The thing I love the most about moving to a new city is the explosion of possibilities that hits you when you first arrive. So as soon as we got to Redwood City, I started looking up all the local bars and restaurants that would hopefully become my new haunts. A quick search led me to The Nighthawk, a new-ish bar located in downtown Redwood City that boasted craft cocktails and an afternoon happy hour. Sold.
We arrived a few minutes after happy hour started (3-6 M-F) and found ourselves to be some of the only ones in the bar, save for a man tapping away on his computer and a few staff members. This was a far cry away from the gaggles of people we saw spilling out onto the patio on the previous Friday night, but work must beckon. We received prompt and friendly service and decided to order the two current feature happy hour cocktails, The Spice is Right and The Reservoir, both clocking in at $7 a piece.
The Spice is Right was a nice blend of sweet and spicy, and the tajin rim was a fun twist. Definitely a fun summer drink that could be turned into a patio pounder way too easily. The Reservoir was more bitter and spirit-forward, but was balanced out by the sweetness of the strawberries. Both were great, but our favorite was definitely the Spice is Right.
From my brief research, I’d learned that The Nighthawk was managed by the same people as The Blacksmith, a similarly trendy bar just across the street. They’d opened up The Nighthawk with the intention of it being an all-day cafe & bar, and sure enough, there was a lot of beautiful coffee equipment sitting at one end of the bar. I had also seen a menu posted somewhere that listed food options, but unfortunately, these days seem to be behind The Nighthawk for now. When we asked the bartender about it, he wasn’t too sure on specifics, but was under the impression the bar used to serve tacos and other little bar bites but no longer does for unknown reasons. Similarly uncertain were the hours – the bar currently opens at 3pm, but it was unclear whether The Nighthawk had ever been open all day and simply scaled back, or if they were still working up to that point. But for now, as we watched the after-work crowd stroll in, it appears they’ve found their niche.
Overall, we had a good time at The Nighthawk and would definitely return, especially if food is added. One other thing we liked about it was the lack of TVs – it would be a great spot for a date or even a casual business meeting. Add that to the very reasonable happy hour prices and I think you’ll find us back here.
Deets:
Address: 2033 Broadway, Redwood City, CA
Good for: dates, meeting people, craft cocktails, happy hour
Accessibility: entrance is fully wheelchair accessible, bar may be hard to get close to for a wheelchair user due to metal pipe running along the bottom, but several low tables with movable chairs exist, dim lighting may be difficult for those who are visually impaired
Where else should we check out in Redwood City?