Opened on 2/1/23 in Kalihi by co-owners Jason Nomura and Sydney, and you may know Jason as the "J"…read morein the former J&B Pizza at Manoa Marketplace, and Sydney who also used to work there. (J&B closed in Oct. 2022 due to construction at Manoa Marketplace and the seeking of available space elsewhere.) This business was named after Kirk, a close friend who had passed away.
Kirk's Pizza offers New York style thin crust pizza with a varied choice of toppings and unique specialties, with veggies that are locally sourced. They make pizza "the way you like it." You can get them whole or slices, and bottled/canned drinks are available. They also offer calzones and strombolis that are stuffed with pizza sauce, cheese, meats, and toppings. Breakfast items are being planned to be offered in the future.
Their pizza toppings and specialties, with the flavors changing weekly, include:
* Meatball Parmesean
* Chicken Garlic Ranch
* Chicken Bacon Ranch
* Chicken BBQ
* Greek
* Italian Combo
* Meat Lovers
* "The Sidney"
* Spicy Italian
* "Spigaro"
* Spinach ricotta
* Caprese
* Cheeseburger
* Cheese
* Pepperoni
* White
* Vegetarian
* Special, e.g., pesto, spinach, mushroom, salami, tomato with balsamic drizzle
* Build your own
I ordered the following, and while Sydney offered to heat them up, I requested them as is, as I was taking them home to be reheated in an air fryer:
* Special. The thin, crispy crust had toppings of pesto, ricotta cheese, chicken, tomato, mushrooms, and Kalamata olives, with a Balsamic drizzle. Perfect combination of toppings that complemented each well. Loved the melting ricotta cheese, the tartness of the olives, and the crispiness of the thin crust. Very flavorful and delicious!
* Chicken Bacon Ranch. This had toppings of a ranch base, spinach, chicken, bacon, sliced tomato, and ranch drizzle. One of their popular flavors of robust ranch, chicken and bacon, nicely complemented by spinach and sliced tomatoes. Another delicious and tasty pizza!
Staff included Jason and Sydney, who were super friendly and very knowledgeable about their pizzas. Sydney took care the front end, taking orders and payment; and Jason was in the back kitchen, making the fresh dough for the crust, baking the pizzas at 550 deg, and bringing out your order in a box. They have an efficient process in place!
Located in a blue building at the corner of Homerule and Puuhale Streets near McDonalds, the front entrance is the double door glass panels on Homerule St. The building formerly housed Amco Glass Tinting, as its name is still etched in glass above the front door. The interior has a beautiful ambiance of beautiful glass tinting panels with stained glass designs and glass etching embedded in the walls and ceiling. There is a glass showcase of collectible photos and items and a nearby shelf of board games. There is a stairway that leads to a second floor that is used by staff. Cute pizza flags are hung from wall to wall. Couches and chairs were recently placed for those wishing to dine in.
Hours of operation are 11a to 2p Tues to Sat, 5p to 9p Thurs to Sat, and Sun/Mon closed. Credit cards accepted, however, a 4% discount is given your order is paid by cash. Street parking only, which may be difficult to find, as this is an industrial area; spaces should free up in the evenings. I had my hubby drop me off and pick me up after I was done, as there was no nearby parking available during the lunch hours.
It's interesting that a pizza restaurant is located in this Kalihi industrial area, and I'm sure it's a great option for those who work in the area. While I would have never venture out to this area looking for pizza, it's good to know that pizza is available if I'm in the area, and in a building with beautiful décor of stained and etched glass art. As parking is hard to find, have someone be with you so that you can grab your pizza while the driver waits for you. I look forward to trying their other pizza flavors! Much success to Jason and Sydney on their new venture as Kirk's Pizza, and Kirk is indeed smiling from above!