By Dr. Ink 
Don’t let the rustic farm theme at The Tractor Room fool you into thinking that overalls and plaid shirts are required. Despite the old, clunky tractor parked out front and a taxidermist’s touch looming over the interior threshold, this loungy watering hole took easy root among martini-smart urbanites in the heart of Hillcrest several years ago.
Just past the front door, you maneuver through a heavy black curtain that leads into a tenderly lit, den-like space replete with dark leather banquettes, a cozy bar and antler chandeliers. An ambitious cocktail list and a crafty food menu, however, confirm that you haven’t stepped into some hunting lodge in Podunk.
Happy hour is held only on weekdays. Shortly before it starts, staffers decide which drinks will go on special. The price breaks usually apply to a particular wine, beer and mixed drink so no boozer is left behind.
Visiting with a couple of Tractor Room loyalists, the day’s deals pointed to a Santa Barbara syrah by Consilience; Allagash Black ale on tap and any standard cocktail made with organic Lixir Vodka. The latter was punched down from about $9 to $5 per drink, a swell bargain considering that the high-octane vodka is said to be distilled 88 times during its making.
I took the wino route via a generously filled beaker of the Consilience syrah priced at $4, sold outside of happy hour for $10. The juice lived up to its expectations, offering lush, dark cherry notes that continued blossoming as it aerated. You’ll be hard pressed to find a decent label such as this selling elsewhere for under $5.
The drinks are complimented by an established menu of reduced-priced appetizers that reflect The Tractor Room’s penchant for game meats. Keep in mind that the kitchen doesn’t open until 5:30 p.m., a half hour after the bar kicks into gear. Among the $3 small plates are elk ravioli and wild boar spring rolls served over chopped salad; perfect vittles for a modern-day prairie picnic. We tried the spring rolls and savored the mulched, softly spiced boar meat within. The peanut sauce on top added a wisp of sweetness.
For the same price, we picked from a pair of fleshy pork ribs draped in a homey tomato-based barbecue sauce. Good eats, but even better was the freshly fried bacon protruding from a mini BLT ($4) and tasting as though it had leapt directly from smokehouse to skillet. Other choices include salmon-shrimp cakes, brie cheese with crostini and tomato salad with griddled Parmesan.
While The Tractor Room scores high for breaking the bar-grub mold, we commend it also for its creative mixology and reputable beer and wine choices that often find their way into the weekday happy hour.
RATINGS:
Drinks: 5/5
Redundancy is avoided with daily bargains offered in three main categories: wine; beer; and cocktails, all of them usually bearing reputable labels.
Food: 4/5
Forget cheese sticks and chicken wings. The Tractor Room’s happy hour menu offers more adventurous fare in the form of elk ravioli, wild boar spring rolls and mini BLTs using thick, smoky bacon.
Value: 4/5
A hard day’s work in the field rewards you with food and drink discounts averaging 30 to 50 percent.
Service: 4/5
The bartenders are experienced and gracious, though at times slowed down by some of the labor-intensive cocktails they assemble.
Duration: 3/5
Throughout the weekdays, the drink deals last 90 minutes while the food bargains are available for only one hour within that time frame. As fans of The Tractor Room, we vote for rounding off the whole shebang to two full hours and adding happy hour on the weekends.
The Tractor Room
3687 Fifth Ave. (Hillcrest)
619-543-1007
Happy Hour: 5 to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
