Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar Happy Hour. The Strip

Chayo sits on the Linq Promenade at 3545 S Las Vegas Blvd, with a patio that opens right onto the walkway. Park in the Linq garage and validate, or just walk over if you're staying nearby. The patio is the seat to grab when the weather cooperates, since you get the people-watching without standing out in the heat. Aim for the start of happy hour on a weekday, before the dinner and Promenade crowds roll through.

Deals run every day, 2 to 6pm. The margaritas are the obvious order here: 2-for-1 on the regular pours, or $5 frozen if you'd rather keep it simple and cold. The tequila bar stocks over 100 bottles, so it's worth asking the bartender for a flight if you want to taste past the house pour. For food, small plates run $5 across the board, including chicken wings, mini nachos, and taquitos, which makes it easy to graze without committing to a full plate. Show up on Taco Tuesday and the tacos go half price.

The kitchen does a California-Mexican style, bright and fresh rather than strictly traditional, so go in wanting fusion. The room is loud and colorful with an open kitchen, and weekends pull heavy tourist traffic. If you want the tequila to actually mean something, ask for a comparison instead of defaulting to the frozen margarita.