House of Blues Happy Hour. The Strip

House of Blues is a live music venue first, with Southern and Creole cooking and a bar program running alongside it inside Mandalay Bay. There is almost always something playing, live act or DJ, so this is a happy hour with a soundtrack rather than a quiet one. It runs every day from 3 to 6pm.

The drink pricing is layered: bottled beer is $7, the 24-ounce drafts and wine are both $8, and cocktails are $12. The 24-ounce draft is the obvious value play if you're settling in for the music. Food items range from $8 to $17, with scaled-down versions of the kitchen's jambalaya, gumbo, and BBQ leanings, so you can sample the Southern angle without ordering a full plate.

This suits people who want energy and atmosphere over conversation. If you're after a quiet drink, look elsewhere. If you want beers and a bite before a concert, it fits.

The location is the catch and the upside. House of Blues sits toward the back of Mandalay Bay, a real walk from the central Strip, which keeps it less crowded than the casino-floor bars and makes finding a seat easy. The space is huge, spread over multiple levels and bars, so even a busy afternoon doesn't feel cramped. Time it before whatever show you're catching that night.