysters, a $6 oyster shooter, $10 well martinis, a $5 featured lager and $10 select wines (a cava rosé, a Chenin Blanc and a Côtes du Rhône), Monday to Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m., bar seats only.

I didn’t know that: the same bar runs “Boat Drinks” on Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with $10 well martinis, a $10 Navy Blue Bloody Mary and $10 white sangria. Weekend brunch, but make it a happy hour. Details are on Navy Blue’s site.

Best for: a dozen oysters and a martini before dinner anywhere in the neighborhood.

2. Hudson House

2414 University Blvd, Suite 100 · weekdays, 3 to 6 p.m. · bar only

Hudson House is the easygoing seafood spot on University Boulevard. Its Rice Village location page lists a weekday happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. at the bar: half-price martinis and wine by the glass, $3 East Coast oysters and $10 cheeseburgers.

Order this: a half-price martini, a half dozen East Coast oysters and the cheeseburger to share. That’s dinner for a lot of people. Check the Hudson House Rice Village page before you go.

Best for: after-work drinks with a coworker who likes oysters but not fuss.

Wine, cocktails and a terrace

3. Sixty Vines

2540 University Blvd at Kirby Dr · Monday to Friday, 3 to 6 p.m. · bar and lounge

Sixty Vines is the two-story wine restaurant at the corner of University and Kirby, and it pours 60 wines from taps instead of bottles. Its weekday happy hour, 3 to 6 p.m. in the bar and lounge, takes $3 off a 5-ounce pour of select wines and $3 off specialty cocktails, beer and its Wheatley espresso martini, plus $2 off shared plates.

Tip: happy hour is a cheap way to taste around. Order two different 5-ounce pours instead of one big glass. Hours and the happy hour are on the Sixty Vines Rice Village page. More picks in our best wine bars in Houston.

Best for: wine lovers and anyone hosting a mixed group.

4. Upstairs Bar & Lounge

2356 Rice Blvd, 2nd floor (above Hungry’s) · typically daily, 3 to 6 p.m.

Upstairs Bar & Lounge sits on the second floor above Hungry’s on Rice Boulevard, with a zinc-topped bar and an outdoor terrace up in the oak trees. Its happy hour page says happy hour runs every day from 3 to 6 p.m., with $2 off crafted cocktails, $6 house red or white wine and $2 off all bar bites. The bar’s About page describes happy hour as Monday through Friday, so check the Upstairs happy hour page before a weekend visit.

Best for: the terrace on a mild evening, when the street-level patios are packed.

5. Hamsa

5555 Morningside Dr, Suite 100 · 3 to 6 p.m. · at the bar or on the patio

Hamsa is Sof Hospitality’s modern Israeli restaurant on Morningside, and its happy hour is the best snack menu in this guide. The official happy hour menu, served 3 to 6 p.m. at the bar or on the patio, lists $4 snacks (a pickle plate, kasseri and olives), $6 bites such as falafel, shishito skewers and house spice fries, and $8 bites including a lamb and beef pita’le, shrimp and ribeye skewers. Drinks are $5 Estrella Damm lager, $8 wines by the glass and $9 house spirits.

I didn’t know that: the happy hour has a $35 deal for two: a ground lamb and beef pita’le with a bottle of Israeli Recanati wine, red or white. Hamsa’s website lists hours Tuesday to Sunday and doesn’t list Monday hours. Menus are on Hamsa’s site.

Best for: turning happy hour into an early, shareable dinner.

Casual and all-day

6. Black Walnut Cafe

5510 Morningside Dr, Suite 150 · Monday to Friday, 7 to 9:30 a.m. and 3 to 6:30 p.m.

Black Walnut Cafe in Rice Village runs two happy hours on weekdays: an early bird happy hour from 7 to 9:30 a.m. and an afternoon happy hour from 3 to 6:30 p.m. The cafe lists $5 house wines, $5 well drinks, $5 draft beer, $8 signature cocktails, and breakfast, appetizer and entrée specials starting at $4. It also has a covered, heated patio.

Best for: a cheap weekday breakfast, or a study break with a draft beer. Check the Black Walnut Rice Village page for current specials.

7. Hopdoddy Burger Bar

5510 Morningside Dr, Suite 100 · Monday to Thursday, 3 to 6 p.m.

Hopdoddy’s Rice Village location page lists half-price cocktails, beer and wine Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m., and the chain’s happy hour page says sliders are half off too. Hopdoddy says its brioche buns are baked fresh, and its patio looks out over Morningside Plaza.

Best for: a burger-and-beer happy hour with the least damage to your wallet. Confirm days on Hopdoddy’s Rice Village page, and see our best burgers in Rice Village.

Bars

8. Under the Volcano

2349 Bissonnet St · Monday to Friday, 2 to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Under the Volcano is the Day of the Dead–themed bar on Bissonnet, open since 1989 and named after Malcolm Lowry’s novel. Its weekday happy hour, 2 to 7 p.m., lists a $7.50 frozen screwdriver, a $7.50 Cuba libre, a $5 Dos XX pint and $1 off cocktails and draft beer, with snacks like white queso, tamales and rib tips. On Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. it pours $5 mimosas and $17 mimosa carafes.

I didn’t know that: the bar’s menu says it started serving the frozen screwdriver in 1989, the year it opened. Order one on the patio. Details are on the Under the Volcano happy hour page.

Best for: a long weekday afternoon, since happy hour here runs a full five hours.

9. Little Woodrow’s Rice Village

5611 Morningside Dr · Monday to Friday, 3 to 7 p.m. · 21 and up

Little Woodrow’s Rice Village is a patio bar with yard games and more than 15 TVs, and it calls itself game-day headquarters for Rice Athletics. Its weekday happy hour, 3 to 7 p.m., lists $4 select domestic beers, $4 well drinks and $3 house wines. The bar is strictly 21 and up.

Best for: a big group on the patio before a game at First Community Stadium. Specials are on the Little Woodrow’s Rice Village page.

10. The Owl Bar

2424 Dunstan Rd, Suite 150 · happy hour every day

The Owl Bar on Dunstan Road is a neighborhood bar with free popcorn, a free jukebox, darts, shuffleboard and German beers on tap. Its site says happy hour is every day, with $5 house liquors. The weekly specials stretch it further: happy hour all day on Monday’s industry night and all day Sunday, plus an extended Friday happy hour until 9 p.m. Trivia runs on Thursdays.

I didn’t know that: The Owl Bar has moved twice since opening in 2010, from Kirby Drive to West Alabama to Dunstan. The bar’s site lists two slightly different price sets for pints and wine, so ask at the bar. Check the Owl Bar site for this week’s specials.

Best for: a Sunday afternoon that turns into Sunday night.

Save this: a Rice Village happy hour walk

Park once and walk. All four stops are within a few blocks of each other.

1. 2 p.m., Navy Blue (Times Blvd): grab a bar seat for $2 oysters and a well martini.
2. 3:30 p.m., Sixty Vines (University Blvd): two different 5-ounce pours at $3 off, weekdays.
3. 4:30 p.m., Upstairs Bar & Lounge (Rice Blvd): a crafted cocktail on the treetop terrace before 6.
4. 5:30 p.m., Under the Volcano (Bissonnet St): finish with a frozen screwdriver; happy hour runs until 7 on weekdays.

Checklist before you go:

• Check the venue’s site the same day. Times and prices change.
• Most oyster deals are bar seats only, so arrive early.
• Weekend happy hours are rarer. Navy Blue, Upstairs, The Owl Bar and Under the Volcano’s Sunday mimosas are your best bets.
• Bring a designated driver, or use a rideshare home.

More in Rice Village

For dinner after happy hour, see the best restaurants in Rice Village or plan a full date night in Rice Village. For later drinks, use our best bars in Rice Village. Parking and neighborhood basics are on the Rice Village and West U area page, and the things to do in Rice Village guide covers shops and the farmers market.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the cheapest oysters at happy hour in Rice Village?

Navy Blue at 2445 Times Blvd typically serves $2 oysters at the bar every day from 2 to 5 p.m. Hudson House at 2414 University Blvd lists $3 East Coast oysters at the bar on weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m.

Is there a weekend happy hour in Rice Village?

Yes. Navy Blue’s Oyster Hour runs Monday to Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m., and The Owl Bar on Dunstan Road says its happy hour is every day, with all-day deals on Sundays. Under the Volcano on Bissonnet Street serves $5 mimosas on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Which Rice Village happy hour starts earliest?

Black Walnut Cafe at 5510 Morningside Dr runs an early bird happy hour on weekdays from 7 to 9:30 a.m., with $5 house wines, well drinks and draft beer. It runs a second happy hour from 3 to 6:30 p.m.

Which Rice Village happy hour runs latest?

Under the Volcano and Little Woodrow’s both run weekday happy hours until 7 p.m., and The Owl Bar extends its Friday happy hour until 9 p.m. The Owl Bar also runs happy hour all day on Mondays and Sundays.

Does Sixty Vines in Rice Village have a happy hour?

Yes. Sixty Vines at 2540 University Blvd runs happy hour Monday to Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. in the bar and lounge, with $3 off select 5-ounce wine pours, $3 off specialty cocktails and beer, and $2 off shared plates.

What counts as Rice Village for this list?

This guide uses Kirby Drive on the west, Greenbriar Drive on the east, Bissonnet Street on the north and Times Boulevard on the south. The Rice University campus, Upper Kirby and Montrose are not included.