Pau Hana Patrol: Waimanalo’s Big Country Bar and Grill

Chef Palani Hesia, standing underneath surfboards, holds a dish of Pork Ong Choy, one of the pau hana specials at the Big Country Bar & Grill in Waimanalo. --Bruce Asato / basato@staradvertiser.com

At Big Country Bar and Grill in Waimanalo, the portions for pupu are served up big.

So big that I couldn’t finish the plates of Beef Tomato or Pork Ong Choy in one sitting. I brought it home to share with family, and even that lasted a few days.

Big Country Bar and Grill is run by Kaleo and Davian “Dee” Keeno, both of Waimanalo, who decided to open up because there wasn’t a hangout in town. It occupies the space that used to belong to Kimo Z.

The bar will celebrate its first anniversary in April.

The idea was to open a local bar for an older crowd (catering to those 35 years and up), offering comfort food, a laid-back atmosphere and good music, according to Dee Keeno, a Kamehameha Schools grad and mother of five.

It’s one of few up-close, down-to-earth venues on the island where you can listen to good Hawaiian music outside of Waikiki, and that’s nice too.

The musical lineup is pretty impressive. It includes Alden Levi (who brings Sean Na’auao as a guest), Ekolu Makou, Make Bay, Kahiau, Kahi Kaonohi & Friends, Sani Apuakehau & Friends, Kapena, Everyday People, Bamboo and Kamomi.

Through word of mouth, various local bands started to play at Big Country, according to Dee, and it’s been growing week by week. It’s mostly Hawaiian music, she said, and once in a while, reggae.

The best way to find out who’s playing for the weekend is to visit Big Country’s Facebook page (look up Big Country Bar and Grill).

Big Country is nothing fancy.

This casual, no-frills bar doesn’t serve up martinis with elderflower essence or fruity cocktails — just beer (as in Bud Light, Corona and Heineken) and straight shots.

There are a few specialty shots — the “Big Country” comes with Three Olives Dude lemon-lime vodka, Pinnacle Whipped (whipped cream-flavored) vodka and a splash of tonic.

The “O-Bang” is Pinnacle Whipped vodka with orange juice, and the “HYP” is Pinnacle Chocolate vodka with Irish Manor cream liqueur and Kahlua coffee liqueur.

You don’t have to dress to impress here — if you do, you might feel out of place.

THE STAFF is friendly, on a first-name basis with regulars.

Chef Palani Hesia is originally from Hawaii island.

The menu includes comfort food — the kind your mother would make at home — everything from saimin ($5) and sardines with onions and tomato ($5) to tempura fries ($9), crispy pork ($12) and New York steak ($15). There are no pau hana discounts, but the servings are very generous.

The Beef Tomato ($14) is a stir-fry dish with huge chunks of beef (including the fat, if you like that) along with bell peppers and tomatoes. Pork Ong Choy ($12) comes on a sizzling platter.

If there’s fresh fish, don’t pass up the opportunity. I would have loved to have tried the lomi ahi ($10) but Big Country was sold out. Sashimi and poke are available, too, at market price.

IF YOU do show up during happy hour, you’re likely to have the place much to yourself.

There’s a karaoke machine, with hundreds of songs, and you can sing any time, for $1 per song. During pau hana hours, you might be singing your heart out to the bartender.

You can also watch sports on decent (thought not huge) flat-screen televisions.

The crowd here tends to drift in at 6 p.m. or later.

If you’re looking to hear music, hit Big Country is when the bands start, at 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The bar is open until 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to midnight on Sunday.

It’s 95 percent local, as in Waimanalo local, according to Dee, though some folks from Hawaii Kai, Kailua and Kaneohe sometimes swing by, along with the occasional tourist.

It’s a nice change of scene if you’re looking to spend pau hana away from town without driving too far.

Louise and Sam Ho, regulars at Big Country, go for the food, company and music.

They like to order the steak and fried noodles.

“The food, entertainment, the company, everything’s awesome,” said Louise. “It’s a good place to come and unwind. We used to drive to town to listen to music. Now we don’t have to.”

–Nina Wu / nwu@staradvertiser.com