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Happy Hour in York: The specials, vibe, people, more


After a long day of work, where do you go to unwind?

Several bars in York become hot spots for local professionals between 4 and 6 p.m., when happy hour food and drink specials are offered.

Never been to happy hour in York? Not sure where to go?

Here's a look at the specials, vibe, people, crowds and more at five York bars.

White Rose Bar & Grill (48 N. Beaver St.)

Happy Hour: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., seven days a week

Specials: Beer, wine, mixed drinks and food specials are half-price. Half-price food specials include bacon cheese fries, tomato basil bruschetta, loaded nachos, buffalo chicken dip, crab pretzel, fried shrimp, steamed clams, steamed shrimp and oysters on the half shell. Most of these items range from $9 to $10 on the regular menu before the half-price discount.

The bar: White Rose has three bars to choose from. The Beaver Street Bar is an indoor bar that seats about 50, according to general manager Jeremiah Anderson. It tends to get crowded and noisy because it's the first thing guests see when they walk into the restaurant. Philadelphia Bar (also called the Garage Door Bar) is an open-air bar with an outdoor patio, which seats about 60 or 70. This is the place groups go to have a drink and mingle with one another. Stogies is the indoor smoking bar, which seats about 100.

The vibe: White Rose has a lively, energetic, fun atmosphere, with a variety of options for smokers, people who like to sit at the bar and people who enjoy mingling with one another on the outdoor patio.

The people: Groups of friends, colleagues, professionals, 20s and up.

Crowds: White Rose was definitely the busiest of the five restaurants I visited on a recent Friday night. All three bars were buzzing with people right at 4:30 p.m., when happy hour started. Manager Scott Shelley suggests people get to White Rose early to get a seat, because the bars tend to get pretty packed during happy hour every day of the week. Happy hour specials are only available at the three bars, and it's first come, first served, he said.

Guest reaction: A group of young professionals ordered drinks and crab dip at the Philadelphia Bar Friday night. They said they come once a month after work because of the half-price drinks and nice environment.

"I just like it because it's an easy place to get a table, there's parking and it's clean," Kate Walton, 26, of Manchester Township said.

"And it's close to everything (downtown)," Kyle Greenholt, 31, of York, added.

Holy Hound Taproom (57 W. Market St.)

Happy Hour: 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays

Specials: $1 off drafts. After happy hour on Mondays, guests can get $0.25 wings starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday's special is $2 bratwursts with chips all day. Tuesday is also Bring Your Own Vinyl Night.

The bar: In addition to bar seating and standing room, Holy Hound also has six indoor tables and seven tables outside, where guests can enjoy the specials. With 30 rotating craft beers on tap, Holy Hound is a good choice for craft beer lovers. Beers on tap range from $4 to $8. The bar also has a variety of bottles, wine, single malt scotch and small batch bourbon.

The vibe: The Holy Hound offers a casual, hang-out spot for craft beer lovers to mingle with friends after work.

The people: Manager Brad Hash said he tends to see a mix of business professionals in suits and young professionals more casually dressed.

Crowds: Holy Hound gets a "nice business crowd" all through the week, Hash said. The bar usually fills up on Mondays and Tuesdays for happy hour, but with outdoor seating, Holy Hound can accommodate more people. Guests should be able to find a seat, Hash said.

Guest reaction: Jay Smith, 28, of Springettsbury Township, said he comes to Holy Hound happy hour for the beer variety and wings.

"It's comfortable with friendly bar tenders," he said.

Mudhook Brewing Company (34 N. Cherry Lane)

Happy Hour: 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

Specials: $1 off drafts and wine, half price for some appetizers. Half-price appetizers include loaded nachos, chips and salsa, hot taco dip, market plate (cheese and fruit), buffalo chicken dip and loaded cheese fries. Prices range from $4 to $9.

The bar: Similar to Holy Hound, Mudhook offers happy hour specials at the bar, the indoor seating area and open-air seating area. Mudhook has six craft beers on tap, which change seasonally. Current offerings include Stickleback Saison, Wild River Weizen, Hook Bender Double IPA, Redeye Irish Red, Midnight Cast Black IPA and Deep Sea Stout. The bar also has an assortment of wines from Allegro Vineyards.

The vibe: The atmosphere during Friday's happy hour appeared to be casual and quiet enough to sit down and have a conversation with friends after work.

"It's your laidback, conversational option as opposed to the high-energy, louder establishments," owner Jeff Lau said.

The people: The average customer is between the ages of 35 and 75, according to Lau.

Crowds: Friday's happy hour had a very light crowd with only a couple tables occupied inside and outside. Fridays tend to be slow, but Saturdays bring out a fuller crowd, Lau said.

Guest reaction: Jason Krepps, 30, of Warrington Township, and Nate Globosky, 23, of Dover Township, stopped by Mudhook Friday after work.

"I'm definitely a fan of the brewpub atmosphere," Krepps said. "I like that it's laidback."

"I like that they make their own beer," Globosky added. "I like supporting local. And (appetizers) are half off. That's pretty awesome."

The Left Bank (120 N. George St.)

Happy Hour: 5 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday

Specials: $1 off well drinks, $1 off drafts and wine. On Wednesdays, guests can choose from six specialty appetizers for $6 each at the bar only. The six-for-six appetizers change each week and are typically not offered on the regular menu. Last Wednesday's options included flash fried calamari, deconstructed lamb gyro, five oysters on the half shell, LB Pig's Head, chipotle spiced fish soft tacos and barbecue chicken flatbread.

The bar: Guests can receive happy hour specials at the bar or at one table in the bar area. Guests cannot get the happy hour specials while seated in the dining room. The bar offers a selection of craft, domestic and imported beers; a martini menu; and a selection of wines, including champagne, sparkling wine and domestic and international wines.

The vibe: The Left Bank can have a lively and energetic atmosphere, bar manager Ryan Mapes said, but Friday seemed to draw a quieter, more conversational, sophisticated group. Some guests said they consider the Left Bank as one of the classier bars in York. It's a place that you dress up to go to, and you won't find hot wings and cheese fries on the specials menu.

The people: Older crowd ranging from 30s to 60s.

Crowds: On Friday night, a light crowd occupied about half of the seats at the bar at Left Bank. But Mapes said a typical happy hour crowd occupies the full bar, standing room behind the bar and a table in the bar area. Friday's light crowd might be due to people traveling over the holiday weekend, Mapes said. Some of the busiest days for happy hour are Wednesdays and First Fridays, he said. Mondays and Thursdays are the best time to go to avoid crowds.

Guest reaction: Joyce Singer, 67, of Spring Garden Township comes to the Left Bank for happy hour once or twice a week with friends.

"There's a sophistication about the place that doesn't exist anywhere else," she said. "I don't think people come here to get drunk. They come to enjoy good food, good drinks and good company in a sophisticated atmosphere."

BrewVino (251 N. George St.)

Happy Hour: 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and Sunday.

Specials: $1 off alcoholic drinks, $1 off BrewVino's selection of 13 handcrafted pizzas.

The bar: Guests can get the happy hour specials at the bar, indoor table seating or outdoor seating, where they can sit under an umbrella and enjoy a view of Santander Stadium. BrewVino offers 10 beers on tap, which are constantly changing. The bar also offers light and fruity, medium-bodied and rich and full-bodied and bold wines in addition to the house selection.

The vibe: BrewVino seems to have a casual, family-friendly atmosphere, where guests can come to watch a game on TV or grab a beer before heading across the street to the York Revolution game. Most of the guests at BrewVino Friday night didn't come specifically for happy hour. They came to relax with their family, friends, significant other or co-workers before the Revs game.

The people: Families, couples, friends, young professionals, ranging from 20s to 60s.

Crowds: BrewVino was about half full Friday night. The space is small, but guests can always sit outside to get away from crowds inside.

Guest reaction: Jack McGowan, 24, of Springettsbury Township, said BrewVino's happy hour isn't as well known as The White Rose's, but he likes it because it's a lot more laid back.

"It's not wall-to-wall people like at White Rose," he said.

Michelle Smith, 44, of Springettsbury Township, brought her family and friends to BrewVino before the Revs game.

"It's the perfect place to get good ballpark food (and drinks) before the game," she said. "I love the outdoor seating. You can see the stadium right from here."

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