Just going to say it right now. 5 stars! This was our first time coming here. I've been following Chef Kale on Insta for a while now and the hype is real. He's not just an Insta chef he's The Chef. Start with parking. Parking lot attached to the building is small. Only like 5 spots and a handicap spot but apparently you can park in the lot directly behind. We got lucky tonight and parked on site. Getting into the building you can take the elevator that takes you right into the restaurant or hit the stairs to the far right. We made a reservation and were able to get seated a little early. The place has a nice vibe on the inside. Lots of black and wood tones. Would definitely be a great place to hang out with friends or go on a date. Not sure if they had alcohol, didn't see a menu for one and didn't ask because we don't really drink much. Great views of mauka side from our table. Service was excellent. Probably some of the best service I've had that was equivalent to a Michelin/fine dining. Our drinks were always refilled without asking or waiting. We were always asked if we wanted more meat or banchan (sides). The servers all work together. Great job servers! Now for the main attraction, the food. Everything was good! Starting with the banchans. When you sit down they have all of the banchan out waiting for you. We really loved that and it was like going to my mom's house to eat. There were like 10+ dishes to try and they were all perfect. I do have to admit that the banchan there was probably better than my mom's (don't tell her though). Well done Chef! Meats were all fresh. Not frozen or thawing out like some other places you'd go to. I'm a sucker for pork belly as it's my favorite. We had the brisket, hanger, boneless beef rib, wagyu sample and Iberico pork. Everything was melt in your mouth good. The only suggestion I could make is thicker pork belly. Like double the thickness of the thick, but that is just my personal preference from eating it in Korea so much. Four different dipping sauces and I can't remember them all but I definitely used them all. My favorite is the OG of them all, the sesame seed oil and salt. Chef Kale was making some samples for the restaurant to try throughout the night. It reminded me of sitting at your go to sushi bar and the chef makes some off the menu stuff for you or the bar to try. Tonight there was a miso eggplant, tofu in a shot glass and wagyu kimchi fried rice. They were all so ono! Apparently from other Yelp reviews he does that each night. I thought it was a great personal touch and I'd go back often just for that. This will be our go to spot now for some bbq and some broke da mouth banchan. Can't wait to go again and don't change a thing except for maybe the thickness of the thick pork belly. Mahalo! read more

Kale’s Hale - All the banchan - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My wife and I finally got the chance to try this place out. We stopped by for an impromptu lunch date. So many different banchan, wagyu laulau, jook, and luau soup too! The price was very reasonable and Twigs was a great server. He was attentive, friendly and he took good care of us. We will definitely be back with more of the family. 5 shaka rating read more

10/10 , 5 stars all the way! I don't think I'll want to go to GEN or any other yakiniku place after coming here! Customer service was amazing from start to finish. It's rare to find great customer service now days, but this place has it all! AND their unlimited malasadas for dessert is dangerous! read more

We came here to celebrate my mom's birthday. We are so glad we did. It does get busy so I'd suggest to do reservations. The food was amazing! Season perfectly! The staff is super friendly and fast. Very clean, bathrooms were really nice and clean. And it's not too smoky considering it being an open flame bbq! Our favorite meat was the Guava Pork and Boneless Kalbi. Definitely will come back again. read more

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

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I had really high hopes for this place. We called about a week prior to see if we could walk in on a Sunday night and they said they were full. So we made a reservation two days before for Thursday. They took almost two days to respond, but I'm sure they're preoccupied since they're new. Our seating was at 5:00pm, the first seating. There were only about 6 other groups from what i could see. Not sure why reservations were necessary. We also had to wait another 10 min after to be seated. The servers were really nice though!! And the owner came by to check up on us and offered a sample. The ayce menu is $40/p currently for their soft opening, and it includes an A5 Wagyu sampler. We ordered the brisket, beef belly, thick pork belly, and hanging tender. The brisket and beef belly were very chewy. The pork belly was not very thick, and there was an indent of the bottom of a plate... very sanitary. The hanging tender was the best piece, but it was just decent. If it was slightly thinner, it would be much more pleasant. The A5 wagyu sampler was CHEWY. I had to force myself to finish it. I hope their Ala carte wagyu menu includes better quality than that. They had a large assortment of ban chan, but ALL of it was bland. All the kimchi, and even the bean sprouts. It was just plain boiled bean sprouts. No salt or sesame oil. There's 4 sauces that are provided, I wasn't too fond of any. Service was good, so I won't give 1 star. Was very disappointed. read more

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Great food, great service. Chef Kale comes by to check on you and offer you new and free extra goodies. You can tell he cares for his staff and customers! read more

Excellent dinner & service. The appetizer soup was deliciously tasty, Chef's locally inspired original ~ my favorite! We all enjoyed the variety of ban chans and the meat variety of offerings. Almost everyone ordered a second bowl of rice and more dipping sauces. What a treat to have the men at our table enjoy cooking! My cousin's husband is as hooked! Mochi ice cream hit the spot and tofu tapioca dessert was a tasty interesting combination! Bringing my kids and family here! Bravo, Chef Kale and crew! read more

Everything. $1 Heineken on thirsty Thursday. Great food. Great service. The desserts at the end. Lots of add ons that we did not order we were so full. read more

Kale’s Hale - Valentines drink i forget - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We celebrated Mother's Day at Kale's Hale. Miracle warmly greeted us at the door and Tasha was our attentive, professional server with a smile & friendly disposition. We all felt at home by her personal touch. The food & numerous side dishes were more than yummy. We all left satisfied & smiling. Kale's Hale is our new fav!! read more

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

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Definitely 10/10. We tried this place for the first time tonight and it did not disappoint! Outstanding service and great food. Better than Gen! We'll definitely be back for more!!! read more

Food and drinks were great and service was great too! Will be coming again here soon with my family.

First time here. Parking is a bit tricky if you're not familiar with the area. There is a separate lot adjacent to the lot in front of the building where you can park which is convenient. Came here for my boyfriend's bday and overall pretty good place. The laulau soup? So good. My favorite meets might have to be the guava pork and spicy pork. The guava pork was recommended to us by our server who was really nice and attentive. Definitely would be back again soon. read more

Wow, what an incredible dining experience!! AMBIANCE- Good amount of parking. Same lot as Rainbows. A cute little elevator takes you up to a nicely renovated & clean restaurant. The burners must be good quality because you don't come out smelling all smoky with red eyes. Bathrooms are clean and well maintained. FOOD- Wow!! $40 Kama'ainas ALL YOU CAN EAT (regular $60). Premium meats are available for an additional cost. The BANCHANS were perfect!! Tasty flavors with an island twist. Some of my favorites were the Mac salad trio, taro poke?, and lomi opae but honestly they were all good! Complementary LUAU SOUP was bomb! I don't even like luau or laulau and that hit the spot! I had to get two cups. Nice VARIETY OF MEATS chicken, pork, and beef were on point! My favorite was the beef belly and short rib. Meal comes with REFILLABLE SOFT DRINKS and tasty tofu dessert. SERVICE- We were welcomed immediately and service was excellent! Team really works well together picking up plates from all tables, refilling water, and regularly asking what else we wanted to order. Spotted Kale delivering some plates, wish he would have stopped to say hi so we could complement his establishment. HIGHLY RECOMMEND coming here! We will definitely be back!! read more

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Our son brought us to dinner here. I ate the boneless short ribs. The meat was so tender, juicy, and savory! The portions are worth it! Chef Kale and his crew are so kind and professional. The environment is warm and welcoming. We had a pleasant experience. read more

The food, service and atmosphere all 10/10! Great place for a great deal. Totally worth it! read more

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

Loved this place! My go to spot now, when I'm in Honolulu. I went two days back to back because I had to bring more people. Woulda gone a third day but had to fly back to California.. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Loved the Luau soup and the diff flavors that chef mashed up between cultures. Can't wait to fly back. read more

Would give this place more than 5 stars if I could. Food/meats were DELICIOUS! Service was amazing and the servers were so outgoing and friendly! Definitely recommended and coming back to try more, so glad to finally try this place out! read more

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

5 Stars - Amazing Hawaiian Fusion Yakiniku Experience! Kale's Hale Yakiniku is hands down one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warm aloha hospitality, and the atmosphere was very cozy. The concept here is fantastic: a fusion of traditional Korean yakiniku with bold Hawaiian flavors, and they absolutely nailed it. The meats were top-notch--perfectly marbled Wagyu, tender beef cuts, and the most flavorful banchans I've ever had. The house-made marinades and dipping sauces added an authentic twist that set this place apart from any other yakiniku spot. Service was outstanding. Our server was incredibly friendly, walked us through the menu, and even gave us some great grilling tips. You can tell the staff takes pride in making sure every guest has a great experience. If you're a fan of yakiniku, Hawaiian flavors, or just amazing food in general, this is a must-visit spot. I'm already looking forward to coming back! read more

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

Go here if you like Yakiniku ! Every meat has been purposefully thought out and not just added to the menu like other places. It' has good quality meats and service is terrific. We had Jayden who did an exceptional job and made us feel very welcomed. The dessert was tasty and their banchans were all delicious as well as their soup! Husband said he enjoyed it almost as much as the fancy Yakiniku we have in Japan for $130pp. Come support this wonderful restaurant Go now! read more

So much food and everything was SO good! Plan to come hungry and to have the time to try as many types of meat you can! read more

Love this place! We went here and tried this for my cousin's birthday and was this place fantastic! Everything was on point: Service - Excellent! Food - Excellent! The table was full of banchan and they were all delicious. We went there a second time and it was another wonderful experience! Eveything was tasty, especially the pork belly, beef belly, and pork jowls! I don't have anything bad to say at all about this hidden gem in Kalihi. I definitely will be back here!!! read more

The best JBBQ I've had on Oahu so far. Definitely on the pricier end, but they have a great selection of meats as well as sides. It's usually fairly quiet and the interior is more upscale compared to a typical yakiniku spot. read more

The reviews don't lie! This place was beyond my expectations, especially since it's an interesting local take on Kbbq/Gyukaku. They still offered their soft opening price which is a total steal right now, and they constantly were checking up on us, and offered us many off-menu items outside of the AYCE like wagyu laulau and beef tongue. The laulau soup honestly was my favorite dish outside of the bbq because it was super ono and unique. The pipikaula is delicious, and the fact that the AYCE menu comes with A5 Wagyu is such a good deal. My only very small criticism is that I like my kimchi a bit more flavorful, and some of the side dishes offered were a bit bland. I believe Kale was walking around the restaurant greeting customers and he was super friendly! Love the food and service all together. Thank you guys! read more

Kale’s Hale - Local Hawaiian BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Food was delicious. The wagyu was melt in your mouth good. They had plenty of sides to eat as soon as you sit down. They also gave complimentary luau stew, beef stew, jook, and lau lau that was some of the highlights of my meal! We finished the night with Ulu lumpia which was the perfect ending. Mahina was our server and she was super nice and attentive. Ambience was nice everything looked clean and new! Will be back for sure. read more

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

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Hands down the best yakiniku place on the island! esp with this April lunch special... with such good quality & at a great price too!! ‍ service is so nice as well & timely mattered. literally one of my favorite places, no one else can compare! Been here one too many times, & never disappoints! & won't be my last... & LOVE how he's always looking out for the locals, yessaahh! Much mahalos brah, "Locally owned, & PAUOA grown!" Cheeheee cuz P VALLEY Rep! read more

We Drove from EWA to come sampo this Hale . We came on a Saturday RSVP , when we arrived place wasn't to busy . Host and Service was welcoming everyone that passed us greeted us. Food was very delicious , the short ribs was cherrehhh!! and so was the marinated terry beef. And Da Wagyu was buttahhh!!. Tbh the luau soup was DA STAR DISH kuzzz braauhhh!!! I had 4dem buggah We will definitely comeback agin. read more

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Going to a new place base on yelp can be nerve racking..especially when you're on vacation and you dont want to disappoint the fam..lol. Yay! this place did served! Everyone had nothing but great things to say about this place. The hostess greeted us nicely with a smile. Our waiter, Kohl, was very friendly, helpful and hardworking. We got lucky and got a special price at $40! So we decided to add the $139 12 oz wagyu...Kohl said it is imported from Japan. It was thee best wagyu!...It melt like butter. The extra sauces were great...especially the wasabi and hawaiian salt. He also came up with special daily creations (on the house). He mentioned the dessert changes daily..we got mini fruit punch ice cones (which was a delight after bbq). Unique sides with a hawaiian touch. Place was clean. Area is nice...however parking may be limited but not impossible. Small lot. Overall satisfied and would go there again. :) read more

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I have been wanting to try this neighborhood restaurant for a while now, but my family is not big on cooking their own food! Convinced my husband to try it with me yesterday and we absolutely loved it! The grills are built into the table so there's less spatter and there's less heat right up in your face. They have a wonderful all you can eat menu and the variety of meats you can choose from are phenomenal. See my picture for the menu. Chef Kale sent out two appetizers for us to try: one was a Hamachi with a Yuzu, Ponzo, marinade and watercress oil. Beautiful! The second was laulau made with Wagyu beef and lup cheong-- it literally melted it in your mouth! The servers were very friendly and made excellent recommendations. Their enthusiasm for the restaurant and the menu were obvious. Shout out to Mahina for serving us. We will definitely be back. read more

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Okay, I heard about this place and wanted to try it out. What got us to the door was the Kapuna special that is ending in May at $20 AYCE. We got there around 4:30 pm and the AC was not working, a little warm but someone was on top working on it. This is our first-time at the venue and was thinking oh well this is not looking good. Anyway we had our server Lindsey Jade this young lady was the best server ever. We asked questions and she was on it. The recommendations that she suggested was spot on because the menu had all types of meats with all types of flair but we wanted the best types as we didn't want to waste any food and our kapuna stomachs can't hold as much as in our younger days because of the great deal. The grandkids did a number as they was stuffed by the time we left. She also said that they would add in a soft drink for the inconvenience of the AC not working at the time. About halfway into our meal the AC came back on kudos to the repair gang. If you are in the area or going to take out the kapuna I would suggest giving this place a try. I believe you won't be disappointed. The food was terrific along with the side dishes, small portions but you can always ask for more. The staff was very friendly and nice, hopefully you get Lindsey she is the bomb. We plan on going back soon before the special ends but this will become a regular spot on our monthly dine in special venue. read more

AMAZING!!! our server Jaden was EXTREMELY knowledgeable and helpful, like he really cared to be there and help his customers. The meat quality vs the price you pay is excellent. surprised it wasn't packed on a Friday night, this place deserves all the hype!!! the onlyyyy thing i would suggest is maybe a sweet sauce? the jalapeño sauce was DELICIOUS!!!!! plus they came by with extra special meats asking if we would like to try them! The place also looked very fancy and the ambiance was great. read more

Went here with my family for lunch time. We got the AYCE for $40 a person. There were a lot of banchan to enjoy. My favorites were the pickled garlic stems and garlics. There wasn't a whole lot on the AYCE menu in comparison with some other yakiniku/korean bbq type places, but the marinated meats were pretty ono. I like how this place switches things up a bunch, and I appreciated how chef Kale was there to personally serve some dishes. It gives a homey and local feel to this style which is an interesting fusion. Something that I noticed, was that the meat sort of tasted like gas or propane due to the grill. This could be because its a foil/tin looking grill which leads to a lot of exposure to the gas. I feel like it interfered with the flavors of the meats even if it was marinated. The meats would probably benefit from thicker plates. The service was okay, although I feel that the staff were a little undertrained and didn't have a lot of experience. However, they were not rude, and I imagine the performance being better in the future with practice. All in all, I could see myself returning in a year or half a year as there are usually new and exciting things being announced. It would be awesome to see these changes as it could take this place to 5 stars easy. read more

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Good food, just took a while to cook over the charcoal grill. Each bento box came with different side dishes. Would recommend! read more

Kale’s Hale - BENTO BOX#1 (RAW) - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This place is awesome. The server is so nice and cool and even the owner came and greeted us. The food is amazing especially the Wagyu laulau, their side dishes have plenty choices but they serve all and even their sauces. I love the wasabi sauce. We came here for lunch and it's not that busy. Get plenty parking and the ambiance was fine. We'll definitely come back again. read more

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We were just here a few nights ago and my family and I had a great time. We reserved a table online same day. When we got to the place we couldn't find it. FYI the area looks a little run down and it may look like it's closed from the street side. You have to go to the back to park and walk upstairs! Once inside it's a very different experience. Don't miss out! The table was ready for us with banchan and kimchi. We were seated immediately and our server let us know that this week was a soft opening and that we would be getting a discount. She also proceeded to let us know the specials for the day. She also went and brought us samples of recipes that the chef ‍ was trying out which was a small package of wagyu and Chinese sausage wrapped taro leaves which was delicious and rendition of miso soup. The kimchi and banchan small dishes were very tasty and some were new additions that we had not had before. We ordered Dry aged short ribs, brisket, pork jowls, pork belly, and got a complimentary order of wagyu. Over all the Service was wonderful, food was fresh and tasty, there were new items we have not had at other "cook your own Bbq" spots, tried new types of banchan and delicious dips and sauces, and also got a complimentary dessert of banana Lumpia with a yummy coconut white cream dipping sauce. We had a great time! read more

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

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Kale Hale is the truth! This is truly a local braddahs restaurant. The fusion of food and flavors doesn't feel synthetic at all--it feels real, like your grandma's cooking times 100! Brah, everything is SO ONO! If you want a spot that is truly for the locals, this is it. Go eat you faakaahs, you're missing out! read more

Ate here lastnight and it was amazing, the food and the service was awesome. Come on a date night or with a group and you won't be disappointed. This was Korean bbq with Hawaiian fusion, sooo ono! I didn't take pics, but next time I will. read more

For first timers, Kale's Hale was not a disappointment! Everything was on point including our server Khol! Such great service! The Wagyu literally melts in your mouth! We will definitely be back! There is so much we want to say about this place, but you need to see for yourself! This is definitely not your typical all you can eat Korean BBQ as Kale's Hale definitely brings local Hawaiian dishes in the menu! And to top it all off, the Chef Himself (Kale) came out to introduce himself and tell us a little about his new restaurant! What cool braddah and amazing Chef! hands down the best all you can eat I've been to thus far! read more

I have a confession to make. In my mind, all yakiniku places are the same. You've seen one, you've seen them all. Or so I thought. Until I came to Kale's Hale. This place sets itself apart from the rest of the pack. Honestly there should be a line to get in. Let's start at the beginning. It is above the Rainbow Drive Inn on School Street. There is a parking lot adjacent and if it's full, there's another lot adjacent to that lot (but the entrance/exit is separate but both face Houghtailing. You can take the elevator up and like a penthouse, it opens directly INSIDE the restaurant. It's tastefully decorated/renovated with darker colors contrasted with wood details. The staff here are incredible. Genuine, hardworking, super on it, helpful, and thoughtful. As my husband told our waiter at the end of lunch, 'You made my day!" There aren't enough words to explain how much I appreciate the Yakiniku spot with a Hawaiian twist. My husband ate four bowls of luau soup. He also loved the lau lau with lupcheong and wagyu. The banchans are VAST. There must be one chef specifically assigned to banchans, it really looks like a lot of work. It comes with four sauces, my favorite is the OG oil with salt but the slightly darker brown sauce was sweet and delightful. We got the AYCE special and tried all four meats in the beef category: beef belly, brisket, short rib, and hanging tender..and of course the wagyu! All were absolutely delicious. The meat portions are much bigger than most other yakiniku places and wish I brought more people with us to eat everything. Don't sleep on this place any longer and make a reservation today. read more

Best AYCE on the island! Amazing food, staff/service, and environment. Came here to celebrate my birthday and they also had the AYCE sushi for Wednesday nights. I did a walk in but they also do reservations. Will be coming more often. Shout out to Rylin for the awesome service and recommendations read more

First impression that definitely won't be the last! So I saw a lot of TikTok's (yes and those were hilarious btw that made me want to try this place) For starters - highly recommend calling to make a reservation. The restaurant was clean and felt very modern but felt most importantly local and a love to be local. The staff were very kind and you can see they put a lot of hard work and pride in how they conduct themselves. Most importantly the food - was really good! The ban Chan was all delicious - loved the garlic stems, the wagyu Laulau and the luau soup! Meats were all top quality! Mind you my crowd is normally a Gen's BBQ/ or Tsuras type and let me tell you Kales will be our spot moving forward! Favorite meat was the Guava Pork! So Ono! But all were so good! Also shout to Mahina! Awesome server and recommendations Overall I was not disappointed and we will be back much mahalo! read more