Puka Street Garage Bar is a neighbourhood pub on Puka Street in Onehunga, handy to Mount Smart, and it holds a perfect 5.0 rating from eight Google reviews. Reviewers rave about the atmosphere — disco lights, smoke machines, a big screen and a dance floor — along with a wide range of home-brewed beers and well-priced food.
Pubs that brew their own beer work differently from the big chains: the taps can shift from batch to batch, so it is worth asking what is pouring and trying something you will not find elsewhere. A good local bar lives on its regulars, which usually means midweek evenings are the quieter ones and the staff know the kegs well. And when there is a match or a concert on at Mount Smart Stadium, the bars nearby fill early, so timing your visit matters.
For an unpretentious, lively drink close to the stadium, this Onehunga local has clearly won its regulars over.