Bar Elixrs

When Eric confirmed he was coming back to Honolulu for a couple weeks, I immediately planned a nacho night in his honor.  He was a regular at our nacho nights when he lived on the island a couple years ago. Recently finished with grad school, he came to see us before heading off to his adult job in New York. We set it up for Bar Elixrs in Chinatown on a slow Monday night.  I usually try to have nacho nights on the nights when the establishments are not super busy.  This way we have lots of room for the #nachofriends and we bring some business to an otherwise slow night. Rob was very welcoming to our group and let us know that he was also the cook that night.  We made sure everyone had some drinks in front of them before he headed back to make the first batch of nachos.  By the way, Bar Elixr has a delicious $5 margarita special all the time that is made with fresh squeezed lime juice.  I may have had one or two.  :)  The nacho options are cheese, carnitas, or carne asada.  Since we were spread among three tables, we shared the first wave of nachos that came out.  The carne asada was delicious but the carnitas was by far the star of the show.  So flavorful and not all fatty like carnitas can be, as well as perfectly seared for that bite of nacho awesomeness.  The remainder of the ingredients are your typical nacho standards but we did especially love the mix of cheese sauce with real shredded cheese.  This is a great touch.  

On Tuesdays and Thursdays Bar Elixrs has taco specials with $2 tacos and drink specials.  They are open 3pm to close for the summer, closed on Sundays.  A great place to watch sports with 2 huge projection tvs and 5 other large tvs. Once football season starts, they will open on Sundays so you can catch the games there too!  I totally recommend going in to see Rob or my friend Pat and eat some yummy yummy carnitas.
    

#nachonerds

Happy Hour nachos: $5 cheese nachos, $6 carnitas nachos, $8 carne asada nachos (pictured)

 

 

Roberto (4) – PRESENTATION: Classic nacho look. RAD: Classic nacho cheese! LAME: Sour cream and olives. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: Money.  This bartender needs a cook!

 

Miss Stupendous (3.96) – PRESENTATION: I like the mountains of sour cream.  Also the cheese was melted perfectly. RAD: Lots of sour cream and liquid queso. LAME: Not enough cheese. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, did pretty well on the actual cheese to chip.  I always love the nacho party.

 

Nacho Envy (3.5) – PRESENTATION: Generous toppings, small basket. RAD: Tons of sour cream! I love sour cream.  I loved the cheese sauce too!  LAME: Kind of small portion and a little salty. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5, we actually ran out of chips.  Very tasty but small.  Great atmosphere.  Rob did a great job on his own.  Shannon rocked it.

 

Tequila Cat (Solid 3) – PRESENTATION: DISCLAIMER: I brought my "diet" tortilla chips and added them to the taco contents. One carnitas taco was only $3, however said taco was slider size.  Toppings were bueno: cilantro, onion and spicy sauce. RAD: Carnitas were super flavorful.  Also the bartender was also the chef and the owner!  Great service and patience. LAME: Tat taco was little.  Real little. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 2.5, The nachos looked over-topping'd and under chipped. I was impressed how the owner juggled all the roles with our party of 17.

 

Flaco (3.9) – PRESENTATION: A good looking nacho basket! Colorful, well distributed toppings.  They come in a classic dinner basket with deli paper.  Pork nachos are good, the meat is delicious, lots of toppings for each chip.  Bit sloppy though. RAD: Really nice bartender who made nachos even though the chef was gone for the day.  LAME: The plain queso nachos are boring.  The most basic ingredients ever.  Why would you order these? (add a meat topping to make them good) TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4.2, pork nachos had a great topping ratio.  Borrowed chips from another basket to finish the toppings.  Toppings were ok, tomatoes, guac, sour cream, jalapenos, so nothing unique.  The nachos are meh.  Lot's of toppings but they are basic.  Not as bad as Kelly's. Good group of people here, but nachos were mediocre.  One person to bartend and cook so he was hustling.

 

Swell Miguel (2.75) – PRESENTATION: Nice amount of sour cream on toppings.  Choke toppings vs nachos.  Basic toppings, olives, sour cream, cheese small kine.  Typical nacho cheese with real cheese. RAD: Ono chesey sour creamy. LAME: No layers, all toppings on top, not huge serving. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3, lot of toppings.  No cook, bartender had to cook. 

 

Shananigans (3) – PRESENTATION: I'm starving so it looks super yummy.  I spy real cheese sprinkled on the liquid cheese.  Double cheese is a bonus! RAD: The carnitas is so damn flavorful.   LAME: Today sucked.  Black beans would make these that much better.  Wish there was a cook to help out the bartender. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, toppings pretty consistent with the chip portions.  Guac is super yummy.  Stoked to have my buddy Eric here.

 

Matt H. (4) – PRESENTATION: Like the sun reflecting off a baby's face. (Actually really nothing special though). RAD: Chips are salty (more than normal), toppings are salty (but it's good because salt is love.) LAME: Understaffed. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, steak nachos are a little light on meat.  Understaffed, very quiet (not much music or anything).  Nice space.  Margaritas are good but strong.  [Excuse me Matt but shouldn't this say, "Margaritas are good AND strong." What's with the "but"?  Strong is a bonus!  LOL]

 

N8 (3.5) – PRESENTATION: Standard look, nothing fancy. RAD: Love the old school wax paper and plastic basket server.  LAME: Kinda cold, but the establishment was short-staffed. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.5, a good variety but still dry chips on the bottom. The nachos may be average, but the $5 fresh lime juice margaritas are fantastic.

 

Nacho Metal (5) – PRESENTATION: Simple but tall.  It's a big basket-o-nachos.  They look kinda divey but there's a lot there. RAD: Big dallops of sour cream, the toppings lasted all the way until the end chip. LAME: The last chips got soggy at the end but I still ate them! TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5, there were toppings all the way until the end.  Great chips, and lots of toppings.  They aren't fancy, but they are delicious.  Rob was awesome!  Bartender and cook, he did it all!!!

 

Goldilocks (3) – PRESENTATION: Looks good, more meat. RAD: Sour cream. LAME: Not enough meat. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.  Big TVs, no music (would be nice), Nice & cute overworked bartender.

 

Grady (3) – PRESENTATION: Needs more toppings. RAD: Tastes great when when full.  Cheese is good.  LAME: Not for sharing. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 1:2, maybe 1:3 - "steak", cheese, salsa, 4 jalapenos, sour cream. Good sports bar, great specials.

 

Nacho Libra (3.5) – PRESENTATION: Steak!  I can see two types of cheese…yeah! RAD: Cheap. Love both cheeses!  Can't go wrong with steak.  The pork was tender and tasty! LAME: Soggy chips at the bottom.  Guac would take these to the next level. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.5, Rob was awesome.  $5 margaritas.

A couple of the boys decided to fill out their score cards all in Haikus.  Bravo my friends!  You know the way to my heart. 

Tango Tango (2)

PRESENTATION: 

Oh, these look ratchet

basic white girl bar nachos

JJ Dolan's calls.  

RAD:  

Margaritas flow! 

Fresh ingredients and taste.  

I'll imbibe a few. 

LAME:  

A lone warrior

he tends bar and cooks food too. 

Too many mouths want.  

TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO:

Beef, pork - both salty! 

These nachos are also cold.  

I expected more.   

OVERALL: 

It's not the bar's fault.   

The cook was away tonight.   

I want a pizza. 

Brandon, the Nacho King

PRESENTATION: 

Chips are stacked so High!

So many toppings to spare

and now they are gone. 

RAD:  

Mixture of cheeses.  

Meat so well seasoned yum yum. 

Salty so much salt.  

LAME:  

Chips so flimsy blah! 

The chip breaks and I crying.  

Quit pestering me.  

TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO:  

Don't rate the nacho.  

It does not judge you ok.  

But give it a 5.

OVERALL: 

Who can contemplate.   

Is a nacho good or bad.   

Refrigerator.    

ATMOSPHERE: 

Entering the bar.  

Cool, calm, carpet, clinging glass

I will never leave.

 

 

We wore the same shirt and didn't even plan it. #twinkies #nachobesties

 

 

$5 margaritas!!!??? I'll take 2!

 

 

He told us to act like a nacho for this photo

Guest of honor