Every time I have gone to Mask over the years (originally demanding to be called an "Alternative Bar" but now apparently willing to be identified as an outright "gay bar" in 2013) I have walked into an empty bar, LOL. Â To his credit, Gunner (young bartender originally from Alaska) did absolutely everything a bar owner would want a bartender to do... he was friendly, talkative, encouraged interaction among patrons. Â He poured a fair drink and collected the money honestly and put it in the register. Â Umm, did I already mention he is very easy on the eyes?
Although a few patrons who arrived after us were stand-offish; others were surprisingly outgoing and warm, walking in and introducing themselves to everyone with no prompting. Â We had some laughs talking about the island and people's places of origin. Â A cute young Idahoan regaled us with tales of his early girlfriend who was a Mormon and therefore he hoped she would be chaste and content with a youthful platonic affair.... Â but.... not so much.... apparently she had a very strong libido... thereby pushing him out of the closet younger than anticipated LOL. Â Mormons! Â We did not intend to spend much money there and Gunner got us to spend way more than we had planned. Â So he totally scored for Mask.
Still, after a few drinks, we left around 10. Â Seemed like they should have something else going on for a Saturday night.... a DJ would have been nice and I'm sure we would have stayed longer and spent more money. Â A group of young kids from the Volcano National Park research intern program showed up looking for some dancing and they were a bit disappointed since it was only sporadic karaoke and jukebox with some odd heavy metal selections playing at times (that's what happens when it's music by karaoke and jukebox).
So its 5 STARS for GUNNER and 3 stars for everything else. Â For example, they don't have ginger ale (!?) Â And when someone ordered a rum and pineapple the bartender discreetly sniffed the juice before pouring it in their drink. Â As a former bartender myself I recognized that sniff ,and made a mental note not to order juice drinks there, since their juices probably sit in the cooler a little too long at times during the week. Â I would stick to beer and mixed drinks.
Overall, I had fun and would go back.
The only gay bar on the island. Â I thought it would have had a line to get in, but on a Friday night, there were 10 people (at most) at any one time. Â The bar is situated in a strip mall, about two blocks up from the beach. Â The owner, Brian, was just so nice. Â He is always smiling and makes a good drink. Â Prices are really good, and they offer a happy hour from 9p to 11p. Â Karaoke and darts are the main form of entertainment - well, also some of the locals.
Review Source:Great local bar, where you can be yourself, hang with other gay guys and play some trivia or darts. While a small town in Hawaii will never give you that big club or city bar effect - you'll always find some cuties in there, and the owner Brian (and hottie Gunner) will make you feel the Aloha. Brian is a real local, and full of information on places to see or things to do, while pouring great drinks with a smile. The place is just perfect for Hawaii, and we found ourselves there a good many nights!! If you are gay, and in Kona - for sure stop in for a few drinks at Mask!
Review Source:I spent the evening with a bunch of my women friends at The Mask last night and had a total blast. We did arrive on the early side and there were only a handful of people there, so I don't know if this place gets going later at night.
I was happy to find a decent gay bar to hang out in when visiting my Kona friends. I had fun playing darts and the juke box had a good selection of music, although it was such a high tech gadget that I had a hard time figuring it out!
The folks that hang out at The Mask are very friendly - Hello to Joe!
Brian, the owner and bartender, is so friendly and charming my group found it hard to leave. Of course, the great karaoke system (great sound), and the good drinks made this place a great stop. A hit was the 'White Gummy Bear' which is sweet and subtle, but can sneak up on you later. We had so much fun in this place we came back 3 of 6 nights while in town, and Brian recommended Chubby's, which had the best local food around. He also was kind enough to give us directions, and his contact info just in case we needed more help. How awesome is that?
Brian, not sure we could thank you enough for making our trip exceptional!
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