Erik S.
Yelp
"The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook" says this about Pahoa:
"Known as the Big Island's outlaw town, this is where guerrilla gardeners, dreadlock enthusiasts, FBI fugitives, and the never-bathe crowd coexist."
Uncle Robert's is where the aforementioned types -- plus retirees and a smattering of tourists like Yours Truly -- gather on Wednesday nights to eat, drink, be merry, and co-mingle.
I was fortunate enough to have some local friends take me to enjoy a Wednesday there. We arrived a little before sunset. Parking is $3, with the lots carved into the recent lava flows, which seem to have split to encircle and spare the Uncle Roberts buildings.
A quarter mile walk past the parking and along the lava gets you to a beach of sorts; while it's less black sand and more black rocks, the sunset views and crashing surf there are pretty.
Around sunset, the long picnic tables under a massive roof begin to fill up and the Hawaiian band, which I understand some permutation of which shows up every week, starts to play. In addition to the tables there is a long row of elevated seats, which seem to have been liberated from a tour bus.
Surrounding this gathering place are food vendors. Food is served from trucks and beneath tarps, and is reminiscent of the type of place you'd find in South America or Southeast Asia. I had some pretty unremarkable chicken and beef skewers and fried lumpia, all available at first-world pricing.
There's a bar, but it's OK to BYO -- we brought wine and whisky.
On the path to the "beach" there's a this-land-does-not-belong-to-the-USA mural. The band also made a comment while introducing a song regarding theft of the lands from the natives. Regardless, the vibe is extremely friendly and the people are very inclusive. And the crowd was incredibly diverse, with all ages, shapes, sizes, and skin tones laughing it up and dancing it up.
There's a kava hut nearby, for those who want to try a cupful of mouth-numbing murky brown liquid under a thatched roof.
I'm really thankful to my hosts for showing me here and I'd implore you to include an Uncle Roberts Wednesday Night on your trip to the region.