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Barfly Jason Genegabus |
East Side Grill
tops the packTHIS IS the last Barfly column for 2003, which means it's time to unveil the second annual listing of the Top Five Bars in Honolulu.
And away we go ...
Taking fifth place is Pipeline Cafe, 805 Pohukaina St.; 589-1999.
I know, I know. Pipeline Cafe is a nightclub, not a bar.
A lot of people got on my case about reviewing this joint, but I'll repeat what I wrote when my review ran back in July -- the secret lies upstairs, where a full-featured sports bar sits waiting. A number of tables and couches, in addition to the bar itself, provide a lot of room for customers, with a couple of pool tables and television sets up around the room, giving folks something else to do besides drink.
Pipeline is also one of the busiest liquor-serving establishments on Oahu, which is a good thing, even when there aren't a lot of people at the bar. Employees are so used to busy nights and impatient customers that they tend to move at a much faster pace anyway, and have worked to maintain a high degree of efficiency, while still being pretty nice to those of us who are drinking.
Oh, and don't forget about the $2 drinks and pupus from 4 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays!
STAR-BULLETIN / 2003
East Side Grill takes the Barfly's top honors for the Barfly's second annual Top Five Bars of Honolulu. Above, Shawn Felipe of Mililani, Kaleo Auld of Kapahulu and Elroy Entendencia also of Kapahulu enjoyed a round of drinks at the University Avenue bar and grill earlier this year.
No. 4 goes to T-Spot Hideaway Cigar and Lounge, The Marketplace at Kapolei; 674-8081.
Leeward residents don't have nearly as many choices as those of us who live in town when it comes to going out for drinks, but T-Spot Hideaway Cigar and Lounge is definitely one of the crown jewels on that side of the island.
My favorite aspect of this bar is the full-fledged cigar lounge that's connected to the main room -- leather couches and a big-screen television complement a walk-in humidor that takes up one side of the lounge, and you can chill over there while still being able to order drinks and pupus from one of the servers. Management also allows for cigar smoking in the main bar area, so you can still puff that Makers' Mark Whiskey-dipped blunt you just bought, even if the rest of your friends aren't cigar smokers themselves.
There's a tie for the third spot, which goes to Gordon Biersch at Aloha Tower Marketplace, call 599-4877; and Brew Moon at Ward Centre, call 593-0088.
It was just too hard to pick one brewpub over another, so I had to include both of them on my list. If you're a beer guy like I am, both Gordon Biersch and Brew Moon are always options when deciding what bar to visit. Just make sure you've got money to burn -- quality beer doesn't come cheap, you know.
If good pupus and an intimate setting are what you're looking for, check out Brew Moon. Unfortunately, they don't offer the Jody Maroni's grilled gourmet sausage platter that I inhaled during my visit in February, but the barbecue-grilled pork with buns ($6) and fire-roasted ribs ($10.50) are definitely worth a try.
Rather catch a game or people watch while drinking your microbrew? Gordon Biersch is better-suited for kicking back and shooting the breeze, with the waterfront right there and close to two dozen barstools available near the taps that dispense all that alcoholic goodness.
What keeps these places from ranking higher on my list? It's simple -- parking and beer prices. Aloha Tower Marketplace still isn't the easiest place to park inexpensively without having to hike back to your car at the end of your visit, and I'm always painfully aware of the fact that I can get a full pitcher of beer for just a buck or two more than what I'd pay for a pint at Gordon Biersch or Brew Moon.
Taking the runner-up spot is Cafe Anasia, 2227 S. Beretania St.; 951-9295.
I've got to admit, I'm kind of surprised that Cafe Anasia made it to the No. 2 spot on my list. It had been more than a year since I'd been there when I reviewed the place in October, due to a bad experience with service during my previous visit.
But I'm glad I went back and gave the place another chance. You can't go wrong with a place that offers $5 pitchers of beer, has a variety of pupus on its menu that are both tasty and affordable, and even keeps Southern Comfort on special for $3 almost every night of the week. And since the kitchen stays open until 1:30 a.m., Anasia is always an option for a late-night dinner if you don't feel like fast food or a plate lunch from Zippy's.
And the No. 1 Bar of the Barfly's second annual list of Top Five Bars goes to East Side Grill, Puck's Alley; 952-6555.
East Side Grill really seems to have their act together when it comes to showing local residents a good time.
Sure, you could save a little bit of money and go for cheaper pitchers at another establishment just a few doors down from East Side Grill, but this bar has two things its competitors in the immediate area don't have -- atmosphere and air conditioning.
While Puck's Alley is supposed to have that college town vibe, it does get kind of old trying to deal with a bunch of 20-somethings who haven't yet mastered the art of handling their liquor. And who wants to spend a Sunday afternoon breaking a sweat while knocking a few back?
At East Side Grill, there's enough room for a crowd to build without feeling cramped, and the pupus are both filling and affordable. Take it from someone who visits a different bar almost every week of the year -- if you want to go out for a few drinks and something to eat without breaking the bank, East Side Grill is one of the best places to visit on Oahu. It deserves to be called the Barfly's top pick for 2003.
There are several bars which are worthy of an honorable mention. They are: King Street Cafe, 1380 S. King St.; Honolulu Club Bar and Lounge, 932 Ward Ave.; Murakami Stadium (during baseball season), UH-Manoa lower campus; and Charlie's Bar at Zippy's Makiki, 1222 South King St.
And it wasn't really a bar review, but I had the most fun (and got the biggest reader response) back in May when I held a 40-ounce taste test with a variety of malt liquors. Watch for another one of those in 2004!
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.
