Happy Hour of the Week: Alamo Drafthouse
"Brad, why are we seeing a movie in broad daylight?"
Image: Shutterstock
Continuing last week's happy hour theme of it's too dang hot and this week's general theme of oh my good sweet lord please stop raining, we're switching things up this week to spotlight a happy hour that's not held during traditional happy hour, well, hours. But who cares? This week's suggestion will keep you both cool and dry as well as entertained, and all on the cheap. Even if you don't drink. Seriously; we've got something for everyone here at Gastronaut today.
All summer long, both Houston-area locations of Alamo Drafthouse are offering $5 movies every day before 2 p.m. There's no catch here; no gimmicks. (Well, 3-D charges apply if you want to see a 3-D movie but, ugh, why would you?) Just movies for $5 a person until Labor Day. And yes, that includes first-run blockbusters like Jurassic World and cult classics like the original Parent Trap alike. Now, there are no food or drink specials before 2 p.m., but you could consider the $5 ticket price a special in and of itself, and use the $4.50 you saved to purchase a bottomless soft-drink (coincidentally also $4.50, which kind of makes this a two-fer).
Alternately, you could head to Alamo Drafthouse for a late-night screening and take advantage of the reverse happy hour menu that kicks in every evening at 10 p.m. Sure, tickets to late-night shows are the standard $9.50, but the food and drinks are on deep discount. Cans of Schlitz are $3—with buckets of the beer going for $17—and you can add a shot of Evan Williams Green Label for $2 more. Not drinking? Saint Arnold root beer floats are $6. On the food side of things, Alamo's outstanding french fries with queso are $6.50 and large enough to split (not to mention just all-around better than a bag of popcorn). You can also split a pizza bianca for $9, or enjoy a meal to yourself with a fried egg-topped BLT and a side of fries for $9.50. Of course, no visit to Alamo Drafthouse is complete without a signature warm cookie, which also happens to be the cheapest thing on the menu: your choice of chocolate chip, peanut butter-banana or double chocolate for only $2.
