|
Barfly Jason Genegabus |
KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Campbell High alumni friends -- from left, James Walker, Jayneen Andrade, Pua Cabebe, Kahalewehi Diaz, Janel Tabion, Jamie Centeio and Gavin Hashimoto -- gather for drinks after work to celebrate Diaz's birthday.
Kapolei cigar
joint is spot on
T-SPOT HIDEAWAY CIGAR AND LOUNGE
Location: 590 Farrington Highway, Suite 505 (in the Kapolei Marketplace)
Hours: 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily
Phone: 674-8081
I KNEW there was a reason why I kept putting off a trip out to Kapolei for this column. Having only been open for about three months now, T-Spot Hideaway Cigar & Lounge didn't even exist when I first toyed with the idea of a trip to the farther reaches of the Leeward side.
The wait was definitely worth it, though: T-Spot Hideaway is a gem of a watering hole that residents of Oahu's "second city" are lucky to have in their backyard.
Nestled between a Korean restaurant and a copy shop in the Kapolei Marketplace, this bar isn't hard to find if you know it's there. But don't be afraid to call for directions; my request for their hours of operation turned into talking story with an employee, a surprising bit of aloha spirit that I didn't expect.
WATCH YOUR HEAD when walking into the lounge area at T-Spot Hideaway -- three dart machines make their home along the wall to the right, and customers are basically throwing in your direction as you enter. Be careful!
There's tons of room to enjoy yourself at this place, which includes a stage, the dart machines and three pool tables for customer use. More than a dozen tables are spread out throughout the lounge, with another eight seats or so at the bar itself.
Things were pretty mellow on the night the Barfly landed there, but that doesn't mean Leeward residents don't know how to party. I had originally heard of T-Spot Hideaway as a place to visit for live music; expect a band when you visit on Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights starting June 15.
IF THIS were all the bar had to offer, the Barfly would probably have been satisfied with his journey to Kapolei. What really made it worth the trip, however, was the look on the Drinking Buddy's face when he discovered the full-fledged cigar lounge connected to the main bar. It didn't take long once we had gotten settled for him to explore a bit, and he soon returned with a grin.
There were big leather couches and a walk-in humidor, I was told, and I just had to see the Maker's Mark Whiskey-dipped cigars they had for sale. After finishing the pitcher I'd ordered earlier, off we went back through the doors just to the left of the bar and into what ended up being my favorite part of this joint.
Whether you're a novice looking for some guidance or someone out for the high-quality stuff that can be hard to find, T-Spot Hideaway is the place to go for Kapolei residents. A wide selection of pipe tobaccos and smoking accessories are also available.
AND ONCE you've bought that blunt, don't think that the rest of the bar is off-limits until you're through smoking. Management allows customers to smoke a cigar in either room, and there's usually drink service no matter where you hang out. Air purification systems are also set up in both rooms, so the smell you'd typically associate with cigar smoking actually isn't that bad here.
Pitchers of beer on the table, and a cigar in hand while I'm relaxing on a leather couch -- what could possibly be better than this? Other than moving T-Spot Hideway closer to town, not much.
How much for a Bud Light?
Domestic drafts are available for $3.25; pitchers are on sale for $10. Imports run $4.50 a pint, $13.50 a pitcher. Bottled beers, wine and mixed drinks are on the menu as well. Cigar smokers, take note: There's also a pretty good choice of ports at T-Spot Hideaway.
Get things to do?
Three dart machines, three pool tables, a stage for live music and a mammoth fish tank all provide distractions in the main lounge. Four televisions line the walls but, strangely, there aren't any Megatouch game machines in this place. A big screen provides entertainment in the cigar lounge at T-Spot Hideaway.
What about the grinds?
Standard bar fare is on the menu here, including nachos with cheese ($4.50), chili hot dogs ($4.50), soybeans ($3), limu or shoyu poke ($6) and aku bone ($3). Specialties of the house are the quarter-pound of Nalo smoked meat ($4) and quarter-pound of smoked marlin ($5).
And the help?
Service was leisurely the night the Barfly landed at T-Spot Hideaway, but that was kind of expected on a slow night. I was happy to hear that the staff is beefed up on weekends, so customers shouldn't have to expect a long wait for drinks. Most of the people I spoke with seemed happy to talk story for a bit, something that isn't always the case with places in town.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Barfly appears every Friday in Star-Bulletin Weekend.
E-mail Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com with suggestions of neighborhood bars to visit.
