Best Happy Hour

1. El Torito

Multiple locations; eltorito.com

Get off work, get into a nearby El Torito and get into one off the most versatile Happy Hour menus in the county. El Torito’s Happy Hour menu offers items at three different price points, each of which offers a minismorgasbord of food and drink specials designed for every palate and pocketbook.

The lowest price point features street corn off the cob, pork-chorizo queso dip and street fries on the culinary front. Drink options include a 16-ounce draft beer, El Jimador tequila shot or all well drinks. At the middle price tier, your options include steak and chorizo street tacos, pork chorizo tostadas and grilled chicken sopes. Wash those down with draft beer schooners, El Torito’s signature Margarita or all call drinks.

The high-end menu offers salmon tacos, chicken flautas or barbecue carnitas sliders. Those go with the Paloma tequila cocktail, mojitos or a spicy jalapeño cucumber Margarita.

Hit El Torito’s Happy Hour on Tuesdays and the ubiquitous Taco Tuesday specials await: discounted steak, chicken, carnitas or al pastor tacos from 3 p.m. to closing.

Happy Hour begins at 3 p.m. at the eight Orange County locations, all of which run daily, except Dana Point. That location does not offer weekend Happy Hours.

ED CRISOSTOMO, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER El Torito’s Happy Hour begins at 3 p.m. at the eight Orange County locations.

— Brian Robin

2. La Vida Cantina

1870 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa; 949-612-2349; lavidacantina.com

In short order, this establishment burst onto the dining and drinking landscape with a lively Happy Hour scene and key Costa Mesa location: right in the heart of the entertainment Triangle.

It’s not hard to figure out why. La Vida Cantina’s in-the-middle-of-everything location and expansive drink/appetizer offerings provide the perfect postwork unwinding oasis. Happy Hour runs from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. But the restaurant and its roomy outdoor bar area cater to night owls as well, offering a Late Night Happy Hour from 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays.

Naturally, La Vida Cantina offers standout margaritas with 11 varieties on the menu, but what pushes the bar to the next level is the creativity of the non-Margarita tequila drinks. Options include the La Paloma (1800 Silver tequila, elderflower liqueur, red grapefruit juice, agave nectar and lime juice) or the Guavarita (Casamigos silver tequila, guava puree, jalapeños, sweet and sour, agave nectar and lime juice).

3. Newport Landing Restaurant

503 East Edgewater, Newport Beach; 949-675-2373, Newport Beach; newport-landing.com

When it comes to Happy Hour dining offerings, this restaurant overlooking the Balboa Ferry takes no prisoners. It’s as easy to get lost in the plethora of options as it is to get lost in the view of Newport Harbor, Balboa Island and the Saddleback peaks.

Running every day from noon to 6 p.m., the self-described “Longest Happy Hour in Town” resembles a buffet in terms of its variety. It offers four different price points and from the garlic bread and sweet potato fries on the lowest-price menu to the char-grilled oysters, blue point oysters, shrimp cocktail or wedge salad among the high-end items, creates a meal in itself.

In between are options such as New England clam chowder, a warm artichoke, bacon and spinach dip, seafood ceviche, an onion ring tower, sautéed Chilean mussels and calamari tempura, among others.

On the drink front, Newport Landing presents several specials, starting with two types draft beer, six different wines or the house margarita or mai tai, premium wines or the Bahama Mama or Cadillac Margarita