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Happy hour around McLean and Tysons can mean wine flights beside a fireplace, half-price drafts at a neighborhood grill or late-night cocktails and globally inspired plates. Several restaurants run weekday specials, while others keep the deals going daily or well into the evening.
Hours and offers can change, so guests should confirm current details with each location before visiting.
Seasons 52
Seasons 52, at 7863L Tysons Corner Center in McLean, offers a polished but relaxed setting built around seasonally inspired, naturally lighter food. Its kitchen uses oak-fire grilling and brick-oven roasting rather than fryers.
The restaurant lists happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with bar specials available until 6 p.m. Its “Flights & Flatbreads” promotion pairs signature flatbreads with a choice of Remarkable Reds, Spectacular Whites or Acclaimed Series wine flights featuring bottles rated at least 90 points. Wine by the glass, select beer and cocktails are also offered at happy-hour prices.
The seasonal menu changes regularly. Fireplace seating, an extensive wine selection and views inside Tysons Corner Center make the restaurant particularly suited to dates and special occasions.
Founding Farmers Tysons
Founding Farmers Tysons, at 1800 Tysons Boulevard, serves scratch-made American food in a large Virginia farmhouse-inspired dining room. The farmer-owned restaurant is open every day of the year and has a covered, heated patio.
Happy hour runs from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with first-come, first-served seating at the bar and on the patio. Drinks include craft cocktails made with spirits from the on-site Founding Spirits distillery, select wines, local draft beers, house-roasted coffee and scratch-made sodas.
Sample food deals range from $2.99 griddled onion bread with butter and seasonal jam to $6.99 Southern fried chicken tenders, wings, and burrata with tomatoes. Other options include $3.99 deviled eggs, $4.99 hummus and vegetables, $5.99 fried macaroni-and-cheese bites and $5.99 crispy Brussels sprouts.
Beyond happy hour, the menu includes chicken and waffles, handmade pasta, USDA Prime burgers, fresh-cut fries and scratch-made desserts. A weekend farmers market buffet brunch is also available.
The restaurant is one block from the Tysons Corner Metro station and offers validated parking at no charge during evenings and weekends. It also has private dining areas and operates the First Bake Cafe for weekday grab-and-go breakfast from 7 to 10:30 a.m.
Earls Kitchen + Bar
Earls Kitchen + Bar, at 7902 Tysons One Place in McLean, combines two lively bars, a smaller wine-bar area, lounge seating and globally influenced food near the Tysons Corner Metro station.
Its main happy hour runs daily from 3 to 6 p.m. Late-night specials are offered from 9 to 11 p.m. on Sunday and Monday and from 9 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Saturday.
Featured drinks include the Marilyn Monroe, made with vanilla vodka, prosecco, passion fruit and lime, and a Strawberry Smoke-show Margarita with mezcal. Select wine, craft beer and other specialty drinks also receive happy-hour pricing.
Food choices include truffle fries, poke bowls, sushi and raw dishes, Korean beef bibimbap, street tacos, burgers and seafood platters. Outdoor seating with a firepit, cozy booths and private or semi-private event areas help make Earls a popular option for dates and celebrations. Weekend brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood
J. Gilbert’s, at 6930 Old Dominion Drive in McLean, is an upscale steakhouse known for mesquite-grilled USDA Prime aged beef, seafood and an extensive wine list. The restaurant has operated in Fairfax County for nearly two decades.
Bar-only happy hour runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday through Friday. Deals include $1 off draft and bottled beer, $5 house wines and a selection of $5 cocktails. Oysters on the half shell cost $2 each, while other appetizers begin at $6.50. Lobster claws are also offered.
The broader cocktail menu includes a $17 barrel-aged Manhattan made with Maker’s Mark bourbon, sweet vermouth, orange bitters and Amarena cherries; a $17 tequila-based Fig Old Fashioned; and a $17 Blackberry Jalapeño Margarita.
On Sundays, bottles of wine priced at $100 or less are half-price, while more expensive bottles receive a 25% discount. Warm lighting and fireplace seating suit business dinners, anniversaries and other special occasions. Private dining is available for banquets, rehearsal dinners and events.
Yard House
Yard House, at 1660M Galleria at Tysons II in McLean, offers more than 100 beers on tap alongside an extensive American and globally inspired menu. Its glass-enclosed keg room reportedly holds about 3,000 gallons.
Happy-hour times vary by day and should be checked directly with the restaurant. Specials commonly include featured beer, select half-price martinis and half-price appetizers such as poke nachos, fried macaroni and cheese, truffle fries, street tacos, wings and sliders.
The full menu includes half-pound USDA Prime burgers, whiskey-glazed salmon, a barbecue bacon burger, seared ahi, steaks and seafood. Multiple televisions, classic rock and an industrial-style dining room make it a natural gathering spot for sports and groups, though the music may be too loud for guests seeking quiet conversation.
Yard House is inside Tysons Galleria, within walking distance of Tysons Corner Center and close to Interstate 495. Late-night dining is available.
Shipgarten
Shipgarten brings a casual, German-inspired beer-garden atmosphere to Tysons Corner. Its extended Tuesday happy hour runs from 3 to 9 p.m.
Drink specials include $5 Eggenberg Pilsner and $5 Shipgarten pilsner, cider or IPA. Pinot Grigio, rosé and red-blend wines cost $6. Food offers include $5 edamame, $7 pretzels and a dozen wings for $8.
Mylo’s Grill
Mylo’s Grill is a casual neighborhood restaurant in McLean with a straightforward happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. Draft beer and wine are both offered at half-price.
Choosing the Right Stop
J. Gilbert’s and Seasons 52 provide the most upscale settings, while Founding Farmers emphasizes scratch-made, farm-inspired food. Yard House and Shipgarten stand out for beer, and Earls offers the broadest late-night schedule.
Earls, J. Gilbert’s and Seasons 52 are strong date-night choices. Founding Farmers, Yard House and Earls can better accommodate groups and celebrations. Reservations are advisable at Seasons 52, J. Gilbert’s and Earls during busy periods, although first-come, first-served bar seating may remain available when dining rooms are full.
Metro riders can reach Earls within steps of the Tysons Corner station, while Founding Farmers is about a block away. Seasons 52 and Yard House are convenient for shoppers because they are located at Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria, respectively. Several destinations also offer outdoor seating when conditions allow.