Cosmopolitan Hotel & Restaurant
2660 Calhoun St. (Old Town)
619-297-1874
Happy Hour: 3 to 6 p.m., daily

Come On Get Happy! | Dr. Ink

Since 1869, the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Old Town State Historical Park has seen scores of boozers cheerfully occupy its ground-floor saloon, which today leads into additional drinking areas and a daily happy hour.

Still a destination crash pad for travelers, renovations over the years have given way to a spacious flora-filled patio and outdoor bar as well as sectional dining rooms capturing a late-1800s style. Thanks to the most recent redo involving local historians, the property’s layers of time have been carefully peeled back, leaving you feeling as though you’ve just entered the age of wired electricity.

Ideal summer weather steered us to the central dog-friendly patio, which oddly seemed to evade the throngs of tourists combing the surrounding streets on this particular afternoon. A solo singer-guitarist was gently belting out country-pop cover tunes, adding to a lazy ambiance that demanded beer and margaritas.

Prices on a few different draft beers are $4 during happy hour, including Dos Equis Amber, which yields a decent head while greeting the palate with a few extra modicums of malt compared to Corona. The beer nonetheless falls into the “watery” category, but when imbibing under a warm sun and squeezing a lime wedge into the brew, it’s a perfect palate quencher.

My cohort ordered “the drunken pescador,” a little package deal that affords you a house margarita with a dressed-up-cod fish taco for $6.95. The margarita was lime-y without being overly tangy. Although after ordering a second round, he termed the overall effect of the drinks as “low-impact.” Indeed, the tequila ratio teetered on the conservative end.

My Dos Equis was also paired to sustenance in a “steer and beer” bargain that included a tasty Angus burger accompanied by roasted Roma tomatoes, grilled red onions and a house-made pickle. The combo price is $9.95, not bad considering the burger by itself normally sells for $12.95.

Other deals include house wines for $4, well drinks for $4.50 and various munchies such as herbed fries, shrimp tacos, steamed mussels and pork confit with herbed polenta, all ranging between $3.50 to $11.95. Better yet, the history lesson you receive from bumbling around the property is free.

CALIFICACIONES:

Bebidas: 3

The lime-spiked margaritas are refreshing without making your lips pucker. But the tequila was difficult to detect. Beer choices include both Mexican and domestic brands served in drafts.

Comida: 4

Cheers to the fish tacos with spicy white sauce and the beefy Angus burger served with grilled red onions on brioche.

Valor: 4

Drink prices are punched down by a few dollars, although the savings on various food items are more substantial, averaging around 40 percent.

Servicio: 5

Presto. Our drinks appeared in less than two minutes after ordering them. The food arrived quickly too, before making any significant dents in our drinks.

Duration: 5

Nine-to-fivers who can’t get to Old Town by 6 p.m. on weekdays can seize the deals by visiting on weekend afternoons instead.