My friends and I got together recently to celebrate a birthday at Jackie Rey’s in Hilo. We decided to enjoy their happy hour for this celebration. I showed up a little before 4 p.m. without a reservation. That day, there were around 20 of us waiting outside the restaurant to snag a table. Luckily, there were tables available after all the people who planned ahead and had a reservation got seated. I grew and brought some lavender plants to share with my friends and it ended up being a pretty table decoration for us.

My friends enjoyed the lilikoi margarita and I had white wine while we shared the ahi tartare, hummus, edamame, and kalua quesadilla. After catching up on topics ranging from work, kids, traveling, and retirement planning, we ended with a chantilly cake while singing happy birthday. Can’t go wrong with spending time together during happy hour! Living Hilo Style.