Happy Hour at McCormick & Schmick's

So McCormick & Scmick's (M&S) is not the kind of place that screams happy hour (HH) (or cheap deals for that matter), but I'm always up for going off the HH beaten path. M&S is known as a pricey seafood chain restaurant, right next to Maggiano's, in yuppie-lovin Beachwood Mall. Surrounded by expensive stores and rich people, it's a great place to people watch and enjoy quality seafood close to home.

Friday was a beautiful spring afternoon, so my cousin Kelly (Cousin K) and I decided to venture to HH somewhere close to each of our prisons jobs. As a M&S virgin, I thought it was a fabulous idea - I always love trying new and different places, especially when a patio and nice weather are involved.

I was the first to arrive and scored an awesome table in the sun, right along the mall entrance. After I was seated, I immediately got the vibe that although this restaurant has an awesome HH, they aren't exactly "HH-friendly." I had to ask the server for a HH menu and later on, had to ask for plates, napkins and silverware. I realize the servers there are use to large, expensive tabs, but in this economy, any and all business should be welcomed (plus, as two ex-servers, Cousin K and I are generous tippers).

The HH menu was stacked, mostly with food, but hey, I'll take it. Select martinis were $5.25, Canon Road Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were $6 a glass and Bud Light bottles and select drafts were $3.25.
The martinis were average for a HH deal, but I was not pleased with the wine and beer prices. Domestic drafts and bottles should be lower than $3.25 to be considered a deal, I don't care where you are. And even though it's only a $1 difference, $5 for a glass of wine at HH seems so much more reasonable than $6. Call me crazy...

I started off with a strawberry-infused vodka martini. It was basically vodka mixed with daiquiri mix...not exactly "infused," but I liked it. Cousin K ordered the bloody mary martini which was tasty for all you bloody mary lovers out there and since we were both famished, we ordered asap. The deals seemed too good to pass up, so we went a little overboard and ordered mussels in a white wine and garlic broth ($3.95), deep fried pickle spears ($1.95), spicy potato croquettes ($1.95) and a roasted red pepper pesto pizza ($4.95).

Let me tell you, the food was AWESOME (and super cheap!) Here's a quick run down:
- Mussels: Fresh and huge! Garlic butter sauce was amazing and great to dip bread in.

- Pickles: SO good! Crisp and delish - the spicy ranch dipping sauce was a great compliment.
- Croquettes: Deep-friend deliciousness with a nice spicy kick!
- Pizza: Very saucy, so I loved it (I'm soo not Italian), could have used more pesto though.

All in all it was a good HH. The food options and prices were amazing, however the drink specials and quality left something to be desired. The atmosphere on the patio was very relaxed and provided a great venue for people watching (one of my fav past times). Definitely not your typical happy hour vibe, but a great place for a cheap dinner and good conversation!

Mc Cormick & Schmick's Seafood
26300 Cedar Road
Cleveland, OH 44122-1158
(216) 831-8100
Happy Hour Hours:
Monday—Friday 3:30pm—6:00pm and 9:00pm—Close
Saturday and Sunday 3:30pm—6:00pm Only
Happy Hour Menu