Finding a Happy Hour and Meal for Under $20

By Dan Morgridge

The plan is simple: Work is done, you deserve a drink or two, and you may as well have a meal with it. But nobody wants to break the bank on a weekday night out. So rather than settling for two cheap cans and an order of loaded nachos for dinner, try these happy hour deals for a meal and drink that should raise your spirits without emptying your wallet.

Redmond's

3358 N. Sheffield Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
Hours: Mon to Fri 12pm-2am; Sat 10am-3am; Sun 9am-2am
(773) 404 2151
Website & Reviews

Wrigleyville has a slew of drinking options, but Redmond's is always a safe choice for a brew. Just off of Clark on Roscoe, this neighborhood bar has a number of decent specials, but the best bang for your buck is to grab some brews and wings on a Tuesday. Domestic drafts are $3, and wings are only twenty cents each – which means you can do some serious gorging before you break the $20 dollar mark.

Cactus Bar and Grill

404 S Wells St
Chicago, IL 60607
Hours: Mon, Sat 11am-10pm; Tues to Fri 11am-12am; Sun 11am-8pm
(312) 922 3830
Website & Reviews

In the heart of the Loop, there are two mainstays for traders. One is the one-of-a-kind Cal's Bar, but that's better known for being dark, grungy, and the only place in the world where bike messengers and day-traders make equal halves of the regulars. Just around the corner, however, is a bar that can get you some grub to go with your suds. Mondays can be forgotten with $3 miller drafts, and you can pile the sliders high - Angus cheeseburgers and fried chicken sliders are $1.25, and Angus burgers or pulled pork are only a dollar apiece.

Brownstone

3937 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60613
Hours: Sun 11am-2am; Mon to Thurs 5pm-2am; Fri 11am-2am; Sat 11am-3am
(773) 528 3700
Website & Reviews

The Brownstone is one of several great bars in Lincoln Square, but it really shines on Wednesdays. $4 Pints and $15 Pitchers of the monthly craft beer (including breweries like Magic Hat, Founders, Pyramid and Great Lakes) should please craft brew fans. Use them to wash down some of their food specials – five-dollar quesadillas and two-dollar pretzels.

Cleo's

1935 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 243 5600
Website & Reviews

Cleo's has been an East Village staple for years, and for good reason – they have some of the best nightly specials around. Try them on a Wednesday for a cheap dinner of any burger or any salad for four dollars – then wash it down with any of their Goose Island beers for half price. For the grand finale, any shot that begins with the letter "J" (Jameson, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Jägermeister and Jose Cuervo) is only three bucks. A burger, a brew, and a shot should all fit on a twenty dollar bill - that is, unless you decide you need to try one of each of the shots…

Seven Ten Lounge

2747 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 472 1601
www.sparetimechicago.com

If you're looking to do more than cling to a barstool for the evening, Seven Ten Lounge offers a little bit of sports for your evening that you can still drink through. Wednesday nights offer select $10 pitchers, which should be the perfect pairing for one of their half-price pizzas (including options like pesto, BBQ Chicken, and even steak). If you're feeling like even less exercise, there's still plenty of pool tables near the tables, so you can get a game of nine-ball in without your pizza getting cold.

Dan Morgridge is a writer from Chicago's Ukranian Village.He enjoys socially-conscious hedonism and hungover brunches.