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Tex 808 BBQ + Brews is a barbecue joint that opened last June at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center, at a site formerly occupied by BYO Bowls, kitty corner from the neighborhood City Mill hardware store. It’s run by the people behind the Teddy’s Bigger Burgers diners, who also ran BYO Bowls. With a liquor license and lease on the space secured, the Teddy’s owners decided to try out a new concept, took a taste tour of Texas barbecue spots, and came up with this idea.
THE EXPERIENCE
While Tex 808 is purposely non-island in ambience, it still has a friendly, fun vibe, with a big, lit-up sign declaring “Howdy!” above the bar. The saloon-like atmosphere is accentuated by Texas-themed items like a Texas license plate, a pair of longhorns and a sign asking you to give up your six-shooters hanging from the distressed-wood walls.
The decor is a combination of Southwestern and industrial tech, as exemplified particularly by the bar. Its metal surface has been treated to give it a corroded, rusted appearance, but it’s been polished and smoothed to a bright, attractive shine. The swinging saloon doors leading back to the kitchen appear to have had the same treatment.
The room itself is divided up into a bar area and dining space, with leather-upholstered stools and high-backed chairs at the bar, a few small countertops for two to three people, and a sit-down section with metal chairs at tables for four.
There’s also a sports-bar atmosphere, with 10 flat-screens mounted in various places around the place. It might have been fun to have one dedicated to rodeo.
THE FOOD
Happy hour at Tex 808 features a short menu of typical, comfort-food items, from wings to sliders to nachos, attractively priced and easy on the taste buds. A nice thing with the wings is the variety. They’re served dry rubbed, Buffalo or barbecued, with a ranch dipping sauce on the side. During regular hours they’re $15 for eight, but during happy hour they’re only $1 each, so if you’re pairing them with other dishes, large or small, you can order the appropriate amount.
A similar deal is offered for chicken tenders, which are offered with the regular deep fried or Buffalo style and are $2 each, but you have to order a minimum of three.
Most of the “to-be-dipped” items, like the Frickles (fried pickles, $5, $9 regular) were served with ranch sauce, but the Pulled Pork Sliders ($6 for two, $15 for three regular) gave us the chance to try Tex 808’s own barbecue sauce, which comes in regular and spicy. The spicy was better, and could have been even spicier for my taste, but both had way too much hoisin sauce.
There’s plenty on the happy hour menu to fill you up, like the Redneck Nachos, ($10), an ample portion of tater tots, pulled pork, salsa jalapenos, tomatoes and cheese topped with sour cream and chipotle aioli, or the Chili Cheese Tots ($10), which come smothered in a rich sauce of sausage and other goodies.
THE DRINK
The full name of Tex 808 includes “BBQ + Brews,” so not surprisingly beer heads its list of happy hour drinks. It’s $3 to $4 for Pabst, Modelo or Blue Moon out of the tap and $4 for Bud or Coors Light or Michelob Ultra, a discount of $1 to $3 off the regular price.
If you’re with a group of friends, consider the Bucket of Beers, which for $20 gets you five bottles of your choice of the above beers, plus a serving of chicharrones, which are $6 during regular hours.
In keeping with the Texas theme, moonshine also is offered during happy hour at $5. I had a Spiked Lemonade, with strawberry moonshine, which went down smooth and easy.
Wine is also offered for $5.
If you want something a bit more experimental — and non-Texas-themed — you’ll have to go off the happy hour menu. Manager and bartender Brady Collier said he’s started offering pineapple-infused tequila and a pineapple mule ($9).
THE VERDICT
Variety is the spice of life, so it’s good to have Texas-style BBQ in East Honolulu. The only place in the area I know of that offers something similar is the new Southern barbecue buffet at the Kahala Whole Foods, which usually shuts down by 6 p.m.
Tex 808 actually has two happy hours a day, one at the afternoon and another starting at a variable time, around 9 p.m. until closing (10 p.m.-Monday-Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday). For Hawaii Kai residents, it’s convenient for a late-night snack or nightcap.
Yippee-kiyay! Saddle up and head on over.
TEX 808 BBQ + BREWS
Hawaii Kai Shopping Center, 333 Keahole St
395-2695, tex808.com
Happy hour: 3-6 p.m. daily; late night
>> Wings, $1 each
>> Pulled Pork Sliders, $6
>> Redneck Nachos, $10
>> Pabst on tap, $3
>> Modelo or Blue Moon, $4
>> Fireball shots, $5
>> Spiked Lemonade, $5
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