Kaimuki’s 12th Ave Grill is a perennial favorite with Honolulu diners — and food writers. It’s well-established that owner/chef Kevin Hanney and chef executive chef Jason “J” Schoonover deliver the goods, offering down-to-earth plates made with contemporary savvy. The restaurant expanded into its current, corner digs in 2013.
Happy hour here is just what you’re looking for, then, if you can make it to the neighborhood for a quick stop pau hana.
THE EXPERIENCE
Stepping into 12th Ave Grill feels good — almost like stepping through your own front door, when you feel you can let your shoulders down and relax.
It has a cozy, rustic feel, in keeping with its flavorful, reliable menu. Soft lighting, wood tones at the bar and booths, and a chalkboard menu over the bar accentuate the comfortable, casual feel.
The happy hour menu is served at the bar and a couple of adjacent booths only, and on some days — particularly Fridays — the seating can fill up, with eager, akamai locals who want to start their evening off right. Arrive right at 5:30 if you want to be sure of getting a seat. Ease into the week here for a stress-free Monday or Tuesday pau hana.
Part of the attraction in dining at 12th Ave Grill is that the staff here is a well-coordinated team, friendly, enthusiastic and well-versed in the food and drink menus.
THE FOOD
12th Ave Grill prides itself on being a “farm to table, nose to tail” restaurant. That leads to foods with a surfeit of good, earthy taste, including house-made sausages, lamb burgers and a nearly famous pork chop. Meats and seafood take prime positions on the menu.
Happy hour is designed to give a small taste of the restaurant’s style, with Maui Cattle Co. hamburgers available each day, and other plates designed by the chef on a daily basis. I’ve dropped in to enjoy offerings that include tasty, creative small plates, such as bruschetta topped with ahi or salmon, tacos, a rich, satisfying meat loaf sandwich that, while not giant, could please two light eaters, and more.
Across the board on this restaurant’s menu, dishes combine deep flavor, varying textures and craved ingredients. It’s an extra source of satisfaction that the bulk of 12 Ave Grill’s offerings are sourced from local farmers and ranchers.
Specials during happy hour are found on the “craft bar” menu, chalked over the bar and changing on a daily basis.
On my most recent visit, I went for the special burger, made with grass-fed beef and topped with combozola cheese, arugula and balsamic fig bacon jam. That combination of tastes — grassy, pungent, spicy, sweet and salty — encapsulates the attraction of this menu. It’s a great burger, big enough to share at $14.
Other craft bar dishes could be sampled for less than $5, including a biscuit in pepper gravy, $4; ribeye tataki with watercress, $6; Mexican street corn with house-made tajin and white cheddar, $4; and bacon- braised collard greens, $5. I made a noble, low- cost dinner out of the tataki and collard greens that was delicious and felt pretty healthy (nevermind the bacon).
THE DRINK
Everything at this location is done with an unpretentious attention to detail. The cocktails have a unique spin, and the wine list is extensive, including a 12th Ave Grill Tyler Pinot Noir.
Wine specials vary daily; on my visit, 12th Ave Grill offered a 2018 La Patience rough, a blend from Languedoc, France, at $12 for a glass, and a La Patience rose for $11.
During happy hour, wines by the glass are discounted by $4, and beer by $2. I enjoyed a 2017 Tyler “12th Ave Grill Cuvee” chardonnay from Santa Barbara, Calif., at $8, regularly $12. One of my favorite local beers, the Waikiki Brewing Company Skinny Jeans IPA is $6, regularly $8.
Well drinks are $5; a well martini or Lemon Ginger Mint cocktail, made with New Amsterdam vodka, are $7.
THE VERDICT
This place is a favorite — friendly and pleasant whether you’re stopping in alone or meeting friends. The restaurateurs’ creative ambition and 12th Ave Grill’s easy atmosphere are a winning combination, raising it to the top of my happy hour list.
12TH AVE GRILL
1120 12th Ave., Kaimuki
12thavegrill.com, 732-9469
Happy hour: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
>> Maui Cattle Co. burger, $10
>> Lemon-ginger mint cocktail, $7, reg. $12
>> Wine Wednesday: wines by the glass or bottle, half off
