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Barfly Jason Genegabus |
Pinky’s falls short
of potentialA GOOD BAR is a terrible thing to waste. And it's too bad that residents who live around Pinky's Pupu Bar and Grill will keep the Windward establishment from ever realizing its full potential.
Located at the end of North Kalaheo Avenue where Kailua transforms into Aikahi, Pinky's occupies a corner of prime real estate far removed from any other competing bars. With lots of parking and over two dozen barstools waiting just past the front door, it would seem folks living nearby could easily make this place a regular stop.
Pinky's Pupu Bar
and Grill
Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays;
9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays
Location: 970 N. Kalaheo Ave.
Phone: 254-6255
That appears to be what's happened since Pinky's opened in the summer of 2001, but I get the feeling customers think it's more like a restaurant than a bar. Four high tables with barstools and a pair of televisions distinguish the lounge area from the regular restaurant seating on the opposite side of the room, but I saw families with children having dinner in the lounge when I visited earlier this week. And the televisions, instead of being tuned to ESPN, were locked on Music Choice in order to provide customers with something to listen to.
Without any of the distractions a bar normally has (television, jukebox, pool tables, video games, dart machines, etc.), and nothing to look at except for the semi-attractive bartender who spent most of the night talking story with two regulars while not making drinks, it would have been easy to write Pinky's off as a one-drink-and-leave kind of visit. But what saved things and kept us there a bit longer was the extensive food menu.
TAKE A LOOK at some of the food offerings at Pinky's, and it's easy to see why people think of it as a place to dine rather than have a couple of beers.
There is a pupu menu available, with items like kalua pig or cheese quesadillas ($7.95), vegetable spring rolls ($6.95), fish tacos ($3.50), coconut crunchy calamari ($6.95) and crab dip ($9.95) all catching my eye. I ended up ordering the pupu-style prime rib ($9.95) and an order of cheesy fries ($3.95), while my friend went with the beer can chicken ($9.95).
For the price we paid, serving sizes were respectable here, although I question why Pinky's calls their cheesy fries "The Widow Maker." It was just a plate of fries with nacho cheese and bacon bits -- nothing special. The prime rib, on the other hand, was tasty and the cut didn't have a lot of fat, and the beer can chicken just got better and better the more you had of it.
Spend a little more money, and you can have restaurant-style meals like stuffed salmon ($16.95), baby back ribs ($15.95 half order, $18.95 full order) or seafood scampi ($15.95). Special ohana-style meals are also on the menu, which are basically a mixed plate of other offerings and require a minimum of two people when ordering. A local plate (kalua pig, beer can chicken, fresh fish, lomi lomi salmon and macaroni salad), "Surf, Turf and Bird" plate (furikake-crusted fresh fish, top sirloin, beer can chicken, poke and vegetables) and "Ribs Da Kine" plate (baby back ribs, kalbi, spare ribs, slaw, steak fries and corn) can be all be ordered.
SO THE FOOD was good, our drinks were reasonably priced and I got a kick out of all the colorful lanterns and fake lei that hung from the beams at Pinky's. But I couldn't help feeling the entire time that there's so much more this place could be, if it weren't for their neighbors complaining to police and the city.
First off, what good is a bar if it closes at 10 p.m.? By the time some residents leave the house for a night out, it's already around that time, if not later.
Live music, or at least a jukebox, is something else Pinky's could use. And put in a couple of Megatouch machines, or replace a couple of tables with a dart machine, and I bet some customers would stick around a bit longer since there would be more things for them to do.
It may not seem like much, but just a few small additions could really turn this place around and make it a more attractive place to knock a few back. Let's just hope that Pinky's owners can convince the surrounding neighborhood to allow a few of these changes to be made.
How much for a Bud Light?
The Barfly took a night off from Bud Light this week, opting instead for an 18-ounce schooner of Sam Adams ($3.50) to start things off at Pinky's. That was followed by a glass of Moku Manu Punch ($5.95), which instantly conjured up memories of making (and drinking) jungle juice at parties during my college years. A number of domestic and microbrew bottled beers are also available, and I got a kick out of seeing the Flat Island Iced Tea ($5.95) listed on the menu as a homage to the Kailua landmark.Get things to do?
The simple answer? No. Nothing. Zip. Better bring a friend, or at least a copy of the Star-Bulletin to read, or you'll end up getting bored real quick.What about the grinds?
A full dinner menu is available daily from 5 to 10 p.m. at Pinky's, with a brunch served on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. What was truly impressive during our visit was the amount of time it took to get our food -- within five minutes of ordering the prime rib and beer can chicken, two plates were set down on our table. I can't remember ever getting served that quickly before!And the help?
Two servers and a bartender kept things moving smoothly when we visited earlier this week. After a slight wait for our first drink of the night, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way, with our server stopping by frequently to check to see if we needed anything. She was even nice enough to explain why Pinky's closes so early and why they're unable to offer live entertainment for the time being -- blame it on the neighbors!
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.