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The Ins & Outs of Bar Specials in Downtown IC

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at U Iowa chapter.

Let’s face it, being on a college student’s budget isn’t easy. We have to account for textbooks, food, and school supplies, and leftovers are for going out with friends. Downtown Iowa City is one of a kind where the local bars offer their patrons weekly drink specials. Need some wings to go with that beer? A handful of places also offer food specials. So whether you need a Margarita Monday, a Sunday Funday, or just want to hit the scene on the weekend, downtown IC has you covered.

Sports Column

specials

Photo courtesy of twitter.com

Happy Hour is Monday-Friday from 4-8 p.m. and includes the following:

$6 Domestic Pitchers, $2.50 Well Drinks, $5 Personal Pizza, and $5 Dozen Wings.

Monday

$2.50 Wells

$3.50 Calls

Tuesday

$2.00 Wells

$2.00 Tequila Shots

Wednesday

$2.00 Mason Jars (Domestic Draft, Wells or Calls)

$2.00 Fireball Shots

Thursday

$2.50 Pitcher Palooza (48 ounces of Keystone Light)

Friday

$3.00 Wells, Calls & Shots

Saturday

$4.00 Big Beer of Keystone Light

$3.00 Three Olive Shots, Drinks & Bombs

Sunday

$2.00 Domestic Bottles

$3.00 Bombs

Specials are from 8pm-Close unless otherwise specified.

Is it your birthday? Spoco offers a Birthday Special of 20 pitchers of Keystone Light for only $30 anytime during your birthday week!

Brother’s Bar & Grill

specials

Photo by Emily Weaver

Happy Hour is every day except Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and includes $2 Wells & Domestic Bottles/Drafts, $3 Calls/Specialty Drafts, and $4 Top Shelf & Premium Drafts.

Monday

$3 Double Wells

$3 Double Captains

$3 Bud & Bud Light Drafts

Tuesday

$1 Wells

$2 Domestic Drafts

$2 Drafts of the Week

Wednesday

$0.25 Bone-In & Boneless Wings (8 p.m. until they’re gone)

$1.25 High Life Bottles

$2 Wells

$2 Domestic Drafts

$2.50 Long Islands

$4 Personal Pitchers, Well Mixers & Domestic Drafts

Thursday

MUG CLUB! ($4 Signature Brother’s mugs with $1 refills of Wells, Miller High Life, Busch Light, or Long Islands)

$2 Refills Domestic, Micro & Calls Refills

$2 SoCo Lime Shots

$2.50 Jack Daniel’s & SoCo Mixers

$3 Fireball Shots

Friday

$3 Three Olives Signature Drinks

$1 Mini Bombs

$3 High Life Drafts

$4.50 3 Olives Vodka & Red Bulls

$2 Personal Pitchers Vodka, Rum, Whisky Mixers (7-10 p.m.)

$4 Pitchers High Life & Busch Light Pitchers (7-10 p.m.)

Saturday

$3 Barcardi Signature Drinks

$1 Mini Bombs

$3 High Life

$3.75 L.I.T’s Pitchers

$2 Personal Pitchers Vodka, Rum, Whisky Mixers (7-10 p.m.)

$4 Pitchers High Life & Busch Light Pitchers (7-10 p.m.)

Specials are from 8 p.m.-Close unless otherwise specified.

The Union Bar

Photo courtesy of thegazette.com

Tuesday & Wednesday (9 p.m.-Close)

$2 Well Drinks & Shots

$2 Domestic Bottles

Thursday (8 p.m.-Close)

$1 You Call It

$3 Fireball

$3 Three Olives Drinks & Shots

Friday

After Class

$2 Well Drinks & Shots

$3 Fireball

$3 Three Olives Drinks & Shots

10 p.m.-Close

$3 Fireball Shots

$3 Three Olive Drinks & Shots

Saturday

Tailgate 10:00 a.m.

$6 Keystone Pitchers

$3 Well Drinks

8 p.m.- Close

$2 Long Islands

$2 Tequila Shots

$3 Vodka Drinks

Union offers 20 Pitchers for $25 for your birthday or one bottle of Asolut for $25.

#SpoonTip: You also receive a free birthday shirt so make sure you don’t miss that opportunity!  

Cactus Mexican Grill & Cantina

Although not a bar, Cactus has definitely become a hotspot for margs and chips & salsa. With a nice outdoor patio, and fun atmosphere you can’t go wrong here. Having trouble finding seating? Head over next door to Cactus 2!

Monday

$2.00 A La Carte

$2.00 12 ounce Margs on Rocks

$2.00 Bottle or Draft Beers

Tuesday

$1.00 Tacos

$2.00 Fat Tire Bottles

Wednesday

BOGO Half off any drink!

Combo Platter & Soft Drinks $6.99 (Lunch) $7.99 (Dinner)

Thursday

Burrito Sanchos $7.99 (Lunch) $8.99 (Dinner)

$4.99 Mexican Jumbo Lime

$5.99 Mexican Bull Dog

Friday

Fajitas $7.49 (Lunch) $10.49 (Dinner)

$3.00 Mexican Draft Pints

Saturday

$2.00 Shots & $3.00 Well Drinks

Sunday

$8.49 BYO Combo Platter

$2.49 All Beer

$14 Buckets of any 6 Bottles of Beers

Specials are all day.

specials

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

We would list all bars and specials on here, by the time you would be done reading this list the bars would probably be closed! Some others to check out are Bo James, The Summit, DC’s Sports BarJoe’s Place, Field House and Mickey’s Irish Pub. So, where to first?

Just a Southern California girl lost in Iowa City. Avid food junkie, pop culture fanatic, ice coffee enthusiast, and music buff. I'm a Remote Intern for Spoon University and will be working with HQ to cook you up some sizzlin' new stories this summer!