Come On Get Happy! | Dr. Ink
Since the late 1980s, so many restaurants have come and gone suddenly from this bungalow property, but it didn’t take long for Larry Malone to break the so-called curse blamed for their demise. With daily happy hour and various other deals firmly in place, plus a slat inserted into the floor of the patio that reads “this curse removed,” the only spirits infiltrating EmpireHouse Urban Palate are the kind you drink.
Fans of Moscow mules, for example, will save about three dollars on luscious versions named after hats. They’re served in 24-ounce glass jars that Malone discovered when Ball Canning recently introduced them to the market. As cocktails, they turn out big and cost $7.50 during happy hour and all day Mondays, which is also the day you can wash down a juicy house burger with a beer for $10.
In two mules we tried, a ginger babushka with bitters and a raspberry beret with simple syrup, both contained ginger beer and Skyy Vodka. The raspberry recipe, Malone informed us, is the “femmed-up” version of the babushka, which much to our relief wasn’t so tutti-frutti sweet.
From the same menu card are a couple of beer cocktails using Pale Ale and lemonade as the base. Selling also for $7.50, one features the addition of VeeV Acai Berry Liquor while the other mixes Kentucky bourbon into the suds.
Happy hour also highlights specialty cocktails marked down to $5. In addition, wines by the glass and a variety of beer are $1 off their regular prices. The latter includes Lagunitas Maximum, which a friend in our group touted as “hoppy without being harsh.” Indeed, the fine print on the bottle indicates the predominant ingredient, stating that it’s made with “hops, malt, hops, hops, yeast, hops and water.” Enough said.
From EmpireHouse’s lengthy menu of gourmet-style comfort food, several items are marked down by at least $2. The pickle plate featuring spears and slices in mild, addicting brine is only 95 cents. It’s exactly the kind of crunchy nosh that keeps you drinking.
Red miso chicken wings have been on Malone’s menu since he opened two years ago. They’re big, sticky and delicious, and cost $5 for about a half dozen. Or for $4.50, you can dive into a fairly generous serving of mac-n-cheese made with white cheddar and tomatoes. Other nibbles include hummus, Tater Tots and sausage bread, all served in a comfy, homelike atmosphere that nowadays attracts the friendliest of souls.
RATINGS
Drinks: 5
The Moscow mules are tall and gingery. Other cocktails made with top-shelf liquors include basil lemonade, whisky with pear nectar and vodka-spiked P-Towns.
Food: 5
Standouts include red miso chicken wings, homey mac-n-cheese with tomatoes and plates of house-brined pickles.
Value: 4
Regular prices are generally moderate, although happy hour discounts save you between $1 and $4 on selected drinks and dishes.
Service: 5
The staff and owner make customers feel as though they’ve welcomed you into their home. This is after all, a bungalow.
Duration: 5
In addition to a three-hour happy hour seven days a week, additional food and drink deals are offered all day on Mondays.
EmpireHouse Urban Palate
127 University Ave. (Hillcrest)
619-688-9283
Happy Hour: 3 to 6 p.m., daily
