Absolutely blown away by our experience at Kale's Hale! From the moment we walked in, we were seated right away and treated with such amazing hospitality. The staff was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and always had the biggest smiles on their faces Our server was on top of everything and made sure we had everything we needed without ever having to ask twice. The bartender also went above and beyond by creating custom drinks for us and they were absolutely fabulous! The food specials were truly unforgettable. I've honestly never tasted flavors like this before , the meat was unbelievably tender, the sauces were perfectly balanced, and every bite literally melted in my mouth. Everything was packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. On top of all that, the prices were more than reasonable for the quality and experience you get here. Highly, highly recommend Kale's Hale to anyone looking for amazing food, drinks, and service. We will definitely be back again soon! read more

Where do I start? I live barely a block from this place and only got around to visiting yesterday. Bummed it took me so long to visit, but glad I finally did! 1. Customer service was awesome! Seated quickly, got our orders taken quickly, got everything we asked for very fast. Our server, went over and beyond. Met Kale and his wife, sweet people. Honestly wanted to know how our lunch was. Also bought one of his knives, and his wife was so helpful. 2. Food was ono! And no can complain about $5/oz wagyu special!! So many banchan options and they all were good! My 1.5yo liked the luau soup, tuna salad and the wakame. We did the gold option for lunch + the wagyu special. Glad there are pricing options now, we couldn't do $60/p with 4 kids. Now this pricing is more doable, we'll be back with our kids! read more

See all

10/10 this place was amazing! I went with two of my friends who eat beef/pork/etc who loved it. I personally am pescatarian (the only meat I eat is fish) and was very happy to just order vegetables and eat them with rice, since this is what I always do at bbq places and I wanted my friends to enjoy Hawaiian bbq. However, once the chef learned I was pescatarian, he went above and beyond and made a special salmon salad with a salmon side dish just for our table! It was absolutely delicious and the extra care he put in really made our evening. Mahalo!!! Note: I'm making this review to show appreciation for the extra effort, but definitely don't want to set a new expectation for customers. Please don't come expecting the restaurant to make special dishes like this without calling ahead first/being prepared for them to not be able to accommodate every time. When we were there it seemed like it was a quieter evening and I definitely wouldn't expect to be able to get the same dish on a very busy night. It is definitely understandable if the restaurant can't do it every time! read more

Kale’s Hale - Special salmon salad :) - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We loved the specials again!! They always rotate, so we do miss the lau lau and jook, but we were so happy with the other surprise specials, especially the crispy fried fish with spicy Asian sauce. Loved the flavors and textures of that one, asked for it again and again, even had it as my dessert! We were also super into the pipikaula, so tasty and tender! Plus the new kupuna special for only $20 makes this an extra awesome place to visit with my mom, who still cooks my bbq food (so I can focus on eating!!). We loved the refreshing mango ice cream after, too! We always know it's gonna be a great time at this place with the very friendly and cheerful service and the owner always coming by to make sure we're all happy and well fed - happy first year anniversary!! read more

See all

The online standby system isn't active yet. I found out when we arrived and were asked if we had a reservation. We waited about 5-10 mins at the front & we're seated past the kitchen towards the left at a booth. My husband, being a tall and muscular guy, had difficulty fitting as the distance between table and bench was minimal on both sides. Our server was friendly & helpful, answered all our questions, provided us with samples of dishes. While some of the things we ordered very super tasty, others lacked flavor. Portions were decent. I'd be willing to try them again & take our time next round as they had some interesting selections! read more

See all

My partner has been cooking all week, and I also recently lost a bet on a TV show... so I decided it was only right to take him out for his favorite type of food: meat. I've had Kale Hale on my "places to try" list for a while, and since they have a lot of meat options, it felt like the perfect choice. I made a same-day reservation and we went for it. First off, the ambiance is super chill and the service was great. Our server was really friendly; I think her name was Rylan (sorry if I spelled it wrong!). She had the prettiest Sakura nails and definitely made the experience even better. They offer three different tiers: * Gold - $32.99 * Value - $59.99 * Popular - $149.99 And listen... I'm a Taurus, so you can probably guess which one I picked. I went with the Popular tier because I wanted the best option. It includes all-you-can-eat Wagyu, and that night they even had specials like lobster.Everything was perfect. We went a couple rounds with the Wagyu and tried some of the regular meats too. Everything was on point. I'd definitely come back to try the other tiers in the future. Most importantly, my partner was happy, which made the money well spent. read more

See all

Kale's Hale is good value for KBBQ on the island. They have a wide selection of meats with good quality cuts, and a variety of side dishes to pair with. There's plenty of parking, and they utilize the nice grills that have the ventilation alongside the fire area, so it soaks up most of the smell. Our server was attentive and friendly, so we felt well taken care of! Personal favorites: - Meats: brisket and jowl - Cooked Foods: agedashi tofu and luau soup - Side dishes: I love the inclusion of seaweed salad and taegu, big fan read more

Late Valentine's Day celebration. Went on a Thursday.....$1 beers and 1/2 off the price of cocktails! What a deal!!!! We thought it was $1 off the price of a beer but noooo.......the beers were $1. Service and food were predictably and consistently great as usual! read more

See all

First timer at Kale's Hale and wowww i'm impressed! The layout, food and service were great during lunch. This restaurant is a mix of Hawaiian, Japanese and Chinese flavors and it's the best of all worlds. I love how there's a huge variety of sides! Everything tasted ono. Usually i would down two rice bowls but didn't even finish my rice because the sides is where it's at! Ordered all sorts of meat forgot what was what but my favorite meat was the boneless kalbi and spicy pork(which is my all time fave at other kbbq restaurants). What most stands out to me is how flavorful and tender the meats are even without the sauces. The 4 sauces are flavorful but I liked the green colored sauce and the one with sesame seeds in it, tastes kinda like sweet chili but I forgot what it was. We got malasadas and the strawberry ice cup as our dessert. Both were good, the ice cup reminded me back in elementary days eating it as a kid, nostalgic. Service was great. It was during lunch time so it wasn't that busy but it's nice to not have to flag down our waitress unlike other places. I usually go to Sikdorak for kbbq but this is by far my favorite! So sad it has to be so far though. They need to open one on the west side. It should've been Kale's Hale that opened up in Kamaz not Gens. Will be back again. read more

Kale’s Hale - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

AYCE yakiniku plus a big variety of banchan? I'm there! Today we chose the basic "gold" package for $32.99. Such a good value! The banchan was all delicious, I loved the luau soup, and the Chinese style fish as a chef special appetizer. MEATS: For the meats, we tried: boneless short rib (cut really thin and served rolled up), brisket, hanging tender, boneless kalbi, and the guava pork My fav was definitely the hanging tender, boneless short rib, and the guava pork! The guava pork tasted like bacon cooked with brown sugar.. so good! My husband loved this as well. SAUCES: they give you 4 different sauces: a red chili house sauce, some kind of teriyaki wasabi sauce, a green sauce (that was closer to an aioli and had cilantro in it) , and a simple sesame and salt one. Surprisingly, the red chili one was our favorite! I was worried it would be spicy, but it wasn't at all! SERVICE: our waitress was friendly and I appreciated how she recommended the most popular meats without me having to even ask AMBIANCE: this restaurant is clean, and it wasn't too smokey or loud. It's a good place to come with friends, or in my case, with your kids, but in all honesty, I would recommend coming as a date night without the kids because it was difficult to eat and enjoy within the 90 minute time limit while also tending to your kids lol Speaking of kids, kids 4 and under are free! The only thing I wish I got to have was that lihing ice cake I read about, but it wasn't offered to us so I'm not sure if that's for a higher tier of their menu? Overall though, I definitely recommend coming here! I'll be back on Wednesday to try some sushi and to try their wagyu options too :) read more

Kale’s Hale - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

This is where Kale's Hale separates itself from other Yakiniku spots. Yes, you're grilling meats and loading your plate like you're on a mission... but what makes it special is the Hawaiian fusion twist. It's local flavor, comfort, and creativity mixed into the AYCE experience -- the kind of menu that makes you stop mid-bite like, "Wait... why is this so good?" ‍ The Chef & The Heart Behind It and the servers treat you like family. You can tell there's real intention behind the food here. It doesn't feel mass-produced or cookie-cutter. It feels like a local spot where the chef is truly at the heart of the restaurant, and that matters. With so many places feeling the same lately, I love supporting a restaurant that's actually doing something different -- and doing it well. Final Thoughts Kale's Hale is unique, local, and straight-up satisfying. With the new lower price, it's one of the best reasons to pull up, eat good, and support a Hawai'i-only concept you won't find anywhere else. If you've been meaning to try it... this is your sign. Note: plenty free parking in the lot below read more

See all

My husband and I came here for dinner on Friday night. We both love yakiniku and wanted to give this place a try! The restaurant was decorated with Christmas and holiday decorations. Once we were seated, our server, Natasha, brought us some beef stew to taste. We ordered the meats and then started to try all the banchans. I love that there were Hawaiian-inspired banchan dishes such as lomi lomi salmon, tuna mac/potato salad, and an imitation crab meat potato salad. Everything was very tasty! Natasha also brought us some luau-style soup and a chicken jook. The side dishes were all good, but my favorite was the beef stew! I ordered quite a few bowls of it. All of the meats were good, and I especially liked the guava pork and kalbi. For dessert, we were served banana lumpia with coconut sauce and mini malasadas, also with coconut sauce on top. I liked the malasadas the best! Overall, I loved the concept of a Hawaiian-inspired yakiniku restaurant that uses locally sourced produce. I'm not sure if the side dishes are on a rotation of whatever is in season, since they are not listed on the menu. I thought it was fun for us to be served different side dishes without knowing what they were! Happy Eating! read more

See all

Last night my partner took me to Kale's Hale as a surprise date and we decided to go with their "popular" option of the AYCE. The table was set up when we arrived with a bunch of side dishes and 4 sauces for the meat the moment we sat down. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive and explained they have items that are off the menu. Right off the bat, she was bringing us appetizers and some soft hanger steak to start off. She then continued to bring us the A5 beef and suggested we try the premium beef first then decide to order the other standard meat. With that we did about 4 orders each of A5 along with 4 lobster tails by the end of the day. It's a little pricey, however I felt like we ate enough of the premium orders to make up for it. Highly recommend and would go back for sure. Need to try their other items in the menu and possibly on Wed nights when they serve sushi rolls. Just noting parking is limited at the building lot, however, noticed they also have an adjacent lot before the building and parking ain't an issue here. If u missed the initial lot, you'll need to circle around the entire block so suggest slowing down to look for the first parking lot. read more

See all

Good food? Yes AYCE? Yes Great service? Yes Affordable prices? Yes It's hard to find a place that has me, my husband, and my son all in agreement, but Kale's Hale did just that. It's all AYCE Hawaiian Fusion Yakiniku. You can order from 3 different options, Gold, Value, or Premium. We ordered the Gold Option which comes with all meat on the menu except wagyu, AYCE banchan, rice, luau soup and banana lumpia for dessert. AND since we went on a Wendesday it also included AYCE sushi rolls!!!! Yes! You can bet my son ate his fill of California rolls, and my husband had 4 shrimp tempura rolls. I had the spicy ahi roll, and the heat kind creeps up in you. Banchan, the have a good variety of it. My husband who doesn't like spicy heat actually ate some of the kim chee because the spice level was mild. Just FYI though the servings are small so you will order a lot. But I prefer smaller servings and having to end up ordering more rather than the other way. There is a lot less waste. Also, I love the food is locally sourced. Food is really good. I was very surprised with the luau soup. It's a spin on the Korean seaweed soup, but it works and it was so good. My husband and son love the teriyaki chicken. It is perfectly marinated. It does come on a bamboo skewer, but we ended up taking it off the skewer and cooking it on the grill. I prefer the non marinated meats to dip in the sauces. Service is also great. Our server was attentive and very welcoming. She always checked on us, made sure our food and drinks were never empty. She was very kind to my son who can be a little loud. Overall Kale's Hale is a must. I think we found our favorite yakiniku place. read more

See all

I haven't started cooking yet and already... I'm impressed! From their banchan options to their Laulau soup as a starter.... already I had to write a review. We came for my sister's birthday on a Wednesday night and she had already raved about this place. It wasn't too busy and they served us our rice, water and soup right away. The Banchan was already set at the table - extra points since the kids and I arrived hungry. The meats came in quick and apparently they have a lot of specials to offer daily. Also their sushis are AYCE on Wednesdays. The vibe in here is fun! A little loud but fun for the family including the kids. I was told it's a little chilly but it wasn't that cold. Just bring a jacket and prepare to shower afterwards or you'll go to bed smelling like food. Kudos to the waitress for complimenting my sister's bday lei po'o that I made. That made my day! Speaking of waitresses... our waitress was so kind and came to check on our group often and got us our orders so quickly. I say lots of points for amazing service! Good job! read more

See all

I have been wanting to try this place for a fat minute now and it definitely did NOT disappoint! This was probably one of my favorite AYCE yakiniku experiences hands down! Looks can definitely be deceiving, you would never expect how quality this restaurant is from its exterior! Kale's Hale is located in Kalihi and they have free parking (one lot right in front of the restaurant and one lot below that one as well) available and there is street parking as well if you're not able to find parking for some reason. The ambiance of the restaurant itself was great, it gave more of an upscale vibe but not to the point where you couldn't dress casually here. I'd also like to say the grill on the table cooked very fast, probably the fastest that I've experienced at yakiniku. Even though we kind of wished we had another grill since there was six of us, the fast-cooking grill made up for it! I will say the service was absolutely phenomenal! Shout-out to Jayden because our party of six definitely asked for so many things but he never once showed any annoyance (I know it's the server's job but we're all human and can't help it sometimes) and always kept a smile on his face as well as such a friendly demeanor! He was probably one of the best servers I've ever had dining in at a restaurant! Despite the countless things we ordered through him, he got every single item and didn't forget a single thing. Our orders also came out so quick, I want to say our food items took less than five minutes to come out. Any drinks that were ordered came out between 5-10 minutes which to me was pretty quick! Food itself was fantastic! I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of the menu but there is one available on their website if you're interested in looking! My party decided to go with their cheapest AYCE option which was the gold which included their entire menu of meats excluding the wagyu at $32.99. They have a good variety of high quality cuts of meats to choose from with your typical yakiniku cuts as well as some local twists on meats like guava pork or charsiu chicken! Their banchan spread is also pretty crazy with so many options to choose from. Their dipping sauces were also so yummy with the four of them being their house sauce which was a sweet & savory sauce, a green cilantro sauce (their take on a crème fraiche), a teri-wasabi sauce, and the OG sesame oil w/ salt. Included in the AYCE is their luau soup which literally tastes like lau lau in soup form, sooo yummy! There was also a dessert included in the gold option which was their li hing ice cup, which was the perfect refreshing sweet treat for post-yakiniku! I also ordered two cocktails while I was there which I don't normally do at AYCE but they looked too good to resist! I got their mango sticky rice cocktail which was delicious! Its base was a coconut rum if I recall correctly with some other mixers in it and a toasted coconut flake rim. It was definitely on the sweeter side and you couldn't taste too much of the alcohol which makes sense for what they used as the liquor base but definitely perfect if you're one who doesn't like a really strong cocktail! I also ordered their strawberry hibiscus tea-tini which was also fantastic! It was stronger than the other cocktail but not overly-powering by any means, you could still taste the strawberry hibiscus tea! I have been in a bit of yelp reviewing rut but this was too good to not leave a review! It was genuinely one of the best restaurant experiences I've had in a while, from the quality of food & drinks to the service! I will definitely be back with more of my friends to share this hidden gem with everybody :) read more

See all

First time here. Came for lunch - 32.99 AYCE? Yes please. Bonus - Sushi Wednesday's! I came around 11am and parked in the small lot out back. Prob 6-8 spots. Should have taken some pics and I didn't pay attention to the parking situation off School St. Walked in solo as I had some time to burn for a lunch break. Was greeted with a friendly smile and got my table set up and seated right away. My server Natasha was awesome. Helpful and perfectly attentive w/o being overbearing or anything. I grabbed a couple rolls (the surf and turf was interesting but reallly good!) along with a bunch of different meats as expected. It was on the quieter side but probably bc I came earlier before any lunch rush. Overall, everything was great. I'll definitely come back again. Much aloha! read more

See all

Kale's Hale is one of those places that makes you forget you're eating AYCE because the quality is that good. I ordered the Gold set (no Wagyu) and honestly didn't feel like I missed anything -- every cut was fresh, well-marbled, and super flavorful once it hit the grill. The pork belly, kalbi, and brisket were the standouts for me. Everything cooked evenly, the marinades weren't overly sweet, and the meat actually tasted clean -- which is rare for AYCE. The sides were also a huge win: fresh kimchi, crisp salad, and those little fusion touches that make the meal feel more Hawai'i than standard yakiniku. Service was fast, friendly, and super helpful without being overbearing. They checked in just enough to keep things moving, and the vibe of the restaurant is relaxed but still feels nice enough for a dinner date or a night out with friends. If you want a spot in Honolulu that gives you great quality without the Wagyu upcharge, the Gold set at Kale's Hale is a 10/10. I'd absolutely come back! read more

Kale’s Hale - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Tired of the same old yakiniku spots? Try Kale's Hale for a little local twist! * Parking: A few stalls available in the first parking lot, but there's another parking lot just behind it with a good amount of stalls! Just drive by slowly as you might miss the entrances to either lot. * Ambiance: Such a fun atmosphere! Very clean and not smoky unlike many other yakiniku restaurants. * Service: The staff was very accommodating to our party of 11. Our waitress did a fantastic job of running our orders back and forth, re-upping banchan, & refilling drinks. I also admire the strong team work of the staff here--even the chef/owner was bussing tables & seating guests! * Food/Drink: Loved how unique this yakiniku spot was! Our party thoroughly enjoyed the variety of both traditional and non-traditional banchan & side dishes, such as the lau lau & lomi salmon, as well as the different dipping sauces. Definitely coming back!! read more

Kale’s Hale - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The wagyu was amazing! All I think about is going back! I appreciate the Kupuna special Buffet is amazing and then the wagyu is Japan quality Mahalo for your Kupuna and Kama'aina Specials Luau soup is delicious read more

Kale’s Hale - Kupuna Special - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Kale's Hale is different. It's quality. We came in for the 2nd time last night after seeing that the menu had changed slightly. Had a great experience the first time for my mom's birthday, so we were excited to return. You'll find it upstairs, there is an elevator. Parking is free - 2 adjacent lots. Restaurant is spacious, well ventilated. Very important for yakiniku-style. Restrooms are clean and right by the entrance. Kitchen looks open and clean as well. And as you've probably read in a lot of other reviews, chef Kale is on site a lot. He was working away in the kitchen and making contact w/ the guests as well. Was not disappointed the second time around. You can taste the quality. Don't sleep on that luau soup. I could have like 6 of those bowls. Banchan is good - different - don't expect Korean-style. It's Hawaiian fusion. Meats are good quality. Flavors of the sauces/marinades are tasty. 4 sauces - sesame + salt, green sauce, wasabi ginger, and house special. The service is great. Everyone is super friendly and helpful. The only thing is they are being slammed. I hope there are some tweaks happening efficiency wise. I wouldn't go as far as to say service is slow, but there were a couple of times the grill was empty and we were waiting on meats or a grill change. They did apologize and mention the kitchen was busy. But the taste of the food makes up for the kinks in a new restaurant. My favorite for the night was the boneless short ribs. Super tender, high quality meat. Not-marinated, so nothing to hide behind. But the kalbi and pipikaula are great too! I'll definitely be back! read more

See all

Every other month my fiancé and I fly from Kauai to Oahu literally just to eat. We have a longggg list of new places we want to try and Kale's Hale has been on our list for a while now. Just touched down in HNL and boom we in an Uber to Kalihi with hungry bellies. We loveddd our first visit to Kale's Hale! Caleb gave us the most amazing service. I can tell he loves his job, he truly enjoys working there, and Kale takes great care of his team. My fiancé loved the pork luau soup, I loved the garlic stems, and we both loved the hanger steak soooo good! We will def be back again. Goodbye Gen KBBQ, HELLO KALE's HALE! One thing I wish they had was rice paper :) Pro tip: Tues and Thurs is $1 beers!!!! Not a typo. ONE DOLLAR. What a stealllll! locals, do not sleep on this incredible deal. read more

The food is worth it and chef kale is cool so I'm giving five stars. He personally stopped by every table to check how we're doing. It's different than your average kbbq style. This is local style. Luau soup. Pipikaula. Teri beef. Typical banchan you find at kbbq with a little more. Plus rotating specials they just bring to your table. I enjoyed it. I wasn't going to comment on the service but the end rubbed me the wrong way. The service is usually fast unless they forget your dish then it just never comes. If they remember, it's out in a few minutes. But several dishes we had to ask multiple times because they never came. The end is what got me. Server comes and we tell her we're wrapping up. She says I'll bring you guys cheesecake how many did you want? The way she she said it I assumed it was free. I said five (one for each of us). She said five? That's a lot. So we settled on three. Bill came and they were $13 each. My fault for not asking but you gotta at least tell people when you're at an all you can eat restaurant or phrase it different. Besides that, I'd recommend going again. read more

Everything was Onolious ! From the food, to the drinks, service & hospitality. Everyone was 100% moving with urgency. Very friendly & helpful staff. They accommodated us with the last-minute add-on reservations of five and we were very gracious for that. We were celebrating my nieces graduation for aesthetician school, and the owner came on by & introduce himself , table touching seeing how we were all doing . He even came back & gave something special to her. The music was perfect about of volume good music. Everyone around was having a good time eating having fun. If you wanna be part of the family come on down to Kale's Hale I highly recommend it. They were all welcoming there. We left full to our bellies & love the special li hu mui shave ice at the end it was light & juicy amount of dessert. read more

See all

We really enjoyed the all you can eat option! The banchan were all very tasty. The meat selection is long and the serving size is fit for our local appetites. I love good rice! I mean GOOD rice! Went well with good quality meats. Wear loose clothing or be prepared to unbuckle in the middle of your feast! Our server was Twig and he ensured our dining experience would leave us coming back for more. He prepared the table beautifully with the array of banchan. Service was excellent! Restaurant is clean. Free parking on site. I felt good just walking into the restaurant. Good vibes for sure. The restaurant is spacious and the ambiance made for a comfortable dining experience. Chef Kale came to our table, which was such a blessing. He took time out of his busy schedule to chat with customers. He's so down to earth, humble, and a man of God. We thoroughly enjoyed the conversations and left the restaurant feeling so good. We plan on returning again and AGAIN! We all need to support local businesses like Kale's Hale. Let's keep this restaurant busy for generations to come! read more

Kale’s Hale - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Food and service were both great! Awesome value for tasty food. Ayce in Hawaii with great ambiance and friendly service. Can't go wrong. Chef Kale even came by to say Aloha. read more

Kale’s Hale - Several beef and pork options - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Went to Kale's Hale for Lunch and we got the $32.99 AYCE special the meats were on small plates but we were able to double up on them which made it pretty decent and good when you are getting full so you don't have to eat a huge tray of meat the seasonings on the meat were ok though the Spicy beef was seasoned really good as well as the teriyaki meat. The four dips they give on the seasoning tray were good and were pretty tasty and I love the Banchan selection they gave three of the most notable ones were the garlic stems, the opae lomi salmon and the Taegu. Service was pretty quick and they filled our water glasses quite regularly I would definitely come back again! read more

See all

I am still dreaming about this place and can't wait to go back. Service, quality, quantity, and ambiance all amazing. The food was delicious-- save room for a malasada at the end. Edit: We did get to try the specials! We went on Thursday and got to try the fried bulgogi rice and sushi. Delicious. The green sauce yummm! read more

The best local spot! Amazing quality & authentic food, great customer service always with aloha, and juuuust the right ambiance! Food is ono! Do yourself a favor....skip the chain places like Gen & Gyukaku and come straight here. Bonus, the wait time on a Friday evening was 0 minutes (beats the 1 hour wait at Gen). read more

Kale's Hale honestly surprised me! Came here for a friend's birthday and had no idea this place was AYCE. For their soft opening special it was $40/per person. I believe normal price is $60. This is not your typical AYCE K Bqq. It's a local/Hawaiian fusion so they offer dishes like wagyu laulau and lomi lomi salmon as part of their banchan. The sides were so good!! They give you your typical korean banchan but I really enjoyed their mac salad and waguyu laulau. The meat quality was also pretty good and I loved the beef brisket and pork belly (my go-to meats for kbqq). Staff was attentive and friendly. Only thing is they don't serve alcohol and it's not byob. Not a big deal to me since I barely drink but for people who enjoy drinking with their meal, that might be a downfall. They have a parking lot but it can get full pretty fast. I believe the lot next to it is parking as well. For $40/per person, I thought it was so worth it. $60 is a little steep but food is good so I'd probably be back. read more

Kale’s Hale - Meat was good quality! - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

What a great discovery! This place is awesome! AYCE meats for $33 (we didn't choose the wagyu package, yet...), and this place has, by far, the BEST selection to choose from, and there is a lot. I think we ordered everything they had to offer as far as pork and beef, raw and marinated. Weirdly we didn't request any of their chicken. Next time. What we did order did not disappoint at all, and was so much fun to cook. I think our favorite was the boneless kalbi, but everything was ono. The surrounding mini-trays of fun and perfect variety of pickled compliments was, well, perfect. And to start, the luau soup with a bowl of rice. Omg, what???? I dumped the rice in the soup and went to town on dat buggah. Amazing. I had sad face when was pau because I was pau. But, had happy face again knowing we were going to be cooking our meats. And the dipping sauces were on point. So much fun. Lots of seating, there are 2 parking lots (free) one after another behind the restaurant, too easy. Second floor, entry is via elevator or stairs. Friendly service, very attentive. But man, everything was ono. You gotta check this place out. And Wednesday is sushi day, we'll be back fo sho. Support local! read more

Kale’s Hale - Shaka is right! Look all those awesome little trays of yumminess. Not seen, the ono luau soup and rice. Bring on the meats! - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Hoooo... brah! This place is a masterpiece. From the details of the banchan, the sauce, the quality of meats. I'm blown away. Favorite banchan was the opai lomi and ube Mac salad! My favorite pairing was the green sauce with the hanging tender and guava pork! Perfectly portioned to the point we had no leftovers! You can tell the owner and its staff put their heart into everything for this place and I find it very admirable. I live on Kapolei side so making the way out here was well worth every penny. Shoutout to our server Twigs for being so knowledgeable about the menu and being so attentive to our every need making us feel so at home. Thank you for your wonderful culinary masterpiece chef Kale! Can't wait to take my family out to dinner here sometime soon. read more

Kale’s Hale - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Kale's Hale is my new go to AYCE for grilling meats with a Japanese and Hawaiian style menu. They are located on School St above Rainbow Drive-In. There are two private lots in the back that you can park in. A small one connected to the building and the large lot behind that. You can take the elevator directly up to the restaurant or walk up the stairs. The interior is nice and clean. It's well done and not what you would expect for the area regarding the modern decor. We came after the lunch rush and customer service was great. Everything came out quickly from the kitchen and we were checked on often to reorder more meat. All of us thought the place is a steal for the quality of meats at an AYCE restaurant. Must try restaurant! read more

Kale’s Hale - Gout Roll (bottom) Spicy Ahi Roll (top) - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

All You Can Eat lunch in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii... For the price (they gave us the Grand Opening special), flavors, presentation, creativity, and quantity of food, I thought that we got a good deal. Kale's Hale is located on the upper level of the building. The Kalihi location of Rainbow Drive-In is on the lower level... on the corner of School Street and Houghtailing Street. There are two free parking lots. Both entrances are on Houghtailing Street. Find the elevator and go directly up to the restaurant! There were so many banchan (side dishes), including several types of kimchi! Then, our server gave us three kinds of potato or macaroni salad. One was like a California roll, with imitation crab. One had sweet potato in it. The last one had peas and tuna. Yum! We also received a bonus of cabbage salad, wagyu laulau, Luau soup, and wagyu meat to grill. By the time it came, we were already full from the 8 plates of meat that we ordered! We're not sure if our server was new because we had to ask her what the dipping sauces were and what was in the various salads. She was pleasant overall. I think we got our money's worth! The beef dishes seemed better than the marinated meats which had maybe too much flavor? I had a great meal in a clean, modern, air-conditioned environment with a convenient restroom! Thank you! read more

See all

Flavor overload... You need to experience the twists that Kale has at his Hale in Kalihi as there's no categorize this place where you're the chef to cook you're own proteins though they already have it all marinated and seasoned ready for you to enjoy in this really cool and spacious vibe. Your palate will surely dance with joy as mine sure did and luckily we're here as they're still celebrating their soft opening price for their AYCE as my partner Nadine chose the "Beef" items and I chose the "Marinated Meats" section which was quite the adventure. Teri Chicken came in chunks on a skewer while the other meats came in quite a generous portions. If you order the AYCE it comes with banchan and there are 14 types which is quite crazy and quite a few are kimchi which only I was able to eat so it was a bit much that I couldn't do though it wasn't spicy at all for those that do enjoy them it's just a bit much for me personally and I felt it was quite wasteful, you also get a bowl of Luau soup a twist they put on the Korean seaweed soup was very nice and refreshingly perfect to pair along with our meal. As we got grilling we were surprised to have three macaroni salad as well (Potato Crab, Sweet Potato, and tuna macaroni salad) along with a bowl of rice and wished that we had that verus some the banchan seriously as I wasted half of it because I felt forced not to waste and it came half way through our meal and as we continued to eat then comes some sort of laulau...REALLY! OH and cabbage salad came after it all as well after majority of the meat were cooked. The staff was very nice and kept checking on us and ask if we wanted any meats but after bringing out more and more sides AFTER we placed our meat order there was no room for me personally and really wished it was all brought out before we started as I didn't touch the rice, couple sips of the soup all was wasted, didn't finish four banchan, several slices of meats and didn't touch the laulau and just half of the cabbage salad...all very generous and loved it don't get me wrong but this is not how you should bring out foods after we placed our order as I didn't really get enjoy the wagyu sampler as it came out later as well so my taste buds was saying no. Side note: What I assume was the lomi salmon (part of the banchan) had shrimp in it which is a huge NO NO for this allergic person and I agree I didn't say that upfront but is very dangerous to present items that has it so be aware as they do have many crafted items to bring that Hawaiian twist that I absolutely love but tell them your allergies. Thank you! read more

See all

Recently took a few co workers for Lunch buffet I thought the $32 buffet for lunch was a great value. Theres ample parking and the restaurant interior was festive and clean. The service was great and it wasnt that crowded. I love that they incorporate local fusion and provided us their own rendition of luau stew soup and a Chinese jook but with local flair. The meats were generous and were delicious also large selection of Ban chan and you can order extras of whatever you like. We had mango and ube mochi ice cream for dessert and banana lumpia. Great spot for lunch or dinner AYCE. read more

Kale’s Hale - $32 lunch ayce - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My husband and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary here with a filling and delicious dinner. It's the best yakiniku place on island, especially for the all you can eat price. No can beat! Our top picks: boneless kalbi and the guava pork. The banchan was majah with unique Hawai'i fusion flavors...so ono! And for dessert banana lumpia with coconut sauce! Mmmm! Customer service was excellent from the greeting from the front door, our waitress, and food service. Casual, laid back vibe. We had an excellent first experience here. Def will be back! read more

See all

I saw his Instagram thats the reason why we went. There was a $5 wagyu special and we wasnt offered. We went this pass 04/27 Sunday. We had the $59.99 special and everything else on the menu was either Wednesday for sushi and Monday thru Friday special. The Banchan was nothing like what the Pic offered it was skimpy. The place was dirty the waitress was nice. Overall that would be the last time I go unfortunately. My child was reading the FAKA message which I didn't see because it was her height very disappointed. Stick to real Korean or Gens. I always take a Pic but I was so disappointed I didn't. The men's bathroom stall broken LOL. I did give a 20% tip and never complained to our waitress. She was nice and she apologized about the menu. She did say something about seafood. Crab claws? We were there at about 3pm sitting on the right side going back. Big restaurant. Im sure she remember us. I was thirsty after a hot day out. What's the lemon juice for? I follow chef and your previous venture with the meat market woman that moved. Anyway i still like your character on social media read more

welcome to the Hale After some extensive research, we discovered this newly opened business on Yelp. Our friend, visiting from the mainland, was keen to try some Korean bbq....and so off we went to Kale's Hale. LOCATION / PARKING / NOTES 1. They are the second floor of the building they are located in. 2. Parking is on the street....or in 2 lots that are located behind the building. Please do pay attention to the signage in the smaller lot, as there is a handicap stall, and areas where no parking is alllowed. 3. At the time of our visit, Tuesday, 6/10/25, they did not (yet) have a liquor license. fyi. 4. Though the menu does state that the AYCE price is $59.99 for adults, the price paid per adult on night we dined was $39.99/person. We were informed that the reduced pricing was due to their still in progress "soft opening". 5. There is an elevator available if one doesn't want to use the stairs. 6. There is 90 minute time limit. 7. The server described their business as Yakiniku with a local fusion/flare. 8. The restaurant is spacious, welcoming, and modern. Looks like they occupy the entire second floor. FOOD The banchan selection is very generous, and quite surprising. The portions are also AYCE, one only has to ask their server for more. I'd recommend the kim chee, cucumber kim chee, and the ginger roots (my favorite!). The other item that was really awesome was the soup of all things! The soup is delicious!! Though its also AYCE/re-fillable, I wanted to ensure I wanted to save space for the meats. From the AYCE menu, we ordered the spicy pork, teri chicken, pork belly (thick), brisket, and the boneless short ribs. We enjoyed the brisket, pork belly (thick), and short ribs. side NOTE The kitchen/chef served our table a wagyu laulau, which was very good. SERVICE Our server, Mahina, provided exemplary customer service. She polite, friendly, knowledgable, and above all, she was very patient. We appreciated that she took the time to explain about the menu and provided some background about the restaurant. She checked on us periodically throughout the meal. BOTTOM LINE A positive first-time experience. Great customer service. read more

See all

This is honestly our favorite meal on O'ahu this trip. We've been meaning to come for some time now and finally made it out. Just so happens to be sushi night as well. For $33 pp we got to choose various kinds of meats, Korean side dishes, appetizers, etc...and it just kept coming. It's not just the food, the service was amazing! This was the first time we were there and the owner came out to greet us. I mean we're not influencers, food bloggers or critics, but that made us feel right at home. The waitress was attentive and even got to know her as a person. My husband's family is from Hawaii. The whole experience exhibited the aloha culture and spirit that he was taught growing up. Though the food was great, it's the service that will bring us back for years to come. read more