Philly's Best Happy Hours: Amada's $5 Sangria, $6 Wines, & $5 Spanish Tapas

by Drink Philly in Bars & Restaurants

Welcome to Philly’s Best Happy Hours, a feature highlighting great happy hours in different neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia. Since Drink Philly started out as a place to find happy hours in the city, we thought it was only right to return to our roots and turn the spotlight on some of Philly’s absolute best happy hour deals.

In this installment, we're highlighting Jose Garces' Philadelphia flagship Amada, which has been a part of Philly's dining scene since 2005. This Old City constant has been extraordinarily popular for over a decade, serving up traditional Spanish tapas from jamón croquettes to simply grilled meats and seafood a la plancha.

Aside from Sunday brunch and an "express" lunch special, they offer an excellent happy hour which highlights the best of Spanish cuisine at irresistable prices.

From Monday through Friday, 5 PM - 7 PM, you can score white sangria (white wine, apples, pears, and orange) or red sangria (spiced red wine, orange, apple, and cinnamon for jut $5 a glass. House red and white wines, both of which are Spanish varietals, will run you $6 a glass.

If you're looking for cocktails, try the Tie Me Up Tie Me Down (lemon, vodka, and rosemary) or the Broken Hugs (tequila, agave, and grapefruit) for $8 apiece, and if you're craving beer, Estrella Lager and Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale are $4 a glass.

The food deals are plentiful as well — all tapas are $5 and are split into two sections. The fríos section includes olives, aged manchego montaditos, salpicón de mariscos (octopus with a piquillo pepper sofrito), and pan con tomate, while the calientes section features croquetas de jamón (ham croquettes), tortilla española, pimientos de padrón (flash-fried peppers), patatas bravas (spicy potatoes), and chorizo bilbao (spicy paprika garlic sausage).

Megan Powers, one of Amada's bartenders, says that what she loves about the happy hour "is that it represents traditional Spanish dishes as fully as possible. It's both a great representation of the country's cuisine and our menu as a whole."