Where to find fancy happy hour burgers in Tacoma

Happy hour in Tacoma means different things to different people. For some, it might entail cheap tacos and a cold beer. For others, a tab under $20 with two drinks.

If you prioritize ambiance over hardcore savings, you’ve come to the right place.

A handful of Tacoma’s toughest tables — Wooden City among them — offer meager but still meaningful savings on that all-American dish: the burger. Others, like Asado, drop their sizable burgers to half the price.

Some of these specials are available only at the bar, and drink specials abound. Notably, this list only includes spots that offer daily happy hours, though in some cases the exact times differ. All of them are worth trying, so why not save a few bucks while you’re at it?

This is by no means an exhaustive list, so expect another burger roundup in the future with cheaper price tags.

The savings here aren’t massive, but sometimes we need to feel a little fancy and a little frugal — and sometimes we just want a burger.

El Gaucho

The two burgers offered in this subterranean escape are some of the least expensive things on the menu, aside from soup and sides. Happy hour only knocks off a couple bucks, but surely that’s a valid excuse to watch other diners gaze at flaming meat sticks. A beer and a burger, including an automatic 20% service charge, will set you back about $25.

Despite the vested service staff, the bartenders shed pretension for friendliness, making that price tag worth it. You’re here for the high-quality meat: ground tenderloin — dripping almost to a fault, resulting in a very soggy bottom bun — and the excellent preparation by steak experts.

For $13, the house half-pound house burger comes with bonus bacon, chipotle aioli, sharp cheddar, and LTO (lettuce, tomato, onion). Add a buck to try Chef John’s jalapeno burger, with similar but dolled-up toppings like a crunchy napa cabbage slaw and fried jalapenos. The fries are forgettable, but they do offer a whiff of old-timey steakhouse nostalgia — especially with a laughable amount of ketchup served in a stainless steel boat.

Sixteen items in total grace the happy hour menu, available only at the bar, ranging from “insane” truffle soup and grilled octopus to ahi tuna poke and beef tacos. Drink deals include select $5 draft beers, $6 glasses of wine (or a $20 bottle), and $8 to $11 cocktails. Try the Earl Grey Fashion for a nice take on the classic.

▪ Where: 2119 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-1510, elgaucho.com

▪ Happy Hour (bar only): Tuesday to Saturday, 4-6 p.m. (ends at 5 p.m. Saturday) and 9 p.m. to close; Sunday to Monday, 4-10 p.m.

▪ Details: $13-$14 burger with fries

Wooden City

The 90-minute happy hour at this downtown hotspot fills in quickly and ends in a blink, but you can save $3 on a very good burger.

On Jan. 24, Wooden City put its double-patty cheeseburger on a new, sesame-studded bun, a wise decision indeed. Nothing else has changed from its original form. Romaine lettuce is sliced and dressed in a special sauce, transforming it into a slaw of sorts. Grilled red onions add pizzazz, but pickles and American cheese keep it near the drive-in. Given the caliber of the restaurant’s menu, I expected more from the fries, but that’s OK — the burger is good, and nicely pink for a smashburger.

Happy hour here otherwise sticks with shareable plates not available at dinner, like pimento cheese, roasted mushroom skewers and four “cheesy breads” with Italian sausage and chive oil, jalapeno and fresh tomato, or plain pepperoni or mozzarella ($7 to $8). I only wish they offered their stellar vegetable sides (those carrots! that broccoli!) on special through these 90 minutes, too.

Drinks round out the deals with $1 off draft beer and $6 house wines, or save on a draft old-fashioned ($9) and refreshing daiquiri ($8).

▪ Where: 714 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-503-0762, woodencitytacoma.com

▪ Happy Hour: daily, 4-5:30 p.m.

▪ Details: $12 tavern burger with fries

Matriarch Lounge

Consider yourself a queen if you snag one of the few over-the-top comfortable bar chairs at Matriarch, the cocktail lounge inside Alma Mater and next to Honey Kitchen. Otherwise, get cozy in any of the space’s low-slung nooks.

At $12 during happy hour, the half-pound burger — made with fresh beef from Double R Ranch in Okanogan County — differentiates itself with a black garlic sauce. Then there’s American cheese, lettuce and bacon for good measure, served with crispy shoestring fries.

Grazers can dig into snacks like olives, popcorn and a single-serve cheese board. Save a couple bucks on the creamy smoked trout dip topped with roe.

You’re in good hands drinks-wise, thanks to Megan Henson’s sophisticated cocktail program. The house old-fashioned and two highballs — a dark’n’stormy and a horse’s neck, with brandy and ginger beer — go for $7. Stay simple with a well tonic for $6, plus $1 off draft beer and wine.

▪ Where: 1322 S. Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, 253-507-7289, almamatertacoma.com

▪ Happy Hour: Monday to Saturday, 4-6 p.m.

▪ Details: $12 burger with fries

Asado

One of the best bargains, Asado’s $17 burger — along with a slew of other dishes — goes for half-off during an early and late-night happy hour. And you get the same delicious yucca fries and poblano aioli.

The sirloin and chorizo blend doesn’t put this burger at the top of my list, but for $8.50, it’s a deal worth trying. Fried provolone and serrano ham add heft (and unnecessary chew), but the sauteed onions and peppers taste like the fire from whence they came.

You can also save on the Beecher’s Burger Dip, which features the same patty but with white cheddar and a bacon leek slaw, served of course with a side of jus made here with veal.

With 15 dishes on the happy hour menu — chorizo crab cakes, fried chicken, empanadas, ceviche with plantain chips, to name a few — Asado offers a something-for-everyone spread. At twice daily, it elbows into the top ranks of happy hour lore.

▪ Where: 2810 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-7770, asadotacoma.com

▪ Happy Hour: daily, 3-6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close

▪ Details: $8.50 Asado burger with yucca fries

The Lobster Shop

Happy hour with a view means savings on many of the waterfront restaurant’s classic seafood dishes. Save a few bucks on clam chowder ($6) and lobster bisque ($7), tempura fried prawns and crispy calamari (both $10).

It also means a burger that you won’t find on The Lobster Shop’s dinner menu. The classic Angus beef and white cheddar “backyard burger” is served at lunch with fries for $16. At happy hour, it’s $10, sans fries. A shareable order of hand-cut truffle and Parmesan fries (or simply salted) goes for $8. Better yet, choose the $10 basket of Beecher’s cheese curds served with Mick’s pepper jelly.

Drink specials make a compelling case for this happy hour pick, with $5 draft beers, $6 well drinks and $7 glasses of select wines. A handful of porch-ready cocktails go for $8.

▪ Where: 4015 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253-759-2165, lobstershop.com

▪ Happy Hour (bar only): daily 3-6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to close

▪ Details: $10 All-American Backyard Burger