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Barfly Jason Genegabus |
Pearl’s hidden jewel
SO THERE I was, signing my life away at an auto repair shop in Aiea. All those potholes in town finally got the better of my truck's front tires, throwing its alignment out of whack and forcing me to visit one of the few places that carried replacement rubber in the correct size.
While autographing the work order, I asked the employee across the counter how long it would take for my ride to be fixed. When I called earlier that day, I was advised to expect a half-hour wait.
Two hours, he said. And no, I couldn't renew my safety check while I was at it -- the only person who could perform the inspection had already gone home for the day!
Muttering to myself about having to wait four times as long as originally planned, I set out along Kamehameha Highway and dialed up a friend. I didn't want to go shopping at Pearlridge, and all this walking had to stop.
"Try go Monterey Bay Canners," she told me. "They've got cheap beer and half-price pupus," two things that always help to turn a frown upside down.
Monterey Bay Canners
Hours: 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays;
11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays;
8 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sundays
Location: 98-1005 Moanalua Road
Phone: 483-3555
TEN MINUTES later, I walked into the restaurant that sits above a watercress farm near the highway and was pleasantly surprised.
Unless someone tells you about the lounge here, there's no way to know you actually have more drinking options in the area than the hostess bars at Pearl Kai and Chez Monique at Westridge.
If there's a hostess at the front desk, just tell them you're grabbing a drink and hang a quick right. About a dozen wooden barstools line the bar here, with another 15 or so tables spread throughout the rest of the lounge.
There's even lanai seating available, with a few more tables overlooking the watercress farm I mentioned earlier. This area seemed to be the most popular during my visit, with every table occupied the entire time I sat at the bar. And since you can't smoke inside, I'm sure some folks ask to sit there in order to light up while they drink.
Five televisions are mounted in various corners of the room, and there's a big screen that takes up a corner near the bathrooms. It was still over two hours before tip-off of the UH-Manoa men's basketball game against Nebraska on the day I visited, but there were already a number of Rainbow fans in the lounge laying claim to the best seats.
CRAIG KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The Barfly stumbles on a local treasure while waiting for his truck to be fixed.
I CAN'T say that I didn't enjoy myself at Monterey Bay Canners, but it does seem that the place caters to a slightly older crowd than I'm used to.
My bet is that most of the younger crowd goes around the corner to Chez Monique most of the time, or will end up making the drive into town instead.
But with daily drink specials, a happy hour lasting from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and live entertainment six nights a week, take the time to search out this slightly hidden gem of a watering hole. I was enjoying myself so much when I visited that I forgot all about the extra wait for my truck, so you can imagine my surprise when I got a phone call from the shop much earlier than expected.
Turns out they needed only one hour to make the necessary repairs, and I could pick up my ride whenever I was ready.
"Give me another half-hour and I'll be there," I said to the guy on the phone and hung up. Of course, nobody over there cared when I was coming back, but it sure felt good to make them wait while I kicked back with my drink!
CRAIG KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STAR-BULLETIN.COM
The lanai area of Monterey Bay Canners, which overlooks a watercress farm, is a popular section of the bar.
How much for a Bud Light?
The Barfly drank $4 mugs of Bud Light at Monterey Bay Canners. No, not those tiny little ones, we're talking about 34-ounce bad boys here!
Get things to do?
Other than watch television, there isn't much else going on in the lounge at Monterey Bay Canners. While there were a few regulars who appeared to be stopping by on their way home from work, most of the people appeared to have come with friends. If you're looking for a crowd, try this place around 9 or 10 p.m., when there's live entertainment. Island Jam plays tonight and tomorrow, followed by the Odd Couple on Sunday night.
What about the grinds?
The French dip I ordered ($10.95) arrived on a Foccacia-type bread that was unique, but not enough to justify such a high price. You might be better off going for the cheese nachos ($7.45); seafood combo platter ($10.95) with shrimp, scallops, oysters, clam strips and fries; or the pupu-style sirloin steak ($7.95). There are also discounts offered during happy hour, but saving a dollar or two off select items isn't enough reason to visit for the food alone, if you ask me.
And the help?
I'm sure things are different on the weekends and at night, but two employees were not enough to take care of the 30 customers who were in the lounge during my visit. That's not to say they weren't nice -- both bartenders made sure to check and see if I needed anything, but it's hard to keep up when they're also expected to hustle food orders, cover the outside tables and tend bar all at the same time. The 34-ounce mugs offered here is the only reason I wasn't really bothered with the slower service.
The Barfly wants you
WANT TO help determine the best bottled beer in Hawaii? Think you have what it takes to sample a variety of martinis without climbing onto the bar and doing the macarena? Since last year's "40 oz. Taste Test" was so popular among Barfly readers, we've decided to give anyone who is interested a chance to help out with future tests. Send us your name, age and telephone number with the best time to call to "Barfly Taste Testers," c/o the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd. #7-210, Honolulu 96813. You can also e-mail your contact information to jason@starbulletin.com. Those selected to participate will be notified by phone; others may be contacted to take part in future bar reviews.
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.
