Why Hawaii’s Uncle Robert’s Awa Bar is ‘different than any other place in the world’

Called Uncle Robert’s Awa Bar, it has become a well-known Hawaii Island institution, especially on Wednesday nights, when it holds its night market. It’s a kanikapila-style (informal jam session) concert with local food vendors and drinks.

In 1990, after lava destroyed Kaimu Bay, the world-famous black sand beach on the Big Island of Hawaii, as well as nearby houses, it came for Uncle Robert’s 8.5-acre property. 

Born and raised in the small community of Kalapana, Uncle Robert was a former soldier and retired county employee. The Keliihoomalus prayed and watched as the lava miraculously stopped right on their lawn, sparing their home.

Uncle Robert would later say that a higher being intervened, while others believe Uncle Robert’s house was spared because of his aloha spirit.

“I truly believe that’s the reason Tutu Pele passed their home. It’s because of who he is,” said Charles Keliihoomalu, a grandnephew, in a 2015 Honolulu Star-Advertiser story.

Before the lava surrounded his property, Uncle Robert was known in the community to welcome everyone to his home, regardless of nationality or ethnicity. As both a sustainable farmer and a Hawaiian sovereignty activist, Uncle Robert’s mission and vision for his family’s homestead emphasized self-sustainability, spreading awareness of Hawaiian culture, and sharing the practices of malama aina (to care for the land). 

“He wanted to keep Kalapana Kalapana,” Clarence Hauanio, cousin to Uncle Robert, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in 2015. “So people who come down here see the real aloha. That’s why we’re different than any other place in the world.”

There are no prepackaged programs here, only an authentic contemporary cultural experience. “You really have to be there to experience what’s in store,” market coordinator Haunani Ponilani “Poni” Kipapa told SFGATE. “We’ve had visitors who have traveled the world, and there is no place like this.” 

The 45-minute drive to get there from Hilo takes guests through a variety of local communities. The farther away from Hilo, the more the shift from urban to more rural, agricultural environments becomes apparent. 

These communities are characterized by a variety of people who choose to live their lives off the beaten path, many of them creating their own off-grid communities that emphasize self-sustainability and determination. The people of these communities are resilient and steadfast; they live in the pathway of one of the world’s most active volcanoes, having dealt with the fallout of an eruption as recently as 2018.

My ohana usually arrives at Uncle Robert’s about half an hour before dusk, giving us time to explore all of the stunning natural beauty that makes this area so special. 

We explore the lava, frozen into hardened pahoehoe flows. We admire the flora that can actually survive in the harsh conditions: newly planted coconut trees and noni fruit bushes, an important plant in traditional Hawaiian medicine. They lead to a small black sand beach that has formed since the 1990 lava flow. What remains is no longer recreational but still beautiful and awe-inspiring, worth the short hike to see. 

When the gates open at 6 p.m., we enter the covered, open-air venue that houses the market, stage and seating area, and we’re greeted by members of the Keliihoomalu ohana, who exchange wristbands for cash. One post-pandemic change is a $10 door fee (children under 12 are free), which helps to cover costs like facility upkeep and staffing.

In addition to the door charge, post-pandemic changes to Uncle Robert’s include reestablishing itself as a more intimate, less crowded experience. Before the pandemic, the night market attracted thousands, while today it’s fewer than 300. Though the food is certainly a big draw for this weekly event, it’s really all about enjoying the music in a place that is welcoming to all, regardless of age or origin.

After we grab some seats, we head to the bar for drinks. We’re greeted with a smile from Princess, one of Uncle Robert’s daughters. She pours our drinks, including a 16-ounce cup of awa, a beverage made from the root of the kava plant. It was one of the first plants brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Polynesian voyagers to establish crops in new lands. 

Made by mashing the roots and stump, then straining and mixing it with water, awa has a very earthy taste, an acquired taste for many. The drink provides some pain and tension relief, as well as muscle relaxation, therefore making it useful as a medicinal plant. It's also known as a ceremonial drink, brought out to celebrate special occasions and to honor Hawaiian culture.  

Some of my favorite food vendors are here tonight, 10 vendors in total. I order a vegan soursop phish sandwich with fries from Big Island Grindz, a fried banana from Bon Bon Vietnamese Deli, and a hot dog for my son from The Hotdogger. My husband ends up with a massive plate stacked with lilikoi (passionfruit) honey pork ribs and some of the best kimchee I’ve ever tasted. We followed dinner with chocolate ice cream from the Kalapana Smoothie Shack and a dessert empanada. 

We all hit the dance floor next. The Kalapana Awa Band, showcasing six members of Uncle Robert’s ohana, performs on stage. The band plays classic, upbeat Hawaiian music, oldies, country songs, and island versions of other classics. Not long into the set, the small dance floor fills quickly with a few dozen people. This is definitely one of those “dance like nobody's watching” kind of places, where you can truly escape to relax and enjoy yourself without judgment.

It’s the location, the music and the welcoming spirit that makes this bar unlike anywhere in the world. It all began with Uncle Robert, who loved the land and lived by the words “aloha kekahi i kekahi” (to love one another).