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Rules of the Social Pool: No Diving

December 12th, 2008
By: The Wandering Buffalo

Dive bar seems to be a loaded word these days in today's social scene. It conjures up images of poorly lit, smoke filled rooms, populated with the most unsavory assortment of characters. You've walked by one, peaked inside, and made your own judgments. To some, this sent you running. To others, herein lies the very charm of such an establishment. Make no mistake; there is a difference between a dive bar and a bar, but that line seems to be blurred these days. It appears the word dive bar has come to encompass so much more than the typical assumptions and preconceived notions. Has it gotten so bad that even sports bars are now relegated to "dive bar" status by today's standards? And if this is indeed true, have my favorite watering holes become an endangered species in today's social environment?

As I gaze across the landscape of Hawaii's social terrain, I can't help but notice that the over-glamorized Hollywood and Entourage lifestyle has become the new social standard by which people behave. Luxury and extravagance is no longer a niche market, it is the market! The rapid rise in popularity of new ultra-lounges, such as Pearl and Level 4, along with long standing hot spots The W and the newly reopened Ocean Club have further solidified the upscale club scene's dominance. Mandatory dress codes, hour-long lines, and exorbitantly priced drinks have gone from the exception to the norm. The bar scene has been transformed to a see and be seen weekly event, where everyone seems to know someone who knows someone who may be able to get you on the guest list if you drop the right name. Table service is no longer reserved solely for special occasions, but rather is a necessity to ensure service in these over-packed "meet-markets". Yet the people have spoken, and the lines continue to wind around the block each and every weekend.

And while I openly embrace this new trend, it also makes me pause and appreciate the true bar experience. It's a place where the drinks of choice are beers and shots. Where there is no nightly drink special, but there is a set happy hour. Where you don't just wait at the bar to be served, but you can actually sit at the bar. Where a regular is someone who comes in other than Friday and Saturday. Where sometimes the night takes you in a direction you could have never anticipated, but will always remember. If you give it half a shot, I guarantee you will walk away having a good time. If not, then I'll buy you a drink, but only at a bar!

~The wandering buffalo can be found roaming the social landscape weekly.

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