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Waikiki Bar Scene
News & Observations From A Barfly Blogger
Cheers with beers: These girls enjoy cold ones at Duke's.
They are on the beach, by the beach and all around the beach.
While not as prevalent as shops – or ABC stores – there are a lot of bars in Waikiki. Some are familiar names, such as a Yard House, and some are not, such as Rumfire.
For the tourist, it's as confusing as the maze at the Doyle Pineapple Plantation. PubClub.com's extensive bar guides (links at left) cut through that clutter, and this article is an enhancement in that it provides a blog-style look inside the scene with news and observations about the bars and nightlife in Waikiki Beach.
It is written by the site's roving party animal, nicknamed The Bartender.
Hawaii has some odd drinking laws. PubClub.com is devoting an entire story to the subject, but for starters, just know you can only have one drink at a time. Otherwise, it's called "stacking." On a somewhat related "drinking rules" note, because some people tend to walk out on their bill (largely unintentional, perhaps they meet someone or just plain forget after a few drinks), Duke's runs a customer's credit card when they start a tab. Can't blame 'em for that policy.
Duke's is not a tourist trap. It could be, but it's not. It's long-standing reputation as THE hangout for tourists is certainly well deserved, but it welcomes them not with bad food, worse service and overpriced items, but with very good food, friendly service and quite reasonable prices. How about $5.75 for a local Kona Longboard? Or $11 for a sensational Mahi Mahi sandwich? No wonder locals come here, too.
The food is sensational, the prices incredible and the beers large.
Doraku Sushi is sensational. Located on the third floor of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center (Section B) it has a Happy Hour every day from 5-7 that is popular among locals and visiting flight crews, as well. The best menu item is poke, but also get the Chicken Kara Age. And while it's not on Happy Hour menu, the Seabass is mind-blowing sensational. Happy Hour menu prices are $3.50-$5, Kirin draft if $5 and the huge Kirin Ichiban bottles are just $5.
Cha Cha Cha has an evening Happy Hour. This somewhat hidden Mexican restaurant on Seaside Ave., (it's between Kalakaua and Kuhio; look for the tiki torches a half-block up from The Top of Waikiki) is very popular among locals and airline crews for it's late-night Happy Hour that starts at 9 p.m. (the first one ends at 6). The margis are $3 and $12 for a pitcher. The, more experienced bartender with the shaggy blonde hair and dark moustache makes the best ones. For food, the grilled fish tacos are terrific, but the pork quesadillas are the real prize on the menu. The place is so busy on Tuesdays it needs a doorman! That's because it's Taco Tuesday with $2 tacos. The regular price of margis is $4.75, which is still a pretty good bargain.
People watch the sunset at Rumfire. This view nd $3 beers!
Rumfire is PubClub.com favorite place for Happy Hour. First of all, it's hard to beat the view. And that's anywhere in the world, let along in Waikiki. And it's impossible to beat the prices on the beach, too – $3 for draft beers. The open-air bar at the Sheraton on the beach (two places down from Duke's) is a sensational place for sunsets to end the perfect Hawaiian day or to start the Waikiki night. Happy Hour runs until 6 p.m.
The Yard House has a Happy Hour, too. But it's 2-5 p.m. This sports bar on Waikiki Beach Walk, which has a hundred-plus beers on tap, good food and all the sports on TVs that even the biggest SportsCenter junkie could ever need, has a good idea at the wrong time, It starts after the majority of the lunch crowd has ate and occurs when people are sunning on the beach. The management should consider making it 5-8 to attract the post-beach crowd, and also catch those people who "Happy Hour hop," which are mainly airline crews.
The flip cup crew goes through he Bud Lights at Coconut Willy's.
Coconut Willy's is worth checking out for laid-back fun. Across from Yard House on Waikiki Walk (look for the sandwich board sign), it's lively, fun, caz, has no cover,a live band or DJ with a small dance floor and a fun group playing flip cup (listen for the clapping abd look for the lineup of Bud Lifgs). It's packed on weekends.
Empty tables are the norm at Buffett's bar, a cool place without a crowd.
Jimmy Buffett's at the Beachcomber is always slow, aside for lunch and dinner. There's no need to go there for a bar scene. At the very least, the place needs to show Buffett videos when the band is not playing. Otherwise, the music makes it just like any other place. Play to your audience! Oh, and if you want Happy Hour, it's in the small bar only at the Surf Museum and Mai Tais are still $8.50.
Zanzibar next to the Shack is the happening club in Waikiki. But the $20 cover also brings about hesitation about opening up the wallet, so a lot of people spend their Friday and Saturday nights hanging out at the small courtyard. It's at Seaside and Kuhio.
Nashville Wsikiki for those who packed cowboy boots in addition to sandals. It's downstairs, has a low ceiling. dance floor, and pool tables. It's also much bigger than it first appears. There's no cover (but Konas are $7). Nashville Waikiki is located next to Ohana West at 2330 Kuhio Ave. A lot of Bud Light and Jack Daniels are sold in this place.
The hot local news is the opening of a new Hard Rock Cafe. It's in a good location – 280 Beach Walk where Kalakaua Ave. and Kapiolani Blvd., meet – and has the town buzzing. Keep that in perspective, though; this happens all the time in Honolulu. When a new place comes to town, all the bartenders and waitresses rush to apply. Often, the place dies out after a few months (the Beachcomber as a prime example). The Hard Rock, tho, does have a history; it's previous bar was very popular with locals. The new one only has about a dozen seats at the bar but the bartender serves another adjacent area. True to Hawaii, there's a Surfing Wall of Fame in addition to its traditional rock 'n roll memorbilia.
 Related Article: Honolulu Bar Guide
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