Home Salad: Nalo greens with real bacon pieces, cheese, and an awesome balsamic vinaigrette. We always get this salad.
Tater tott nachos: cheese, salsa, sour cream, bacon, jalapenos, olives, and green onions
super good to snack on with a cold beer. Blue Moon on tap for $4 can't go wrong
Kalbi Fried Noodles
Spicy Garlic Chicken (That is super NOT spicy)
I am not a huge fan of peas and carrots in my fried rice, so I normally ask them to hold the veggies. Their fried rice is very tasty. It is always a toss up between getting the kim chi fried rice and the regular fried rice. Both have very different tastes and are always on point.
The top picture is the google maps street view of the "Front" side of the restaurant and the bottom picture is the "Back" side. The building is still blue, so it helps when you are trying to find it. The lot on the diamond head side (east side) has been flattened and is now a paid parking lot. After 4pm, on the "Back" side, the restaurant has $5 valet parking. If you go early and will be out of the place by 4pm you can park in the front or the back of the restaurant for free.
It can be difficult to find the place if it is your first time so here is a map to show where things are in relation to the restaurant. Kalauokalani Way looks like more of an alley than a "street" this is where the "back" side of the restaurant is located. You can enter from either side. If I can't find free parking I usually look on Makaloa street or Poni Street for metered parking. I don't suggest parking in Don Quijote's lot or you may not find your car when you return. Last thing you want is your car towed while on vacation.
1683 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 942-2237
Pros: $4 Blue Moon, food is amazing and comes out quickly, and super reasonable prices. When I say super reasonable for four people we ordered a home salad, kalbi fried noodle, spicy chicken, and fried rice, our total was around $40. No way we could have done that at Side Street Inn, it probably would have been closer to $60 or $70. I would pick this place over Side Street Inn any day.
Cons: Parking ($5 valet, meter, or go after 6pm and find street parking and bam its free!), if there is a UFC fight they sometimes have a cover charge, only take reservations for parties of 8 or more before 6pm, wait time is a pain if you go after 5-5:30pm (after work crowd).
It is a bar setting so people can sit and occupy tables for hours. If it is your first time I highly suggest going for a late lunch early dinner during the week because after 5pm it tends to get crowded with everyone getting off of work. At least this way you can sit down and enjoy your food without feeling like you are getting pushed out of the restaurant. This is one of those places where the food is so good, affordable, and food comes out quickly, so I tend to overlook the con's.
The dishes are family style. The menu isn't very extensive but I haven't had something I didnt like.