Comparison · checked 2026-09-03
Richmond's after-work crowd splits two ways: Carytown, the West Cary shop-and-dine strip where the deal sits at the bar — or Shockoe and the river, the cobblestone Slip and Rocketts Landing rooms with the longest windows and the cheapest oysters. Same city, different night. Here is how the cited windows compare.
Carytown: the West Cary bar seat
Burtons Grill & Bar (3520 West Cary Street) posts Monday–Friday 3pm–6pm, served only at the bar, with $2 off draft beer and wine by the glass, $6 mixed drinks (vodka, gin, tequila, whiskey, scotch, rum), and $10 Burtons specialty cocktails — bar bites at $7 each include bang bang broccoli, General Tso chicken skewers, steak skewers, bourbon shrimp, and chips and guac. The Daily Kitchen & Bar Carytown (2934 West Cary Street) posts Monday–Friday 3pm–6pm at the bar and patio: house red or white $6, select draft beer $5, specialty cocktails $8, and food from $6.95 truffle parmesan fries to $12.95 hot honey flatbread. Carytown is the district for a planned 3 o'clock start and a patio seat.
Shockoe and the river: Slip rooms and late nights
The Tobacco Company (1201 East Cary Street, Shockoe Slip) posts Social Hour Sunday–Friday 4pm–6:30pm, first floor only, with draft beer $5, 50% off wines by the glass, rails $3.50, a $15 handheld special, and a $10 small plate special. The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing (4708 East Old Main Street) posts Happy Every Hour at the bar weekdays 4pm–6pm with $1 off draft beers, $2 off wines by the glass, $3 off select cocktails, $7 starters and snacks, $12 appetizers, and oysters on the half shell at $1 each. Downtown adds the late shift: Capital Ale House Downtown (623 East Main Street) posts Happy Hour every Monday through Friday 3pm–6:30pm with $2 off draft beers and $3 off highballs, all wines, and house specialty cocktails — and late night every Sunday–Thursday 9pm to close with half off appetizers plus $5 off flatbread pizzas Sunday, $5 off tacos Monday, $5 off burgers Tuesday, $5 off wings Wednesday, and $5 off chicken tenders Thursday. Julep's (420 East Grace Street) covers the middle: Tuesday–Friday 4:30pm–7pm with beverages at $5 each and snacks $5–$7.
| Carytown | Shockoe + river + Downtown | |
|---|---|---|
| Vibe | Shop-and-dine strip; bar and patio seats | Cobblestone Slip, river landing, Main Street ale house |
| Window shape | Mon–Fri 3–6, bar only | Sun–Fri afternoons; late night Sun–Thu 9–close |
| Price signal | $6–$8 pours; $7 bites | $3.50 rails; $1 oysters; $5-off late plates |
| Best for | Patios, early starts, Cary Street crawls | Oysters, groups, second acts |
The call
One sunny afternoon: Carytown — Burtons at 3, the Daily patio by 5. One long night: Shockoe and the river — the Tobacco Company's $3.50 rails, the Boathouse's $1 oysters, then Capital Ale's 9–close late night. Check On now for which windows are live this minute; downtown is the only side with a real second act. All windows above come from the venues' own pages — full cards on Deals.
Sources
- Burtons Grill — Richmond happy hour (burtonsgrill.com)
- The Daily — Carytown happy hour (thedailykitchenandbar.com)
- The Tobacco Company — Social hour (thetobaccocompany.com)
- The Boathouse (theboathouse.com)
- Capital Ale House — Richmond (capitalalehouse.com)
- Julep's — Happy hour menu (rva.juleps.net)
Poured here: Burtons Grill & Bar Richmond · The Daily Kitchen & Bar Carytown · The Tobacco Company Restaurant · The Boathouse Rocketts Landing · Capital Ale House Downtown · Julep's New Southern Cuisine