The best free food at bars, happy hours and restaurants in the Bay, 2022

What’s higher than completely happy hour with cheapo drinks? What a couple of completely happy hour or every day particular with free meals? A number of locations across the Bay supply this candy perk, generally while you purchase a drink and generally with no strings connected in any respect. Right here’s a sampling (and when you like this type of factor, try our roundup of bars with free bingo nights):

Casa Barotti, Berkeley

This spizzicheria, or place of “nibbling,” is the right spot to decompress and whet the urge for food for a later dinner. If you happen to cease in between 4 and 6:30 p.m. and order a glass of wine, beer or an Italian cocktail (a vermouth spritz, maybe, or a Hugo with prosecco and elderflower) you possibly can partake in complementary aperitivo from the kitchen, equivalent to focaccia and pizzas with “al trancio” crusts such as you’ll discover in Northern Italy. 3204 School Ave., Berkeley; casabarotti.com

Sugar Lounge, San Francisco

This stylish however welcoming bar in Hayes Valley makes a speciality of enjoyable, bracing cocktails that herald a raft of fruit flavors — assume watermelon Lengthy Island Iced Tea or pomegranate punch served inside a copper swan. It’s additionally a regionally well-known supply totally free snacks. Drop by in the course of the weekday completely happy hours (4:30-7:30 p.m.) to take pleasure in $5 drink specials and inflation-friendly bites that’ve included sweet and chips and salsa. 377 Hayes St., San Francisco; sugarloungesf.com

Tato, San Francisco

Sadly for Irish folks, this Bayview eatery doesn’t focus on making potatoes. However fortunately for everybody else it’s a superb informal restaurant, named for the son of native restaurateur Kristin Houk, that prepares dishes tailored from a household matriarch’s recipes in Mexico Metropolis. On Fridays from 11 a.m. to five p.m., Tato has a “pay what you possibly can” taco day with choices like rooster or mushroom quesabirria. Whilst you technically don’t need to pay for 2 tacos and rice and beans, when you chip in $10 the kitchen will donate a free meal to charity. 4608 third St., San Francisco (Bayview); tatosf.com

The Workplace Bar & Lounge, San Jose

This cozy watering gap in Willow Glen is understood for its laid-back vibes and pleasant employees — one buyer swears a staffer mended his pullover proper on the bar. It’s additionally an enormous San Francisco 49ers haven, with free hotdogs and chili on many NFL Sundays. Word that each one this grub begins popping out at 10 a.m., so possibly eat mild the night time earlier than to ensure an offensive lineman-sized urge for food. 2306 Almaden Street, San Jose; fb.com/Theofficewillowglen

Kingfish Pub & Cafe, Oakland

All proper, so the one free meals you’ll get at Kingfish is popcorn. Nevertheless it’s from a legendary popcorn machine, witness to so many joyous Warriors celebrations, hard-fought battles over free shuffleboard tables and just-ordinary nights when Oakland locals coalesce round low-cost photographs and beers. The popcorn is all the time recent, heat and glowing below a lamp, and spiced to your choice with seasoning salt and a mysterious orange liquid that could possibly be butter or chili oil or a mixture, although after just a few stiff drinks you received’t care as a result of it’s tasty. 5227 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; kingfishpub.com