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Barfly Jason Genegabus |
‘Hightide’ off to good start
Just about a year ago in this space, I wrote that grabbing a beer at Puck's Alley meant "cheap pitchers of beer and a younger, more lively crowd than some other places around town."
I went on to say that after the closure of Pa'ina Bar and Grill, Eastside Grill was the only option in the area if you weren't looking to hang out with the college crowd.
But with the recent opening of Hightide Cafe in the space that used to be Pa'ina, there is now another choice at Puck's Alley for those that want to kick back with some ono pupus and not worry about 21-year-olds who can't handle their liquor.
Hightide Cafe
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight
Sundays through Wednesdays;
11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Thursdays through Saturdays
Location: 2600 S. King St. (Puck's Alley)
Phone: 945-3555
LOCATED ON the King Street side of Puck's Alley, Hightide Cafe is basically the same establishment Pa'ina was when it comes to layout. The L-shaped room houses about 15 tables near the front door, with another half-dozen seats at the bar near the back.
The new owners also installed three fish tanks in the establishment, one near the front door and the other two at either end of the bar.
Wicker chairs near the live performance/karaoke space and a couple of couches near a pool table are a nice touch, giving the place a homey feel.
As I remarked to my friend while we drank our first beer of the night, it felt more like we were at someone's house for a graduation party than in a bar at Puck's Alley. With lots of room to spread out and traditional Hawaiian music being played on the stereo system, it felt like the only things missing were a lei-covered guest of honor and a food line.
SPEAKING OF food, it's easy to see the focus here is on quality grinds instead of cheap drinks. If you're looking for the most alcoholic bang for your buck, the obvious choice is around the corner at Magoo's.
However, take the time to peruse both the pupu and full menus at Hightide Cafe, and you'll find a wide variety of choices at pretty reasonable prices. Both lunch and dinner are served here, but our stop at the bar came after 9 p.m., meaning we could only get food off the pupu menu.
That didn't stop my friend and I from grinding though, as we ordered (and devoured) items such as the Mount Le "Ahi" Poke with Wasabi Aioli ($11.95), kal-bi ribs ($8.95) and seasoned pork chops ($8.95).
The poke was fresh, with the wasabi aioli spicy enough to leave our lips tingling and reaching for our beers. The seasoned pork chops were good, but a little tough to eat off the bone with just a pair of chopsticks. Our pick for best pupu of the night had to be the kal-bi ribs, which were tender and full of flavor.
Also, keep in mind that all items on the pupu menu are half off during happy hour, which takes place daily from 5 to 7 p.m. If you're on a budget, or just really hungry, this is the time of day to visit.
WHAT WORRIES me about Hightide Cafe are the same things that bothered me about its predecessor (and eventually caused it to close for good).
First off, parking is still a hassle in this area, especially on the busier nights of the week. It's not too bad if you visit on a slow night, but I can see some folks giving up and going somewhere else once the Puck's Alley parking lot fills up.
If the security arm is already raised, you might want to try parking in the lot across King Street. It might not be completely legal, but at least you can plead ignorance if you get caught, and it's close enough to the bar to keep an eye on your ride while you're inside.
My other concern is the ability of management to effectively promote their business. It's a good sign that they started offering live entertainment last week on Thursday through Saturday nights, but it's also a given that Eastside Grill already has the area locked down when it comes to families and the older crowd.
But competition is what it's all about, right? As long as Hightide Cafe keeps focused on providing a good experience for its customers and gets the word out that they're open for business, I'm pretty sure there's enough room for them at the table.
And if they decide to start offering pitchers of beer instead of just draft pints, watch out -- I'll be back for sure, getting tipsy on a couch in air-conditioned bliss!
How much for a Bud Light?
The Barfly drank $3 Bud Light drafts while at Hightide Cafe. No pitchers are available here -- yet. If you're feeling adventurous, try one of the bar's specialty drinks for $5.50. With names like "Camel Toe-Liscious," "Kimo's Olos," "Big Tete" and "Bean Shot," your curiosity is bound to get you ordering a few.Get things to do?
Karaoke seems to be the emphasis here, at least when there isn't live entertainment on stage. A pool table is located near the bar, but my guess is that it's pretty tough to get some playing time when a lot of people are there. You're better off bringing a group of friends along and entertaining each other.What about the grinds?
There's a wide variety of food available, and that's without even looking at the lunch/dinner menu! Pupus are the way to go if you want to try different things -- the Ahi Katsu ($9.95), Pupu New York Steak ($9.95), Kalua Pig Nachos ($7.95) and Coconut Calamari ($8.95) are all on my list of dishes to try the next time I visit.And the help?
It might have been a slow night, but I was still kind of disappointed with the leisurely service we received. Don't get me wrong -- our server was polite and more than happy to talk story, but that was only when she came around our table. The wait to get a drink refill was way too long, especially when there were only a handful of people in the bar. Hopefully, the service is a little better on weekends when more people stop by.
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.