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Ocean Sports reopens with
a complete food menu

I took another jaunt down memory lane for this week's column, with a return trip to the bar I picked as the best out of those reviewed in 2002.

Ocean Sports Restaurant Location: 2012 S. Beretania St. Hours: 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays Call: 944-3491

During my first review, Ocean Sports Restaurant had been open for three months and was struggling to establish itself in a neighborhood with numerous other drinking options.

But I liked the comfortable decor, tasty pupus and feisty bartender who wasn't afraid of "keeping it real" with her customers (do a little digging at www.starbulletin.com and you'll see what I mean).

Throwing my support behind this joint, however, didn't save its demise. The bar closed in early 2003, with the space remaining vacant until earlier this summer when new owners took over.

THE COSTS to reopen Ocean Sports couldn't have been that high, judging by the lack of any noticeable change to its interior since my last visit almost three years ago.

Everything appears the same, from the seating layout to placement of television screens and tacky beer company promotional items with various football team logos on them. It's not necessarily a bad thing -- but if the original owners had the right idea, why didn't enough customers patronize this place to keep it open for business?

A couple of pool tables and a row of dart machines occupy the Ewa end of the room, with the majority of couches and tables on the opposite side. And I can't say enough about those couches, which are still at the top of my list of most comfortable places to sit when knocking a few back at a bar.

Guys still have to walk outside to use the bathroom, which also serves as a repository for all the glass bottles that Ocean Sports now saves for recycling. I'm also happy that the windows facing the parking lot are still opaque enough to keep the glare from automobile headlights out of your eyes as you chill with a drink.

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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Balls leave ghostly trail marks as Jesse Elliott, left, breaks a game of cut-throat with friends Mike Garcia, right, and Rhen Yamamoto (not pictured) at Ocean Sports Restaurant in Moiliili. The bar offers two pool tables, a handful of dartboards, and a friendly kitchen staff.

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THE BIGGEST differences I noticed between the "old" and "new" Ocean Sports were the addition of a complete food menu and a change in approach to staffing the bar.

You can't get a sushi platter to go with that cold beer anymore, as it appears the new owners are Vietnamese -- a small sign outside and the new lunch/dinner menus introduce the establishment as Pho Lam Phung. But the (much) bigger Ocean Sports sign is still there, and I overheard a couple of customers describing it as such on cell phones while inviting friends to come and join them.

It also appears that the new owners also operate the bar, with a couple of others helping in the kitchen. As a result, it can be kind of hard to get a drink at times, since there simply aren't enough servers to keep an eye on everyone, especially when it gets crowded. That alone can cause first-timers enough stress to walk out and never come back again.

Which would be a shame, since there are still enough good things about this spot to make it a regular destination for McCully, Moiliili and even Manoa residents. Let's hope the second time is the charm for Ocean Sports Restaurant.

How much for a Bud Light?
The Barfly drank $2.50 bottles of Bud Light at Ocean Sports. Five taps make it possible to enjoy a pitcher instead, if draft beer is more your style.

Get things to do?
Besides the pool tables and dart machines, there appear to be a lot more Megatouch game machines than I remembered from 2002. The jukebox also remains, and a projection screen has been added.

What about the grinds?
Shrimp chips, french fries and soybeans ($5) are the most affordable, but you don't have to spend much more for a barbecue chicken sandwich ($6), spicy chicken wings ($7) or imitation crab meat poke ($8). And don't forget about the "Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine" offered by alter ego Pho Lam Phung. How about a little pho ($7) to go with that cocktail?

And the help?
It wouldn't hurt to add a few more servers at Ocean Sports, at least during football season and on the weekends. We had to visit the bar every time we wanted another drink.