$2 oysters, terrific tacos, fried pickles, and fine deals on drinks!
By Ari Weinzweig
The name Happy Hour seems most likely to have emerged from commonly used American Navy slang. Back in the 1920s, “happy hour” on a ship was time off for more relaxing activities—sports, games, etc. With the issues around Prohibition starting, and then ending, public happy hour came to include alcohol as well. It took another 30 years or so before the idea of happy hour was accepted enough to be understood in a written article—it was the 1950s when it started showing up in print pieces. In the spirit of which, the Roadhouse had a happy hour for years until … well, March of 2020. Last month, in the continuing work to piece things back together post-pandemic, the Roadhouse brought back its happy hour! From 2 to 6 pm, Monday through Friday, you can stop by and enjoy a whole range of eclectic late-afternoon offerings.
$2 Oysters!
The Roadhouse already rolls through a lot of oysters every week, but the crew there thought, hey, let’s really make happy hour happy by putting oysters out at a great price! After all, it’s hard to not be happy after eating a bunch of freshly shucked oysters, right? (I’m a big fan of grinding a bit of the farm-to-table Tellicherry pepper on before you eat. It beautifully accents the flavor of the oysters without overwhelming them!)
A Trio of Happy Tacos
After a few years of good work with Texas breakfast tacos, the Roadhouse decided to bring the tradition into afternoons:
BBQ Beef Taco
Oak-smoked BBQ beef, guajillo chile salsa, and micro arugula on a warm flour tortilla
BBQ Pork Taco
Whole hog Eastern North Carolina BBQ, green chile salsa, and pickled red onions on a warm flour tortilla
Chicken-Fried Mushroom taco
Chicken-fried Maitake mushrooms (one of my favorite things on the menu right now), elote (Mexican street corn) salsa, and aged cotija cheese on a warm flour tortilla
Fried Pickles
I had no idea how many people are excited about fried pickles, but sure enough, I’ve seen lots of eyes light up just at the mention of them. Super popular, long-cured pickles sliced and then dusted with flour, salt, and Tellicherry black pepper before being deep fried. Served with New Mexico Fire-Roasted Green Chile Ranch dressing.
Plus a whole range of great drink prices!
$3 off of the seasonal cocktail list, $1 off 6-ounce wine pours, $2 off 16-ounce draft beers, and $2 off delicious and alcohol-free libations.
Swing by soon, sip, savor, and say hi!