Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Wahoo’s Fish Taco is yet another one of the undistinguished surf-themed, stop-in-for-a-bite joints that populate the islands.

In fact, Wahoo’s, a chain of family-owned and operated restaurants with venues in Southern California, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Japan, adds a fresh twist to its casual fare, with food rooted more in Mexico, Brazil and California than the islands. But that doesn’t prevent it from fitting in with the island ethos.

It also gets the basics right, combining convenience with satiating sustenance and wholesome hospitality. It’s a lot harder to pull off than it looks

The experience

Wahoo’s is easy to find on the edge of Ward Villages, so there’s plenty of parking. It fits in with its sunny spot on the corner of Auahi Street and Ward Avenue, where diners can be seated either on the outside patio, which has plenty of umbrellas for shade, or inside, which still gets plenty of daytime sun shining through the floor to ceiling windows.

Surfboards and vintage photos of surfing and fishing hang from the brightly colored walls. During my two visits there, surf contests were showing on the flat screens, a nice touch.

The food

A member of the founding family, Mike Karfaridis, came here in 2007 to help start the local franchise and wound up staying on as operating partner. He said there are advantages to that.

“I can bring all that talent, skill and knowledge that I know with what we’re doing on the mainland, no cost to the company here,” he said. “What we’re doing over there is working. We’ve studied the demographic, what people like. We know that the millennials are eating healthier right now, because their parents in the early 2000s raised them that way.”

As a result, Wahoo’s offers new items that are lighter and healthier than the traditionally heavy, deep-fried foods that so often appear on happy hour menus. One of those new dishes is the kimchee tacos, ($6), garnished with lightly spiced kimchee, sweet hoisin and a gingery white balsamic vinegar sauce. It was very tasty, with the delicate flavors blending together well, but folks who expect a spicy kimchee might be disappointed.

The happy hour menu includes specific items at appealing prices, rather than discounted items from the regular menu.

We had chicken taquitos ($7), served with guacomole, sour cream and pico de gallo. These fingers were nicely crisped and gently flavored, excellent for a snack.

We also had a fish quesadilla ($8) made with blackened ono, known as wahoo in other parts of the world. Fish with cheese isn’t always appealing, but this combination worked well.

Other happy hour offerings include fries, nachos and other pupus, and it might be best to keep it simple and stick to that. On the regular menu, Wahoo’s offers a dizzying array of choices. Steak, chicken or fish; black beans or white; wet or dry burritos? Sometimes that’s too much for the snack-minded.

The drinks

The happy hour cocktail is a $5 margarita. Wahoo’s doesn’t do it the traditional Mexican way, using agave instead of triple sec for sweetener. With li hing mui around the rim instead of salt, it was smoother than a traditional margarita and just as refreshing.

Other happy hour deals include a glass of house red or white wine for $3 and pitchers of beer for $10 to $12. Wahoo’s also offers daily drink specials.

The verdict

Wahoo’s is trying to bring its happy hour “to the next level,” Karfaridis said, and the new menu is certainly a good first step. The fare is light, tasty and affordable, and the atmosphere is warm and friendly.

What’s especially nice is that Wahoo’s is also willing to extend its happy hour pricing beyond the stated hours. If you go before 3 p.m. but expect to stay afterwards, or if you’ve been there before 7 p.m. and expect to stay beyond that, you’ll be offered the happy hour specials.

It’s a good reason to hang around a place that’s already pretty nice to hang out in.