So Pam said she wanted to take me to a dive bar close to Whole Foods in Kailua. We went to…read moreCreekside just a 5-minute walk or 2 minute drive away. She described it as a place out of a Stephen King novel and she was right. It was a wonderful mix of a biker bar, military bar and a few locals. The drinks were good, bartenders were friendly music was happening and there's dart boards to keep you entertained. It's definitely a fun place to visit. They have a small parking lot right in front of the place and Apple street parking and other parking nearby. There's even a food truck that parks close by on weekends if you want something to snack on. They also sell chips and beer nuts. It's not my kind of place but definitely worth checking out if you are into a authentic dive bar experience.

I love a good dive bar as much as the next gal but - this isn't my neighborhood joint, so I don't…read morehave that Kailua pride and nostalgia that Creekside has honestly earned with their regulars. One of my friends is a regular here-- and she got a round of tequila shots for everyone. I tried to get the attention of the bartender on my own without luck since it was so busy, so it's nice to be rolling with a windward side friend. We did end up leaving shortly after because it was very crowded (on Halloween, as expected) and just wasn't the vibe. People may say that 3 stars is harsh, but for a dive bar that's exactly where the bar is. I would go again, but not without a good group with me.

Food: GREAT AND TASTY!…read more Service: very kind to everyone! Ambiance: love the atmosphere

Exactly perfect for what we were looking for. First and foremost on the list for our search, was…read morewe hoped to find a place that had televised sports (both Monday Night Football and the World Series were on--but remember, this is Hawaii--way-out in the Pacific, so live-games come on in the afternoon or even earlier). Multiple screens make it so there is not a bad seat in the house. We also hoped to find a place with more of a "neighborhood/locals" energy to chill and relax our tired dogs (feet) in...and also, if it wasn't asking too much, hoped that it would have a fun vibe. (*Check those criteria off). "Icing on the cake", for us would be if the location had decent food. (Check that one off and put an exclamation point behind it--as the nachos we had were, "Fire".) As fate would have it, a lucky break was to be had as we walked in to the very-full bar. There, before us, were two stools at the bar (*the last remaining spots in the place) and they happened to be open. Side note: The bar has a speak-easy attached to it, and one day, we are gonna try it. Going there has been mentioned a few times when we have chatted with locals and tourists regarding memorable and unique things to do. Our servers were pleasant and accommodating despite the fact that the place was "choke widd plenty-kine cust-a'mah" (local pidgin for, full of customers). It's a hard balancing act to make patrons feel welcomed, but also not leave other thirsty tables waiting for too long. The two pretty blondes working that afternoon did a fantastic job at this. My seasonal sour beer hit all the right notes, and my wife seemed to enjoy her less exotic tap beer (Blue moon with an orange slice--served ice cold). There is a ton of beers to choose from here. Lighting in the Kailua Tavern is kinda darkish (not a problem, as I like me a dark bar sometimes). The locals were very-welcoming. One guy offered his table to us when he noticed our food had arrived and our plates were a bit pinned in. Also, anyone who happened to be sitting near us immediately engaged in friendly banter about the games. One guy of Tongan decent, who was probably 6'5" and had muscles piled-on to his massive frame came over and leaned in very close to ask, "Hey DEN, Bradah, YOU MIND FOR IF I GO DANCE WICH YOU DATE?" (*That didn't happen, I thought channeling a classic moment from the bar-scene in, Animal House, would be funny...but like the Toronto Blue Jays in the late innings of last night's game, "Swing and a miss". ) The Kailua Town Tavern was the opposite of a swing and a miss for us. It was fun and a good place to "chill"; the vibe was what we had hoped for; and of special note were the steak strips on the nachos, as they were superb.

Banyan Crafts Kitchen and Lounge was a beautiful restaurant with life-like banyan trees in the…read moremiddle of the two dinning areas. Beautiful decor of imitation plants that even the bathrooms were beautiful especially the women's bathroom by the kitchen. Even the Men's bathrooms were decorated. It's something you should see! You wouldn't even think there's a place like this in Kailua. There were a few steps to the door of the restaurant but as we exit the waitress let my mom through the back which had no stairs but a ramp leading to the side parking along the restaurant right side, since she was using a walker. I first came with my friend for dinner and I came with my mom for brunch after her dentist appointment, because I wanted to show her what became of the beloved Four Star Chop Suey decades ago. Brunch menu was not the usual breakfast items that we were used to, but I ordered what I thought she would like best. We had Breakfast Hash with potatoes, sausage, cheese, eggs, bell peppers but the sauce was a little spicy for mom. There were ingredients in the sauce which maybe was too much for mom. Citrus mint fruit salad, and Southern Chicken Biscuit and Gravy. The gravy was different.fitness good but, I preferred the dinner selection when I came with a friend who traveled all the way from Kapolei for some shared dishes and appetizers. She really liked it and it was flavorful and unique. We had the following dishes: Local Braised Oxtail Patatas Bravas Seared Poke nachos Seasonal Hummus Deconstructed Baklava Cheesecake Hiusemade breads Citrus mint fruit salad I would order everything again! The Oxtail was flavorful and delicious, The homemade breads were so warm and fresh. The breads were served with the seasonal hummus, and I love the citrus mint dressing on the fruits! So refreshing! Night time was busy and we didn't have reservations, so we were lucky we didn't have those high top table and chairs . Best to have reservations for dinner. Weekends have night entertainment in the bigger dining area. We came earlier, but as the night went on, it got busier and our waitress was also assisting other customers in the other room, so we were missed . Service could have been better. Not too many of my townie friends had made it to this side but it's a nice place to dine at to experience their food and beautiful ambiance! There were a few side parking stalls along the right wall of the restaurant, otherwise you would need to find street parking. There's a nearby 24 hour municipal parking lot and it's still a quarter of 20 minutes. This restaurant is not in the main Kailua town area. If you haven't been to Kailua, Kailua is a nice town to try all these different restaurants. You be surprised and pleased. They are closed on Monday & Tuesday. Brunch is on weekends from 9 am to 1 pm. Otherwise they open from Wednesday thru Sunday from 4pm to closing at 9pm and on Friday & Saturday nights they are opened til 11pm.

We decided to try this place out for valentines dinner. This was our first time and I was excited…read moreas I heard good things. The setting: I really like the vibe they went with for valentines and the decor, I like the lowlight setting as well. The banyan tree decor in the middle of the restaurant was a nice touch. Service: our host and our waiter were awesome, very pleasant and helpful. The food: it was a fixed menu due to Valentine's Day, I guess I did not see that when I booked the reservations or it was listen on the open table app. I wish I had known because I wanted to try other dishes. Anyways.. we got to each choose an appetizer so we got the coconut shrimp which omgggg really good, that sauce was a perfect touch, the shrimp was nicely crispy. We also got the beef tataki which was another fav I must say. The main entrees was ok, I only say this because we got the lamb and fish. The lamb came with 4 pieces but 2 were cooked good and the other 2 seemed like it could have been cooked a little longer. The fish to me was also over done and a little touch and hard. I will go back because I do wanna try other things on their menu. Overall we still made it a great night and will come back again.

Food was great and service from Teagan was stellar! She was attentive and made great suggestions,…read moreeven though we come frequently it was great talking with her. Although this does make like 6 years since the merch table was actually usable as a shuffleboard. We used to spend 5-6 hours every Friday on it when they first got it pre-covid! It might be time to bring it back.... Please.? Pretty Please!

Walked in, seated myself in a clean table as it says on the sign when you check in. I was…read moreimmediately greeted by a server that hen another that took my order. I was in search of a burger for today and they offered the MCB burger with garlic fries. I'm excited to try..... Just. A few notes... bar is busy, ambience at 3pm is nice, not dark and dinghy. The music is at a great volume not to loud or to soft. I see family's with younger kids enjoying themselves. Everyone seems friendly with a few sassy severs with fake smiles. They walk by you without acknowledging you definitely fixable to smile and greet every guest. The. Urgent was delivered within 15 minutes and was exactly as described on menu. The Brownie Sunday is also served warmed and delish. The garlic fries was okay not worth the upsell for sure. All in all the meat was great... let's see the cost with out a drink. I didn't get nothing to drink not even water. However I was offered multiple times by my server. All in all the experience as a solo diner was great... server was tentative and sweet...Kennedy was her name which I found out after getting my bill. Note to Kennedy... intros are the key to a successful connection to your guest. We want to know who you are! Thank you

Taco Tuesday is always a good choice. Several different tacos to choose from and what's better is…read morethe price. Going on other night is good too. I enjoy the Alfredo pasta. What's better is our favorite bartender always lets me modify it to my liking. No chicken, add veggies. It's a great hangout spot. Can watch some games, etc on the different tv's This place also went through or still is going through a Reno to make an outdoor space.

If you're under 30, want to scream to be heard, ignored by staff, have to chase your drinks and…read morefood, then this is your place. If you expect something that doesn't resemble a frat party, please look elsewhere. Arrived about 515pm, got seats. And waited. And waited. First clue. If my husband didn't want their wings we would have left then. Chased someone down to order wings and a well done burger. He ordered a beer, which he did get promptly. Could not hear one another speak. While waiting, I watched all the people seated around the bar get ignored when trying to get the waitresses attention. When hubby's beer was done and we were almost completely deaf from the young girls screaming with laughter a foot away, we attempted to find out what happened to our food. This was 30 min after we ordered it. No luck finding anyone who would speak with us. We left the pub area and walked over to the outside walk up area. We were ignored there as well by no less than 4 waitstaff, until a nice girl asked if she could help us. We pointed at the food sitting in open containers in the open air, and asked if we could please have our food. She closed the lids and handed it to us. We got back home and hubby enjoyed his wings. I was unable to eat my raw hamburger, which had been ordered well done. One extra star for his beer.

My husband and I went here on a whim after finding this place online and we are so glad we did!…read more The speakeasy is inside the Hawaiian Brian's club, but hidden behind a door that looks like a vintage vending machine. The ambiance inside is a unique blend of Japanese and urban with musical tracks from artists like Nujabes to match. Fern and Elsa served us and were friendly and so welcoming, answering questions and the menu and making great cocktail recommendations. We thoroughly enjoyed our drinks (several of which are named after famous anime characters) which were a unique blend of Japanese inspired botanicals, and a couple of side dishes. The ube sake shot was dangerously delicious and the mushroom boa were savory and tasty. This was the most unique place we vision our trip and we hope to visit again on our next Hawaiian vacation. If you are in the Ala Moana area, definitely stop by!

Firstly, the vibes are IMMACULATE. 20/10…read more Wild Orange is a speakeasy hidden behind an old-school Aloha Maid vending machine. Apparently you're normally supposed to put a coin in to open the secret door, but it's broken right now, so the whole vending machine just swings right open. Slightly less secret, but still very cool. Inside is where this place really shines. Moody lighting, a giant orange tree in the middle of the room, Japanese hip hop playing in the background (I want to steal this entire playlist), and extremely cool and friendly servers and bartenders. I've been to a few other attempted "speakeasies" in Honolulu, but most are basically just dark bars with a fun door or code word. Wild Orange actually has the VIBES to make the whole concept work. Definitely worth coming just to hang out and chill. They have a full bar and an extensive specialty cocktail menu. Tried the Purple Dragon, made with ube liqueur and coconut cream. Very sweet--a little TOO sweet for my taste--but tasty and pretty. Probably should have listened to the menu and kept it as a shot, but I wanted something I could sip on for a while and chill. The Umeshu Highball was also very pretty and tasty. My friend who works as a sake distributor was impressed with their selection of good sake, so of course we had to order a bottle. Our server brought it out in an ice bucket, kept it off to the side, and completely served it for us throughout. Very classy. The food menu is fun and creative, but unfortunately not really for me because it's entirely vegan. Most times, but ESPECIALLY when I'm drinking, I want MEAT. Tried the Wild Musubi, a vegan Spam musubi. I'm not actually sure what the "meat" was. Possibly fried tofu? Whatever it was, it was definitely a passable alternative, but would have been 100x better if it were just plain old Spam. It also falls victim to what I find is a common problem with vegan attempts at Japanese food: anything teriyaki ends up being way too treacly sweet without actual meat or seafood to ground it in reality. Also tried the Char Siu Tofu Bao, fried tofu in a red Chinese-style char siu sauce on fluffy white buns. Again, fun and certainly not bad, but these would be 1000x better with actual pork. If Wild Orange had this exact same creative food menu but carnivore edition, this place would probably be 7/5 stars for me. That being said, I know being vegan will actually be a huge draw for some people, and I appreciate that the food is creative rather than just the usual sad vegan afterthoughts. Parking is pretty easy by Honolulu standards. It's inside Hawaiian Brian's, so there's a large shared parking lot. That being said, you might still have trouble finding a spot during peak gym hours since you're competing with all the 24 Hour Fitness customers. All in all, I LOVE this place. Definitely a fun stop--first, middle, only, or nightcap--on a chill night out. Will absolutely be adding Wild Orange into the rotation of places to bring out-of-town guests when I want to impress them with something cool and different. The vegan menu probably means it'll be a couple-times-a-year place for me rather than a regular haunt. But for drinks, service, atmosphere, and pure VIBES? 20/10.

Stopped in on a weeknight with my husband and parents, and seated right away. Good mix of people at…read morethe bar just for drinks and couples/groups at tables for food. My dad loved every beer he tried, and my mom appreciated that they had a hard cider too. My husband and I were digging the cocktails!! Whatever you do, don't leave this place without ordering a pizza!! Server was accommodating and I was able to build my own pizza with toppings rather than select from menu, which was really kind. The crust was SO GOOD! Perfectly thin, but chewy and crispy all at the same time. Definitely will be back when in Kailua again!

This place is very reliable. Great atmosphere/ decor, solid service, and tasty drinks…read more They have 4oz options to sample, and 12 oz full beers. The best part about this place is they have a full bar unlike other beer centric breweries. A little something for everyone. I think their shave ice seltzers are a stand out product. There are so many options for beer and seltzers out there. As a former bar manager and bartender for 15 yrs, I'm always on the look out for stand out products. They offer pizza from the brick oven food truck parked next door. Parking isn't the best, but we always seem to find a stall along the street. They are dog friendly in their outdoor sidewalk seating, so bring along the whole fur family.

Ordered the Teri burger with extra crispy fries!!! Yum!!! Highly recommend the food here, even the…read moresteak is good!!! Come Thursday night for billiard tournament.

No music and bar did not look clean . No one there at happy hour on a Friday which is not good .read more