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Barfly Jason Genegabus |
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
No better way to end off the day than with a nice refreshing beverage. At Ferguson's Irish Pub, George Cruden, left, and Mary Baltazar enjoy some good conversation. Proprietor John Ferguson is behind the bar.
Saved by the luck
of the Irish
FERGUSON'S IRISH PUB
Location: 729 Bishop St. (in the Pacific Guardian Center, on the corner of Bishop and Nimitz)
Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays; closed Sundays
Phone: 521-9020
JUST AFTER deadline last week, I received an e-mail promoting an "On Broadway" cocktail party at a place called the Honolulu Cafe. Featuring entertainment by Hawaii's own Broadway singers Danielle Mika and Kristian Lei, along with cocktails and pupus, this sounded like it might be worth checking out. But the Honolulu Cafe? I'd never heard of the place.
It's probably just as well, too -- when the Barfly showed up at the Honolulu Cafe earlier this week, it didn't take much to see that you're better off ordering a latte or a smoothie instead at this joint. It's a coffee shop, not a bar.
Not wanting to go inside and bother the lone employee (who was busy surfing the Internet since there weren't any customers), we wandered out of the Pacific Guardian Center's courtyard onto Bishop Street. Then it hit me like chugging a cold pint of Guinness on a hot day: We were just steps away from Ferguson's Irish Pub!
TALK ABOUT a great save -- instead of wandering around looking for somewhere else to grab a beer, our misfortune with the Honolulu Cafe ended up putting the Barfly in perfect position to knock a few back in the cozy space that's become a favorite for Star-Bulletin staffers like Dave Donnelly and Russ Lynch. There's even a framed copy of Donnelly's newspaper story about his trip to Ireland hanging on the bar's front door.
On the night the Barfly landed at Ferguson's, about a half-dozen regulars were at the bar, with another couple relaxing at one of the 10 tables or so that line the opposite wall. This isn't exactly the roomiest establishment in town (you could throw an empty beer can from the front door out the back door on the fly if nobody stands in your way), but you don't feel cramped either when raising your glass to drink.
A pair of televisions at either end of the bar, in addition to a smaller one above the tables near the rear, allow customers to catch up on the latest sports scores -- or keep up with the latest gossip on "American Idol" and "Mr. Personality." Even the Irish are into reality television, it seems.
FOR PROPRIETOR John Ferguson, owning a bar is a long-time dream that he's finally had a chance to realize. Along with his wife, Lillian, and another bartender, Ferguson spends most of his days in front of the beautifully organized bottles of liquor that make up the wall behind the bar itself. There's something to be said about presentation in a bar, and this watering hole does it well; everything is easily accessible and nice to look at, too. Make sure to ask Ferguson about the empty liquor bottles from Ireland that he's collected over the years, as well as the framed display of items that he picked up during his career in the cruise industry.
THE ONLY disappointment, if you could call it that (I got a laugh out of it more than anything), was the behavior of a few regulars who had obviously had more than a couple of drinks at the bar. The Barfly was relaxing at a table behind three guys that were messing around like college kids at Magoo's. You know the routine -- all that liquid courage makes some people punchy and these guys were clearly enjoying making threats like "I'm going to take you outside and kick your butt," to each other. But it went too far when I overheard one of them offering 20 bucks in a dare to steal the hat I was wearing. It's a good thing the others were smart enough to refuse the offer -- I don't know how I'd explain to my boss why I got into a good old-fashioned Irish bar brawl while having a drink.
How much for a Bud Light?
Draft pints of Bud Light are available for $2.75 at Ferguson's, but why drink a domestic beer when you visit an Irish Pub? Grab a pint of Guinness ($4.25), Killian's Irish Red ($3.50) or Harp Lager ($4.25) instead.
Get things to do?
Three televisions, a jukebox and a Megatouch game machine all provide distractions here. But the size of Ferguson's also encourages interaction between the customers at the bar. Get a dozen people in this place and you have a pretty good crowd, and most folks who visit are pretty easygoing and fun to talk to.
What about the grinds?
Pupu offerings are typical - chicken nuggets with fries ($4.75), onion rings ($3), fish and chips ($5.50) and breaded shrimp with fries ($5.50) are all on the menu. If you visit, be sure to try the salmon ($4.75), chicken ($4.50) or beef pie ($4.50); Ferguson's wife Lillian makes them, and they've become a lunchtime favorite for some.
And the help?
Ferguson's small size ensures that you'll get pretty good service whenever you stop by. Take some time to talk with the owner, and he'll have you'll feeling like a regular in no time.
Barfly appears every Friday in Star-Bulletin Weekend.
E-mail Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com with suggestions of neighborhood bars to visit.
