Brazen BBQ Smokehouse & Bar
441 Washington St. (Hillcrest)
619-816-1990
Happy Hour: 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday; all day on Sundays
Come on Get Happy! | Dr. Ink
There isn’t a single type of smoked meat or fish I can think of that doesn’t warrant swigging alcohol. Think brisket with stout; ribs or chicken with pale ale; pork with pear cider; fish with margaritas. During happy hour at Brazen BBQ Smokehouse & Bar, the discounted possibilities leave a swell aftertaste in your mouth.
The daily specials equate to $1 off beer, wine, well drinks and all meal starters from the regular menu. Customers are free to sit anywhere in the restaurant, which features a stylized industrial design with booths, tables and a roomy bar area that flows onto a busy outdoor deck. An old wooden wagon parked on the front lawn confirms you’ve come to a Texas-style barbecue joint that hardly ever turns off its meat smokers.
Fresh off a flight from Missouri, my companion had catfish on his mind. Lo and behold, the appetizer list offers a pair of tacos filled with the earthy tasting species, which came dusted in Cajun seasoning. The corn tortillas also folded in cabbage, fruit chutney and queso fresco, striking a culinary match to the grenadine-spiked tequila sunrise he ordered.
The orange juice in the cocktail scored particularly well to a basket of crawfish-stuffed corn fritters glistening in maple syrup, with the acidity balancing their sweetness and dispelling any residual grease left on the tongue. We loved the sneaky bursts of chili heat inside the fritters, which was just enough to nudge open our sinuses.
I ordered a duo of “BBQ tacos,” choosing moist, hand-pulled chicken over the brisket and pork options. A light-style beer became the fitting drink of choice, and fortunately the list included more than Corona and Coors.
If there was ever a beer that actually tastes better when served Arctic-cold, it’s Longboard Lager from Kona, Hawaii. Smooth, light and teasingly hoppy, the lager arrived super-chilled; leaving me decided that these will be my go-to suds on the hottest of summer days ahead. Better yet, it’s fairly cheap. A 12-ounce draft with the discount was $4.
Other beer options that step outside bulk commercial brands include Shiner Bock from Spoetzl Brewery in Texas, Orange Avenue Wit from Coronado Brewing Company and a rotation of seasonal stouts. The wine list is limited to common varietals, with different labels divided between reds and whites.
Brazen’s award-winning ribs are not on the happy hour food menu, though things like smoked chicken wings and sliders filled with brisket, sausage or pork will keep carnivores sated without breaking the wallet.
RATINGS:
Drinks: 4
The Longboard Lager drafts are served appropriately ice-cold while a tequila sunrise, served in a smallish glass, didn’t skimp on the booze. The beer list features a mix of commercial and craft brands. Wines are limited.
Food: 4
Seasoned catfish finds a welcome home in tacos, as does smoked brisket, pork and chicken. The happy-hour menu extends also to meaty sliders, bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers and fried corn fritters stuffed with crawfish.
Value: 3
Three heavy appetizers and a couple of drinks average about $35. Not the cheapest happy hour in town, but the food portions are substantial and well drinks aren’t watered down.
Service: 5
The friendly blue-eyed bartender who doubled as our table waiter was one fast cat.
Duration: 5
Happy hour is held all day on Sundays and for a good portion of the late afternoon during the remainder of the week. If you take to the outdoor deck, you get the added bonus of warm, indirect sunshine.
