GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
"The Deep End" bartender and manager Kendra Guthery, right, serves up a drink to Scotty Wells of Honolulu and Ewa Morgucz in the fifth floor poolside bar in the Ohana Maile Sky Court in Waikiki.
Go off
The Deep End
in Waikiki
THE DEEP END POOL BAR
Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Location: 2058 Kuhio Ave., 5th Floor
(Ohana Maile Sky Court Hotel)
Phone:955-8199
IT'S TIMES like this that I really enjoy my job. Thanks to a loyal reader, I got a chance to have a few beers at a hard-to-find spot with reasonable prices and a laid-back vibe. The kicker about this week's featured bar? It's in Waikiki.
Now, the Barfly could have landed at one of the more well-known watering holes like Duke's or Moose's, but I'd prefer to share with you an out-of-the-way establishment that some may have never even heard of before.
Located on the fifth floor of the Ohana Maile Sky Court Hotel, there's no way to know The Deep End even exists unless someone tells you about it. Only after you've wandered into the lobby (and gotten a quick Hawaiian history lesson, thanks to pictures hanging on the walls) and made it to the hotel's elevators do you see any mention of the bar upstairs.
Stop by almost any time during the week except Friday or Saturday nights and you shouldn't have a problem finding an empty seat here. Better yet, grab a pitcher and head out the bar's mauka-side doors; the hotel's pool deck and Jacuzzi are open until 11 p.m. and are part of the licensed premises. Translation: Mai Tais in the Jacuzzi with a good-looking tourist are a definite possibility here.
As is usually the case with bars in and around Waikiki, parking is kind of sketchy if someone's driving. Your best bet is to look for metered parking in the immediate area; street parking is also available along the Ala Wai, and validated parking in the Maile Sky Court is a possibility if you're willing to dine downstairs at TGI Friday's.
Speaking of food, don't expect to be served anything at The Deep End that can't be heated up in a microwave or toaster oven. The good news, however, is that management won't freak out if you have something delivered to the bar (or just bring it yourself). We were offered a menu from TGI Friday's while sitting at the bar, and one regular mentioned that Magoo's would deliver as well. I'll be a happy camper during my next visit here if I stop at Yama's Fishmarket for a pound of ahi poke before making the trip into Waikiki.
The next time you want to play tourist without actually having to check into a hotel, check out The Deep End. Hang out at the bar and feel like you've been initiated into a sort-of-secret society, or just spend a few hours sipping fruity drinks by the pool and remember how lucky we are to live in Hawaii. Either way, it's all good.
How much for a Bud Light?
The Barfly drank $5 minipitchers of Bud Light while at The Deep End; $8 microbrews from Sam Adams, Kona Brewing Co. and others are also on tap.
Get things to do?
There's actually a lot to do at The Deep End; three pool tables, two Megatouch game machines and a dart machine can be found inside the bar, and three televisions are strategically placed around the room. And don't forget your bathing suit so you can take a dip in the pool or Jacuzzi just outside.
What about the grinds?
Unless you're planning to bring pupus with you, think about grabbing a bite to eat before making a stop at The Deep End. Spring Rolls ($5), Honey BBQ Wings ($5) and Pepperoni Pizza ($5) are on the menu, and popcorn is available for $2 a bag. If you're really hungry, ask the bartender for a TGI Friday's menu or one of the delivery menus from area restaurants. You're more than welcome to bring your own food to complement the liquor being served.
And the help?
There were maybe a dozen people drinking when the Barfly landed earlier this week, but we were able to sit down and get served almost immediately. I was also impressed with our bartender's willingness to make our visit a good one; we even got one of the bar's televisions changed so we could watch what we wanted. Maybe it's all the tourists who pass through that give employees practice, but we felt right at home with the establishment's regulars as soon as our rear ends were planted on the bar stools.
Barfly appears every Friday in Star-Bulletin Weekend.
E-mail Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com with suggestions of neighborhood bars to visit.
