Kick back and savor
Pub & Grub
YE OLDE FOX & HOUNDS
PUB & GRUB
Open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily
4614 Kilauea Ave. No. 102,
(in back of Kahala Mall)
738-5655
THERE'S SO much to like about Kahala's Ye Olde Fox & Hounds Pub & Grub: its convenient location near Kahala Mall, the varied and reasonably priced (for the most part) menu and the fact that you can get a draught pint of Guiness or Newcastle Brown Ale are just a few reasons to go.
But as long as neighbors in the surrounding area keep complaining about noise from the bar, I'm not too sure that Ye Olde Fox & Hounds will be able to avoid the same fate as all the other businesses that have occupied the space.
For the Barfly, on the other hand, the No. 1 concern has to be the beer. And in that respect, Ye Olde Fox & Hounds is almost like a secret spot you only want your friends to know about. The bar's 19 taps offer liquid courage in the form of Bass Ale, Murphy's, Foster's, Anchor Steam and Kona Brewing Co.'s Kona Fire Rock Ale. And that's just what you can get on draft; other fine brews like Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Hornsby Draft Cider are for sale in bottled form.
Once you get a pitcher and settle in at Ye Olde Fox & Hounds, it's almost like you're kicking back in someone's living room. A half-dozen televisions are strategically placed, and a big screen occupies the area directly across the bar where live music is also featured on Thursday through Saturday nights.
On the night the Barfly landed at Ye Olde Fox & Hounds, there were about a dozen people in the bar, ranging in age from the mid-20s to early 40s.
If you like the outdoor vibe, check out the row of tables near the front door -- they're covered (so you won't get wet if it rains) and provide a parking lot vantage point so you can check out the people walking into the bar.
Following in the footsteps of Waikiki's Ye Olde Fox & Hounds, the Kahala location's menu offers a variety of English pub foods to grind on while you're there. A signature item is the Fish and Chips, served either as a "Captain's Portion" for $9.95 or a "1st Mate's Portion" for $6.95. When my "Captain's Portion" arrived I thought my server had brought the smaller serving, since there were only three pieces of fish. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and I was disappointed with the taste as well. The dish didn't taste much different than what I could have picked up at a Jack in the Box instead.
That's not to say there isn't good food on the menu -- my drinking buddy tried a pastrami sandwich ($5.95) and really liked it. The hamburgers on the menu also sounded good, and breakfast is available all day long. Managing partner Bill Nickerson also says that the menu will be changing soon, with local kine grinds and sushi being added to the most popular items currently available.
If you're looking for a place to kick back with a pitcher of quality beer or a last stop on the way home after a night out in town, Ye Olde Fox & Hounds Pub & Grub is worth stopping by. Let's just hope the bar's neighbors don't kill their chances of providing the drinking public with a place to go in the Kahala area.
How much for a Bud Light?
48 oz. pitchers run $6 each, 20 oz. drafts are $3.50; there are close to 20 different beers on draft and even more available in bottles.
Get things to do?
A dart machine, pool table and three megatouch game machines are scattered throughout the room; Nickerson also mentioned bringing in a karaoke machine sometime soon.
What about the grinds?
Keeping with the English pub theme, Ye Olde Fox & Hounds offers a range of food you might expect -- fish and chips ($9.95), bangers and mash ($8.95) and a "Traditional Sunday Roast" ($12.95) with roasted chicken, beef and turkey along with all the fixings are just some of the items on the menu. Deli sandwiches, hamburgers and other bar staples are available, too.
And the help?
Our server greeted us as soon as we walked through the front door and did a good job of making us feel welcome even though she was the only one on duty. The food we ordered arrived quickly, and our beer glasses never got empty -- Shawna would make a pass and pour a refill whenever she saw we needed one. There's something about not having to pour your own beer that makes the Barfly feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Barfly appears every Friday in Star-Bulletin Weekend.
E-mail Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com with suggestions of neighborhood bars to visit.
