Iron Steaks

IRON STEAKS HAPPY HOUR
Drinks
$2 Pabst Blue Ribbon (bottle)
$3 Sierra Nevada (bottle) and well drinks
$5 House red and white wine
$6 Margaritas and Cosmos

Food
$2 Sweet Potato Fries
$3 (2)Chicken Tacos, (2) tri tip sliders, chicken wings
$5 Tri Tip Quesadilla
$6 BBQ Pork Sandwich
$8 Ahi Tuna appetizer plate

Iron Steak Hours of Happiness:
Monday through Friday: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Location:
2422 13th St.
Sacramento, CA
95818

My Happy Hour experience:

The barstools at Iron Steaks, are probably the most comfortable I've sat on for happy hour in Sacramento (had to get that out of the way first...)
Walking through the entrance, the modern look is inviting. The lighting and lack of windows however, seem a bit too dark....reminiscent of the old Fuji restaurant. If you haven't been to Iron Steaks since the change from Fuji, you'll notice the new bar is almost double the size - which is perfect for an after work drink.

1st Visit (12/15/2009) - Our group of 3 arrived around 5pm on a Friday and we were the only people at the bar (there was an elderly couple eating dinner in the dining room). The bartender was very nice and welcoming. We ordered a gin and tonics,vodka cran, sliders, and chicken wings. The well drinks were poured instantly and were a step above the norm- with Finlandia and Bombay being used as the base for our drinks. The bartender then began muddling a jalapeno in a shaker...I curiously asked what drink he was making. Turns out he was experimenting with a jalapeno martini and provided small samples to each of us.
The food took about 10 minutes to come out and now a few more people had joined us at the bar. Although the chicken wings were mild in spiciness, the tangy/sweet flavor was amazing. They're not traditional hot wings, but I'd have to put them in the top 5 in Sacramento. The pulled pork sliders had a similar flavor with a nice crunchy slaw. We were so intrigued by the reason such a classy looking place would even offer $1 PBR, we had to give it a try.

2nd Visit (4-7-2011)- The first thing I noticed on my most recent trip to Iron Steaks, was the designated free parking lot which had a sign outlining hours including hours of Happiness! No longer the need to look for street parking. We walked into the restaurant at about 5:20 and there were 8 people, which made the place feel pretty crowded. A few feet behind the barstools there was a new couch/table/loungy area, which was not being used. We almost sat there, but it felt too awkward sitting so close behind elevated barstools, so we just sat at the bar.
The menu had changed slightly from the prior visit - the tempura green beans were gone and the pulled pork sliders had been replaced by tri tip sliders and a bbq pulled pork sandwich. The gin and tonic I ordered now was made w/ Seagram's instead of Bombay (still very reasonably priced at $3). We also ordered a couple Sierra Nevadas, the tri tip sliders, wings, and the chicken tacos (new). I had talked up the wings to my co-workers based on my last visit, but when they came out, man, were we all disappointed. The wings seemed smaller than before, not crispy and lacked the sweet/tangy kick that I remembered. The previous unusual flavor was replaced with traditional bbq sauce (definitely fell out of my top 5 in Sac).
The chicken tacos were ok, but basic and dry. The best of the three appetizers we ordered was definitely the tri-tip sliders. The meat was very tender, and the coleslaw was sweet and peppery, complementing the Hawaiian rolls nicely. We ordered the house red wine as our second drink. It was Columbia Crest which was a decent value for $5. As a classy touch, the bartender first poured the wine into a single carafe to help aeration before transferring it to the glass...So fancy!


Recommendation:
The happy hour beer selection consists of two bottled beers - Sierra and PBR. The PBR used to be $1, but has since been raised to $2, which doesn't really count as happy hour pricing (you can get $2 PBRs at any time all over Sac). I would like to see more of a happy hour beer selection, even if that means slightly raising prices and using the infamous $1 off all beers technique. Everyone at the bar who had a beer was drinking Sierra, which proved one of two things: Either everyone prefers the semi-local brew(it is pretty delicious...), or that happy hour goers tend to flock to whatever is on the designated happy hour menu. I would bet on the latter. As far as food goes, the sliders have yet to disappoint. I assume the pulled pork sandwich is just a bigger version of the sliders from the 1st visit, so if you're feeling hungry enough for a whole meal, definitely try that. On my next visit, I'll give the tuna plate a try.The service of the bartenders is upbeat and very friendly creating a very comfortable post-work setting. If you're looking for a noisy, crowded bar, where you can really let loose after work, Iron Steaks probably isn't your best bet. It's more geared toward couples or small groups looking to engage in meaningful conversation. If your looking for a classy, laid back happy hour, definitely check this place out!