Pau Hana: The Happiest Hour in Hawaii

Almost every day, gorgeous Hawaiian sunsets go home with visitors through the lens of their cameras. Each photo shines brighter than the other, warming the room and bringing back memories from an unforgettable Hawaii vacation. One sunset memory, however, shines brighter than the others, and that’s pau hana time!

Friends, food, drinks and laughter – the perfect pau hana combo.

It’s what people in Hawaii call this part of the day (literally meaning “done work”); when the sun sets, and we clock out of work and slide into some R & R time with a few pals. Similar to happy hour, pau hana in Hawaii can be enjoyed on land or in the ocean. It’s a cheers to the end of a good day with good food, delectable drinks and cheek-throbbing laughs.

We’re not only talking about bars but about restaurants as well. Burgers, garlic fries and bruschetta? Most places offer special deals for these taste-bud-loving treats that the underaged or non-alcoholic drinkers may enjoy, too. And it’s pretty easy to get filled up on a few pupu (appetizers) dishes without having to spend your entire day’s paycheck. Who wouldn’t be happy at this hour?

Prices for appetizers get sliced, sometimes in half, during happy hour.

Hawaii has tons of pau hana options. Get the beer and poke combo from North Shore’s Banzai Sushi Bar or a lava lava flow flow from the Five-0 Bar and Lounge in Waikiki. A new website called Happy Hour Hawaii specializes in exactly that – happy hours in Hawaii. It lists deals and events for more than 100 restaurants across the main islands (Oahu, Maui, Big Island and Kauai) and can also be accessed by phone or iPad. The apps come with a GPS tracker that will help visitors locate restaurants nearest them, while restaurants can use the site like a social network and manage their own menus and hours.

Here’s to one more day ‘til the weekend! Cheers!

Happy Hour Hawaii • Happy Hour specials for Oahu, Maui, Big Island and Kauai • www.HappyHourHawaii.com • 808-383-1902

Photo Credit: Happy Hour Hawaii

Posted by: Bruce Fisher on Nov 3, 2011