Happy

All night Happy Hour on Tuesday.
With the exception of $ 4 brews, their happy hour menu is reasonably priced and you get a good selection of food options at a low buy in price. You’re not going to get over whelmed with food portions here but the taste is on par for what you pay for. Service was personalized and friendly… Which is not the norm for Boulder. :)
Caution: The happy hour menu was pork heavy. which was good for me but might not be for some others.

Happy noodle house is a really tasty (albeit expensive) option if you find yourself walking aimlessly around west Pearl, searching, longingly, for noodles.
Appetizers are where they really excel. You can swing by, have a swanky cocktail prepared by exceptional bartenders with an order of calamari and head off to another spot for dinner.
Their entrees are quite good, but I find myself blown away by the check at the end of the night.

We chose this place because of the very inviting patio in the front. Service was good. Cocktails were kind of strange, not bad, just strange. My fish entrée was really delicious, as were the fried brussels sprouts — yummmmm! But the collard greens that they put on every plate were vile. Totally gross. Even the server said most people leave them untouched on their plate. So the food was good, the patio was great, the service was honest.
The reason for only getting 3 stars is because the inside of the place smelled disgusting! I was so thankful that we ate outside because when we had to pass through to get in and out, and to use the ladies room, we almost gagged. Not sure what the smell was but it was bad enough to leave an impression!

Yikes! believe they are long past the original chef, but 2 yrs later, my results were about the same:
(this is not a haiku)
I gave them another chance last month
i got mediocre service
and ramen with flavorless brown broth
other attempted asian fusion flavors not working
washed down with a generic tasting fruity cocktail
I will not be back, again

One of my fav places in Boulder.
The cocktails are to die-​for, if you’re not afraid of more creative drinks beyond your average rum-​and-​coke. My favorite, whose name I can’t remember right now, had vodka, crème de violette, and orgeat (almond-​flavored syrup). If you can’t find anything that jumps out at you, let them know what you’re in the mood for and they’ll divine the perfect drink.
The pork bun with creamy green sriracha sauce is definitely one of my favorites. This is not your traditional dim sum pork buns, but the flavor of the filling is still smokey and meaty, and the bun is light and fluffy, with a little crispy outside.
I’ve also tried a variety of ramen, udon, and other noodle dishes, and they have been consistently delicious. The portions are a little small, and dishes are a little pricey considering that, but in my opinion totally worth it. My cheapskate friend was skeptical of dinner here, but he was won over after his first bite of pork belly over noodle soup, garnished with quail egg.

The happy hour here is the bee’s knee. If you get in between 4 – 4:30 they have a $ 4.50 beer and bahn mi special that is pretty worth coming down for. Strangely enough, I thought one of the more memorable items on the happy hour menu are the pickles. They have a different kimchi and pickled vegetable selection for $ 1 a piece that go really well with a beer.
Also, the bitter bar.

I previously gave Happy 4 stars, but I’ve upgraded to 5 enthusiastic stars. Whenever someone asks me for a restaurant or bar recommendation, Happy is the first place that comes to mind.
Lately, we’ve been spending more time in the bar with bartenders that are totally geeked out on cocktails. Seriously, if there was a Dungeons and Dragons of mixology, they would be the Dungeon Master. Tell them something you like, and sit back while they create the drink that you wanted, you just didn’t know it.
Mix a pleasant chat with the bartender about his latest favorite booze and happy hour food specials, and you’ve got a lovely interesting start to your evening.

I like this place a lot but it has a few drawbacks. It’s mostly weighted towards the good though.
The pros are a cool atmosphere, good food, some good happy hour deals, and very classy drinks. The bitter bar specializes in cocktails, which are amazing, and this place is an alternative to the Absinthe House if you want some of that green stuff but don’t want to be deafened by repetitive techno. The best item on the happy hour menu for me, the one that makes me keep coming back, is the Pork Bahn Mi sandwich with a bowl of tom yum broth and an Avery beer for 5 bucks. That deal is only good from 4 – 4:30 but it’s worth it for that tasty little nugget of a sammich.
The bad is that everything is fairly expensive, and although the happy hour menu offers some good deals, it’s not very extensive, or vegetarian friendly. The hours are also somewhat limited and although it has great drinks, you can’t come here late as if it were a real bar.

After a slow start a few years ago, Happy has matured into one of the best restaurants in Boulder. Yes, some of the dining room seating is hard and awkward, and yes, it can get loud in there, but the food, oh the food.
House made pickles consistenly knock my socks off.
The roasted brussel spouts are to die for.
The noodle dishes are delicious.
But what puts Happy over the top is that it’s home to the best cocktail bar in Boulder. The Bitter Bar’s mixologists take cocktails seriously, and they serve everything from the traditional and boozy to the fresh and light.

One of the best bars I’ve stepped foot in staffed by some of the nicest folks.
The drinks are world class. Ask for a spirit base and what you are in the mood for and they will craft something that will blow you away.
Double thumbs up for the bowls. Super good and can be gluten free.

This review is for the bitter bar only:
interesting drinks, very good selection, a tad on the pricey side, but great fun place.

I came here with co-​workers for happy hour.
I thought it was disgusting.
FIRST of all, my iced tea tasted like they tossed some pepper into it. WTF.
I got a griddled pork bun and it came with this sour cream-​ish dipping sauce. It was OK. I was more surprised about how weird it was and the meat inside tasted crazy. I was still hungry so I ordered the wok charred greens and this was mostly kale and it just tasted oily. Not very spicy, not very peanut-​y, low on flavor. Boring and gross.
After that I was still hungry so I asked what one of the waiters recommended and he suggested the griddled pork bun and the fried rice. So I went with the pork fried rice since I already had the former. It was disgusting. I only ate like the top layer of it. It was so greasy and the veggies did not blend well together at all.
Still hungry and disgusted, I tried my co-​workers’ moneybag dish and it was just freaken weird. Sweet potato with shredded carrots and some green paste. AUGH! AUGH!
This place literally was like a bunch of white people (no offense to white people) trying to copy traditional Asian foods and give them a fancy twist to it. I’ve never been so disgusted with so many different things at one restaurant before.
Thinking about their food makes me want to vomit.
On the plus side, it’s well decorated inside.
But I will NEVER come here EVER again. Bleh.

I don’t think it’s good to go to a place knowing their «mixologist» is award-​winning and widely recognized, and the bar itself has also won awards. It creates expectations that are difficult to fulfill in the imagination of your reviewer who has been itching for a creative cocktail for weeks.
My girlfriend and I stopped late Sunday afternoon/​early evening during happy hour. We got: rock’n’thyme, smoke & mirrors, and the happy sling for drinks, and split a banh mi sandwich. They were clearly training a new bar tender and that’s fine. Obviously experienced bar tenders do not spring forth from the earth with handmade mixing spoons and towels tucked in rear pockets.
The drinks were quite creative and tasty. They were exactly what we were looking for: regular ingredients transformed. The bar tender also gave us a taste of cynar as he explained its use to the trainee which was a nice way to include us, whether intentional or not. The drinks were not quite transcendent, but I think I came in with inflated expectations.
The bahn mi was served with pork rillettes and some broth-​soup. The banh mi was good, but not what we’d expected. Aren’t they normally on baguette? This looked more like a French Roll, and had sliced meat that didn’t look grilled. My tongue was not complaining.
We’ll probably go back for the $ 26 prix fixe menu they’re offering.

Oh, man. This place is the real-​life equivalent of that dance that Carlton used to do on «Fresh Prince.» It is joyous, artful and worth telling your friends about.
The bar here is crazy. Not in terms of fools doing body shots or any of that nonsense. I mean crazy as in absurdly skilled bartenders whipping up drinks that defy description. I think one of the dudes is named Mixmaster Mark or something. The man has the skills to pay your medical bills — no lie.
They’ll even put together enviable non-​alc drinks for those of you who want to roll deep with your peeps but wake up with no collateral damage.
The food is likewise pretty awesome. I don’t normally go for Asian stuff (Hot Pockets in the heezy!), but each time I’ve eaten here, I’ve come away very satisfied and ready to breakdance.
So to recap! The drinks are crazy good and the staff is skillful. The food is tasty and toe-​tappingly good. Aw yeah.

Went there last night and had the burger — real good. My friend had the salmon dish; also delicious.
Very nice outside patio and great service. Will definitely go back again. Two thumbs up.

There must be a similar restaurant in Chicago, but I’m unaware of it (which means only that I’m poorly circulated.)
Happy calls itself «an American restaurant that draws its inspiration from Asian ingredients and kitchen craft. Our goal is to create comfort food that is simple and delicious.» That’s not so unusual. But Happy was named one of «America’s Best New Restaurants» by Forbes Magazine.
I was here on a Wednesday for «Happy Time» with my little brother (age 30, and tons of fun).
Wednesday nights here is happy hour for food, all night from 4 p.m.
It was delicious and cheap. Here are some Happy Time highlights, which my brother and I shared:
braised pork ribs ginger & coca-​cola glaze 4
wok charred greens spicy peanut 2
thai fishcake tangy red chili sauce 3
griddled summer asparagus zaru soba sauce 3
griddled pork bun green sriracha aioli 4
How do you beat this? And the prices?
The food is drop dead delicious. If I lived in Boulder, I’d be here every Wednesday. Oh, the patio is delightful, and it didn’t hurt running into an old family friend and a high school GF whom I’d not seen in about 34 years.
Great place. Great evening.

I just like it. The food here is simple but the flavors are fresh and lively. I particularly love their homemade pickles (all kinds of different pickled veggies to choose from — changes often) and their fried brussel sprout leaves — better than popcorn.
Drinks are inventive and well-​crafted. The non-​alcoholic ones can be absolutely delicious. Those containing alcohol are dangerously good.
Décor is very attractive (lots of clean lines and modern bamboo finishes). The outdoor terrace is a great spot at night.
Desserts are good but not great. My only real knock on the place.
It’s simple, well-​flavored and well-​prepared food. I like it! It’s a regular for us and will remain so.

The drinks are what did it for me.
Very fun and creative dishes, that are a pleasure on the palette, however I do feel a bit awkward paying $ 13 for a bowl of ramen…
The bitter bar had the most delicious, and interesting drink concoctions taken from all over the globe. The Violet Flowers nearly knocked me out of my chair, with such a mild and subtle floral sweet taste, I was in awe. At night this place turns into a relaxing and classy atmosphere.

So, so, so good! This is my favorite restaurant in Boulder for many reasons.
1. Its one of the only places in town that I can eat and not feel ill afterwords. They have options that are not fried, wheat-​filled heaviness.
2. The cocktails are awesome! I recommend the Smoke and Mirrors or the Aviation!
3. The staff is extremely charming and professional. Ryan is precious!
4. The menu items are unique and delicious! When I dine out I don’t want something that I can make at home for myself.
5. Its one of the best places to hang out for anyone who is still hip and over 25! Great décor, nice patio, perfect music, and beautiful people.
I LOVE HAPPY!!!

So I had not been back to this happy place after the Unilocal (unofficial) event I put together on April 1^st. Then last weekend I was at a dinner party where the dinner kept getting delayed to the point where some of us realized it may never happen. Kind of like the 70s movie «Discreet Charm of the Bourgeouisie»…
So a few of us left the dinner party and someone suggested going to the Happy Noodle House. Ok…
I liked their new Spring Menu. Many new choices! As always, the service was attentive. It was crowded on the Sunday night we went, as there was a big birthday party that took up the entire main dining room. We sat out on the patio, and it was quite pleasant.
I tried a salmon dish with noodles that was flavorful. Didn’t need to add anything from their diverse condiment box on the table. The others ordered the udon curry and something with chicken pieces on a skewer, maybe ramen? They looked like they were liking theirs. They were driving back to Denver, and did not drink, although they are not teetotalers (sp?) like me. I had the Jasmine tea… I do really like the quality of tea here. I am pretty sure they get it from Pekoe, locally.
About the ice cream… they do not serve home made ice cream anymore (I asked) — they now serve Glacier ice cream. It is what it is.
Our bill was reasonable; though the bill just about always seems reasonable when someone else is paying. Funny how that happens…
It was a nice night. I’m glad I finally ventured back to this place.