North in Leawood

Liquor laws in Kansas are still a bit antiquated, so Kansas restaurants can’t offer the traditional Happy Hour specials,  but that doesn’t stop them from finding a way to give their customers a good deal. Check out North‘s “mid-day menu from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. All items are $6 or under and include their regular pizzas and salads, even the signature zucca chips.

Quite the deal. Go on Wednesdays for the drink specials–$5 cocktails, cheap beer and 50% glasses or bottles of wine–all day and evening long!

The restaurant uses these deals to drive traffic–why not oblige? Same great food, no lines.

Bristol Bar and Grill

The Bristol in the Power and Light District has a Happy Hour that is budget-friendly AND has outstanding food. With a broad selection of $4, $5 and $6 appetizers, you can have a drink and eat well for under $20, which at the Bristol is no small feat.

We sampled tamales with corn, lobster and just enough diced poblano pepper to give it a kick, New England-style lobster rolls, an unusually creative and deconstructed goat cheese bruschetta with tapenade and tomatoes, heavenly crab spring rolls and seared tuna tartare with wasabi vinaigrette. Roasted duck flatbread, sushi rolls, mussels, calamari, grilled chipotle shrimp and even a cheeseburger round out the creative offerings.

Each dish was beautifully presented, almost in that too-pretty-to-eat category, but we managed to devour everything that we ordered, as well as the complimentary Bristol biscuits. And we were able to dine outdoors which, on such a beautiful evening, added another positive dimension to our experience.