Lanikai landmark retains its charm and classic cocktails

I couldn’t have been the only person to get more than a little anxious at the news earlier this year that Buzz’s Original Steakhouse had plans to renovate the interior of its Lanikai restaurant.

That’s because more than 50 years after first opening its doors across the street from Kailua Beach Park, Buzz’s continues to welcome both visitors and locals into a space that hasn’t changed much over the decades.

A former privately owned beach house turned into a commercial space, the building was called Lord’s at Lanikai before the late Raymond “Buzz” Schneider bought it and opened for business in 1962. He was largely responsible for bringing the steakhouse concept to Hawaii, serving up steak and lobster dinners off a wood fire grill. Although Schneider died in 2006, his namesake restaurants in Lanikai and Pearl City continue to be run by members of his family under the ownership of his ex-wife, Bobbie Lou Schneider-Yeackel.

So I held my breath a little when pulling into the Buzz’s Lanikai parking lot next to Kaelepulu Stream recently. I knew they had raised the roof on the building about a decade earlier, but how would this round of changes affect the dining — and drinking — experience?

Turns out, not much. And that’s a good thing.

While the renovations were important in terms of upgrading kitchen equipment and installing a new climate control system, most customers probably won’t notice the dining room’s original wood tables have been refinished and a new railing was installed outside on the lanai. And more important for this columnist, the 11-seat horseshoe-shaped bar remains the same. Cramped yet charming, it makes for an intimate experience, with photos of Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, longtime employees and other friends of the Schneider family lining the walls along with historic images of old Kailua and various surfing and fishing pictures.

Employees at Buzz’s welcome regulars from around the world by name but still show plenty of aloha to first-timers. My favorite time of day to visit is around 3 p.m. or so, right in the gap between the end of lunch at 2 p.m. and the start of dinner service at 4:30 p.m. Sit on the side that faces Kailua Beach Park and you’ll have a sliver of an ocean view from your bar stool to go with the perfect vantage point to people-watch as the dinner crowd shows up.

Kudos to Buzz’s for keeping it local on the beer front, with multiple options from Maui Brewing Co. to go with 22-ounce bombers from Lanikai Brewing Co. and Big Island Brewhaus. The wine list here is also pretty diverse, with by-the-glass and whole-bottle offerings on the menu from California, Oregon and New Mexico to go with wines from France, Italy, Spain, Germany and New Zealand. Everything is pretty affordable, with no bottle costing more than $50 and most glasses priced in the $8-to-$10 range.

You’ll get the most mileage, however, out of the cocktail menu here, where specialty drinks are $10 each and they all pack quite a punch. Buzz’s Famous Mai Tai should actually be called a Mai-Tini, since there is nothing but rum added to more rum in the version made here. Be sure to order the “somewhat gentler Mai Tai,” also known as Buzz’s B.F.R.D. (Big F—— Rum Drink) and made with pineapple juice, if you’re looking for something with more than just alcohol inside it.

I’m also a fan of Buzz’s Lava Flow and the Kailua Passion, two blended drinks that might get local people funny looks in other bars but fit right in with the Kailua vibe out here. The Lanikai Lemonade, a simple mix of Smirnoff orange vodka and lemonade, is a great pick on a humid afternoon, while the lilikoi in Buzz’s Mokulua Sunrise transforms what would otherwise be a simple vodka cranberry cocktail into a drink worth ordering again. And if you’re into cocktails made with coffee, there are five different types on the menu here, all priced at $9.

Need something to eat with all that alcohol? You can’t go wrong with one of the entrees from Buzz’s full menu, but I tend to stick with more affordable picks off the pupu menu. Steak fries ($3.25) and teriyaki meat sticks ($7.50) are always a good combo here, as are the beef spring rolls ($7.25) or pork won tons ($7.25). But I tend to stick with what I remember, and that’s the calamari steak ($9.25). It’s served breaded, but the squid inside is still tender and goes perfectly with the capers, butter sauce and wedge of lemon it’s served with.

Whether it’s a quick mid-afternoon pick-me-up or a full meal with friends or visitors from out of town, it’s good to see one landmark Kailua institution hasn’t changed much since my childhood there some 30 years ago. I can’t wait to visit again.