Email
Print
FeedThe Best Bars in Honolulu: Liquid Assets
(page 3 of 5)
|
J.J. Dolan’s
J.J. Dolan’s opened like a pop-up book—a fully formed institution that sprang up seemingly overnight. But owners Jay Niebuhr and Danny Dolan have plenty of experience with bars in Honolulu, coming from Murphy’s and O’Toole’s, respectively. Their experience, combined with a friendly staff and “the best pizza in Ireland” meant the bar had “an instant group of regulars,” says Dolan, who says the recipe for success is simple: “We can guarantee a cold beer, great pizza and a good room with nice people.” Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. 1147 Bethel St., 537-4992. jdolans.com.
Photo: Olivier Koning |
Kanpai Bar & Grill
Sports bars are a dime a dozen, but few manage to nail all the elements as well as Kanpai does—casual indoor/outdoor seating, a plethora of TV screens, dartboards and food that’s several cuts above typical fried fare. On a recent visit, we watched the Yankees demolish the Angels 10-1 while enjoying a negi toro with sliced ahi sashimi, green onion coulis, wasabi oil, tobiko and Nalo Farm micro greens. Even prosaic Island faves get the deluxe treatment: Football diehards catching an early morning Sunday morning game can take on one of the best loco mocos we’ve tasted. Daily, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily; open at 6 a.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. Sundays during football season. 404 Ward Ave., 593-9202.
|
Kemoo Farms Pub
Kemoo Farms Pub looks the way a bar should look—dark, with a long, wood bar punctuated with well-worn stools occupied by grizzly regulars—and smells how a bar should smell (cigarettes, sweat and beer). The crowd is a mix of Schofield Barracks residents and bikers bellying up to the bar during a pit stop. There’s a good draft-beer selection, including Drop Top Ale and Widmer Hefeweizen, and the food—a bar-friendly mix of burgers, sandwiches (we liked the reuben) and steaks—isn’t too shabby, either. There are daily bar specials, as well as weekly live music. Also be sure to check out the downstairs lānai overlooking the lake. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. (kitchen opens at 10 a.m.). 1718 Wilikina Drive, Wahiawā, 621-1835, kemoopub.com.
Kohnotori
Tucked in the back of Puck’s Alley sits this delectable izakaya. Here you’ll find the harmonious relationship between good bottles of sake or Kirin Ichiban on draft along with bite-size pupu grilled on skewers right in front of you. The kebabs range in price from $1.80 for a chicken thigh to $5.80 for tongue, so it’s easy to walk out with a $50 bill. But nothing compliments a cold one better than bacon-wrapped tomatoes or fried oysters. Itadakimas! Located at 2626 S. King Street, Suite 1, 941-7255, Sunday through Thurs. 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
|
Kona Brewing Co.
Drinking a Mainland beer? Shame on you. At Kona Brewing Co. in Hawaii Kai, you can find a dozen beers—each handcrafted at its brewery on the Big Island—on tap. The lineup includes familiar mainstays, like its Longboard Lager, as well as seasonal brews, such as the Kona Coffee Imperial Stout, which is available now and made with 100-percent Kona coffee. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (bar until 9:30 p.m.); Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (bar until 10:30 p.m.). 7192 Kalanianaole Highway, 394-5662. konabrewingco.com.
All that Jazz
 |
» Honolulu’s jazz scene is small, but fans have two great nightspots they can turn to the dragon upstairs and Jazz Minds Arts & Café.
The Dragon Upstairs has been bringing jazz to Chinatown for three years, but its location—above Hank’s Café, in an intimate second-story bar in a historic building—makes it feel as though it’s always been there. Music lovers will appreciate the chance to sit close to the band. Thursday through Saturday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., 1038 Nuuanu Ave., 526-1411.
Jazz Minds presents live jazz six nights a week. This club offers a bigger stage, hence bigger musical acts. Monday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., 1661 Kapiolani Blvd., 945-0800.
Both clubs represent the rehabilitation of their neighborhoods, both have singular hands-on owners (Hank Taufaasau of The Dragon Upstairs, Young Hae Yi of Jazz Minds), both have an ever-changing line-up of artists, both feature pupu until the wee hours—so check their schedules and see which one matches your mood tonight.
Do you like what you read? Subscribe to HONOLULU Magazine »
HONOLULU Magazine invites you to comment on our articles and the issues they raise. Comments are moderated for offensive language, commercial messages and off-topic posts. Some comments may be chosen for inclusion in the magazine on the Feedback page.
Reader Comments:
Must agree that the drinks at Nobu are some of the best I have ever had. Dave makes some of the most original and best tasting cocktails I have ever had. I am not sure that the Pisco Sour that is ranked as one of the best 5 drinks on Oahu is even close to the best drink that they serve though...I have worked my way through the drink list and have too many drinks off the list to count. Just ask for Dave, then ask something special. He will probably ask you a couple questions and then make you your own personal cocktail. 3 or 4 of these have absolutely blown me away and one that he made for my boyfriend was the best drink I have ever tasted. Blood orange, Tequila and some sort of pepper that sat on your tongue for a few seconds after you take a sip. Here is an insiders tip. Go late on Sunday night, the drinks are half priced! You also get your own sushi chef to make some nibbles in the lounge with 80's music from a pretty good DJ! One more insiders tip. They validate for 4 hours, so parking is free. You really can't beat that in Waikiki
Judging from this post and the ridiculous list of "best bars", the authors obviously have no appreciation for anything progressive or beyond the usual Oahu fare.
V Lounge opens up and offers the VERY FIRST and only Neapolitan-style pizza (as in Naples, Italy) in the state. They built their own wood-fire oven just to have ignorant island folk complain when they don't get Domino's mega-stuffed-crust pizza brought to their table. That thin crust and those big hot blisters on the edge are to be celebrated. Local chefs from some of the best restaurants in Honolulu have been gathering at V Lounge after work, so it could be a sign that it'll be the new Side Street Inn for the next generation.
Similarly, very few bartenders in the state are pushing the envelope with their craft and this magazine's article does NOTHING to recognize their efforts. The bartender at TOWN Restaurant in Kaimuki (Dave Power? Powers?) infuses his own vodkas with local herbs and fruit, juices bushels of fresh Meyer lemons for his mixers and stocks 10 different types of "bitters" when most Honolulu bartenders don't even know what Angostura is. He can make you an authentic Sazerac from the early 1800s and then follow it with his own play on great rye whiskey. There are others in Honolulu like him, but Hill, Hitt, et al. make no mention of them. If the authors honestly think a saketini with lychee is noteworthy, they have no business writing an article about the best bars in Honolulu. Also, I wonder how a bar known for their "cold beer" (a basic requirement of ANY bar) or shirtless well-sculpted bartenders makes the list for any serious reader above age 17.
I must agree with both the responses listed above. Town and Nobu are amazing. They are my two favorite spots to enjoy drinks while sitting at the bar. Town is my local favorite as I live right up the street and when I go into Waikiki I must go have a cocktail in the lounge at Nobu. People tend to complain about the prices, but I can tell you that you get what you pay for. Yeah you might get a drink for less elsewhere, but you end up drinking 3 or 4 just to get the same effect. The drinks at Nobu are the best I've had anywhere and are well worth the price. Thanks to the poster above as I did not know that they had a half price Sunday night. See you there! Town has such a great laid back atmosphere and the infused vodkas are perfect for sipping on. Both spots are priceless to me and I always look forward to my next visit to either one. I also agree that some of the bars listed should never have made the list though. Shokudo's infused sake looks like a processed syrup with tons of sugar to mask the taste of poor quality sake. Not sure how that is one of the 5 best. Also I went and tried the drink at Oceans and it is horrible. Nothing you could possibly do to Three Olives Tomato vodka could possible make it taste good and for that to listed as one of the top 5 drinks really is a discredit to the article. I would love to see a readers survey or "readers favorites" article on drinks or bars around Oahu. There are some very passionate and talented bartenders around town and it would be nice to see more of them get the exposure they deserve! Keep up the good work guys! Merry X-mas!
Great Work guys! Nobu is a favourite of mine but my all time favourite bar would be the Mai Tai Bar.
It is a proper party spot in Honolulu, Mai Tai is usually heaving with people, particularly on Friday nights when the after work crowd get let of the leash for the weekend. It is atop the Ala Moana mall, they serve pupu (tasty nibbles made for sharing), sweet, cool cocktails – including a shave ice style Mai Tai – and a lot of free flowing beer. :-)
http://www.worldsbestbars.com/city/honolulu/mai-tai-bar.htm