Where to Drink: Saturday – Actually, Everyday – Happy Hours @ Spring Street Bar

A couple of months ago, on one ordinarily humdrum Saturday afternoon, I found myself in a painstakingly nerve-racking predicament:

With a couple of hours to kill in downtown before heading to an engagement at 6 p.m., I wanted to find a weekend happy hour that was already in full effect. I didn’t think I was asking too much. I merely wanted some place clean and classy (i.e., no shabby dive bars), with decent deals, and with its doors wide open at 5 p.m.

Should be easy enough, right?

After scouring through page after page on Yelp for what felt like an eternity, I finally found one bar/restaurant that met my requirements and had a happy hour commencing at 5 p.m. We had jovially skipped over to the establishment only to find it dark, desolate and curtains shut. Talk about false advertisement and big disappointments.

So I went with the next option on the list: Spring Street Bar.

I had seen the bar packed on Downtown Artwalk Thursdays and on weekend nights, but I would merely glance in its direction and head somewhere else. But boy, am I glad that I entered Spring Street Bar that one Saturday afternoon. What I found was a serenely subdued ambiance, with pairs of people at the bar or at communal tables, engaged in hushed conversations. It was unpretentiously chill, and, the interior was clean, classic and minimalist. Just what I was looking for!

The bar also had another something I was looking for: good happy hour deals. From 5pm until 8pm, there were $6 house wines, $5 well spirits and $4 selected drafts. But most importantly, the cocktails were on point. Our bartender made some amazing mixtures with a lot of wholesome natural fruits and interesting ingredients.

Now I will admit that the food menu, with its lack of varied options, made me extremely apprehensive at first. There seemed to only be a selection of basic pretzel sandwiches and a handful of appetizers.  But I guess if you can make one thing right, you don’t need to have a lot of other options. The little pretzel sandwiches and the prosciutto with pears and a balsamic viniagarette appetizer we ordered (pictured above to the left) were amazing. Everything was so fresh and so filling. It perfectly complemented our cocktails and was certainly more than enough to hold over my appetite for the remainder of the night.

So all in all, I really enjoyed my experience at Spring Street Bar. Great vibes, great drinks and great food. I couldn’t ask for more from a happy hour, especially on the weekend. Kudos to Spring Street Bar for implementing a Saturday happy hour – and one on all days, for that matter. See you there one day soon!

Miss Wilson’s Tips
- Spring Street Bar is neighbors to another Wilson’s Guide favorite, The Falls.
- Spring Street Bar has 26 beers on tap. 
- FYI, this review is solely based on my Saturday happy hour experience. Bars have many vibes, depending on the time of day, day of the week, etc. I am sure going on a Monday evening is every different than going on a Saturday night. Just want to point that out.

For more information:
Spring Street Bar
626-B S. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90014
213.622.5859