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Barfly Jason Genegabus |
Waipio trip
scores no goalsOVER THE past few weeks, a number of Oahu families have discovered how nice the new Central Oahu Regional Park in Waipio really is. With beautifully manicured grass as far as the eye can see and a ton of space to run around and get some exercise, it's a great place to bring the keiki and enjoy a day in the sun.
But the last time I checked, drinking alcohol in a public park was still illegal. Sure, you could load up the cooler at a supermarket and take your chances on your next visit, but why do that when a watering hole is just down the street? Let another relative keep an eye on the keiki and head on over to Nancy's Kitchen, located in the Gentry Waipio Shopping Center.
Nancy's Kitchen
Hours: Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily
Location: Location: 94-1040 Waipio Uka Street (Gentry Waipio Shopping Center)
Phone:676-3438
TUCKED AWAY in a back corner of the strip mall, Nancy's keeps a pretty low profile in the area. Trees have grown high enough to partially obstruct the restaurant and lounge's main signage, making it hard for someone to find this joint if they don't know where they're going. I had to circle the block a bit before I figured out exactly where to park.
And while there is a stand-alone lounge area here, the restaurant operation is why a lot of people come to visit. Think of KC Drive Inn or maybe even Sidestreet with a separate bar added on, and you've got an idea of the atmosphere at Nancy's Kitchen.
On the night the Barfly landed in Waipio, there were maybe a half-dozen patrons relaxing in the lounge area. It was easy to tell that we were the only customers ordering drinks who weren't regulars -- we got a few sideways glances as we grabbed a seat at the bar itself and, as far as I could tell, we were the only ones to get carded by the bartender during our entire visit.
ONCE WE got our first beer of the night, it quickly became obvious that there isn't a whole lot to do at Nancy's other than the usual standbys when you visit a bar. Five dart machines line the downstairs wall of the split-level lounge; upstairs near the bar is home to a few tables and a pair of Megatouch machines.
There are also three televisions in the lounge area here, but it doesn't seem that much planning was done when placing them in the room. Only one of the televisions was visible from our seats at the bar, and that was only if we leaned just the right way and tried not to look like we were eavesdropping on the patron next to us. It also didn't help that the other two sets weren't even turned on when we visited; employees could have at least switched them on to Sportscenter or something.
And while there is a karaoke machine available for customers to use, the staff on duty when we visited decided it wasn't that important to play music for their customers if nobody wanted to sing. No music to listen to, nothing to watch on television and a bartender who was more interested in talking to the regular sitting at the end of the bar? After a couple of beers and a quick bite to eat, we knew it was time to leave.
How much for a Bud Light?
The Barfly drank $2.50 bottles of Bud Light during his visit to Nancy's. Happy hour is in effect here until 6 p.m. daily, and four taps allow the bar to serve pitchers of Coors, Budweiser, Killians and Steinlager to thirsty customers. Other beer specials are in effect on certain nights; call ahead for a full rundown.
Get things to do?
Other than the dart machines and Megatouch screens in the lounge area, there isn't much to do here. While Nancy's would be a good choice for a group of people looking to kick back and have a couple of drinks, skip this place if you're looking to catch a game or meet someone new -- your chances are probably going to be better at The Shack in Mililani or over at Chez Monique in Pearl City.
What about the grinds?
The food was Nancy's saving grace during our visit; the steak with onions and mushrooms ($9.50) was pretty filling for the price, and other local favorites like sauteed shrimp ($8), pipikaula ($3.75) and crispy won ton ($5.50) are also on the menu. If you stop in after 9:30 p.m., a special menu is available, and the prices aren't too bad, either.
And the help?
While our bartender was nice to look at, it didn't feel like she was trying very hard to make a couple of new customers feel comfortable. She didn't check on us very often once we got our first drink, and my bottle sat empty on the bar for a good five minutes or so before I was offered another one. I understand it's important to keep the regulars happy, but if you don't take care of the newer customers, too, there's no chance of them becoming regulars in the future.
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.
