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Dinner w/Drinks
The large bar and lounge at Kincaid's at the Ward Warehouse, a favorite spot in the island happy hour scene for pupus like these lollipop scallops.
Please go to the following links for descriptions of all the restaurants in this section:
Recent Closings: Brew Moon.
Da Big Boy’z: Ryan’s is the place to be if I had only one choice; Tiki’s and Kincaid’s have some good pupu menus; Duke’s has some great fresh fish in a touristy, spirited Waikiki atmosphere; Lilykoi and Kochi offer the best examples of truly local-style grindz, and, along with Henry Louis' Ribs, have the most local-style vibe's in this section.
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The large bar and lounge at Kincaid's at the Ward Warehouse, a favorite spot in the island happy hour scene for pupus like these lollipop scallops.
These spots may not have chefs with name recognition, a whole bunch of hooplah, and as much expertise and training as most of the genuine Hawaii Regional Cuisine Restaurants, but you might not be able to tell every time, considering the great dishes at some of these places and all. Formally trained, bona-fide chefs still haunt these kitchens, and are definitely many steps above restaurants in the Local Family section.
As the name says, these spots often attract diners looking not only for dinner, but pupu’s (appetizers) and drinks as well, making them perfect for casual dates, group outings, or even low-key business meetings. Though most locales are just fine for family dining, particularly during lunch and early evening hours, just remember that the later it gets, the greater the chances of finding a sometimes raucous environment that is often indistinguishable from a full-fledged bar scene, which we cover later in the Watering Holes section.
Other suitable places to accommodate drinks and a little more fun are the American Casual Family Restaurants, with entries like Chili’s, Mac 24-7, Ruby Tuesday’s, and Outback. All are American Chain restaurants that closely resemble this section except that they do not have quite the local vibe or as many local menu selections. Though there several American Chains included in this section, such as Kincaid’s, Gordon Biersch, and Brew Moon, they all have, to a degree, modified much of their atmosphere and menu to resemble the island scene.
Both the Sushi and Izakaya Restaurants sections also cover great places that are extremely drink-friendly spots, especially the latter. Though most of us are familiar with sushi bars, it is the izakaya's that have become quite the mini-phenomenon recently in Hawaii, and an experience I highly recommend.
