|
Barfly Jason Genegabus |
KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Dennis Skillman, Claudia Norrington and Michael Harazin enjoy drinks upstairs at Pipeline Cafe.
PIPELINE CAFE
Hours: 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays; closed Sundays (except for special events)
Location: 805 Pohukaina St. (two blocks mauka from Ala Moana Boulevard)
Phone: 947-2900
Discover this
upstairs secretIT ALWAYS feels odd, to me at least, to be inside Pipeline Cafe while the sun is still shining. The Kakaako nightspot is a favorite among the 18 to 30-year-old set, and typically accommodates crowds of a thousand people or more on busy evenings.
Last Sunday, however, brought me through the front doors at dinner time; Hoobastank and No Bare Feet were about to perform, which was as good a reason as any to grab a cold beer and rock out for a bit.
NOW, UNLESS you've actually been to Pipeline, you're probably thinking that this joint is just another nightclub -- why is the Barfly writing about a spot like this?
The secret lies upstairs, where a full-featured sports bar sits waiting for patrons who want to play a game of pool and watch some television, or those who just grab a drink and take a break from shaking what their mommas gave them.
This place is actually bigger than some other hole-in-the-wall establishments on Oahu; It kind of reminds me of Players Downtown, before that bar pulled up stakes and moved up the street.
WHAT MAKES a trip here worth it for someone wary of barhopping at a nightclub is the variety of drink specials and the efficiency of the staff.
KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
The Barfly visits Pipeline Cafe and shows that the second level of the nightclub offers a place for barflies to hang out. Waitress Tricia Saito has the drinks ready.
With happy hour lasting from 4 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, the trick is to get down to Pipeline early (and you won't have to pay cover). Fill up with $2 drinks and pupus, then relax on a couch and enjoy the scenery as Honolulu's clubbing public shows up for a night of fun. If you decide to stay, different drink specials are usually in effect after 9 p.m. Check out www.pipelinecafe.net for a complete listing.
And speaking of pupus, Pipeline offers items on its menu that would give some local eateries a serious run for their money. French fries, quesadillas, wing zings, chicken katsu, vegetable crudite and even a house salad are among the items on special for $2 during happy hour, and those with a serious appetite should try the combo platter ($11.50), which comes with egg rolls, calamari wedges, crab rangoon and ahi poke. Most dishes arrive without much of a wait, since the club's kitchen is capable of feeding hundreds of people at a time -- a pleasant surprise for people used to a one-man kitchen crew at a smaller bar someplace else.
BETWEEN PEERING out at the crowd on the dance floor from my perch upstairs and running to the bar for refills, I found myself pleasantly reminded of how much fun it is upstairs at Pipeline. Let's just hope I can find some way to do it all again this weekend, when Jack Johnson takes the stage for a sold-out show on Sunday.
I ALSO need to take a minute and correct something that ran in this space last week. The King Street Cafe is located on the corner of South King and Keeaumoku streets.
I got thrown off trying to come up with politically correct directions; saying it was down the street from Ala Moana and near all the strip clubs in that area would probably have been easier for me.
How much for a Bud Light?The Barfly paid $3.75 for a bottle of Bud Light during the Hoobastank concert last Sunday. Depending on the day and time of your visit, there are different drink specials available every day at Pipeline. And don't forget about $2 drinks during happy hour from 4 to 9 p.m.
Get things to do?
Megatouch game consoles spread throughout the second floor, and sports memorabilia lines the walls. Dart machines and pool tables are also available. If the normal sports bar activities aren't enough, head over to the glass partition near the stairway that leads upstairs. When it starts to get busy, this vantage point provides a great view of the crowd while still allowing you to chill on a couch with your drink.
What about the grinds?
Whenever the Barfly visits Pipeline, the chicken tenders ($6.25) are always on the top of the list of pupus to order. The nachos ($6.25) are another good choice, and the Cajun shrimp ($7.75) and K.C. Baby-back Ribs ($8) are worth it if you've got some extra money to spend.
And the help?
Moving like a well-oiled machine, the staff at Pipeline are among the hardest-working folks in town. While the stress can get to them on busy nights, I've never had a problem ordering drinks upstairs at the sports bar, and food service is better here than in most restaurants you'll visit.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Barfly appears every Friday in Star-Bulletin Weekend.
E-mail Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com with suggestions of neighborhood bars to visit.
