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Top Happy Hours in Waikiki Beach and Honolulu
Where to Drink, Eat and Play Cheaply and See Sunsets

Okole Maluna at the Shorebird in the Outrigger Reef hotel.

Being happy in Honolulu is not difficult, especially as beach time ends and sunset time approaches.

For many, that's when the urge emerges to have some cocktails, and Waikiki and Honolulu have that covered like an umbrella in a Mai Tai. The choices are as varied as the drinks they serve – places with incredible views, live cultural music and atmospheres that range from fired-up tourists to laid-back locals. In most cases, these Happy Hours run seven days a week – that's right, they are in effect even on weekends.  Okole maluna!

Some sensational bargains are out there– beers for as low as $1.50, cocktails for $3 and one place that serves free pizza. Eating and drinking in Waikiki does not have to be expensive.

There's little question the liveliest off-the-beach bar is Duke's Canoe Club. It's location in the center of Waikiki's active beach pretty much ensures the presence of every party-minded tourist at some point. It's busy, loud and lively. And while $5.25 for a Hawaiian-brewed beer is certainly not excessive, Duke's has no specific Happy Hour. And this article only explores those places that offer food and drink specials.

But before getting there, it's important to highlight another popular spot as sunset approaches, and that is the Shorebird at the Outrigger Reef hotel. It's location right on the shore with open windows is as soothing as the music from the musicians playing Hawaiian music.

Currently, this article focuses on Waikiki Beach and extending to the Ala Moana Shopping Center. In the future, PubClub.com will expand the article to include downtown Honolulu.

• TOP OF WAIKIKI

The location makes this the "top" Happy Spot in Waikiki.

While Rumfire gets PubClub.com's vote as Waikiki's Best Happy Hour, the top Happy Hour is at the Top of Waikiki. That's because rather than being on the beach, it's above it – 20 floors to be exact. The Top of Waikiki on Kalakaua Ave., is a bit of an old-school place but it's beautiful and fills up with all ages of Happy Hour seekers. Adding to the ambiance, the bar revolves, revealing views of Waikiki from the mountains to the sea. The food is sensational and some of the appetizers can be quite filling.
Happy Hour Specifics: Daily, 5-7 p.m.
Specials: $2.50 draft (Kona), $4 mixed drinks, martinis and house wines. $7 premium martinis. $7 appetizer menu plus the daily "sunset special," full meals in the $20 range, daily, 5-6 p.m.

• LULU'S WAIKIKI

The PubClubettes hang loose with patrons at leid-back Lulu's.

Hawaiian comfortable and casual cannot be better defined than at this friendly open-air bar. With a mix of locals and travelers (many budget-minded), Lulu's is the place to, as they like to say here, hang loose. It can also heat up with activity like Honolulu's humidity. After Happy Hour, there are nightly drink specials starting at 10. Lulu's is located on the Diamond Head end of Waikiki Beach, across Kalakaua Ave., with a full view of the beach out of its large windows, which welcome in the tropical breeze. And the patrons.
Happy Hour Specifics: Daily, 3-6 p.m.
Specials: $3 wells, $5 Mai Tais, $2 Steinlagers and $3 wells, Tuesday-Sunday 10 p.m.-close Additional daily select beer specials after 10 p.m. Mondays are Service Industry Nights; 50% off tab with industry i.d. Every full moon there are $2 Blue Moon pints and $3 wells.

• DORAKU SUSHI

For sushi fans, Doraku steps to the plate. Photo: Doraku.

One of the most sought-after foods in Honolulu is sushi, and this new and highly-acclaimed restaurant in the main area of the Royal Hawaiian Center is the place to start such an experience.
Hour Specifics: Monday-Friday, 5-7 p.m.
Specials: $3 wells, $5 large Kirin Ichiban, large sake bottle, house chardonnay and merlot. Appetizers range in price from $2.50-5 (California roll, $3; chicken kara'age, $4; ahi poke, $5).

• SANSEI SUSHI

Another sushi place is Sansei in the Marriott. It goes away from the traditional daily 5-7ish Happy Hour specials, opting instead to go with great food and drink deals at different days and times.
Hour Specifics: Sunday-Monday, 5:15-6:15 p.m. Late-night Fridays and Saturday, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.
Specials: Sunday-Monday: 50% off the menu. Fridays and Saturdays, 50% off food with $3 Crown Royal, Jagermeister and Bud Lites, $4 Heineken, plus $5 Belvedere (Fridays), $5 Grey Goose and Jack Daniels drinks, (Saturdays).

• PLANET HOLLWOOD

What, does anyone go there anymore!? You bet! In Waikiki, Planet Hollywood has tables on a patio right on busy Kalakaua Ave. And those tables are almost always full. The people watching here is excellent.
Happy Hour Specifics: Daily, 3-6 p.m., and 9-close.
Specials: $4 Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiis, 1/2-priced appetizers (excluding the Pupu platter).

• PUSSYCAT LOUNGE (FRIDAYS AT APARTMENT 3)

A "casual upscale" environment mixes in with DJs and a later Happy Hour that lasts all night. Local promoters FM take over Apartment 3 on Friday nights and call it Pussycat Lounge. 1750 Kalakaua Avenue. 3rd floor Century Center.
Happy Hour Specifics: Tuesday and Fridays, 8 p.m.-2 a.m.
Specials: 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesdays: $4 draft beer. $5 apartment3 speciality drinks, martinis, premium cocktails, pupu menu (including the popular pizza. Fridays: $3 drafts. (Stella, Bass, Guinness, Kona Longboard, Blue Moon, Rogue's Dead Man Ale, Boddington's & Newcastle.

• CHART HOUSE/HARBOR PUB

The Chart House (above) and Harbor Pub (below) are a dynamic duo.

The most extensive Happy Hour menu is at the Chart House, the distinctive restaurant with locations throughout the USA. Its Honolulu spot is at the "Gilligan's Island" harbor on the ewa end of Waikiki Beach (past the rainbow-tiled hotel which is the Hilton Hawaiian Village). It features modestly-priced beers, $4 cocktails and a full range of appetizers (Caesar salad for $6.50 to $2 off all steaks), plus additional daily specials on food and beverages. And it happens twice.

The Chart House is right above one of Honolulu's long-standing dive bars, the Harbor Pub, which has its own Happy Hour featuring beers for a buck-fifty. While there's no food specials, the Harbor Pub is known for its outstanding pizza, best on the island many locals claim, which range in price from $12-20. Starting at the Harbor Pub and then going to the Chart House for more drinks and dinner is Waikiki's double header.
Happy Hour Specifics: Daily, open to 7 p.m., and again at 10 p.m. Harbor Pub: 4-7 p.m.
Specials: $3.50-5:25 beers, $4 wells, $4 margaritas and other drinks specials. Appetizer specials and nightly discounted dinners and drinks. At Harbor Pub, $1.50 domestic beers, $8 large pitchers of Budweiser and $3 mixed drinks.

• THE SHACK

It's ore than a small burger chain. Now open in Waikiki around the corner from the International Marketplace, it's where locals go to party on Thursday nights for $2 beers. Most locals don't bother to show up until 11, as the place doesn't close 'till 4. 2255 Kuhio avenue
Happy Hour Specifics: Monday-Thursday, 6 p.m.-close. The biggest night is Thirsty Thursday.
Specials: Wells, calls & house wines, $3. Mondays – $3.50 Absolut Vodka, $3 Primo • Longboard • Fire Rock. Tuesdays, $1 Off Heineken and Heineken Light Bottles. Taco Wednesdayss, $2 Fish Tacos, $1 off Mexican beers, $1 of all tequilas, $1 off tequila Specialty Drinks. Thursdays, 24 Beers On Tap with $10 cover.

– BEACH WALK – 

There's no sunset, but good specials at Beach Walk's bars and restaurants.

At Lewers Street and Kalakaua begins a fairly new section of town called the Waikiki Beach Walk. Yes, it's a strange name since it's not actually on the beach, but it does have several restaurants and bars. And they welcome patrons with extremely inviting Happy Hours.

• YARD HOUSE

There's a certain comfort zone travelers get into, and the Yard House is it in Waikiki. A reliable bar with solid food, sports filling the many plasma TVs, and a selection of beers whose taps rap around the counter, it's as welcoming to many tourists as the ocean breeze. With a Happy Hour starting in the mid-afternoon, it's possible to start a "Happy Hour hop" here lasting from lunch to dark.
Happy Hour Specifics: 2-5:30 daily.
Specials: $3.50 domestic pints, $3.75 premium and imports, $4 wells, $5.75 Mai Tais, $1.50 off all wines. Half-priced appetizers (wings, chicken strips and lettuce wraps, but the pizzas are the most popular items, ranging in price from $5-7).

• GIOVANNI PASTRAMI

Directly across Lewers is this nice local restaurant and bar. Quite often it appears quiet, but suddenly someone from another restaurant or bar will come in, then they are joined by another couple of people from another restaurant and bar, and suddenly it's a party.
Happy Hour Specifics: 3-6 p.m.
Specials: $3 domestic drafts, $4 imports and wells, $5 Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiians, $7 Stoli martinis. Free Roundtable pizza.

• MOOSE McGILLYCUDDY'S

The Moose may not be loose here like it was in the past, but with these specials, it could get going again.
Happy Hour Specifics: 4-7 p.m.
Specials: $3 drafts and mixed drinks, $4 premium liquor and specialty drinks. Nightly dinner specials.

– ALA MOANA SHOPPING CENTER – 

The food and ambiance is outstanding at Longhi’s.

On the ewa side of Waikiki (away from Diamond Head) is Honolulu's popular mall, the Ala Moana Shopping Center. In addition to having many places to bag souvenirs, it is also a place to bag food and drink bargains at two very popular bars, Longhi’s and the Mai Tai Bar. If it's a Friday, head to the exotic Pearl lounge after Happy Hour for one of Honolulu's best social scenes.

The dress code at these places is Hawaiian casual, Shorts and sandals are fine, of course, but off-the-beach tops are not.

• LONGHI'S

An elegant restaurant with some of the best food in Honolulu, Longhi’s is a hot Happy Hour spot. It's always full – with the possible exception of First Fridays – with a stellar crowd, Honolulu's finest, some say. Longhi's has an ocean view (and thus, of the sunset) out its large, open arched windows. There's just an intoxicating element to this place.
Happy Hour Specifics: Daily, 4-7.
Specials: $3-5 drafts, $4 wells and martinis, $5-12 wines, $6 premium martinis. Appetizers range from $3.50-8 and while the grilled portobello mushrooms ($5) and homemade pizza bread ($3.50) are outstanding, it's darn near impossible not to have the Endive salad off the full menu ($13).

• MAI TAI BAR

Not to be confused with the bar at the pink hotel (Royal Hawaiian) that serves potent Mai Tais on the beach, the Mai Tai Bar is large and lively in an open setting in the mall. There's live music and the Hang Ten Happy Hour pretty much fills up all the tables and bar stools on a regular basis. This won the Star-Bulletin's Best Happy Hour award in 2008.
Happy Hour Specifics: Daily, 4-8 p.m.
Specials: $3 pint ($9 pitchers) of Hawaiian-brewed Longboard Lager, $4 martinis, wines and Leid Back and Passion Fruit Mojito specialty drinks. $5 pupus (items include popcorn shrimp, calamari, and chicken chinos).

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