Happy Hour: Z'Tejas offers Southwestern bites and comforting cornbread

Happy Hour |

Few happy hours are better built for the Christmas crowd than Z'Tejas.

Located in Bellevue Square by the grand Snowflake Lane, this Southwestern grill offers happy hour in the bar and also, for children and large parties, in the dining room. It's deftly efficient, like an airport restaurant. Grab a seat and get rewarded. That's how I looked at the complimentary fresh cornbread that came with my food order. Don't underestimate the restorative power of cornbread spread with honey butter. Wolf down a personal-pan-pizza-size serving of this and you're good to shop another five hours. The stuff is like Red Bull. It's also the best grub here.

The grilled shrimp tostada bites are popular. But more intriguing is the guacamole made at your table — the server mashed up slices of avocado and mixed in the tomato cubes, red onions, cilantro and jalapeño, topped with pumpkin seeds and cotija cheese. After all that, I didn't have the heart to tell the polite server he needed to add salt. You'll need the salt shaker at your table.

Skip the artichoke-and spinach dip that didn't taste like artichoke and spinach. Order the cornmeal-crusted catfish bits — big chunks of filet with a crunchy coating to dip in the jalapeño tartar sauce. And the chili pork verde, salty and cheesy, is ideal beer food.

This popular chain started in Austin, and of course being from Texas they do things big. Most bar food comes in good-size portions, and most of it costs less than $5 during happy hour.

Z'Tejas, 535 Bellevue Square (in the Lodge, on the third level of the shopping center), offers happy hour 3-10 p.m. Mondays, 3-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays and 3-5 p.m. Saturdays; appetizers are half-price, you'll get $1 off margaritas and well drinks, $3 to $4 beer and $4.95 house wines (425-467-5911 or www.ztejas.com).

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com