El Bar: Half-Price Tacos and $9 Drinks at the End of Pier 57
El Bar’s happy hour runs Tuesday to Saturday, 4–6pm, at the end of Pier 57 on 11th Avenue in Chelsea: half-price tacos, a $9 Pacifico, $9 City Winery wines on tap and a $9 Mexican Candy Margarita.
The verdict: two hours, five days, and the right four things to discount. A margarita and a taco plate at a tequila bar on the Hudson, with Little Island out the window, is a better early-evening plan than most of what 11th Avenue offers. The catch is the window. It stops at 6pm, and it doesn’t run Sunday or Monday. The happy hour lists nothing from the 400-plus tequilas and mezcals that give the bar its name.
The Happy Hour
- Tacos: half price. The menu has grilled fish, grilled Montauk squid, swordfish al pastor, carne asada and chicken tinga.
- Beer: Pacifico, $9.
- Wine: City Winery wines on tap, $9.
- Cocktail: Mexican Candy Margarita, $9. It’s 818 blanco tequila with watermelon, chamomile, aloe vera, a spicy tincture, lime, agave and Tajín.
The Bar
El Bar sits at the westernmost end of Pier 57, at the end of the main corridor, with views of Little Island and the Lower Manhattan skyline. The list runs to more than 400 tequilas and mezcals, poured neat, in flights or in cocktails, alongside coastal Mexican food: tacos, guacamole, ceviche, crudos and a shrimp cocktail. It’s open Monday to Saturday 12pm–10pm and Sunday 12pm–8pm, and it hosts private events for 20 to 100 guests.
Who El Bar Is For
| Occasion | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| An early drink on the water | Happy hour starts at 4pm, with river views |
| Tacos and a margarita | Half-price tacos and a $9 margarita, 4–6pm |
| A tequila deep-dive | More than 400 tequilas and mezcals, plus flights |
More in the neighborhood is in our Chelsea happy hour guide. For similar deals by day, see Tuesday happy hours and Wednesday happy hours.