Lower East Side Happy Hours

Ain't nothing fancy about this broken-down dive decorated with some forgotten family's photos and a few forlorn trophies. There's Ms. Pac-Man. Pool. Head-bangers on the jukebox. And, `til 9pm nightly, icy cans of Pabst for a skimpy $1.75. But don't be a jerk and just tip a quarter.

Lurking behind darkened windows and an unmarked door stands this rocker bar, popular with the skinny jeans set. It's also home to one of the Lower East Side's finest drink deals: Every night `til midnight, Bud and Bud Lights run two bucks apiece. My favorite trick is to buy a half dozen Buds at 11:50pm and then drink cheap all night.

Despite its prime Ludlow Street location, Local 138 flies under the radar of the gelled-hair masses that prowl the L.E.S. come weekends. Consider this your good fortune. Every night till 9pm, you can duck into this nook-and-cranny dive and order a pint of draft craft beer, such as Victory Prima Pils or Sixpoint Sweet Action, for just $3.

Named after a character from Welcome Back Kotter--and not the cancer-causing virus--Epstein's Bar is that corner saloon you've strolled past a hundred times. Next time, go in. On Mondays, cheese steaks are discounted to $5, and pints of Epstein's Ale and Jager shots are $3. Tuesdays, drinks and dinners are two-for-one from 6pm to 11pm. Weekends are even finer: On Saturday, mimosas run $3 `til 3pm, while Sunday welcomes $3 bloodies (`til 3pm) and, from 3pm to 11pm, two-for-one burgers.

Still kicking after nearly a decade, this Southeast Asian-themed lounge offers a late-running deal that's hard to top. Until 10pm nightly, you can soothe your rough edges with $5 lychee martinis, sangria or, better yet, the spicy Vietnamese bloody mary made with coriander, horseradish and chili paste. Froufrou cocktails not for you? Suck back $3 bottles of Yuengling instead.