Drop in on O’Toole’s Irish
Pub for St. Patty’s Day

GET READY to use one of your sick days at work next week -- St. Patrick's Day is coming!

O'Toole's Irish Pub Location: 902 Nuuanu Ave. Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily Call: 536-4138

Every year, thousands of die-hard and wannabe sons (and daughters) of Ireland flock to Honolulu's "Irish Corner" at the intersection of Nuuanu Avenue and Merchant Street. Along the Ewa side of Nuuanu, in a neighborhood known for its alcohol-serving establishments since the 19th century, sits O'Toole's Irish Pub.

Although it might be packed to capacity every March 17, there's no reason to stay away from this place the other 364 days of the year. Not only is there live entertainment seven days a week, but the food is good and they serve my favorite beer -- Deschute's Black Butte Porter -- from one of the bar's dozen taps!

LOCATED IN the historic T.R. Foster building, O'Toole's originally opened for business 30 years ago in the space known as Alfie's during the '60s and Sam's Place during the early '70s. Founded by partners Bob Maynard and Ron Dougherty, the bar was named after Dougherty's good friend Eddie O'Toole.

These days, fellow Irishmen William Comerford and Fred Remington lay claim the watering hole, along with Kelley O'Neil's and the recently closed Irish Rose Saloon in Waikiki. The Irish Rose is scheduled to reopen at a new location later this year.

Most people enter through the front door on Nuuanu, which opens to the bar's performance space. While not as big as its counterpart across the street, there's still a decent amount of room to grab a pint of Guinness and settle in at a table.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM O'Toole's Irish Pub on Nuuanu Avenue has live music daily. Last Friday, the Mixers -- Art Suankum, left, Stan Garret and Steve Palmer (not pictured) -- performed.

Regular customers, and those looking to make a slightly more incognito entrance, enter through the back near the bathrooms outside. Come in that way and you'll end up near the bar proper; more than a dozen barstools provide a place to sit, with a few more tables along the walls.

The split-level layout is nice, especially if you don't want the band to overpower that important conversation you're having with the cute server who brought your drinks. A Golden Tee video game, three televisions and a fish tank provide distractions if you're not feeling the music.

ALONG WITH the brick walls, O'Toole's stonelike tiled floor and vintage artwork help to give a time-worn vibe the the place. I only had the opportunity to drink with him once, but I could almost picture the late Star-Bulletin columnist Dave Donnelly perched on a barstool when I walked in last week.

Even though rush hour had long passed, a number of downtown office workers were still scattered throughout the bar. Only one or two looked like they could actually claim Irish heritage, but I was more surprised with how much the crowd varied in age. Some customers appeared to be under 30, but I also spotted people who might have been drinking here before Maynard and Dougherty bought the joint!

OPEN FOR lunch at 11 a.m. with happy-hour prices through 8 p.m., O'Toole's serves both the aloha shirt army and local Irish community well. And while you're likely to hear nothing but Irish tunes on St. Patrick's Day, be sure to visit on another Thursday night for great blues music, or on a Sunday when local bands are featured.

How much for a Bud Light?

A bottle of Bud Light will set you back $3.75, but spend a little more and go for a pint of Bass Ale, Guinness or Killian's -- they're all $5 each.

Get things to do?

Besides the live entertainment daily, the bar also has a Golden Tee video game and three televisions to keep customers occupied.

What about the grinds?

Sandwiches are the strength at O'Toole's, with standards like turkey ($6), corned beef ($6) and chicken salad ($6) available. The Down Towner ($7.50) I ordered was tasty, with turkey and corned beef piled on toasted rye bread, but at that price I should have gotten some chips or potato salad to go along with it.

And the help?

While I was served quickly when ordering my first drink at O'Toole's, subsequent rounds were a little more difficult to come by. The situation improved somewhat once I moved to a barstool, but it looked like the rest of the room would have benefited by having a second server on duty.

Been there,
done that

SKYLiNE Location: Sheraton Waikiki Hotel Tel: 922-4422 Get dressed up and head to the Hanohano Room every first and third Saturday for "SKYLiNE." A good alternative to the typical club; VIP table reservations are available.

SAND ISLAND R&B Location: 197 Sand Is. Access Rd. Tel: 836-7668 Take a trip off the beaten path to this comfortable spot near Nimitz Highway. Grab a cold one and shoot some pool, or spend time talking story with the bar's friendly staff.

LISA'S HOUSE Location: 3250 Ualena St. Tel: 836-7668 Why drink at home when there are places like Lisa's House? Grab a 22-ounce Bud Light for just $5, then sit back and enjoy live music, or play some darts or pool instead.