I went to Tutto Pasta on State Street for happy hour recently, and I was stunned when I saw my tab. (The special is 2-for-1 rails, by the way.) For six drinks (three free), I was charged $17. A regular-priced screwdriver rail and vodka-cranberry rail are both a whopping $6 each! And a whiskey-cola was $5!

This is Madison, not Chicago. The happy hour special simply brought the prices down to normal (e.g. $3 each instead of $6) for this area. In fact, I cannot think of any other bar in the city that charges that much for rail drinks. So lesson learned: not every special is as “special” as it claims to be.

(While we’re on the subject of this restaurant … Tutto doesn’t allow you to get their happy hour rates if you sit outside–another ridiculous rule on their part. Shame on Tutto for screwing their customers.)