11 Places to Go for Healthy-ish Happy Hours Around Philly
We broke down the best happy hours for those looking for non-alcoholic, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free menu items.
Enjoy guilt-free happy hour with mocktails (like Spice Finch’s N/A Groni) and healthy eats at these Philly restaurants. / Photo by Breanne Furlong.
Non-alcoholic drinks (a.k.a. mocktails) have become increasingly trendy across the bar and restaurant scene in the city. And this is good news for wellness lovers! Considering that you don’t have to look that hard to find all kinds of health-related reasons to give alcohol the boot, the more alcohol-free options, the better.
To help you make healthier choices at all the happy hours on your horizon this holiday season, we scoured the city for places serving mocktails where you can still socialize, drink in hand, just minus the alcohol. We also found spots serving happy hour foods for those who are vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free. Check out the complete list below and enjoy happy hour-ing your way through the city.
Abe Fisher
1623 Sansom Street, Rittenhouse
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Happy Hour: Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Abe Fisher offers six quality booze-free happy hour drinks in addition to some really stellar small plates for only $7 (Best of Philly worthy!). Their mocktails range in flavor, from the Salgam Showdown made of guava, fermented black carrot, chili, and mint to the Sage Meditation with sage, white orchid root, tonic, and lime. Gluten-free menu options.
Bud and Marilyn’s
1234 Locust Street, Midtown Village
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Happy Hour: Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
At Bud and Marilyn’s, try a “Couple Skate” made with grapefruit juice, lime, and cinnamon syrup. If that isn’t your speed, go for the “Wile E Coyote” which has raspberry, lemon, and ginger ale. While Bud and Marilyn’s isn’t an exclusively vegan restaurant, their happy hour food menu does include two vegan options: the tofu bun and cauliflower fried rice. Vegan menu options.
Charlie was a Sinner
131 South 13th Street, Midtown Village
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Happy Hour: Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
A Spicy Apple mocktail made with green apple, agave, lime, and cayenne pepper? How refreshing does that sound? Not to mention a happy hour menu that features a zucchini “crab cake” slider with old bay remoulade for $3 or ricotta with lemon, black peppercorn, and olive oil for $7. (Check) Even if you aren’t vegan, it’s worth going to check out. Full vegan menu.
In The Valley (ITV)
1615 East Passyunk Avenue, East Passyunk
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Happy Hour: Tuesday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
At Laurel’s sibling restaurant ITV, spirit-free drinks are made with UK’s Speedlip, which is important to note because the two Nick Elmi restaurants are the only ones in Philly to utilize the British alcohol-free spirit. Make no mistake about the fact that each of the mocktails is elegantly crafted with ingredients like pomegranate, dill, carrot, ginger, and even yogurt. Vegetarian menu options.
Martha
2113 East York Street, Kensington
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Happy Hour: Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Martha’s in Kensington has a little bit of something for everyone. They’ve got two different kombuchas — lavender lemongrass and apricot embers — which will only cost $3 during happy hour. While some kombucha may contain 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), it’s not enough to get you drunk. The happy hour food special rotates daily, but is always half-off the normal menu price. Vegetarian menu options.
Mission Taqueria
1516 Sansom Street, Rittenhouse
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Happy Hour: Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
As soon as you walk up the steps at Mission, it feels like you’ve been transported to a super modern bar south of the border. Besides the Instagrammable atmosphere, Mission offers a happy hour that’s picture perfect as well. Between the Horchata and Tamarindo mocktails and the fresh Green and Yellow juices, it’ll be hard to decide which drink to chose from. As far as food goes, they offer an elevated cheese dip (or queso gringo) for $8 and a veggie sope for only $2! Vegetarian menu options.
Royal Boucherie
52 South 2nd Street, Old City
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Happy Hour: Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
If you want to feel like royalty while sipping on your alcohol-free beverage, this is a happy hour worth checking out. The “Temperance Cocktails” are finely crafted beverages that have cute names and ingredients that still feel cocktail-y. One stand out is the Lavender Bowtie that is comprised of grapefruit, soda, and flowers (oooooh). The snack-sized food options, which include pork-stuffed fried olives, run between $3.50 to $5.50.
Spice Finch
220 South 17th Street, Rittenhouse
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Happy Hour: Monday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The happy hour at this trendy Mediterranean restaurant is worth checking out. Their Beet and Bouchie drink made of ginger kombucha, beet shrub, and lemon will totally elevate your taste buds and make you forget about alcohol. As far as food, there is a range of healthy, flavorful options, from chicken kebabs and blistered shishito peppers to yogurt dip. Vegan menu options.
V Street
126 South 19th Street, Rittenhouse Square
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Happy Hour: Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
V Street combines vegan menu items and street food into a one-stop shop, which makes for a worthwhile happy hour. Get a Peruvian taco with cured tofu and aji amarillo and wash it down with a refreshment, like their “Funky Fresh Kombucha” comprised of apple, ginger, and rosemary. Full vegan menu.
Vedge
1221 Locust Street
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Happy Hour: Sunday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the bar
Vedge is one of Philly’s most acclaimed restaurants. If you want to try all the plant-based goodness without a reservation, opt for happy hour, which happens Sunday (!) through Friday evening at the bar. Definitely order the tofu banh mi taco ($6) and long hot hummus ($5). They have three non-alcoholic drinks with flavors ranging from chai to fig to ginger. Plus, you can always stick around and order dinner at the bar. Full vegetarian menu, with vegan menu options.
White Dog Cafe
3420 Sansom Street, University City, with additional locations in Wayne and Haverford
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Happy Hour: Monday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
University City’s White Dog Cafe, which also has locations in the ‘burbs, has a pretty extensive food menu during happy hour, including fried pickles, mussels, hummus, a cheese plate, tuna tartare, and even a tofu “egg” salad sandwich. Plus, their $5 mocktails include the “Winnie Palmer,” a chai and agave twist on an Arnold Palmer, and the “Brewser Woods” made from cold brew coffee, cinnamon, honey, and root beer. Vegetarian menu options.
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