Puka's is a place that I enjoy, but never say "Hey, let's go to Puka's!" It's usually just before we go to the movies, or if we are in the area shopping. Somehow I always seem to just miss their Happy Hour, 2-5, which isn't a great time for us working folks. I think their food is pretty decent; I've never had anything bad there. My favorites are the Quinoa and Beet Salad, the Kahuna Burger, and OMG their Bloody Mary! It's loaded with all kinds of "stuff", kind of like ordering an appetizer! The weekly specials are pretty good too. Still, it's not a destination restaurant for me, but it's not a bad choice if you happen to be in the area. read more

Puka's - Quinoa and Beet Salad , yummy! - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Another great place to try is Puka's in Kahala Mall. The Burger there is one of the best ones I've had. Also the Fish and Chips is always fresh and cooked to perfection. The Wings are also excellent along with their Sweet Potato Fries. The only thing I won't recommend is their Sushi Rolls. But everything else is really good!!! read more

Puka's - Fish and Chips w/ Sweet Potato Fries. - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Lots of options for Vegans! I love the Vegan sushi, and the Vegan Taro Burger. For the burger you can switch out the buns for regular fries or add a dollar for sweet potato fries. This is my go to place to meet with friends. There is plenty of seating, and something on the menu for everyone and a full bar! My favorite alcoholic drink to get is the Pineapple Cider. Also parking is not bad at Kahala Mall, but you may have to park far and walk on busy nights. I can't wait to come back to try the Vegan flatbreads with daiya cheese! The only con is that they don't stay open very late, they close at 9pm and do last call for food and drinks at 8:30pm. Maui Taro Mediterranean Burger (w/ sweet potato fries instead of buns) - 5/5 Sesame-Ginger Tofu Salad - 4/5 Orchid Roll - 4/5 Firecracker Roll - 5/5 Truffle Fries - 5/5 French Fries - 4/5 read more

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I would give food and beer five stars. I'm not impressed with service. Was at table looking at menus few minutes. A group of seven showed up at island. We sat there at table together. Server went to them & was gonna start with them first. Only asked me if needed anything once after almost finished with meal. Next time will sit at bar. My fish chips was very good. Will go back read more

Puka's - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

OMG just heard the most tragically hillarious story from my parents today: They came home from puka tonight and had such a horrible experience I thought it was a Joke: Some crazy drunk spit on the floor inside of puka. Like inside, not outside on the floor. Who does that kind of stuff? My dad told the waiter and the waiter just looked at my Dad and walked away. Lol. Then someone stepped on the spit with his/her slipper. Eww...It got so crazy my dad said he hid the butter knife under his napkin in case the crazy drunk tried to attack them because he was getting belligerent as hell. Anyways, I love going to this place but that story just reminded me of the bar at UH manoa. Lol. I'll probably be going back to puka for the circus show. I highly reccomend the beers on tap such as: Rasputin, deadgiy, lanikai IPA, and whatever else the bartender suggests. read more

Had the fish and chips here. It was ok. The fish pieces were small and a little dry. Had a beer flight and liked it. Service was friendly but slow. read more

Puka's - Beer flight. - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I'm not sure the chefs know how to cook here Everything was burnt to a crisp. Chicken tenders? Taste like rubbah shippers. I even sent it back once they still came out black Burger? There are at least 3 other options in the vicinity that has better burgers and one is just a stones throw away. Over cooked & tasteless Salad? Had blocks of tofu in it so stiff I could build a house. Soda? No refill. "It's from a can" Thanks. So I spent how much for the can? Ironically the food actually inside Wholefoods itself sitting under heat lamps is better. read more

They have growlers! Beer menu has been updated to include growler fill prices. Bring your own or growlers or buy one in the bar for $10. Service at the bar itself is very good. Table service can be a little slow during peak hours (opening/lunch, dinner, last call). Wings and flatbread pizzas are 'ono. The BLT is tasty and fun with a generous helping of bacon and a couple of fried green tomato slices. They have Sunday brunch now. And, I hear they're going to be serving more liquor soon. read more

We have gone here a few times as I work in the mall and live close by so it makes it very convenient for us. Anyways, the first time was great, there was a server that was just on top of everything(cannot remember his name sorry!) Another time we walked in and sat down, after about 20 mins of trying to flag down a server we just walked right now, they looked at us, but never helped us or even offered us drinks. There were only about 3 other groups inside so it was not busy at all. This last time was ok...better than the time before, but they still need to work on there customer service. There food is good though and I'll definently eat here again even if it's to go. read more

Unfortunately did not get the opportunity to eat here, me and my roommate walked in excited to try their charcuterie board and get some other apps. We sat at the bar and the first man was very nice and greeted us and gave us menus. The second man was so rude to us. We told him we wanted the charcuterie board and he said they they don't even have it on the menu and then said people never order it and then said if we want it that it would take a very long time to make. He continued to mention how everything on the menu was trash and that we should get burgers. We thought he was joking but he wasn't. We felt uncomfortable and decided to just go to Whole Foods and make our own charcuterie board at home. Im sure their food is fine but the service was so bad tht we feel uncomfortable to go back to even try the food. That man needs to work on his customer service and this is coming from someone who is a server. I don't usually write reviews but I'm so put off by the service from the second man. read more

So a buddy of mine shoots me a text and states "Hey, meet me at Puka", along with some pics of drinks. I said "where"? He said Wholefoods! I was perplexed. I thought you were Wholefoods? You have booze. We'll, you can imagine how the rest of the conversation went. I had to call him. Lol. I park near Wholefoods, walk and low and behold, I see a watering hole attached to it. I sit, look around, good size, good selection and food. My curiousity was peaked. I ordered a Malbec and some Sushi. Both came out in a flash. Not bad at all, obviously, because had 2 more Malbecs. Lol. Oh...and the sushi was pretty dang good. This is a good place to come, grab a few drinks, pupus and catch up with friends or to just prepare yourself to do battle in the produce aisle at Wholefoods. read more

Lots of beer on the tap! Wine and cocktails available as well. Didn't try the food, but they have a special for beer + wine for $10 on Thursdays. Great place to get a drink after shopping. They also have tv's for you sports fans. Keep in mind that service can be slightly slow. read more

Puka's - Half of the beer selection on tap - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Been here maybe 8 times and has good service 2 times, bad service 4 times, and totally ignored 2 times. The last time was the last straw, I'll never be back. I literally was ignored in the indoor seating area which is pretty small. I literally sat there and servers literally ignored me. I had to check the mirror if I was invisible! I frequent a lot of bars so I understand what to expect. This was ridiculous. Once, I'll give it a second chance, twice and I'm done. read more

The beer battered fish was great! The chips a little less so--decent fast food style fries, seasoned ok. We prefer Mahaloha Burger's taste and prices for actual burgers ($5 less than Puka's). Got the keiki order wrong and had to wait. Beer selection was good--lots of local selections--but a little pricey. We really dug the Clark Little honu photo mural on the way in! Decor was great, especially for a bar and grill, but overall a little underwhelmed by what you get for what you pay. I really want to give a 3.5, but we felt closer to 3 than 4. read more

I enjoyed the Maui Taro Mediterranean Burger slathered in hummus, served with a side salad (fries available too). But it was my friend Karen's Sesame Ginger Tofu Salad that shined. Imagine, if you will, a generous portion of fresh, local greens and large pieces of baked sesame tofu. The dressing was so delicious. Service was good, but could've been better. One of the empty appetizer plates had some food smeared on it, but we pretty much devoured our food and found no need for those plates. I had their housemade ginger ale, which was very zingy and refreshing after a two-hour bike ride in the summer heat. A fun place to grab a bite and what appeared to be a nice selection of brews and bites (flatbread pizzas, sushi, and fish & chips). A little on the noisy side but nice refuge from the crazed shopping. Great decor, too! read more

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This is a pretty cool addition to the Whole Foods market at Kahala Mall. Happy hour starts at 2pm and runs to 5pm daily...and it gets you $1 off all draft beers and wine by the glass. Daily specials are avail and they sound like some pretty good deals. Service is a bit slow...and can't understand why as they seem to have enough bodies roaming the floor. Maybe in time this will improve. It's a place to check out if your in the area. read more

Good place nice service but nothing that really wowed me. I have been there twice now and I'm really starting to love their daily specials. The fish and chips that I had tasted good and was cooked nicely, but the fish they use is much more dense than a traditional light fish and I think I light it better lighter. What really makes it worth it is the beer. When you order the specials there the same price as they are normally but they come with a free beer. Yesterday I had my choice of any Rogue beer and I was loving it. Over all, not a bad place to hang out, have a beer and eat some good food, you can even bring in food that you get from whole foods. read more

Where is the Whole Foods/Mgmt Leadership???? The Tipping debacle ( since August 2017) is beyond belief and.... I am so incensed. This is not how we run our Best in Class Operations on Island. I have addressed this with Whole Foods directly and cannot believe their lack of sensitivity. I want and need Kahala Mall to be better than this. Either implement an immediate system which allows Patrons to use Credit Cards to tip or I will will lead an effort to replace Puka's with a more more representative purveyor here in our Kahala Neighborhood.... immediately ... as in THIS Week. Enough is Enough.. incredible Lack of Leadership. read more

The reason this place gets a lower rating than it deserves is for two reasons: a small menu and the long wait time at peak hours. I'm talking 30 minutes for an appetizer. The food is fresh and quite good. They could have better portions of sushi. The beer options are solid. Check out the deals each day for dollar off drinks or food combos. Add some additional food options, Whole Foods! What's the deal?! read more

I've been here multiple times for a quick bite, but I'll be honest, it's never quick. The service is terrible! Sometimes the servers walk by several times before even acknowledging you presence. The food is adequate. Nothing to write home about, but then again, it's not a high end bar. No wine. Just beer. read more

Man oh man, have things changed. My service and the food selection tonight were a joke. I can't believe how the waitresses addressed us. I'm sad the BLT is gone, and in the end we had to leave cash on the table and walk out because they never brought us our check. No bueno. Try Growler USA on Kapahulu for a better time. read more

Decent food, better beer selection, though they ran out of some stuff on tap early on, though that may be because they're so new. Will definitely come again! read more

Puka's - Tap dancing. - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Well this place seems to be doing a lot of business since opening 7 weeks ago. My advice is to eat here BEFORE you shop at Whole Foods. They have Specials almost everyday and a long list of beer and wines to choose from...next time I'll try the $10 flight to sample more. We had the Classic Burger ($10) and the Friday Fish and Chips Special ($12 with a beer). This place is surely gonna cut into The Counter's pricey burger business. Sit outside and turn the wooden block to Green side up for immediate service. Only complaints: the fish was left too long in the fryer so caked with crust. They could also offer more vegetarian options on the menu :) read more

Love the weekly specials for $10 or $12! One of the best deals in town for a pint of great beer and some food with it. Friendly staff and quality food too. No complaints at all so far. Local beer is always on tap there which I support and am happy to see Pukas supporting also. Cheers! ************Update....they raised the price on those specials but the amount of food is a little more also. Still a great place and would recommend it. read more

Quickly become one of our favorite quick, local stops for a quick meal. Cool twists on food like tacos & burgers are solid. BLT is awesome. Lots of fresh, local ingredients thanks to the Whole Foods connection. Great beer list & the daily specials are worth a look for taste & value. Only minus is the service. We've sat inside a number of times and the service has ranged from "good" to "eh". Always friendly though!!!!! read more

Old Rasputin and Lanikai Porter--can't go wrong. Look for the nicely priced daily specials. read more

Puka's - flight--darker to really dark - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I had the Mediterranean vegan taro burger with no bread, marinated peppers , lettuce, hummus and fries. I loved it!!! Service was great. Noise level, moderate...it was a busy evening but a great, positive atmosphere. Our food came quick. Less than 10 min, for a busy evening. Can't wait to come back! read more

Puka's - Mediterranean vegan taro burger with avocado , no bread - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

An interesting addition to the Whole Foods experience! Specialized libations with a leaning toward the brewed variety. Twelve hop based liquid refreshments, 5 of which are local favorites, many choices in the wine/liquor families as well. Don't leave without trying the pupu, but please tell your bartender to turn the lighting down! read more

Puka's - Yummmmmmm! - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We eat here quite often because the food is healthy, tasty, and they have nice outdoor seating. That's three for three in my book. But this is part of Whole Foods so it isn't cheap. The beers are very tasty and really compliment a lot of the dishes. You can't really go wrong with Puka's if you want a snack or a full meal. read more

Amazing beer selection. They've really upper their game with the new food menu and mixed drinks. The staff are amazing!!!!

Sat at a table and waited for service. Not even acknowledged. Seems like they have a lot of staff. Poorly managed.

Love their burgers more than The Counter and great selection of beers. Minus a star because our waiter didn't tell us the evening special.

Holy smokes, their new home style fried chicken sandwich is so delicious! It's a big portion chicken breast with super crunchy coating and major juiciness inside (cooked perfectly)! Paired with a good amount of crunchy pickles and slightly spicy siracha aioli- highly recommend this! Loved that it came with fries & coleslaw on the side; what a great deal! read more

The food and service here were really good, but the noise (inside) was more than I expected. It's also dog friendly.

I want to like Puka's.. I really do. I just think maybe they need a little bit of time to smooth things out and maybe also I need to lower my expectations. First of all, I really liked their wine selection. They're the only place I've been able to find the Maui wines by the glass, which is great. Their beer is equally impressive. The food is limited and a little pricy for what you get and the setting, but pretty good. I had the taro burger which was good. I'd definitely go again if I'm ever in the mood for some wine with my veggie burger. The service though was a little weird. You are supposed to turn your block over to the green, "full service" side when you sit down if you want them to serve you. The instructions are not clear unless you ask someone. And even then, I waited almost 10 minutes for someone to come by as I watched others in different sections get served. What's worse is the only reason someone came then was because I had to yell out for a waiter to come see me, which was a whole ball of awkward (I normally don't like yelling for waiters, but I had been passed up too many times). Then, apparently you're supposed to turn the block back to red "no service" while you're dining. This wasn't clear to us until the waitress seemed tired of coming back to check on us and turned it over herself. The problem with this was that no one would come and refill our waters. We had to ask...repeatedly. It also took forever once we put the block green up again. My husband told me, what do you expect from a bar/restaurant inside a grocery store inside a mall. I think he might have a point, but it just seems like if they worked on the service, it could be a great little gem. read more

I don't write many yelp reviews. It's usually only when somebody breaks my heart, or blows my mind, that I feel compelled to contribute. However pukas does neither. The food here is solid mediocre. You won't be blown away by anything on the menu, nothing stands out. Basic fried greasy bar food for a reasonable price. However with a simple hack(if you can call it that) this will become your go to week night restaurant. The key thing is that they are part of whole foods so anything bought there is totally fine to be ate outside at their restaurant. So bountiful salad bar, cheap pizza, giant vegan burritos, whole rotisserie chickens, fancy cheese with fennel salami, pornographic produce etc can all be enjoyed in the fresh air with a beer all week. Think about how many places in town you can sit outside and drink a beer. Having a al fresco drink is all to rare here and this places no pressure inexpensive approach is just what the doctor ordered. I never thought I would hang out at a super market, but this place is my go to. read more

I want to like this place... But, it's low quality, over priced and slow service. Burger - ordered medium. Received well done... Charred... Tasting like the propane used to cook it. Gross. Patty didn't taste seasoned, but hard to tell over the taste of propane. Fries - decent. Ketchup was abnormally sweet. Service - SLOW. It was Memorial Day, so maybe that effected things? I'll probably give this place one more shot because I expect more from Whole Foods... But it doesn't look promising. read more

So everyone knows it's a bad idea to go grocery shopping when you're starving. Same goes for checking out a place with so-so reviews when you're starving. Have passed by Pukas so many times that today I decided I had to check it out.... Clean, bright and lively atmosphere, we decided to sit inside where there was air conditioning. The outside seating area was really muggy today. Quickly looked at the menu and decided on the Ipa battered fish and chips, and the buffalo wings with barbecue sauce. Waiter Jody was nice and the food came quickly. It was OK. At least the fish was real. Nice hunky pieces of battered fish with the crunchy outer layer, deep fried and served with skin-on fries. Seeing the skin on tells me it comes from real potatoes not some freeze-dried thing from a bag! The chicken wings were just OK --fried and tossed in a non-descriptive bbq sauce. Maybe it was guilt about eating fried food after working out, because I should have had a salad or whatever, the meal was just lack luster. It was OK like I said, just nothing special. read more

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I'll definitely update if we do come again. I'll make this as short and simple as possible lol We came here to try out their burgers last night. The server was cool. Came up to us within 3 minutes of seating and answered our questions and stuff. So we ordered 1 burger to share and waters. We waited. And waited. And waited. He came back to our table about 30 minutes later. No waters. Asking if we had everything we needed. We asked for water again. He apologized and went to get our water. 1 hr has passed. We still never got our food. We went and asked him when it's coming out. He said soon. Then 5 minutes later we decided to just cancel our 1 burger order and go to the other restaurant next door instead. I dont know if he forgot to punch our order in or something? I really was excited to try this out. But oh well I guess. But when we told him to cancel our order he asked "oh how about the beer you ordered?" We gave him a puzzled look. We didn't order beer lol. But he apologized and stuff. I understand it's new and all, but that was a little much. Especially because it didn't appear to be super busy. I hope to come back when they are a little more established and ready. I really wanna try their food. read more

I have been here twice and received poor service both times. This review is about my second experience. I decided to give them another chance in case the first was a fluke. On the tables there is a wooden block that you need to flip to get full service. After flipping it, we waited for a good 20 minutes with waiters and waitresses passing us by (I made eye contact with a couple waiters) but nobody came by our table. I had to ask them for a menu as they were cleaning the table next to us. We then waited for another 10 minutes and decided we had waited long enough and decided to leave. read more