Go early, be happy

Lots of happy hours have a frat party feeling, and the food and libations tend to be equally, uh, lacking. But there are exceptions.

Bodega Wine Bar

If you come to this 4-month-old, ultra-hip hang early on Thursday nights for happy hour, stick around to listen to DJ Cathy Tamkin of KCRW-FM (89.9). Not that it’s got to be a Thursday: Every night from 5 to 7 p.m. -- except Mondays, when the place is dark -- you can get a margherita pizza or other tasty offerings for a steal. Glasses of wine, normally priced $8 across the board, go for $5.

* Pizza, $6. 814 Broadway, Santa Monica, (310) 394-3504.

Sushi Roku Pasadena

Show up early (between 5 and 6:30 p.m.) or plan your visit on a Monday night, when what’s known as “Red Sun Hour” is extended to 10:30 p.m., and have a sushi dinner for less than $25. You can slide into one of the low banquettes in the sexy lounge, order any beer, wine or cocktail, some of which are discounted to $3 a pop, and choose from half a dozen hand roll options.

* Hand rolls, all $3. 33 Miller Alley, Pasadena, (626) 683-3000.

Violet

Braised beef short ribs with gorgonzola risotto and spring onions is one of the seven small plates chef Jared Simons prepares at this modern California bistro Tuesday through Thursday nights from 6 to 7 p.m. at a price easy enough to try each one.

* “7 Before 7” dishes, $7 each. 3221 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 453-9113.

Cha Cha Cha

Between 5 and 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, and all night Mondays, patrons at this 3-year-old offshoot of the original Cha Cha Cha (which this year turned the big 2-0) gobble down jerk pork and calamari with garlic aioli. Half a dozen cocktails also get hard-to-resist pricing.

* Jerk pork, $3; cocktails, $2 to $4. 7953 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 848-7700.

Chaya Venice

In addition to an early-evening happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m., this perennially popular beachside Cal-Asian destination does a late-night version that kicks off at 10:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The sushi menu is the same for both: a greatest-hits list featuring California roll and spicy tuna.

* Happy hour sushi, $3.50 to $4.50. 110 Navy St., Venice, (310) 396-1179.