It might seem odd to have a Wisconsin-themed sports bar in Hawaii, but given that one of the hallmarks of local culture is acceptance of others, why not?

Snapper’s Sports Bar & Grill, in the Discovery Bay Center fronting Ala Moana Boulevard, has been around for a long time. About five years ago the Wenzel family from Wisconsin, who had come to Hawaii to retire, "got bored of sitting on the beach," said Amanda Wenzel, daughter of owner Mike Wenzel. The family purchased the site, transforming it into a haven for fans of the Green Bay Packers and all things Wisconsin.

The experience

Walk into Snapper’s and it’s like entering a different world. Because it’s in the basement space, it’s dark rather than sunny and bright. Cutouts and pictures of Packers stars adorn the walls, along with trophy cases and banners. You’ll begin to drawl "Wiscawnson" and dream about cheese and football.

Snapper’s has been designated an official Packers bar on the team’s website, and during Packers games the place is jammed with Cheeseheads (Packer fans) and only the Green Bay game will be shown on the more than a dozen flat screens. As it turned out, we went during a Packers game, but it was only preseason and midweek, so it wasn’t crowded. There were a few Packers fans there, decked out in team jerseys, but no foam Cheesehead hats out yet. Perhaps it was just too early for that.

In that setting one could see that Snapper’s is in fact a spacious venue, with several pool tables and a pingpong table spread about the site, with some hidden-away nooks and corners for a degree of privacy. There’s a small outdoor seating area as well, though you get only a view of the traffic on Ala Moana Boulevard and the Illikai Hotel across the street. Still, because the bar and grill are set below street level, you still get a sense of separation.

The drinks

For happy hour the drink specials are $3 for domestic beers, well drinks and mai tais. Because we’re in Hawaii, I had to have the mai tai, and it was a solid choice, the sweetness well balanced with the rum. And at $3 it would be difficult to complain.

In a nod to the Wisconsin theme of Snapper’s, I also had one of the old-time Milwaukee beers. I think the last time I saw a TV ad for Pabst Blue Ribbon, I was too young to drink, so I ordered one up. It was smooth and light, nice on a warm afternoon. (Wenzel called it "PBR," which I’d never heard before — it must be a mainland thing.)

The food

During happy hour, appetizers are 20 percent off. There’s the usual offerings of chips, onion rings and the like, but there are some special Wisconsin offerings. Two of them are on the appetizer menu: fried pickles — yes, sliced pickles, deep-fried in batter, served with a creamy sauce ($6.36 during happy hour, $7.95 regular); and deep-fried cheese curds, served with a honey mustard sauce ($7.16 during happy hour, $8.95 regular).

Both were simple and satisfying, the saltiness of the pickles surprisingly blending well with the sauce, the cheese curds having a nice texture. You could feel your arteries clogging, but if you’re spreading the generous proportions among a lot of friends, you just might survive the football season.

I also had another Wisconsin-themed dish, the Philly Slider, corned beef and cheese served on a bun ($9.95 for three). They also were tasty in a down-home kind of way.

The verdict

Snapper’s definitely has old-time, neighborhood charm, with no attitude, no pretensions that it’s anything more than a place to grab a drink, watch a game and shoot the breeze. Other than Packers fans, many of the regulars are short-term military contractors, here to work at Pearl Harbor, who are housed at the Illikai and nearby high-rises.

It would be especially fun to go there during an important Packers game, whether you’re a fan of the team or not, just for entertainment value. During the happy hours it’s a good place to relax.