Two bars and restaurants are going head-to-head for the title of best happy hour in Fresno.
It’s chain vs. local.
Yard House vs. The Lincoln Pub & Grub.
Yard House has 91 locations nationwide. The locally owned Lincoln has two — one each in Fresno’s Tower District and Old Town Clovis.
We want you to vote for your favorite in our poll below.
We narrowed it down to these two places after asking readers to nominate their choices for best happy hour spots in the Fresno area. The number of nominations for Yard House and The Lincoln blew everyone else out of the water.
But, a quick shout-out to the runners-up, who even though they lagged behind are still worth mentioning: Off the 99, Papi’s Mex Grill, Yosemite Falls Cafe, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Manhattan Steakhouse & Bar, and Five restaurant.
So as for our top two nominations, we’re going to tell you a little bit about each one’s happy hour, then ask you to vote in the poll.
The Lincoln 
Although they don’t have an official happy hour, The Lincoln Pub & Grub on Clovis Avenue near 5th Street in Clovis, which also has a location in Fresno’s Tower District, has low prices on their drinks and eats all day long. The pub is in the two top vote-getters in The Bee’s best happy hour poll. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
One odd thing about the Lincoln in this poll. It doesn’t technically have a happy hour.
“It’s happy hour all the time; all day, every day,” said Aaron Gossett, a partner in the business with Andrew Karsh.
The entire business is built on happy hour prices, the idea of selling lots of food and drink at low prices.
There’s a $5 menu featuring the tempura green beans the restaurant is known for, along with eggrolls, street tacos and more. The popular Buffalo chicken fries just went up to $6 because the price of blue cheese went up.
There’s a $5 cocktail menu, too. It includes the top-selling mango margarita, along with the 14 other flavors of margaritas for the same prices.
Many of the beers are also $5.
Prices go up from there. Entrees are a bit more like regular prices, $12 to $15. But those appetizers and drinks are where the savings are. (Though if you insist on discounts, the $7 and $8 drinks are $2 off all day on Mondays.)
The original Lincoln opened in 2019 at 609 E. Olive Ave. The bar is small, but the business has taken over the former tattoo shop next door. That will double the size and add 40 seats. It’s waiting on the final OK from the City of Fresno to open.
The Lincoln’s second location opened last year at 401 Clovis Ave., Suite 106.
The concept appears to be working because Gossett said the owners are looking for a third location.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays. The kitchen is open until half hour before closing.
Yard House 
Beers like these are on tap at Yard House, which is the running for the best happy hour in Fresno. Special to The Bee Yard House
Happy hour starts hopping at this River Park restaurant at 3 p.m. and doesn’t slow down until it ends at 6 p.m. There’s often a short wait for a table during those hours.
The big chain restaurant — big because it has more than 100 taps, a huge dining room and nearly 100 locations nationwide — is known for its happy hour.
The busy restaurant offers certain appetizers — see full the list online — at half price during happy hour. And all the pizzas are half off, too.
The most popular order?
“Chicken nachos — hands down,” said manager Rebecca Cuadras.
That will cost you 8 bucks. The pizzas run around the same price, depending upon which kind you order.
There are also Wisconsin fried cheese curds, crispy Brussels sprouts, and chicken wings — both real and meatless.
As for drinks, beers, wine and cocktails are $2 off, mostly ringing up at between $5.99 and $12.99.
And those tall, 32-ounce beers in the funky glasses? Those “half yards” as they’re called are $4 off during happy hour.
There’s a late-night happy hour too, from 10 p.m. until close Sundays through Wednesdays. But only the drink deals, not food, are available then.
But Yard House’s happy hour is about more than just discounted food and drinks, Cuadras said.
“It’s the vibe that makes it popular,” she said. “My (general manager) always says, ‘We throw a party every day.’”
Hours: Yard House’s regular happy hour is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The late-night happy hour, featuring drink specials only, is from 10 p.m. until close Sundays through Wednesdays.
Note: These polls are clearly not top-notch science. Vote as many times as you want and share with your friends. We’ll keep the poll open til 7 a.m. Wednesday Aug. 12 and share the results shortly after.
The Fresno Bee best happy hour poll rendered two top contenders: Yard House and The Lincoln. A chain restaurant versus a local one. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com 
Yard House in Fresno’s River Park shopping center is among the two top vote-getters in The Bee’s best happy hour poll. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com 
The Lincoln Pub & Grub on Clovis Avenue near 5th Street in Clovis, which also has a location in Fresno’s Tower District, is among the two top vote-getters in The Bee’s best happy hour poll. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
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Bethany Clough covers restaurants and retail for The Fresno Bee. A reporter for more than 20 years, she now works to answer readers’ questions about business openings, closings and other business news. She has a degree in journalism from Syracuse University and her last name is pronounced Cluff.