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    Manoa Gardens

    3.9 (35 reviews)
    InexpensivePubs
    Open • 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM

    Manoa Gardens Photos

    MANOA GARDENS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Justin A.

    I don't know about the rest of you, but I usually find that returning to an old haunt is often quite disappointing... like watching an old episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and finally realizing how lame it really was. However, this visitation to the oft-frequented bar during my former university student life reminded me of some really great memories. Let me preface the rest of my review by saying that if this bar went to high school with the other Hawaii bars, it would be in the outcast group and given swirlies every day. The selection of drinks is surprisingly good for a campus bar (besides a standard liquor set-up... rogue dead guy ale, newcastle and kona longboard on tap, and patron/jager machines). However, it's obvious this place was designed as a campus eatery, then, the manager got a permit to serve alcohol. The layout is like a typical (mini) cafeteria except for the half dozen stools at the bar. Also, the pupus aren't great... the best you should expect is so-so fries, onion rings and spring rolls. That being said, this Friday, I had a chance to hang out with some friends until they had to leave... then I hung out with the bar rats and bartenders. Despite the fact that the bar officially closed at 9, the bartenders were nice enough to let me hang out till 10 o'clock reminiscing about the Manoa Gardens of old. I even got a free 24-oz tanqueray tonic, despite the fact that I had only met the bartender an hour prior; definitely some of the nicest bartenders I've ever met. If you ever visit this bar, I would recommend avoiding high expectations... it's nothing fancy or particularly special. However, for former bar rats, it's always reminiscent of good times past. I frequented this place many times after midterms/finals with classmates... and sometimes professors. Although years have passed since I last visited, I still saw students drowning their school-related sorrows in a 32 of beer. I doubt the crowd will ever truly change, which is actually nice to think about. There will always be the 21-year old student celebrating his/her birthday as early in the day as possible, the juniors/seniors drinking away the stress of the semester, the grad students and professors discussing research and scientific theories, and the lonely university individual trying to find good company. Good times.

    #beefcake

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    Great outdoor venue! Probably the best deal for a cold beer on the island!

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    Ask the Community - Manoa Gardens

    Review Highlights - Manoa Gardens

    “That's right, amongst UHM's buildings and auditoriums is a bar tucked inside the BaLe over by Sinclair Library.”

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    BREW'd Craft Pub - Szechuan Cauliflower

    BREW'd Craft Pub

    4.1(491 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    •$$

    We walked in at about 5pm and sat at the bar. Brewd has a patio seating, high tops near the…read moreentrance, booths along the inside perimeter and a nice counter top bar through out. There were a few people enjoying drinks and food, and while it is a smaller space, it didnt feel crowded at this time. The bartender was very nice and got our drink orders right away. Anytime I see an espresso martini on the menu, best bet I'm going to order it. And I'm so glad I did! I mentioned the hints of cinnamon and the bartender validated me saying the cold brew is infused with cinnamon sticks. 10/10 reccomend!

    Located in Kaimuki on Waialae Avenue, Brew'd is a restaurant/pub spot. There is some parking around…read moreon the street and in a back parking lot. Not sure if it costs money to park in the lot. The place itself has seating inside and outside. We sat outside, and it was a nice evening. The place was not loud and the service was quick. The people working were very sweet! The place felt casual with wood tables and decorations. We decided to order a burger and macaroni. Both came out pretty quickly. The burger and the fries were yummy! The fries were pretty big and were good on their own. The burger was tasty and tasted like it had just the right amount of salt. The macaroni was also very good, with a decent amount in the bowl. We look forward to coming back and trying some other food items!

    Photos
    BREW'd Craft Pub - Image of the interior space

    Image of the interior space

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    Bar area

    Kailua Town Pub & Grill - Beef Sliders

    Kailua Town Pub & Grill

    3.3(549 reviews)
    8.0 mi
    •$$

    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.

    Photos
    Kailua Town Pub & Grill - View from the side

    View from the side

    Kailua Town Pub & Grill - The Makapu'u Burger

    The Makapu'u Burger

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    Hana Koa Brewing - Pork Belly Sliders

    Hana Koa Brewing

    4.4(678 reviews)
    2.4 mi•Kaka'ako
    •$$

    Hana Koa Brewing is definitely worth the drive or bike ride because it's not in Waikiki, but the…read moretrip is absolutely worth it if you're looking for something a little different from the traditional beers you can get anywhere. The space has a more upscale feel, with a really nice vibe inside and plenty of tables. They have a great selection beyond their own beer, including cocktails, wine, non-alcoholic drinks, and guest taps. I especially loved that they offered smaller beer pours, which let me try several different beers without committing to a full pour of each. I was there for the beer, and I definitely wasn't disappointed! I was also really impressed by the food menu. They had lunch specials that sounded fantastic, and they even offer a brunch menu with special brunch cocktails. I wasn't hungry enough to try the food this time, but it definitely gives me a reason to come back. Great beer, a beautiful space, and lots of options for everyone. Definitely recommend adding Hana Koa to your Oahu brewery list!

    More like 3.5 stars...here's why…read more Attentive, friendly service the moment you step inside. Too many IPAs. If you prefer something else, the lager-type offering tastes basic. An afterthought at best, which is why we usually go elsewhere. Parking lot for convenience, but ONLY if you don't come at peak hours. Otherwise, it's a shit show. Why bad beer and iffy parking can be tolerated. Possibly the best fish and chips I've had on island and beyond. You get a generous, flaky filet fried in a crispy, golden beer batter with the proper proportion of fish to coating. It's paired with seasoned french fries that come hot and fresh. But. The rest of the menu is hit or miss. The burger was underwhelming. The grilled chicken sandwich arrived dry even though it was thigh meat. Some serious quality issues if that gets out of the kitchen. The list goes on. Honestly, I come back for the fish. And that's about it.

    Photos
    Hana Koa Brewing - Marine Toast

    Marine Toast

    Hana Koa Brewing - Taster flight

    Taster flight

    Hana Koa Brewing - Lime in the Coconut - delicious take on key lime pie flavor!

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    Lime in the Coconut - delicious take on key lime pie flavor!

    Off The Wall Craft Beer & Wine - Breakfast chimichanga!

    Off The Wall Craft Beer & Wine

    4.2(610 reviews)
    2.4 mi•Ala Moana
    •$$

    Walking through the South Shore Market and looking for a bite to eat, we stumbled across Off the…read moreWall and there was quite a crowd so we asked how long the wait would be. No wait for our party of 2, and we were sat immediately at a high top communal style table. It is a bar type establishment, with pour your own beers and wines on the wall. Not super noisy, but everyone was having their conversations and having a great time. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, and food walking past us looked amazing! The only difference to this establishment was instead of a server taking our order, we were instructed to go to the front podium to place the order when we were ready. We opted for the Fried Calamari with Cilantro Lime Aioli to start, and ordered the Chop Salad with Tofu and the Verde Bowl. The food came out so quickly, and we were actually surprised with the portion sizes for all the dishes. We were able to share the salad and bowl and still had enough to pack a take out box. Everything was delicious! I'm sure it can get busy on the weekends, but overall seems like a nice place to chill with good food, good drinks and good conversation. Wish we had more time to hang out!

    The good? Chop Salad was tasty but we had asked for the bacon to be on the side, and it wasn't…read more When I pointed it out to the host he pointed to the chicken pieces (which were on the rubbery side). Had sliced avocado and seeds, but mostly greens. The Grilled Cheese was mostly pork adobo and very little cheese. The adobo was on the salty side and didn't have the tangy adobo flavor, sadly. The bread was nicely buttered and crispy, though. Giant steak fries came with it and they were tasty. We both wanted to like this place but it seemed like only one guy was working the floor and the check-in/payment (don't like having to pay a tip in advance if service hasn't been provided yet) and serving the food. It looked like only one person was in the kitchen, too. It wasn't busy so we didn't have to wait long to be served. A plus.

    Photos
    Off The Wall Craft Beer & Wine - The wall of drinks

    The wall of drinks

    Off The Wall Craft Beer & Wine - Quinoa tofu salad

    Quinoa tofu salad

    Off The Wall Craft Beer & Wine - Smoked Gravlax with tobiko cream cheese!!

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    Manoa Gardens - pubs - Updated October 2026

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