Barfly won’t land
often at Row Bar
ROW BAR
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily
Location: 500 Ala Moana
(Restaurant Row)
Phone: 528-2345
ALMOST TWO YEARS have passed since the Star-Bulletin made its move down South Street to new offices in Restaurant Row, and in all that time, I still hadn't stopped by the Row Bar for a drink. A lot of my co-workers, on the other hand, make the trip down there on a pretty regular basis, so earlier this week the Barfly decided to drop in and see what the buzz was about.
It's easy to appreciate the simplicity of the Row Bar -- located in just about the center of Restaurant Row, tables surround the circular bar in all directions. This place is great to grab a drink and people-watch, too. Around pau hana time, there are a lot of office workers in the area, and the Row Bar's close proximity to the Ocean Club allows for prime views of everyone heading into the nightspot.
On the night the Barfly stopped by with a few friends, about a dozen people lounged at different tables while a few sat at the bar itself. Two employees were on duty at the time (a bartender and a server), and we didn't have any trouble placing an order for our first drinks of the night. The problem, however, was getting those drinks in a timely manner.
Granted, one of my friends had an out-of-state ID, and it's important for a bar to cover their rear end and make sure she was of age. But it didn't look like the employee who walked off with her ID was in much of a hurry to get to the task at hand; after a few minutes of poking and prodding the piece of plastic with my friend's picture on it, our server got our drinks and proceeded to check on other customers before wandering back to our table. With only a handful of people at the bar, it's hard to understand why it would take almost five minutes to get two beers and a glass of water brought over. And it didn't help either that the Drinking Buddy's beer was lukewarm.
KEN IGE / KIGE@ STARBULLETIN.COM
Tracy Botelho, bartender at The Row Bar at Restaurant Row, pours a beer on tap.
Beverages finally in hand, we sat back and tried to enjoy the sights in front of us. At one table, two guys sat sipping Heinekens and watching the ladies walk into the Ocean Club. Over on the other side of the bar, a lone female relaxed with a glass of wine and watched one of the televisions hanging from the ceiling. Spotting another group of people eating popcorn at their table, I wondered out loud if we'd be getting some, too. "You need to serve yourself," my friend said. What's up with that? Is it too much for our server to offer some complimentary pupus, or at least inform us of their availability when we sit down? If I'm going to do it myself, I might as well stay home -- what's the point of going out just to serve yourself?
If you're going to the Row Bar for a drink or two, make sure to go during happy hour (4 to 7 p.m. and again from 10 to 11:30 p.m.). You'll save money on the liquor, and it's a pretty sure bet there will be a good crowd to check out while you're there. Unlike other establishments where the cheap drinks, ono pupus or interesting decor are the main selling points, it's the customers themselves that make the Row Bar worth visiting. If it's a slow night, consider one of the many alternatives in the immediate area instead.
How much for a Bud Light?
We paid $3.50 for a bottle of beer, although happy-hour specials are in effect from 4 to 7 p.m. and 10 to 11:30 p.m. Draught pints of good stuff like Bass Ale, Guinness, Sam Adams and a few other microbrews are also available. You can get a mixed drink here, too, if you so desire.
Get things to do?
It's all about people-watching at the Row Bar. There are a few televisions hanging in the bar, but it's hard to pay attention when the speakers above your head sound blown out and music is blasting out of the Ocean Club at the same time.
What about the grinds?
The Row Bar doesn't have a kitchen, so they serve "Row Bar Bites" from Phillip Paolo's next door. Prices are kind of steep for the portions served -- the calamari ($8.50), fried ravioli ($8.50) and pepperoni pizza ($9.50) are the most expensive items on the menu. We tried the ravioli and crab cakes ($9.50) on our visit and weren't exactly thrilled with what arrived. The ravioli was OK, but the crab cakes were more stuffing than crab. And the french fries ($3.50) we ordered were too oily and a bit undercooked for our taste.
And the help?
For a slow night, the Barfly expected a bit more than what we got in terms of service at the Row Bar. Empty glasses and bottles sat on our table for a while before they were removed, which made it hard to make space for our food when it arrived. And while I'm always appreciative of free pupus, you won't catch the Barfly serving himself any time soon. Is it too much to ask for a server to bring a bowl of popcorn by your table, or at least a pupu menu so you can order food? I don't think so.
Barfly appears every Friday in Star-Bulletin Weekend.
E-mail Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com with suggestions of neighborhood bars to visit.
