One of Hawai‘i’s Newest Country Bars is Open in Pāhoa, Hawaiʻi Island

Marzo’s Country Bar and Restaurant opened in Pāhoa on Hawaiʻi Island on March 1, 2026, and while its name makes it clear it’s a “country bar and restaurant,” it’s already turned out to be so much more.

Marzo’s is not just a place where residents and visitors can eat good food and grab a drink, but a place where they can listen to live music, watch sports on TV and take dance lessons.

“Pāhoa really needed something like this. It’s good to have a place where people can come and enjoy and listen to really five-star music,” says owner Ikaika Marzo. “It’s got a backyard kind of feeling. That’s what we were shooting for, and I think we accomplished that.”

READ MORE: 5 reasons to Love Pāhoa, Hawaiʻi Island

Marzo is a well-known community member and business leader, and his name on the door, but he’s not in this alone. His three partners—Andrew Dunn, Kaeo Jones and Keenan Kaleo, all local guys—have worked with him to create a Hawai’i-style saloon in the middle of Pāhoa Town.

“The story started back around 2017, when I was traveling back and forth a lot to the mainland, and we were going to all these country bars in California, Las Vegas and Arizona. Those country bars stuck in my mind, and I wanted to create something like that here on Hawai‘i Island,” explains Marzo.

“Our families have all been into the paniolo lifestyle for years, we’ve had generations growing up that way, so it made sense to open a country bar.” TV shows like “Yellowstone” have fueled a renewed interest in a cowboy lifestyle, he notes.

Located in the Puna Kai Shopping Center, the 3,000-square-foot restaurant is bright and warm. The intention was to create a backyard vibe with a variety of seating, a full bar and multiple screens throughout the restaurant to watch sports. The jewel of the space, however, is the stage.

The space is full of creative touches and clever decor that add to its Old West feel. The best part, though, are the small details. Along the top of the front window are a variety of glass bottles that look like they came from an antique store.

“All of those bottles up there are from Pāhoa Town and Ka‘ū. My mom and grandparents used to go around and go look for old bottles,” Marzo explains. “We wanted to showcase that here to resemble Pāhoa in the past, to remember old-time, country towns.”

Also ringing the top of the walls is a collection of horseshoes, all from Marzo’s own horses.

Above one of the booths in the corner, which is decorated like a jailhouse, is a real treasure—a beautiful glass light fixture that came from his uncle, a police officer. It used to hang in the old Pāhoa jailhouse.

But nothing showcases the spirit of Pāhoa and the surrounding communities known as Puna Makai as much as the faces that are synonymous with Kalapana and Pāhoa’s music scene. Surrounding the Wall of Fame Stage are framed photographs of local music legends, including Ernie Cruz Sr., Ledward Ka‘apana, Glenn Nihipali and Marzo’s grandfather, Robert Keli‘iho‘omalu.

Those kinds of details help make Marzo’s Country Bar and Restaurant not just a restaurant and live music venue, but a guardian of the community’s past.

And it’s already become a gathering place for the community, a place where emerging local musicians from across the Islands can play, and where customers can take part in karaoke and other events. They can even learn how to line dance here: Lessons are held on Friday and Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. for $5, and line dancing is featured every Monday 7-9 p.m.) and Thursday (8:30-10 p.m.).

“Line dancing has really been a hit,” Marzo says. “There’s tons of people—like 50, 60, 70 people come here and learn line dancing, and then they come back on the other days and dance.”

“I’ve done it and it’s really good exercise, and I get a good sweat off it. But, you know, I’m getting old and my knees are getting sore,” he says with a laugh.

When guests aren’t dancing or enjoying a drink from the “Bottoms Up” beer tap system, they’re eating. And the menu is exactly what you’d expect from a neighborhood restaurant in Hawaiʻi, from hearty dishes like corn chowder and brisket chili to burgers, loco mocos, and Pūlehu short ribs. There are also rotating daily specials, often including fresh fish and other local favorites.

Also on the menu are locally sourced Rocky Mountain oysters—a rare find in Hawaiʻi. And, apparently, they’ve been a huge hit: The place goes through 80 or 90 pounds of them per week.

“People love it. It’s a delicacy now, thanks to our chef, [Dunn] ,” Marzo says. “He has his own way of making them that makes them taste so good.”

And it’s not just the bull testicles that are locally sourced: The burgers are made with local grass-fed beef, many of the other ingredients on the menu include items sourced from across the Islands, and diners will soon have an expanded menu to choose from, featuring local proteins.

Marzo says the restaurant is working on a deal with a ranch on Hawaiʻi Island to feature its prime cuts of beef, and with another distributor for venison from Maui and Molokaʻi.

While maintaining the popular establishment in its first few months has been challenging, leading to a few sleepless nights for the first-time restaurateur, Marzo and his partners are already looking to the future. The team intends to enlarge its current space at Puna Kai (which will likely feature a mechanical bull) and is looking at opening a second location outside of Pāhoa.

But for now, the restaurant is growing its roots in Pāhoa and strengthening its ties.

“It’s been good. We have a lot of support from not only our community, but every place else on the island. It’s awesome to see people coming out to support a local business like this,” Marzo says. “The number one thing is just aloha spirit. That’s it. If you have aloha in your heart, you give it to the customers, they gonna keep on coming back.”

@marzoscountrysportsbarandgrill

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Laurie Lyons-Makaimoku is a contributor to HAWAIʻI Magazine.