Happy Hour | Betty is part of the happening Queen Anne happy-hour scene

Upper Queen Anne? Not long ago, gastronomically speaking, that meant the 5 Spot Cafe, and it usually implied weekend brunch.

Well, not anymore. Not on the main drag, where restaurants and bars dot Queen Anne Avenue North from Galer Street to Boston Street. Known more for its coffee houses, this drag is also one of the city's best-kept secrets for happy hour.

Bricco della Regina Anna and its $6 cocktails and $2 bruschetta. Julia's on Queen Anne for its waffle fries topped with basil salt and Gorgonzola sauce.

But I would start at Betty. I always start at Betty.

Its small plates, all $4, feature things such as juicy, grilled house-made lamb-and-pork sausage with hints of cumin served with a Greek yogurt-cucumber sauce and couscous; the succulent pulled-pork tacos with mole; and the best dish — charred grilled octopus with sweet chorizo.

If you are a vegetarian, the crostini may be your only decent option because the melted glob that is the Manchego-cheese-stuffed-grape leaves was too oily. And on one evening, my order was burned crisp-black.

Most folks, though, will eye the Betty Burger, a half-pound cheeseburger with the largest side of fries I've ever seen. At $8, the burger runs about $3 more than the going happy-hour rate, but it's still a deal when you consider the large portion and the fixings, served on a house-made, sesame-seed brioche bun.

Still, you can get a burger anywhere. I would go the tapas route, downed with a $3 Bitburger beer.

Betty, 1507 Queen Anne Ave. N., offers happy hour 5-6:30 p.m. daily when food costs $3-$8 and beer $3, wines and selected cocktails $6. 206-352-3773 or www.eatatbetty.com.

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