La Mariana Sailing Club

Visited La Mariana in October 2009. An early visit (before 9:00 PM) on Thursday nights will provide you with a special treat. A group of locals gather every Thursday for an open mic night and they sing non-stop till 9:00 PM. The song variety is wide, and the talent is quite good!

Also, the Zombies are quite tasty!

I try to make it there every once in awhile. Visitors to hawaii definitely need to check it out for the decor. The drinks are good, but the menu is not polynesian. Last time I was there I had lasagna! Call ahead, so see if there will be entertainment. My first time there I had a wonderful time because of the pianoman. He had a lot of talent.

Every August, my college buddy & I make our annual pilgrammage to Oahu for 10 days; La Mariana is the 1st place we go immediately upon landing, and the last place we visit before leaving. It's hard to locate (it's in a small industrial area near the airport bordering the canals, with not very clear directions or signs), but it's well worth finding; it's the last original non-ironic Tiki bar left in the Hawaiian Islands, and it's my kind of place. Haven't tried the food, but the drinks are great. Have gotten to know one of the bartenders, Waylan, who's a great guy. The one drink downside is, they no longer serve drinks in Tiki heads; I guess too many people were stealing them, or they're too expensive to replace. Regardless, if you like Tiki bars, this place is ground zero...

Last year, I visited La Mariana to find that Annette Nahinu had passed away. There was a rumor that, just prior to her passing, she had been convinced to sign away the ownership to a realtor/developer, who was now considering knocking it down to build condos. I'm hoping this is all rumor; if you know anything different or have updated news, please post. La Mariana is a treaure, and it would be really sad if we lost another great Tiki bar...

The one downside of La Mariana in the past was the food. However, earlier this year, they've ramped up the kitchen and now have a full blown polynesian/tiki menu with appetizers, salads & entrees. Food is MUCH improved now; they've also added a widescreen TV at the bar...

Found out La Mariana sits on leased land, and the lease is up in 5 years. Don't know who owns the land (I think it might be the state of Hawaii), but I hope they chose to write a new lease for the place. It's not a good space for pretty much anything else, as it's irregular.

Also found out the rumor about the realtor developer was false; apparently, La Mariana is in a trust and the employees have an ownership interest in it. What a wonderful way to perpetuate the giving spirit of Annette Nahinu...