No-frills Windward walk-up
feels a lot like home

After a bit of digging, I've found another watering hole to visit in Kaneohe.

Things aren't as rough in Kailua, where there are a few more options for the drinking public (although not nearly as many as there are in town).

Little Ed's Lounge Location: 46-148 Kahuhipa St. Hours: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily Call: 235-8405

The 96744 area code, on the other hand, is almost completely devoid of bars, except for the Bay View Golf Course lounge and a handful of places between Likelike Highway and Windward Mall. Little Ed's Lounge is one of those establishments, a cozy spot above a Japanese restaurant and across the street from the local Nissan dealership.

AS A kid growing up on the Windward side, I remember spending weekend afternoons at friends' houses with coolers of "adult soda" lining the garage walls and family members perched on overturned plastic buckets.

Sure, it wasn't an extravagant setup. We'd play Nintendo for hours as uncles and older cousins talked story or played ukulele until the sun went down. There was no pretense at these gatherings -- just show up, have a good time and forget about things that were stressing you out.

That's the same vibe I got when I showed up at Little Ed's a few weeks back. It was relatively early in the evening, so there wasn't a crowd to speak of when I walked upstairs and through the bar's entrance.

There isn't much to the room here, other than a mix of folding tables and chairs and a corner dedicated to the bar's lone pool table and two dart machines. Everything has a well-worn appearance, and judging by the old "Monday Night Football" schedules and a tattered "Happy Birthday" sign still hanging on the walls, there's no rush to update the decor here, either.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Members of the "Hulili Crew" get down on the dance floor as the band Hulili grooves on stage at Little Ed's Lounge in Kaneohe.

BUT FOR most of Little Ed's regular customers, I'll bet it's not about how nice the room looks. As long as the beer is cold and it's close enough to get home without a lot of drama, you can be sure they'll keep coming back.

The people I watched come into the bar that night seemed to go along with my theory. Two middle-age customers sat on plastic chairs across from the bar, singing '50s and '60s oldies songs to each other, complete with loving glances.

A pair of biker types showed up next, complete with hogs in the parking lot and leather on their backs. They sat at the bar, greeting the bartender warmly and settling into a couple of Bud Lights.

What appeared to be an extended family came in a few minutes later. Again, it looked like they already knew the bartender and were there to hang out for a bit before heading home.

It's a simple setup here, and I can understand why the bar is able to survive in a location that's not exactly the easiest to find. Everyone seems pretty easygoing, the beers are cheap and where else are they supposed to go?

WEEKENDS are the best time to visit if you're looking for a crowd. Live entertainment is offered on Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30 p.m.

Keep in mind there's no kitchen here, although a small assortment of snacks are sold behind the bar. The good news is that management encourages customers to bring outside food, so be sure to stop for that pupu platter somewhere else if you know you're going to get the munchies.

Besides, aren't you always supposed to bring something along when you're paying a visit to a friend's place?

How much for a Bud Light?
The Barfly paid $2.50 for a bottle of Bud Light. It doesn't get much better than that for a beer drinker on a budget!

Get things to do?
Two dart machines and a pool table sit in a corner of the bar, opposite two televisions and a big screen that doubles as the karaoke display. Be careful if you decide to rack 'em up -- there was only one cue stick in playable condition, and the 8 and 9 balls were missing when we tried to play a game of pool.

What about the grinds?
No kitchen means you'd better eat first before going to Little Ed's. Better yet, stop off for some pupus on the way to the bar.

And the help?
The lone bartender on duty was more than capable of serving everyone during our visit, as long as you got up and went to the bar for another drink.

Been there,
done that

O'Toole's Irish Pub
902 Nuuanu Ave. / 536-4138

Irish eyes are always smiling at this downtown watering hole. It'll be crazy this week for St. Paddy's Day, but keep O'Toole's in mind if you like live music -- they've got it here daily.

SKYLiNE
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel / 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
197 Sand Is. Access Rd. / 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.