The Hula Grill, located on the second floor of the Outrigger Waikiki, really shouldn’t be a cool bar—at least not the type most Honolulu aficionados would enjoy. But on a Halloween evening, as Kalakaua Avenue flared with devils and pirates, the best ambiance on the strip seemed to swell in the corner of this restaurant.

This bar is really the Jane Tall-and-Plain of the Outrigger scene, always overshadowed by its sister spot, Duke’s. The wood paneling seems a little dull, the green carpet a bit too 1980s, the patrons a shade too sunburned. When planning an outing, alternatives like Tikis have always seemed to make more sense.

But a good bar’s atmosphere starts first and foremost with the river captains who pour the drinks. And this is where the Hula Grill shines. When we entered on Halloween, the guy behind the tap, dressed in a long black robe and shrouding hood, introduced himself as “Death by Bartender.” He then proceeded to concoct for us a shot by that name, one he said he’d been working on for this holiday specifically. It tasted like a cross between Tang and Jager—absolutely delicious. The ingredients, recorded haphazardly in my notes, may or may not be:

Grenadine
Absolut Mandarin
Campari
Jagermeister
Fresh Lemons
A Light Dusting of Rum

His partner, a young woman donning flannel and calling herself a pigslaughter’s daughter, was equally amiable. And around these two the scene flowed nicely, the live band receptive to our pocketed revelry. I was dressed as the late Hunter S. Thompson, and as I skulked from one end of the bar to the next, the lyrics to “One Toke Over the Line” seemed to descend from the ceiling above, the pair of guitars players winking as I realized the song came from them.

Even the hostess was laid back, smiling patiently as I called out over and over again, “Where’s my attorney!” Usually such antics, which I am by no means foreign to, will be met by condescending glances, at the least.

And judgment is the one thing shouldn’t accompany the ordeal of drinking in costume. Which is the strength of this bar, in the end. Its physicality and location are decent enough, and throw in a cool group of bartenders and musicians, it is the kind of place to hang out and enjoy yourselves in small groups—a place where even Death himself has a drink ready and waiting just for you. Not too bad at all.

—Tim D., 11/10/06