Next Door Bar & Grill
Open 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily; closed Tuesdays
610 Ward Ave.
591-2950
JASON GENEGABUS / JASON@STAR-BULLETIN.COM
This 22-ounce bottle of beer comes from Okinawa.
Go Next Door
for footballBETTER ADD the Barfly to whatever list of supporters UH has of their new pay-per-view telecasts. For the first time in a long while, UH fans were able to watch the game live last weekend instead of waiting until a replay aired later that same evening.
You say you don't have a big-screen TV at home or a dozen friends to split the PPV cost? Then take advantage of the many bars that plan to offer all of UH's home games live on television this season, like Next Door Bar & Grill.
Located on Ward Avenue just makai of Kapiolani Boulevard, Next Door shares its parking lot with a small convenience store and another bar. Walk through the front doors on game days and Next Door is ready to accommodate with two rooms and nine televisions, including the requisite big screen. The main bar area is to the right when you walk in and seats about 15. When we arrived just before kickoff last Saturday, most of the eight booths were already filled with a diverse group of people, from the middle-aged regulars talking story at the bar to a group of mid-20s guys that would jump up and high-five everyone around them whenever UH would score (and keep in mind, UH scored over 60 points in this game).
AFTER BEING seated by our server, we were quickly disappointed to learn that Next Door doesn't offer draft beer; only bottles are served. Seeing that it was before 7 p.m. and therefore still happy hour, I asked for a $2.25 Bud Light. "Sorry," I was told, "no happy hour during football game." At least the regular prices weren't that bad -- $2.75 for domestics, $4 for imports and $4.25 for well drinks. And if you're feeling adventurous, try a 22-ounce bottle of Orion beer for $6. Brewed and bottled in Okinawa, Orion's taste is along the lines of an Asahi or Kirin with a sort of metallic aftertaste.
Food at Next Door ranges from the typical steak ($12), sashimi ($13) and chicken wings ($7) to more exotic items like asparagus bacon ($4), broiled oysters ($16/dozen) or stuffed mushrooms with crabmeat ($10). An assorted sushi platter ($20), nigiri sushi ($10) and hand rolls ($12) are also available on Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays. And if you can handle sweets with your beer, try a deep-fried Snickers bar ($2.50).
WHILE TOO CLOSE to Kapiolani to be considered a real hole in the wall, Next Door Bar & Grill is definitely an acceptable substitute for watching the game at home. It would also serve as a good warm-up spot on the weekend before heading over to Pipeline Cafe, Restaurant Row or the Ward Entertainment Complex. You can even pay a virtual visit to Next Door online; surf to www.comenextdoor.com for a peek at the menu and directions to the bar.
How much for a Bud Light?
$2.75 a bottle; imports run $4 each, and mixed drinks range from $4.25 to $5.50. Happy hour prices in effect from 2 to 7 p.m.
Get things to do?
Karaoke, darts and Megatouch game machines are available, though everything was turned off during our visit and the karaoke room had the game on as well.
What about the grinds?
Lots of choices if you've got money to spend; stick to chicken katsu, french fries, soybeans and the like if you're on a budget.
And the help?
The two servers working last Saturday did a good job of floating about the bar, removing plates and bringing drinks. Be careful if you pay with a credit card; all you get is a charge slip and check stub with the total amount printed on it — there's no itemized listing of what you ordered. Play it safe and just pay with cash.
Barfly appears every Friday in Star-Bulletin Weekend.
E-mail Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com with suggestions of neighborhood bars to visit.
