Hula's Bar & Lei Stand

The pitch.

Hula's has been Hawai'i's gay bar for half a century and somewhere along the way it became one of the best happy-hour patios in all of Waikiki, period. Walk up the second-floor stairs in the Waikiki Grand, order a pitcher of Mai Tai, and watch the sun drop behind Diamond Head over Queen's Surf Beach. No cover, no judgment, no dress code — just one of the friendliest, most-loved bars in Honolulu, gay or otherwise. Saturday afternoons add a 90-minute catamaran cruise that's the single best $-per-fun in town.

What it actually is.

Hawaii's longest-running LGBTQ+ bar — 50+ years in 2026 — and one of the longest-running gay bars in the world. Moved to its current 2nd-floor perch in the Waikiki Grand Hotel in 1998, where its open-air balcony looks directly across Queen's Surf Beach to Diamond Head. The crowd is genuinely mixed: gay, straight, local, tourist, all ages, all dressed however they want — Hula's leans into its "welcoming-to-everyone" identity. Days are mellow: sunbathers come up after the beach for a Blue Hawaiian. Nights ramp through happy hour into video-DJ dance energy after 9 PM. There's no cover, no gender-based pricing, and the staff has been there long enough to remember regulars by drink.

Happy hour: what to get.

Outside happy hour, it's known for…

50+ years as Hawai'i's flagship LGBTQ+ bar; Diamond Head sunset views from the open-air balcony; Saturday Hula's Catamaran cruise (sails 3 PM, 90 minutes); Mimosas & Marys drag brunch first Sunday of every month.

Best time to actually go.

Saturday 2-6 PM for happy hour plus the 3 PM catamaran cruise. Or first Sunday of the month at 2 PM for Mimosas & Marys drag brunch.