Aba Austin

About

Bar seating at a restaurant this polished is usually a consolation prize. At Aba it's the strategy. Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm, every bar in the building runs happy hour pricing: $9 select specialty cocktails, $7 wine pours, $5 beer, and a short list of discounted bites off the Mediterranean menu.

The cocktails are the reason to come. Aba's regular list runs well north of $15, so $9 for a proper specialty cocktail on Music Lane is one of the stronger discounts on South Congress. Pair one with the hummus or whatever spread is on the happy hour list and you've done the smart version of an expensive restaurant.

Aba happy hour pulls a dressed-up-but-not-trying crowd, a lot of post-work meetups and early dates. The patio is the room everyone wants, and bar seats go fast after 4:30. Show up right at open, order the wine pour if cocktails aren't your thing, and enjoy watching everyone who walks in at 6:05 do the math on full price.