House margarita made with well tequila and lime. Pitcher $20
Puerto Alegre, San Francisco CA
These margaritas aren’t THAT good, but people seem to like them. I personally think they’re on the bland side and over priced. The service was also super slow during this visit.
Chips and salsa. Complimentary
Traditional dance performance, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, 24th Street Bart Station.
Cocchi Americano, blackberries, soda, lime garnish. $8
Starbelly, San Francisco CA
This was ok, but the soda was flat! It took forever to make it to our table too. I swear this place must have gotten new management because the service and food has gone to sh!t.
“Do not sit on steps” residential signage, Noe Valley. San Franciscans hate it when you sit on their stoop.
Fresh mint, peach white sangria: California chardonnay, fresh mint, summer peaches, fresh oranges and lime. $5
Sliderbar, San Francisco CA
Mmm, sangria! This cool sports bar is a nice addition to the restaurant scene in the Castro. It replaced Criolla Kitchen, and was Bagdad Cafe before that. We ended up here after a day of hanging out with friends and the service was amazing! The crowd was young and fun, and the food was pretty tasty too!
Allagash White beer. Refreshing with orange peel and coriander notes. Portland, MA, 5.2% ABV. $6
Naked lady door handle, 24th Street.
Rose Kennedy cocktails and snack mix. Complimentary
Red Carpet Club, Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
Wow, that’s definitely just a splash of cranberry juice in those cocktails! It’s barely pink, lol! Time to get my drink on before flying back to San Francisco.
Bye-bye Hawaii! Unitl next time. 🙂
Sobieski orange vodka, triple sec, lime juice, cranberry juice. $10
Roy’s, Waikoloa HI
We ended up at Roy’s because another restaurant that we wanted to go to was closed. I wasn’t too excited for Roy’s because I’d already been to the San Francisco and Seattle branches, but we were with a group so I didn’t want to make a fuss. Everything was just ok. Our group was pretty vocal and readily drunk so we still had a blast, lol.
Orchid table decoration.
Pololu Valley sign.
Lilikoi Margarita: Invented in 1993, tangy passion fruit with tequila served on the rocks.
Bamboo Restaurant, Hawi HI
This was ok – a little too tart for my liking. It was cute that they’re served in coconut shell glasses though.
Bamboozle Iced Tea: Our version of the Long Island Tea, gin, vodka, dark rum, tequila and triple sec with pineapple and yes, lilikoi, finished with a splash of Coke.
Either this was super weak, or super well-made. It tasted great and went down easily – uh oh, that could be trouble!
Indian wooden statues, Akoni Pule Highway.
Catch of the day served over linguine with asparagus and a light cream sauce.
Sansei Seafood Restaurant, Waikoloa HI
Absolut Ruby Red vodka with a splash of soda.
Makalawena Beach, Kekaha Kai State Park.
Huggo’s Ali’i Mai Tai: 10 Cane rum, Lemon Hart 151, pineapple juice, exotic liqueurs with a Gosling’s dark rum float. $11
Huggo’s on the Rocks, Kailua-Kona HI
Vacation is relaxing outside, taking in some rays, and sipping on sweet, girly tropical drinks. Lol! I think we accomplished that in Hawaii. This mai tai was a little on the “too” sweet side, and the margarita was super weak and a bit bland. Oh well, can’t win em all…
Huggo’s Famous Back Bar Margarita: premium tequila, grand marnier, lemon and lime juices with a splash of orange juice. $11
Bird of paradise flowers (Strelitzia reginae, Strelitziaceae), KOA airport.
Old school is in session with this original preparation of what is now often modified. Don has many claims to fame but none as bold as this fine cocktail. Bacardi 8, orange curacao, Whaler’s dark rum, fresh lime and a few smuggler’s secrets make this 1933 classic a must. Happy hour $5.25
Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona HI
Mmm, this tasted like a vacation! Don’s sit right on Kailua Bay so you get a perfect view of the sunset. Wish I was back there!
Sunset over Kailua Bay from our table.
Duke’s Mai Tai: Hawaiian juices with two different types of rum and orange curacao. $9
Duke’s Waikiki, Honolulu HI
Duke’s is super touristy, but it’s still nice to sit outside on Waikiki beach and enjoy the sunset. The food is middle of the road and the drinks are weak and sugary, but that’s OK because you’re on vacation, lol! The mai tai had good flavor though.
Mango-Rita: Jose Cuervo Gold tequila, mango, lime and triple sec. $8.50
This was more on the lime side than on the mango side and it could have used another shot of tequila. Oh well.
Sunset from the back patio at Duke’s Waikiki.
Cabernet du jour, fresh pressed lime, fresh pressed lemon, fresh pressed orange, pineapple juice, orgeat syrup.
Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand, Honolulu HI
Mmm, I love sangrias! They serve this in a pretty large glass so you can take your time to enjoy. Thanks Hula’s!
Mokoli’i (Chinaman’s Hat) Island, Kane’ohe Bay.
Happy hour $5
Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand, Honolulu HI
Hula’s is a pretty low key bar situated near Waikiki Beach. It’s a great place to relax during the day and they have great happy hour prices – heck yeah! At night, it gets super busy but I’m usually buzzed by then and back at the hotel sleeping. 🙂
View from Hula’s balcony.
Vittle Monster 