Half Step

About

Rainey Street has plenty of bars where the drinks are fine and the vibe does the heavy lifting. Half Step is the opposite. The cocktails here are genuinely good, made by bartenders who know their way around a shaker, and happy hour brings the prices down to where you don't have to think twice.

Monday through Friday from 4 to 7, select cocktails run $8 and all draft beer drops $2. Three hours is a generous window for Rainey, and the $8 cocktails are a real value when you consider what you'd normally pay for drinks at this level.

The bar itself has an old-house feel that fits the street's original character. There's a solid patio out back, a jukebox inside, and a general lack of pretense that makes it easy to stay longer than planned. Half Step happy hour is the kind of deal that rewards people who care about what's in their glass. If you're on Rainey Street and want a cocktail that's actually well-made at a price that's actually reasonable, this is the move.