Weeknights at the Doc B’s

After a brief hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions and complications, happy hour at Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen is back. “We’re happy to be able to start offering this again for our neighborhood regulars and people who work and live in the area,” says spokesperson Lindsey Wuenker. While this new-wave American restaurant and bar may feel like a Gables mainstay, it’s a Chicago transplant that opened just a year before the pandemic began. Its leather booths, open kitchen, and black-marble bar provide an atmosphere some- where between classic American diner and high-end gastropub. 

With the return of its Tuesday-through-Friday 5-7 p.m. happy hour, Doc B’s offers all beer, wine, and spirits (those under $16) at half price. The well-rounded menu offers 15 white wines, 14 reds, a local rotation of tap beers, 10 brands of bottled beer, and seven signature cocktails. Our drink of the night: their smooth and strong “Cherry Old Fashioned,” the classic bourbon cocktail with simple syrup, dashes of Angostura bitter, a slice of orange, and, in this case, Traverse City American Cherry Whiskey. A Mad Men go-to. 

The only caveat to happy hour at Doc B’s is that no snacks are discounted. You must make do with a starter, like their candied bacon with cayenne ($10) or their comfort food “Iron Skillet Mac and Cheese” with a gruyere crust ($16). If you stay for dinner, most entrees are under $30, making Doc B’s one of the more reasonably priced restaurants on the Mile.