The signature drink at Kalaheo Steak & Ribs is the KSR Punch. Made from a blend of vodka and lemonade and flavored with either mango or strawberry, it is light but packs a wallop. Served in a hurricane glass, garnished
The signature drink at Kalaheo Steak & Ribs is the KSR Punch. Made from a blend of vodka and lemonade and flavored with either mango or strawberry, it is light but packs a wallop.
Served in a hurricane glass, garnished with the obligatory pineapple slice and cherry speared by a paper umbrella, it’s a cheerful drink whose power can sneak up on you. The KSR Punch is $5 during Happy Hour, which is from 4-7 p.m. in both the dining room and the saloon. Regular price is $7.50 until closing.
Sweet and refreshing, KSR Punch proved to be a perfect match for the hearty flavors of Kalaheo Steak & Ribs’ pupus and entrees.
Happy hour is from 4 to 7 p.m. at Kalaheo Steak & Ribs.
In addition to the saloon, which offers maitis, margaritas with fresh-squeezed limes and other mixed drinks, there is a cantina serving drinks inside the restaurant.
The dinner menu also offers a nice number of dessert beverages, including ports, a chocolate Godiva martini and Keoki coffee, as well as a fairly extensive wine list, ranging from $7 a glass to $65 a bottle.
The saloon, which has its own entrance along Papalina Road, is connected to the restaurant by a short flight of stairs. Flat-screen TVs line the walls of the long room, but the focal point is the stage in the corner, where Wailoa provides live Hawaiian music — and more — on Thursdays and Sundays from 7 to 10 p.m.
The band, made up of Charlie Iona, John Mahi, Dane Pabo and Brian Dabis, has been the house band for the past year and a half. Described as “live Hawaiian music,” the quartet provides a lively, unique blend of music from the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, as well as Hawaiian and Spanish music, according to owners Ernie Kanekoa and Caroline Frederiksen.
Frederiksen reported that Wailoa never takes a break and sometimes plays until 11, stopping only when they are good-naturedly yanked off-stage.
“It’s just taken off,” she said of the band’s popularity.
In fact, Wailoa provides such a draw that “it’s reservations only” in the saloon when they perform, Frederiksen said.
Karaoke is on tap Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to midnight “or until pau,” although a jazz band may be added on Saturday.
