Dining deals

"Buck" the recession by saving a dollar on the most popular dishes. Enjoy the huevos rancheros breakfast for $6.29, down from $7.29. The spicy albondigas meatball soup is now $6.99, and the fiesta nacho platter is now $5.99. Also, on Tuesdays, children eat free off the children's menu with an adult purchase. 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

$1-$3 happy-hour specials. Choose from garlic hummus and pita bread, $1; halibut taco, $2; 6-ounce Chinese roasted Maui burger, $2; and more. 4-6 p.m. and 9-11 p.m. daily. Drink specials, too.

Take advantage of the $5 happy-hour menu, featuring 18 menu items including coconut shrimp and empanadas, white and red sangria, mojitos and glasses of wine. Also choose from a selection of $3 Mexican beers. 3-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Enjoy the "early-bird family special" from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. Get four spaghetti dinners, salad, garlic toast, four drinks and a "Pullookie" dessert for sharing for $29.99. Regular price is $59. Dine-in only.

Get half-off glasses of wine and $4 beers from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily at this South American-flavored cafe and bar. Choose from a list of South American wines and beer.

On Sundays and Mondays after 4 p.m., enjoy dining Las Vegas-style. Get the following percentages off your total food bill when you roll the die: 10 percent off when you roll a 1 or a 2, 20 percent off for a 3 or 4, and 30 percent off for a 5 or a 6. Or raise the stakes with two dice: Roll snake eyes (two ones) or boxcars (two sixes) and get 50 percent off the meal, including all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Minimum purchase of $10 per person.

Stop by any of the three Valley locations for $4.99-$7.99 value lunches and $7.99-$11.99 value dinners. Choose from chicken, fish and more.

Save during "Sunday Funday" from 1 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays. Enjoy $2 mimosas, $2 draft beers, $3 well Bloody Marys, and $5 draft beer and Sauza Gold tequila-shot combos. Pay $1 for mechanical bull rides.

Sample flights of $10-$20 Austrian wines, accompanied by tapas pairings, from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, June 10. Tapas pairings, starting at $8, include wood-grilled Australian lamb chops with smoked peppers, scallop-stuffed peppers with blue corn, and Arizona shrimp with garlic and grilled sourdough.

Half off select appetizers during happy hour. Choices include house-made potato chips ($4), a tapas plate with pita, hummus, olives and mozzarella ($7.50), and bruschetta with artichokes and goat cheese ($6). 3-6 p.m. daily through the summer.

$4 happy-hour special. Tapas, cocktails and wine are $4 each from 2-6 p.m. daily.

$7 ($3.50, kids) for all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatballs. Looking for authentic Italian fare? Stop by the Italian American Club 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays for spaghetti dinner prepared by chef Tony Rigoli.

Lighter fare at lower lunch and dinner prices through June. Dishes, priced $5.99-$17.99, include guajillo-chile beef enchiladas, Southwestern surf and turf and chile-crusted scallops.

Get half off all cheese crisps and starters and all house margaritas and draft beers from 4-6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays. Cheese crisps start at $7 and starters are priced from $9.

Free wine tasting at the Cove Trattoria. Enjoy tastes of several varietals from Italy in the bar. 5-8 p.m. Thursday (and on subsequent first Thursdays).

Get a three-course mini meal for less than $20. Stop by Morton's Bar 12-21 between 4:30-6:30 p.m. and 9:30-11 p.m. daily and choose from a variety of "bar bites" priced $5 each. Selection includes four petite filet mignon sandwiches, three miniature crab cakes and iceberg wedge bites. Also on sale: select cocktails, beer and wine by the glass, $4-$7.

Do your wallet, waist and the environment a favor with Malee's economical half-portion deal. During dinner daily, Malee's is offering half-portions of favorite entrees at a reduced price (a savings of around $5 each dish), including tropical pineapple chicken, crispy pla and exotic fried rice and pad thai noodles. 2:30 p.m.-close, Mondays through Saturdays; 4-9 p.m. Sundays.

This eatery is serious about its specials. Each day of the week offers a great deal on both meals and beverages. Enjoy an all night happy hour from 3 to 10 p.m. Mondays. Two tacos with your choice of beer or margarita is $10 on Tuesdays, and a burger and beer are $10 on Wednesdays. Thursdays through Saturdays offer the popular Surf & Turf special, a flat-iron steak and snow crab for $12.75. And on Sundays, all diners who order food receive 20 percent off their total bill. Happy hour is offered nightly, with specials on mixed drinks, wine, beer and select appetizers. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays. Happy hour 3-7 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays.

On Tuesdays only, buy any one of Z Pizza's creative pies and get a second pizza free. Pizzas range from the Napoli, with tomatoes and mozzarella, to the Thai, with peanut sauce and spicy chicken. Pizzas start at $9.95.

Buy one well drink, get the second for $1. This deal and half-price bottles of wine 5-10 p.m. Mondays at Geordie's Lounge. No reservations are necessary. Call 602-553-7382 for details.

Half-off all cocktails during happy hour. enjoy Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire, premium hand-shaken martinis or your favorite cocktail for half-off. Hungry? Get something from the happy-hour menu. From 4-6:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

My Big Fat Greek Restaurant in Tempe has a big, fat deal for you. Its twice-daily happy hour features $4 for such appetizers as the hummus trio and mini pizzas, $3 draft beers and $4 Skyy vodka drinks. The special is available at the bar and front patio only. 3-7 p.m. and 10 p.m.-close daily.

You can enjoy plenty for less than $5 weekdays at Gordon Biersch. Enjoy an array of appetizers for just $4.95 during happy hour, and sample the Southwest egg rolls, tapas, glazed chicken wings and more. Martinis, margaritas and mojitos are $5 during this time, and you can get $1 off all lagers and $2 off wine by the glass. Happy hour is available at the bar and cocktail area only. 4-6:30 Mondays-Fridays, 10 p.m.-close Mondays-Sundays.

Stop by Tomaso's in east Phoenix for a special weekday Wine Down Bar Menu. Choose from select appetizers and pasta creations and enjoy drink specials, too. All food items, including shrimp cocktail and escargot, are at least 30 percent off, and some are only available during this time. The Wine Down Bar Menu is available only at this location. 4:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.

Unwind after work or grab a cheap bite to eat on the weekends with drinks specials and reduced appetizers at Skeptical Chymist in Scottsdale. The Irish restaurant and pub features happy-hour specials. Choose from the chicken tenders, mussels or pub wings, all $2 off. 4-7 p.m. daily.

Take your sweetie to Metro Brasserie and Bar for a nightly dinner deal. The Plates for Deux menu features items such as lam navarin on Tuesdays and the 18-ounce rib eye on Saturdays. Each meal is $42 per couple and includes warm beignets and a half carafe of wine. 5-11 p.m. daily.

The Sapporo Seven lunch menu offers seven reasons to head to Sapporo during the week. Selections include the ahi wrap, chicken sliders, Kobe burger, cashew chicken, grilled-salmon salad, Szechuan beef or an assortment of sushi, for $7 each. Details: Available for lunch, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.

Avanti is celebrating its 35th anniversary with $25 three-course meals throughout 2009. Choose from calamari, a salad or pasta for the first course, eggplant, salmon, chicken parmesan or veal for the entrée and homemade tiramisu, flan or chocolate mousse for dessert. Available for lunch or dinner.

Stop by this south Scottsdale steak house for half-off appetizers and drinks on weekdays. The most popular appetizer, toasted ravioli, is $2.50 during happy hour. Stuffed mushrooms are $4, and potato skins are $2 for a half order and $4 for a full order. The deal, available in the lounge only, also includes 50 percent off house wines and all other drinks, excluding super premiums. Happy hour is 4-7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.

Valle Luna, a Sonoran-style Mexican restaurant with three Valley locations, features half-off select appetizers weekdays in the cantina. Specials include $7 pitchers and $2.50 domestic bottles or draft pints, among others. Food selections include the Luna cheese crisp, $2.90 during happy hour, and a dozen chicken wings for $4.33. Happy hour is 3-7:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.

Get 20 percent to 40 percent off select happy-hour appetizers, including the Ravioli Duo, $5, or the Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad, $6. Drink specials include discounted beer, well drinks and house wines. What's more, John Henry's offers a free shuttle service to those within a 20-mile radius of the eatery. Happy hour: 3-7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.

Monti's special for two includes dinner and a pair of Harkins movie passes, for $47.95. Choose from such dishes as a 7-ounce filet mignon, pork chop dinner, half-rack of ribs, chicken fettuccine and Oriental chicken salad. Dinner includes a choice of side and hot Roman bread. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

The north-Scottsdale ice-cream shop offers specials Mondays-Thursdays. Stop by for Dollar-Off Mondays and receive $1 off any size scoop; swing by Tuesdays and get a free topping with any treat. Wednesdays get a free waffle cone with any scoop, and on Thursdays receive $1 off any size of tart soft-serve yogurt. 3-6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays.

The midweek deals at Razz's are sure to lure you in. Start with the buy-one-get-one-free entree deal, and pair dinner with a bottle of wine at half price. A reverse happy hour that features half-off drinks and 25 percent off food begins at 9 p.m. Buy-one-get-one-free dinner deal and half-priced wine all day Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Reverse happy hour is 9 p.m. to close Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

When you buy any entree at Latilla, you get an appetizer free. Talk about bang for your buck. Choose from such appetizers as the sweet-corn bisque, mac and cheese or the roasted beet salad, regularly $11-$14.

For the video game junkie in all of us, Dave and Buster's presents its Eat and Play Combo. Order from one of eight select entrees and receive a $10 game card for $15.99—up to a $15 savings. If you have an air hockey grudge match to settle, you may want to double your fun and order the entrée with a $20 game card for $23.99. Entrée selections include the Black Jack BBQ chicken, Philly cheesesteak and fried shrimp platter.

Something's fishy about the Salt Cellar's happy hours, and we think you're gonna like it. The Scottsdale seafood restaurant offers 30 percent off its Oyster Bar appetizer menu and half off well drinks during its happy hour and reverse happy hour. Choose from halibut ceviche, shrimp cocktail, escargot en caps, steamed clams or one of several other fishy favorites.

Portland's makes Saturday date nights a breeze. Wave goodbye to decision making with the prix-fixe menu—a four-course meal for $30. Split a fancy bottle of a wine, too, since all bottles of wine more than $100 are 30 percent off on Saturdays.