Hooray for Happy Hour!

I've been sitting on some random eating experiences for awhile, just because I didn't feel like I had enough information to make a meaningful post.  So here you go.  Three places for the price of one.


1.  It's basically the summer now (I know, I know, not officially for another month, but here in SC it's felt like summer for about six weeks), and one of my favorite things about summer is enjoying a cold adult beverage in the company of good friends.  And what better way to celebrate the summer than by enjoying a nice Sam Adams Summer Ale?  Exactly.  After pestering the bartenders at Delaney's for weeks, my friends and I were finally there when the first keg of Summer Ale for the season was tapped.  Sláinte!

Now.  Doesn't that look refreshing?

2.  A few weeks ago, both L and I had the afternoon off from work.  As it also happened to be the Friday of a home baseball game, we met for dinner and drinks beforehand.  We were in search of a place with outdoor seating, good food, and a decent beer selection.  After narrowing down our options (thanks to all of the lovely folks on Twitter who recommended places!), we ended up choosing the Carolina Ale House, which is a favorite of ours.  Next time, I promise we'll try somewhere new.  Anyway.  I ended up ordering my favorite thing on the menu, the Greek Chicken Pita (which you can read all about here.  L, on the other hand, decided to try something new, and ordered the Blackened Tuna Steak Sandwich.  While she said it was good, I believe L's final thoughts were, "Too much bun, not enough tuna."  But look how perfectly that tuna is cooked?  Looks good to me.

I really think I need to try this one at some point.  Plus, Ale House has excellent fries.

3.  Last week, L and I were again looking for a place to grab dinner and beer before baseball (are you sensing a pattern here?).  This time we elected to go to The Flying Saucer.  Way back in the day (read: 6 years ago) when SC finally started allowing beers with a higher alcohol content to be served, Flying Saucer was the place to go.  Not surprising if you look at their beer list.  People go here for the beer (or, as we did back in the day, to try to be the first of our friends to try a "high gravity" beer.  After 6 years, I no longer have that need, thankfully), but what they don't know, is that the food is pretty decent too. The menu certainly isn't extensive, but it's tasty.


On the particular day in question, L ordered the Space Club.  Just your normal club sandwich on AWESOME bread.  I decided to go with something a little bit lighter, and ordered the Hippie Hollow Wrap. I added chicken to mine, but honestly I don't think the chicken was necessary - the greens, cucumbers, avocado, tomato, and jalepeno-pesto cream cheese would have been great on their own .  The wrap was served with chips and salsa, which was a nice change from fries

Space Club with fries

Hippie Hollow Wrap

So there you have it.  Three good happy hour spots in Columbia.  Delaneys, Ale House, and Flying Saucer all have outdoor seating, good food, and cold beer.  Certainly Saucer has the largest beer selection (and it changes seasonally), and I think Ale House has the best food.  Delaney's gets my vote for the best atmosphere.  I would very seriously recommend that you try out each place when you have a chance.