Out in the country, see and be scene
Once a year, the staff at Lei Lei’s Bar & Grill swap their green polo shirts for some swankier threads, board a rented party bus and head to Honolulu where their bosses treat them to dinner at Morton’s and an unforgettable night on the town. Ian Buscher and Mike Neubert, the smart owners of the four-year-old bar and grill, recognize that taking care of their staff–like having everyone sit down for a collective shift meal each night–makes for happy employees, which translates into sincerely good service.
That is a big contributing factor in the easygoing, hospitable vibe that pervades the dining room at Lei Lei’s. Another factor, obviously, is its resort location. At any given time, some of the clientele are on vacation–and the ocean does a pretty good job at tempering stress levels for the rest of the North Shore patrons. Additionally, the open-air setting (half the rectangular bar is indoors, the other half outdoors) overlooking Turtle Bay Resort’s Palmer Course lends itself to the kind of breezy, island-style atmosphere for casual but classy eats and drinks that, before Lei Lei’s came along, was only to be found at Jameson’s or Haleiwa Joe’s.
But Lei Lei’s did come along, and all of a sudden the North Shore had a new hangout. As its popularity grew, and so did its cache of regulars. The bartenders–all long-time Lei Lei’s staffers–are like switchboards for the coconut wireless. If not gossip, you can always ask underground shredder Nalu Law what the surf is doing. The most popular drink, according to Janine, is, natch, the mai tai for visitors, and natch again, Bud Light for locals. But Diane makes a mean chocolate martini, and best of all, Barbie makes sure that there are always cold bottles of Harp in stock–hard to find anywhere on the island, let alone the North Shore.
Who hangs out there? It’s a favorite (and convenient) watering hole for off-duty Turtle Bay staffers. It’s the unofficial after-party for the formal banquets and events at the hotel (Hawaiian Tropics pageant, anyone?). And it’s a field day for star-struck voyeurs seeking to mingle with the rich and the famous staying at the seaside cottages–Owen Wilson, Julia Roberts and Helen Hunt have all stopped in for a visit–to name just a few A-Listers.
Lei Lei’s Bar & Bar & Grill
57-049 Kuilima Dr, 293-2662
Getting In: Get a parking ticket at the Turtle Bay Resort guard shack, and take your first left. Don’t forget to get it validated.
Dress Code: Resort casual, as travel industry folk like to call it. Locals and surfers still come in slippers.
Soundtrack: Hawaiian
Sightings: Owen Wilson, Helen Hunt, Julia Roberts, Kelly Slater, Jack Johnson, Andy Irons
Signature Drink: You swill it, they’ll fill it.
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