PHOTOS: J. MICHAEL SHORT | 210SA CONTRIBUTOR

Ain't no party like a Belgian party. (Hey! Ho!) Now that there's a bar at La Frite, the hotties are finding their way in for some cheap drinks and tasty appetizers — not to mention the lobster.

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Recommend 0

What: La Frite

Where: 728 S. Alamo St.

The digits: (210) 224-7555

Web:   www.bistrovatel.com/lafrite.html

Get your drink on: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday; 6-10:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 5-10:30 p.m. Saturday; happy hour is 5-7 p.m. Thursday and 4-6 p.m. Friday

Hotties quotient: I don't know if this is really the place to pick up hotties, though there are definitely some who stop by the bar. In fact, a group of them walked in just after happy hour ended on a Friday afternoon. Well-dressed, chatty and out of my league, but hotties all the same. Generally speaking, this is a place for couples, but with the addition of the bar, there is the additional clientele.

Wallet hangover: Medium. Going into the bar for a few drinks at happy hour won't set you back at all. Stella Artois is $2.50, and there are a couple of different champagne drinks for $5. Of course, one of the selling points is the fact that they have food — Belgian food. There are pricey items like lobster tail ($26), Steak Tartare ($22) and duck breast ($24), but also appetizers ($10 and under) and snacks such as the famous Belgian fries (an inexpensive $4.50). Even after happy hour, there are affordable drinks to be had: Duval and Maredsous, famous Belgian beers, are $6, and Stella is $4.50, while the pricier, but stronger, Chimay is $11.

The 210 take: I recently read online somewhere that the city is going to try to make it easier and cheaper for restaurants and bars downtown to rent sidewalk space for patio seating. In our climate, it seems like a sin not to have it all over (sure, it can get a little hot, but not if it's shaded). La Frite has been ahead on this for quite some time. They have a half a dozen bistro tables lining the large plate glass windows on South Alamo Street. The thin bar, with its marvelous dark wooden floors and open ceiling makes for a perfect place to chitchat, wax philosophical or ruminate quietly. The music, when it's on, is light — Pink Martini or Putumayo — which adds to the airy ambiance. The waitstaff is attentive and friendly. Stephen, our bartender one Friday, is not only knowledgeable, but exceptionally hospitable, lending the bar a buzz of professionalism and intimacy. Overall, an excellent way to spend a Friday evening.

Grade: A

Rico Auto | 210SA contributor