Where's the best happy-hour food?

It's called "happy hour" for a reason -- delicious food and cold drinks with co-workers can brighten even the gloomiest workday. But as food becomes increasingly upscale and trendy, the focus of happy hour has shifted, and food has become an important part of the equation. Restaurants have followed suit by offering food in addition to drink specials, making it possible to fill up with a small outlay of cash. But where can you find the best food for the best price? We've done some research and uncovered some of the best buys in suburban happy-hour dining.

Yard House ,1880 Tower Drive, Glenview, (847) 729-9273

This upscale casual eatery, located in Glenview's Glen Town Center, is known for its large selection of draft beer, but when cozying up to the bar for happy hour, be sure to take advantage of select half-priced appetizers and pizzas available from 3 to 6 p.m. A particular standout is the bearnaise sliders, served with fried onions and a classic bearnaise sauce. The specials are not limited to the food menu; during football season, select pints are available for $3.25 on Monday nights. A typical happy-hour crowd consists of office-types cutting out of work early and people who share Yard House's affinity for sports and classic rock.

Red Star Tavern, 1800 Tower Drive, Glenview, (847) 486-0099

Another popular happy hour destination at The Glen Town Center, Red Star Tavern's location draws 20- and 30-something worker bees from nearby corporate giants Kraft and Allstate. If you want to keep the focus on the food and the company (instead of the sporting event on the plasma screen), Red Star Tavern is a good choice. The half-priced appetizer special from 3 to 6 p.m. is a perfect time to try the lettuce wraps or boneless buffalo wings -- two of the tavern's post-work specialties. Drink specials are also offered every night of the week, including half-price martinis and half-price beers of the month.

Tailgaters Sports Bar and Grill, 431 W. Boughton Road, Bolingbrook, (630) 679-1992

Located on booming Boughton Road in Bolingbrook, Tailgaters offers plenty of activities for those looking for some happy-hour amusement -- pinball, pool, darts and WiFi, to name a few. The crowd at Tailgaters depends on the time and day of the week -- teachers tend to congregate on Fridays; blue-collar workers show up around 3 p.m.; while office workers arrive around 5. To get your snack on, opt for nachos, wings, cheese sticks or cheese quesadillas, all of which cost $3 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Potter's Place, 29 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville, (630) 355-9165

This casual Mexican restaurant in the heart of jam-packed downtown Naperville is a fun place year-round, but its outdoor patio pushes it to the top of places to be after work during the warm fall months. The lower-level bar tends to only fill up on weekends, so grab a table in the bar or the dining area. The location draws an eclectic crowd -- afternoon shoppers grabbing a bite to eat before heading home, college kids grabbing an early drink, Naperville family types and your usual white-collar workers. There are no specific food specials (drink specials vary by night of the week), but prices are reasonable enough to allow you to nosh on seriously tasty Mexican fare on the cheap. Consider indulging in delightfully gooey queso fundido or the Potter's signature dish: the Potter's Christmas Tree, a burrito topped with guacamole, sour cream, extra cheese and tomatoes.

Wool Street Grill & Sports Bar, 128 Wool St. (at Station Street), Barrington, (847) 304-0313

Wool Street Grill & Sports Bar's clientele is a product of its location. In a nod to family-friendly Barrington, there is a kids zone located on the upper floor of the establishment; due to its proximity to both the local high school and the train station, the happy-hour crowd brings in a mix of 21- to 35-year-old teachers and businessmen. Food specials vary by day but include discounted wings on Tuesdays, a fish fry on Fridays and ribs on Saturdays. Drink specials also rotate, with an emphasis on discounted buckets of bottles. The traditional bar atmosphere is augmented by jukebox music in the late afternoon/early evening; happy-hour stragglers can catch live music if they hang around long enough. A second location will be opening in Cary at the beginning of 2008.

Rizzo's, 6 W. Jefferson St., Naperville, (630) 305-4396

With its long, sleek wood bar and plush banquettes, Rizzo's in downtown Naperville is a good choice for a more upscale happy hour. The place doesn't really get packed until later in the evening, so if you and your crew show up at 5 p.m., you may have the place to yourself for a while. Beyond the sophisticated interior, the biggest selling point for Rizzo's is the food. The appetizer menu offers plenty of tempting choices, including a tasty, buttery mushroom ravioli dish or a single serving of pizza margarite, served with four cheeses atop a perfectly delicate thin crust. Salads are big enough to share, and entrees -- like the grilled fillet mignon -- hold their own against big-name steakhouse offerings. Food specials vary by night -- the bartender informed us during our Monday outing that wings were the special of the day -- and pretty incredible drink specials ($1 pint drafts!) make it easy to afford some of the pricier menu options.

Dick's River Roadhouse, 702 N. River Road, Mount Prospect, (847) 298-7200

This casual spot is a great place to go for an ultra-laid-back happy-hour outing. Mondays and Thursdays are the most popular nights to soak up the drink offerings -- $1 domestic drafts in a frosted mug on Monday, $1.50 domestic drafts and rail drinks on Thursday -- but if you're going for cheap eats, Monday or Friday would be your best bet. The wings -- said to be some of the best in Chicago -- are available on a free buffet from 3 to 6 p.m. Fridays. Those same wings, offered in 15 different flavors, are also on special for 25 cents Tuesday through Friday. If you're craving some red meat, Monday is your night, with $2 hamburgers and $3 cheeseburgers with fries. If you're looking for some rowdy dance-floor action, stick around a while -- DJs and live music starts at 9 p.m.

Brass Restaurant, 105 Hollywood Blvd., South Barrington, (847) 765-1200

Come hungry to this classy, contemporary South Barrington microbrew, tucked behind the AMC off of Barrington Road. Brass takes happy-hour eats to the next level of fine dining with half-price nibbles from 5 to 7 p.m.: tomato caprese salad, buffalo chicken tenders with pancetta bruschetta and quesadillas, not to mention uber-loaded nachos (seriously, they're the size of your head). Not into a fancy tomato/mozzarella/basil tower? Try the sliders. They're only a buck with purchase of a cocktail or any of Brass' delicious, award-winning microbrews, which include classic pale ales, British pub ales and a porter that'll make Guinness lovers trade teams. Brass' intimate, wood-lined hideaway also stakes claim as a comfy place to watch the after-work big game.