Neighborhood Love: Stadium Edition
Written byIt’s time to break out the koozies, lawn chairs, and all garb green and white because the closest thing that Hawai‘i has to a professional athletics team has hit the field. The 2015 collegiate football season has fully commenced. It’s been 40 years since the team played its first game at Aloha Stadium, constructed in ‘Aiea in 1975 to welcome teams from all time zones to our island state. Since then, the stadium and its devout patrons have carried the team through some of their greatest wins. Despite the ups and downs, die-hard fans continue flying green and white banners, cheering on their hometown team while chowing down on kalua pork sliders and garlic fries. So whether you’re looking to catch the next game at a sports bar, tailgate at the stadium, or pull out the paper plates at home, here are some of the best spots around the stadium for before, after and during game day.
To tap into everyone’s inner island explorer, we’ve teamed up with FLUX Hawaii & Nella Media Group to curate some of the best from every part of the island’s favorite neighborhoods. This week we are exploring the neighborhoods around the stadium!
By taking Uber rides to and from Aiea, Pearl City and Waimalu you’ll be entered to win a $50 gift card from Olay’s Thai Food Express.
All you have to do is enter promo code: EXPLORESTADIUM and head over! We’ve got your ride and itinerary covered.
Olay’s Thai Food Express
When restaurants boast of authenticity, it’s often regarded as a generalization. This is not true for Olay’s Thai Food Express located in Halawa Valley. The family owned enterprise traces its recipes back to owner Olay’s mother, a Thai native who taught Olay the intricacies of Thai cuisine. Flavorful curries of yellow, red, and green are offered up in harmonious unison with fried pork spring rolls, vegetarian pad thai, and the establishment’s famous lemongrass fried chicken. Ordering Thai food takeout from Olay’s will most certainly elicit the use of a few paper plates, but trust us when we say that clean up will be simple, as there will almost certainly be no leftovers.
Aiea Bowl
Normally, unless you have an insatiable craving for greasy, deep fried potatoes, choosing a bowling alley for an upscale dining experience would be indecent. The only exception: Aiea Bowl. The Alley Restaurant at Aiea Bowl has been profiled by the Food Network and the Travel Channel for their weekly Tasty Tuesdays, a five-course upscale dining experience. Tuesday has literally never been so tasty. With football season in full swing, The Alley Restaurant offers a Tailgate Package to fit your oh-so-ono desires. The package promises alley style or regular edamame, tasty chicken, or boneless kalbi to feed you and your nine buddies.
Samurai
The perfect post game treat comes from this unassuming mom-and-pop snack shop in Aiea Shopping Center. The milky, frozen concoctions known as guri guri (sometimes called “goodie goodie,” and for good reason) come in a variety of flavors, including strawberry, vanilla, haupia, banana, and lychee (though only two flavors are offered per day). Samurai’s snack selection is huge and perfect for game time noshing. From sweet candies, furikake puff rice, and senbei to savory arare, freshly popped popcorn, and cuttlefish, Samurai is the place to stock up on munchies before games.
Eight50
Bowling and beer are in no short supply at eight50. Brewski connoisseurs can guzzle nearly 100 different beers at this craft beer bar located inside Leeward Bowl, while noshing on delicious gut busters like braised hickory-smoked brisket sandwiches, tater tots with fried pepperoni and chipotle cheese sauce, and mesquite-smoked oysters Rockefeller. And if rooting for the home team isn’t reason enough to cheer the guys in green on, enjoy a free draft beer, or flight, if the team takes home the win. Eight50 is open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. dail
Armbar Sports Bar and Grill
Somebody cleverly constructed the menu at Armbar, so that when you order your food, you sound like you’re asking for a notorious beating. I would like extra “Shot to the Ribs” sauce, a “Head to Head Smoked Duo” to share, and a “Can’t Fight? Just Wing it” with ranch on the side. And in the case that a home team rivalry becomes heated—or you’re just celebrating a birthday—Armbar’s octagon-shaped caged seating area, modeled after the UFC fighting ring of the same name, will come in handy. Perfect to enjoy the big game, Armbar has a large screen for viewing sports, alongside dartboards and a jukebox. Enjoy happy hour specials of ArmBar Fries, Korean chicken, beer, and mojitos—all for just $5 from 2 to 6 p.m.
Aiea Manapua & Snacks
At Aiea Manapua and Snacks, baked and steamed buns come jam packed with irresistible flavors that range from shoyu chicken to pizza, ham and cheese, kalua pig, and veggie. And chicken katsu musubis come as big as a smart phone. For the tailgating crowd, Aiea Manapua offers party trays of crispy gau gee, veggie tempura, and chow mein noodles at killer prices. Get finger foods, like stuffed eggplant with pork hash, egg rolls, and Okinawan sweet potato tempura, for just over a buck. Favoring the waking hours, this tiny shop is open daily from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. (2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays). Call in your order a day before, because when they’re busy, they may be out of your favorite flavors, and you’ll be out of luck.
HOW TO WIN
- Enter promo code: EXPLORESTADIUM in the promotions tab in your Uber app.
- Take an Uber ride to the areas around the Stadium from Oct 10-Oct 18 and you will be automatically entered to win!
OFFER DETAILS
- Limited time offer, promo to run from October 10-October 18, 2015
- Winner of contest includes $50 gift certificate to Olay’s Thai Food Express and round trip Uber rides worth up to $20 each way.
- Winner will be selected at random from group of riders who took trips to Aiea, Waimalu, Pearl City neighborhoods.
- Winner will be notified on October 19, 2015.
Special thanks to:
First time riders enter promo code:
OLAYSTHAI
to get $20 off your first ride.
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