Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar

About

There's a reason the patio at Loro fills up early on weekday afternoons. Happy hour starts at 2 PM, which is earlier than almost anywhere else worth eating at, and runs until 5. Everything on the drink side is $5: boozy slushees, cocktails, beer, wine, sake. The specialty bites run $6 to $9.50, which is real food, not just bar snacks pretending to be a menu.

The whole concept is Southeast Asian flavors meets Texas smokehouse, and it works because both sides of that equation are executed with real skill. The smoked brisket fried rice has become one of those dishes people talk about for a reason. Pair it with a $5 boozy slushee on the South Lamar patio and you've got one of the better afternoon setups in Austin.

Loro happy hour draws people who know the drill: get there early, grab a picnic table, and settle in. The crowd is a mix of remote workers clocking out and groups who've figured out that 2 PM on a Tuesday is a perfectly acceptable time to eat smoked meat and drink sake. The kitchen doesn't coast just because it's happy hour. Everything comes out like they mean it.