Delicatus: Happy Hour Oasis in Pioneer Square
The deli brings a much-needed evening snack spot to the club-and-dive neighborhood.
Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 24, 2011 at 11:08AM
3 Comments
• HOURS: 4:30-6:30pm Monday through Saturday
• PRICES: Tap beers $3, Wines by the glass $5, $1 off cocktails
At lunchtime, it’s not unusual to encounter a line stretching out the door of Delicatus sandwich shop in Pioneer Square. There’s good reason for this—a lot of people work in and around the area, and the best of Delicatus’ sandwiches are also among the best in town. It’s not exactly a neighborhood secret.
A perhaps lesser known attraction at the year-old deli is happy hour, offered from 4:30 to 6:30 Monday through Saturday. Part-owner Mike Klotz says HH attracts ferry riders who grab a belt and a bite before their vessels chug up to Pier 53, along with lunch regulars who meet for a drink after work. It’s also a favorite among the people who live in Pioneer Square, who have no doubt built up a resistance to the charms of the dirty-tap dives and touristy clubs that dominate the neighborhood. “I could have done a $5 well thing,” says Klotz. “But there’s plenty of that crap around here.”
The bar at Delicatus—one of those pioneer-times wooden jobbies with a mirror lining the back—is small. But happy hour is on offer throughout the restaurant, including a skinny stretch of mezzanine above and a small dining area downstairs with a banquette lining one wall.
There are drink specials: $3 beers, $5 wines by the glass, and cocktails discounted $1. And Delicatus serves, in addition to its full sandwich menu, a selection of small plates. This evening fare, which includes sliders, bruschetta, and charcuterie and cheese plates, is available through 9pm in summer.
Next Wednesday, says Klotz, Delicatus will begin offering HH on an outdoor patio out front. Reason enough to let a few boats go by before heading home.
Tags: Happy Hour, Pioneer Square, Sandwiches
How can you talk about drinks at Delicatus without mentioning their lamb stock-laced bloody mary? I’m pretty sure it’s the only drink in town that you’ll think of as “gamey.” You might like it, you might not, but you definitely won’t call it boring.
It’s at 103 1st Avenue South. Cross street Yesler.
We need more places like this in Pioneer Square! It might be the only classy joint down here. Everything I’ve tried here has been great. Some nights, you might even be lucky enough to grab a slice of their cheesecake….