5 of the Best Places for Happy Hour in Winnipeg
Having drinks with friends – or even by yourself – is one way to relax and cap off the busy work week.
With many dining spots and bars offering happy hour promos, it can be tricky to choose which ones are worth going to.
Just for you, we looked into the different places in Winnipeg that offer happy hour and reviewed the most noteworthy ones in this article. Read on to learn more!
How much does happy hour in Winnipeg cost on average?
Take a look at this table below for the average prices of different drinks offered at happy hour:
Also, fun fact: most people spend an average of $93.53 during happy hour.
How we chose the best places for happy hour in Winnipeg
We’ve selected the following dining places to have the best happy hour based on these standards:
1. Earls Kitchen + Bar
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| DRINK SELECTION | ★★★★☆ 4.5/5 |
| > Variety | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| > Quality | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| SPACE | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| > Ambiance | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| > Cleanliness | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| PRICE | ★★★☆☆ 3.5/5 |
| CUSTOMER SATISFACTION | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
Earls Kitchen + Bar is one of the most popular places for happy hour in Winnipeg.
While it’s sad that one of its three branches has closed permanently, we’re pleased that its Main Street and St. Vital’s Centre branches are fully operational and ready to accommodate customers.
First of all, we love that Earls offers happy hour for during brunch. Most establishments only have the usual evening happy hour, so this is a nice-to-have.
Those choosing to enjoy happy hour over brunch can choose from great lineup that includes iced Irish coffee, mimosas, and espresso martinis, paired with your usual brunch suspects: omelettes and eggs benedict.
As for their evening happy hour menu, we loved that we could choose from more than 10 kinds of drinks. Customer favourites include sangria, highballs, margarita, and iced Irish coffee.
Besides drinks, Earl’s also offers happy hour promos on its meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. Crowd-pleasers include the poke bowl, crab cake, and tacos.
Earls’ website features a clean-looking and easy-to-navigate list of its food and drink selection, which is a great convenience.
Although, take note that if you’re not a fan of seafood, you may want to look elsewhere as most of their dishes during main happy hour feature it.
We’re also not too pleased to hear about the small food and drink portions. Given that Earls happy hour prices range from $7 to $60, we think it wouldn’t hurt to make their serving sizes a tad more generous.
Pros
- Two branches within Winnipeg
- Organized menus
- Also offers a happy hour for brunch
Cons
- Most happy hour dishes are seafood
- Feedback on small food portions
Customer Reviews
Lovely lively place to spend time with some good food
“Hands down the crab cakes that we had was the best one that I have had so far. A bit disappointed with the portion of the dessert, as during the previous visit,the cake was sumptuous but this time it was just half of the original.” – Leena Regi Saleth
We had a pleasant evening, and we’ll return again
“My girlfriend and I had a pleasant evening at Earl’s on St. Mary’s. I had the Mother Earth Bowl with chicken while my girlfriend had the Spinach Dip. Not only did we enjoy delicious food, we also had the pleasure of having Andre as our server for the evening. Andre was an outstanding server, he was very friendly right from the beginning to the end of our visit. Andre was very assertive and professional while also maintaining casual, friendly and laidback conversation. He made sure to keep us informed of the restaurant’s specials and would make regular stops by our table in between other guests to ensure we were satisfied with our orders and looked to see if we required anything else. It is safe to say that thanks to Andre, my girlfriend and I were very satisfied with our visit at Earl’s on St. Mary’s and we will definitely be returning.” – Joseph Rodriguez
2. Carlos & Murphy’s
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| DRINK SELECTION | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| > Variety | ★★★☆☆ 3/5 |
| > Quality | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| SPACE | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| > Ambiance | ★★★☆☆ 3/5 |
| > Cleanliness | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| PRICE | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| CUSTOMER SATISFACTION | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
One of the things we love about Carlos and Murphy’s is its affordability. It offers draught beer and cocktail shots for only $4.25 during happy hour.
We think that the price is just right as it’s close to what other happy hour places in Winnipeg offer.
As for the variety, we also have to give it to this restaurant for offering 13 kinds of beers on draught and 6 cocktail mixes.
Besides beer and cocktails, we also love that this place offers wine on its happy hour menu.
While the wine selection isn’t as diverse as the draught beer, we still like that we could order 6-ounce glasses of chardonnay, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, and pinot grigio for just $6.
Given that these wines can cost at least $10 a glass, we think that this is a great deal.
On the downside, they only offer Carlos and Murphy’s chicken wings to accompany your happy hour drinks. That said, their wings are reportedly world-famous (for their flavour and generous portions), so we can forgive this limitation.
An area we would like the restaurant to improve on is its accessibility. Customers who use wheelchairs mentioned that the place has no accessible washroom for persons with disabilities.
Knowing this, their staff reportedly go out of their way to assist these customers. What they currently lack in facilities, they make up for in extra-mile service.
Pros
- Affordable happy hour rates
- Many beer choices on tap available
- Large servings
Cons
- Limited happy hour food choices
- Could improve on accessibility
Customer Reviews
Amazing wings, pulled pork, and drinks
“Carlos & Murphy’s is great. I have been here tons of times. And, it’s almost always for drinks, nachos and wings. Their wings are amazing especially with the Carlos Gold sauce. Nachos are pretty good too and they have some unique variations such as pulled pork, bacon and pineapple, if that’s your thing. I have occasionally come here for dinner and it’s been alright, but the snack food/drinks are the main full. The interior has charm and the patio is a great place to hang out in the warmer months. Great happy hour too so it’s appealing to drop by after work to meet up with friends!” – David P.
Thankful for the accommodating and patient staff
“Came out to have a few drinks with friends, loved the atmosphere, decor, and most of all, the staff! As a wheelchair user, getting out to socialize can be a hassle, but the staff were friendly and accommodating, allowing us to relax have a good time. Thanks for the great service!! Wheelchair accessibility: As an ambulatory wheelchair user, I found the building reasonably accessible. Easier access to dining room than to bar area. No accessible washroom, it’s quite cramped. Staff were as accommodating as possible.” – Dylan Pickle
3. King’s Head Pub
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| DRINK SELECTION | ★★☆☆☆ 2.5/5 |
| > Variety | ★★☆☆☆ 2/5 |
| > Quality | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| SPACE | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| > Ambiance | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| > Cleanliness | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| PRICE | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| CUSTOMER SATISFACTION | ★★★★☆ 4.5/5 |
The King’s Head Pub highlights its selection of beers on draught lining up its long bar table.
For happy hour, the pub currently offers local and imported beers and ales.
Local beer choices, costing $6.50 each, include Kings Head Lager, English Bay Pale Ale, Old Style Pilsner, and Granville Island.
As for the imported draught, Newcastle Brown Ale and Heineken are available and cost $7.50 per glass.
While we appreciate the King’s Head for carrying premium draught beer brands, we find its happy hour rates a little pricey. Other places will offer the same beers for just around $5 per 16 fl oz pint.
We also love the pub’s English-style interiors and matching furniture pieces, which we think elevates the ambiance and dining experience.
We’re just a bit bummed the King’s Head’s happy hour menu is limited to beer on draught, considering that other places offer other alcoholic drinks for social hour.
On the bright side, we’re pleased to find that the pub’s menu is diverse. It features English, Indian, Greek, Canadian, and fusion cuisines, which we think will cater to a wide range of taste buds.
We’re also surprised to find that the food costs only $5 to $20, which we think are fairly priced.
We’re also giving plus points to the King’s Head for its live band performances and sports match viewing. We recommend checking out the pub’s online calendar for schedules.
Since the pub is a well-loved place, we hope its management will improve on its cleanliness. The floors are said to get quite sticky, which we find unsanitary and unappealing.
Pros
- Various beers on tap available
- Diverse food selection
- Pub has English-style interiors
- Live performances and sports match viewing
Cons
- Happy hour menu only offers beer
- Happy hour rates for beer are pricey
- Could improve on cleanliness
Customer Reviews
Great place for beer, food, games, and music
“One of our favourite places in the city! Absolutely love the owner and all the staff there. Food is delicious, lots of options for beer on tap, local breweries, incredible live music, drag brunches, pool tables, dart boards, and more. Amazing patio in the summer which often expands for special events in the Exchange/Old Market Square. HIGHly recommend this place…and often!” – 2 Baked Girls Potcast
A pub with great acoustics and off-menu meals
“Kings head is one of my favourite pubs. It’s classic English style, great pub food and amazingly wide on tap beer selection is reason enough for me to keep coming back. Anytime I’m downtown just looking to drink this is always one of the first places that comes to my mind. It can be really really loud in here, the acoustics are set to echo constantly and aggressively. Also, order the curry fries. It’s an off menu secret. But they are to die for.” – Mark Oleski
4. Block & Blade Restaurant and Bar
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| DRINK SELECTION | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| > Variety | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| > Quality | ★★★☆☆ 3/5 |
| SPACE | ★★★☆☆ 3.5/5 |
| > Ambiance | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| > Cleanliness | ★★★☆☆ 3/5 |
| PRICE | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| CUSTOMER SATISFACTION | ★★★☆☆ 3.75/5 |
Block & Blade is another upscale dining place to enjoy happy hour. The restaurant currently offers $2 off of its beers on draught, rail pour drinks, and select wines.
Given that they’re already priced affordably to begin with, we think that the happy hour prices are a sweet deal.
When we visited, we were offered premium wines, such as chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and pinot grigio, in 9-ounce glasses.
As for its beers on tap, we love that we could choose from more than 10 kinds and get them in 16 fl oz pints.
On the other hand, the rail pour cocktails are served in 2-ounce shot glasses. But despite their small servings, we’ve heard these signature mixes are delicious and still worth ordering.
Block & Blade also offers happy hour rates of 10% off its appetisers. One food worth mentioning is the charcuterie board that features focaccia, grapes, various cheeses, and slices of chorizo and prosciutto.
Other crowdpleasers include chicken wings, stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta, calamari, and the ultimate fan favourite: cheese curds.
We’re also pleased with the large serving portions – perfect for groups looking to unwind early into the night.
We also have to give it to the restaurant for making booking online convenient. Its website has a “reserve a table” tab that lets you choose a time slot, party size, and table location.
That said, we’re just a bit concerned to hear that the food consistency isn’t always good. Even if it is happy hour, we still think that the restaurant should still exercise the same level of quality control.
Another area we’d like Block & Blade to improve on is its staff. We weren’t too pleased to hear that some of the employees were slow in servicing diners even if the place wasn’t packed.
Pros
- Many beer, cocktail, and wine options
- Large food portions
- Convenient online booking
Cons
- Could improve on food consistency
- Could fine-tune staff service
Customer Reviews
Cheese curds are to die for
“Here for dinner on Wednesday evening with my hubbie. Wine selection nice. Started with the deep fried cheese curds – delicious! Ribs are to die for, better than Tony Roma’s. Portion size is generous. Service efficient and friendly. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.” – Maria Tuck
Great stop for drinks and appetisers
“Stopped by today for the first time for beverages, appetizers and entrées. Kudos to the chef as the food was so delicious and the waitresses were awesome. Great atmosphere too.” – Jeffrey Swaikoski
5. Hy’s Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| DRINK SELECTION | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| > Variety | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| > Quality | ★★★☆☆ 3/5 |
| SPACE | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| > Ambiance | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| > Cleanliness | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| PRICE | ★★★☆☆ 3/5 |
| CUSTOMER SATISFACTION | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
Hy’s Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar is another fancy dining spot in Winnipeg. It is well-known for its prime steaks that can either be ordered fresh or dry-aged.
The steakhouse offers happy hour rates of $8 to $10 off glasses of wine and feature cocktails and full bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne.
We think the discounts are generous given that the steakhouse offers prime alcoholic drinks that originally cost at least $20 per glass and $200 to $300 per bottle.
That said, we’re pleased that the restaurant also offers happy hour rates of 30% off its snacking and sharing menu.
Happy hour options include their cheese toast, tomato soup, New York steak sandwich, prime beef sliders, Hy’s prime beef burger, and fresh oysters.
It’s also a plus that this place is known for its large food portions – many of the sharing and snacking meals can feed two to three people.
We’re just disappointed to hear that some of the soups were served cold and some of the prime meats were not as done as what customers ordered.
That said, we think it wouldn’t hurt if Hy’s worked on the consistency of its food quality.
Pros
- Many happy hour food and drink options
- Large portion sizes
Cons
- Food is pricey
- Could improve on food quality
Customer Reviews
One of the most spectacular restaurants I’ve visited in Winnipeg Downtown
“The service is just incredible, all the staff members from the hosts to the waiters were amazing. And the food was just brilliant. Tried two different types of steaks along with their oysters and everything was perfect. Absolutely no complaints at all. It is a little pricey, but well worth it. Highly recommend.” – Ghalib Zamir
Great meat and wine selection
“Awesome downtown location. Very professional and knowledgeable staff. Chic decor, with subdued lighting. Restaurant spans on 2 floors. Awesome, awewome meat and wine selections.” – Pierre Niyungeko
FAQs on Happy Hour
That ends our unbiased review of the best places for happy hour in Winnipeg!
If you’re looking for other fun places for food and drink, check out these other review articles: