Great spot for food, sports, drinks and a great time. We dropped by on a Weds night to visit my buddy who was djing and we loved the atmosphere and how welcoming the place was. When we come back to visit our friends back in Oahu, we'll definitely drop by again. read more

In the midst of a lot of crappy bars and out of control tourists who don't know how act right mixed with locals trying to make them feel the aloha spirit there is a place that has figured out the perfect balance, atmosphere and has the best staff: Rivals. I come here EveryTime I'm on the island and it is the first recommendation I give people who are visiting. The clientele is normally super chill, you can meet a lot of locals, and the staff is the friendliest...Shannon is my favorite. She remembers your drink after one visit and always makes u feel VIP. read more

This place is amazing! Great drink options & AMAZING food!! Super chill & comfortable to have a drinks at and eat at the same time! Highly recommend this place! read more

Great, clean and small sports bar. There were plenty of HD TV's to watch last weekends play off games. The seating was extremly comfortable, the food was OK, but the a little pricey for a 19" cheese pizza $30 plus. Wish I had a place like this back home. read more

I have never come here for a sporting event, only for the music, and the occasional people watching adventure (i.e. Halloween). I rarely order from the cocktail waitresses. There are only a few that I like, but they seem to never be around, even when it is slow, and more than once, they have overcharged me. Granted, it is always an easy fix, and it's an honest mistake, but it gets old. So, I usually will order my drinks from the bartender, which is almost always Chris. He makes great drinks, and he's even charged my phone for me from time to time, really good guy. The music is always great, whether it's Analog, The White Jacket, or others, they seem to always pick great bands. It can get a little loud, but I've never been bothered by it. I've ordered the food from time to time, and I will say this: Don't order The Nachos unless you have like, 4 people with you. The plate takes us the whole table!! They are SUPER delicious, though (I love the homemade salsa) and during happy hour, they are incredibly reasonably priced. I also love their Taco Tuesday deals: Margaritas for $4, Tacos for $1 a piece, and The Nachos for like $6. So much better than some other Taco Tuesdays that I have been to. All in all, I recommend this spot, as they have a little something for everyone. It has a swanky look to it for those that want to dress up, it has the next door sports bar feel for those that want to catch a game (not to mention, a TON of TVs), and they even started doing karaoke a few days a week for those that are into that. read more

Great sports bar! The employees were very friendly and attentive. I went to watch NFL games on a Sunday morning. It was a Lil crowded, so get there early. I think I have found my bar for the few years I'm here! read more

Rivals - From view at bar - Lounges Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The Saturday night bartender( male short black haircut) is a complete asshole and extremely rude to customers . Made us feel like we were inconveniencing him! read more

Rivals At least the fight was good. Quick facts: Chose this place 'cause it was close to the hotel I was staying at and they were showing the UFC fight. $10 cover and it was standing room only. I stood by the music player which was right across from where the waitresses rung up all the charges. I had planned to go with the flow regarding how much I was to eat and drink. I have a previous bad history with one of the waitresses there. I didn't know she worked there so this was the first meet up between us two in awhile. Okay so that wasn't quick by why so such a low ranking?! Mainly because I was actually able to watch the whole fight without one time being asked anything by anybody in the bar. LITERALLY ZERO SERVICE besides collecting my money at the front and being handed raffle tickets. NOT A GLASS OF WATER SERVED OR ANY OTHER FOOD OR DRINK FOR THE ENTIRE 2.5 HOURS I WAS THERE. There was service to the two people standing immediately to my left as well as the table of three immediately to my right. If there was ever a time to use the word discrimination then this would be the example of it. In my personal and professional opinion this is a failure of an organization on many levels. While I'm sure my previous history with the one waitress led to her lack of being able to separate personal issues and professional issues what I don't understand is how the rest of the staff could fail to make up for it. It's a good thing there wasn't a group of us or what would happen then!!!!? The only saving grace was the excellence of the fights on that night. I can't tell you about the food, I didn't taste any of it. It looked like they had a lot of drinks to choosezvahd j from but I didn't try any of them. I will say that it was very easy to view the fights as there plenty of tvs available inside and outside the main area. The people who were getting served looked happy. I had written this but wasn't going to publish it until I heard a commercial from them and was reminded of the "great" time I had. read more

Went in to watch the Oregon Duck game yesterday. Jeff was rad and turned up the sound for us. This is where we will be watching all the games from now on. The food is great, the people are great and the atmosphere is second to none. read more

Came here for 7am Football and was pleased to enjoy a $3 Blue Moon with some $5 Tater Tots along with watching my team away from home. Ryan was attentive while knowing when it was appropriate to ask if I needed another drink such as during a timeout or commercial instead of during a crucial 3rd down. Chill atmosphere yet, no one looks at you funny when you express yourself during the game read more

Had a blast watching football here during our 2 weeks in paradise! Miranda and the two sweet boys behind the bar take awesome care of their guests regardless of which area you are seated. It's really cool to see all of the different football fans too! Thanks Rivals! read more

Rivals - We love Rivals! - Lounges Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The only good thing on their food menu, their pizza, is no longer half off on Mondays after 7 pm. Bad move! #makeRivalsGreatAgain

I really love Rivals, it's such a lax and comfortable bar to lounge at after work or with friends, even to just enjoy their amazing pizza + wings! Thursday nights they do $3 slices of cheese/pep, and come fresh and hot right from next doors "Pizza by the Slice" little pizza parlor. The bartenders are always great and have great attitudes, which I really appreciate! They definitely enjoy themselves at work and are professional at the same time. We didn't even ask, but once they figured out we worked in the area too, they took 20% off our tab as an industry courtesy! Definitely recommend, esp for locals! :) read more

I love going here, they have our banner 17 there. Bartenders + waitresses were all cool, small place but thats what I like, feels more cozy in the middle of waiks. Usually go there on Tues, Weds, and when there are sports events like the UFC, NBA. Try their food. Tacos, pizzas, nachos. Sounds like ordinary sports bar food but theirs taste different, its actually good. read more

This place is awesome to watch a football game and the food is really good too. It's typical bar food, but tasty. The service was excellent. Our server's name was Shannon and she was very accommodating, friendly, and funny. We loved her! We look forward to coming back to this laid back bar for a beer soon! read more

Absolutely horrible service. The lady working had a bad attitude. I asked for ranch with my meal, which was an up charge and didn't even get it until I was nearly done with my meal. When I paid, she did not return my change, assuming I was leaving a 25% tip. Will not be back here. read more

When I visited Rivals this weekend, I wasn't expecting much. Sports bars are my least favorite kinds of bars. I just have the same basic expectations as I do any bar I visit, good service and drinks at the bare minimum. I mean, I'll go to the most divey bar if it's service and drinks are great. However, no part of Rivals impressed me. It looks nice when you get there, but the service was seriously lacking and because of that, drinks too long to make and the tables and bar were not regularly wiped down. Probably the worst part is how their stage is set up. It's like a cave of music under the bar. When a band plays, there is absolutely no way the entire back sections of the bar can carry a conversation. Because of that, we left and went onto a really divey bar that is definitely not the nicest and cleanest place, but I can actually talk to the people I came with. read more

Thanks Michael for the response to my review. Not taken as hostile at all. Not sure I made myself clear on a few points. You are correct - I was by myself, and not chatting much with other folks at the table. But that doesn't change the fact that there were others sitting at the same table and I did observe the issue with the bill being presented as a closed out credit card slip, with out the itemized bill. Also, I NEVER asked the server to charge the credit card. He never gave me the opportunity since he had already run the card before presenting the tab. When he did this the first time, and then needed to correct the bill to take off for the Living Social coupon, I left the card in the portfolio in case he needed it to run the credit back. When he returned with the correct total, it was again already run on the credit card - and again without any itemized bill. I didn't make a fuss about it at that point because I had already waited quite a while, and the server was very nice - I didn't want to get drawn into a longer delay. Regarding the pizza - I didn't complain about the size of the slice. To clarify, I was trying to say that the quality wasn't anything to get excited about, and that considering the roughly $7/slice price, I didn't feel the quality justified the price - even for the size of the slice. And to clarify further, I didn't order a slice of pizza this visit - because I knew from my previous visit that (in my opinion) it wasn't a good value to me. Priding yourself in the level of service your employees provide is nice (everyone seemed very nice and sincerely interested in their doing their jobs well). But it doesn't change the fact that they need to know (i.e. be trained if they don't know already) to clear the empty plates/glasses from tables. At one point I even picked someones signed credit card slip that had been sitting in the water/puddle on the pool deck and gave it to the server (stuff's blowing around out there!) Empty plastic cups, paper plates, paper basket liners etc. should be picked up when empty - especially on the lanai so that they don't blow around. Regarding the food... since some food items are brought in from the neighboring restaurants, I understand you don't necessarily control the pricing/quantity etc. The fact that Rivals charges the same price as IHOP for the food brought in, doesn't make the price justifiable. My comments about the food are my OPINION - I would be embarrassed to charge someone $13 for three chicken strips and some french fries...but that's just me. I appreciate you being proud of your place and your people. I thought the server was very friendly, as I said maybe just inexperienced/untrained or both. Rather than take my points personally, I'd suggest taking them as an opportunity to tweak/fix a few things: 1) Servers should know or be trained to remove empties from the table any time they stop at the table. 2) Servers should know or be trained to always provide an itemized bill - without automatically closing out to the credit card which was held to open the tab. And finally, you would probably be better served not to make comments like the whole "I know who you are..." paragraph, as that could be taken the wrong way. I worked in the service industry for many years. In my experience, owners/managers always thought their places were perfect. But any place can find room for improvement. read more

I have simple needs. If your website says you open at 7:30 and I get there at 7:35 and the doors are locked. Well. I'm going to be irritated. read more

heard about this new sports bar and lounge on the radio. checked it out today for the big college games; especially the UH football season opener. when you walk in, you see college football championship banners of Florida, Alabama, Texas, and etc. the full bar its lit up with great track lighting. walk to the left and you see nothing but TVs and a plethora of sports memorabilia ranging from the Yankees, redsox, Celtics, Jordans Bulls, and the NFL. TV set up is great but what does fall in the low end is the space. there is a lower lounge area with more TVs and a keg set up for their draft specials, but it is a small establishment. the food here is not the greatest. there is a selection of pizzas and basic game day grinds cooked next door at ihop. parking is available through the hotel.. Rivals will take care of the first hour if you spend over $25. after that, it's $1 per hour. nothing beats the parking deal at Buffalo wild wings.. but for a place in Waikiki, it's a really good deal. down sides is the food selection and space. other than that.. another option for this upcoming football season. read more

I moved to Hawaii a couple of months ago and I live in Waikiki. In search of a bar that shows UFC events, I happened upon this great place. Luckily for me, this place is literally steps away from my condominium. A couple of friends and I had been previously watching UFC fights at a major chain bar/restaurant, which charged a $10 cover for the fights. When I found out that Rival's showed UFC fights for only $5 I immediately knew this was my new go-to place for the fights. So far, my friends and I have watched 4 major fights here. We usually get here pretty early to stake out a good seat (they don't take reservations; it's first come first served with regards to seating). The layout of this place is very unique -- it's cozy but EXTREMELY comfortable. The "upper" seating area includes the drink bar with several tables and a long additional bar-style setup that overlooks the "lower" seating area. The walls are adorned with various sports memorabilia (autographed photographs, jerseys, etc.). The atmosphere is very classy and chic, but not at all pretentious; it successfully encompasses both a very posh yet comfortable atmosphere. I really like it. During fights, my friends and I would always get the best seats in the house (IMHO), which is in the lower seating area, and are the most comfortable seats (they are almost like leather recliners), with our own personal flat-screen hi-def TV right in front of us. On that note, there really isn't a bad seat in the house! All of the chairs are extremely comfortable and there are televisions EVERYWHERE. Eric is usually our server, and he is top-notch. He is friendly, personable, and ensures that our drinks glasses are always full. I checked out their Facebook page after having such positive experiences with the UFC fights to find out what other events/specials they feature. To my delight, I discovered the 50/50 Club. 50/50 members receive 50% of ALL DRINKS (yes, anything behind the bar!) on Thursdays from 9pm-close, as well as occasional Sunday nights. I think I only paid $1 to "join" the club. I was issued a nice 50/50 member card with my picture on it. Very cool! They have a great happy hour from 3-7 every day. At night, Rivals switches gears, transforming from a sports lounge into a chic but relaxed club-like atmosphere. When I go in the evenings, I usually sit at the bar. All the bartenders that I've met have been great. The bar setup is VERY impressive. They have quite the selection of liquors, ranging from basic wells to extremely rare and high-end varieties. They really have so many! You really just have to go and see it with your own eyes to understand how impressive the massive selection is. Apparently, they have the largest selection of whiskey/Scotch/Bourbon in the entire state of Hawaii! Most of the prices are very reasonable for the quality, especially considering the Waikiki location. You can get some great higher-end options here at Rivals for the same price (or even less) than the cheap stuff at other bars in the area. The entertainment at night is fabulous as well. They almost always have live music every night, starting around 9-10pm, and every band that I have heard thus far have been AWESOME! I am originally from Nashville, TN, so I can be a bit of a critic when it comes to musical talent (I am a musician myself, although I've never performed at a bar). Every band I've had the pleasure of hearing here have been top-notch. They also sometimes have a DJ late-night who spins some great tunes as well. The "lower level" seating area to which I was referred earlier in the review actually turns into a dance floor late night. I've had the pleasure to meet both the owner and the manager while there (at least one of them is usually around at all times), and they are both great people - very friendly, professional, and determined to ensure that the customers are happy. I was impressed at how they jump in to help out their staff when it gets busy. That alone earned a great deal of respect from me! Rival's just celebrated it's one-year anniversary recently, and I am happy to see this locally-owned establishment is thriving in the competitive Waikiki market. I am excited that the NFL season has started, and I look forward to watching many games here on the weekends as well as taking advantage of my 50/50 Club benefits on Thursdays. :) Whether you live on-island or you're visiting on vacation, definitely check out this great place. I'm sure you'll like it just as much as I do! Aloha! read more

This place is located on the ground floor of the Outrigger Malia hotel, right next to IHOP on the corner of Kuhio and Lewers. Rivals is a pretty cool and intimate sports bar that has a funky shape as it looks like it is under the ramp to the parking lot. They have lots of TVs and has some nice BOSTON CELTIC memorabilia that I wouldn't mind taking home. lol 1st hour is free and $1 per hour after which is a deal in Waikiki. Happy hour is not bad but I wouldn't want to pay regular price for their food. If you are not going to get a pizza and hot dogs (which has a different variety to choose from) which is a little on the high side in my opinion I would get something to eat before coming here. Nachos was served on a big platter but had to pay $4 extra for meat which we got chicken which might of been one of them frozen things from Costco that they diced up into small little cubes and the chips and salsa tasted like some thing from a can, not freshly made. Their wait help was really good as they checked on us but then again it wasn't that crowded. I heard it gets pretty busy when there is a sporting event so you should reserve a table so you can get a seat. Over all it's not my cup of tea. read more

We ordered drinks from "Kim" who insisted on carding me (I am 55) and we were extremely disrepected. I would not recommend this bar, as there are many around and no one needs this on vacation. I do not recommend coming here unless you want to be aggravated. read more

Great times, good wings, quick service. Watched the fight and good atmosphere! Come early to get a seat!!!

Myself and three other individuals were in line to get into the bar as they were "at capacity" none of us knew this waS an issue h til the police arrived and told us we were in violation. Seriously? read more

Was looking for a place in Waikiki where I could catch up on sports this past Saturday (NBA Eastern Conference Finals, tennis, hockey, and boxing were all going down) because there was so much going on. Read a few reviews and remembered Rivals on Kuhio so I figured I'd check it out. The ambiance of this place is nice, loved the black leather chairs, the booths, and the recessed den towards the back. They have a pretty good selection of drinks, and food (even though fries weren't on the menu which I thought a bar staple), and big screens EVERYWHERE! The sports memorabilia is very random: Celtics flags here, Yankees pics there, Titans autographs here, but I guess Hawaii likes to keep it neutral when it comes to teams. They had a tasty shot of the month for $4 which was a Surfer on Acid mixed with a Red Headed Slut, and their beer of the month was $5. My roommate and I ordered the tacos, which came with a good amount of chips and salsa and was pretty good for bar food. The waitress and bartenders were nice and attentive, and they honored the Foursquare special (15% off your bill), and I appreciate when businesses actually engage and honor social media discounts! We got there to catch the tail end of the Heat/Celtics game, and once the game was over, the place cleared out. They were setting up for a band later and had a dinner special which I thought was a bit over the top: pizza for $7/slice or $25-$30/pie. I'm an East Coaster, so there's NO WAY I'd pay that for a slice let alone a whole pie! But hey, Rivals is a sports bar and it does that soooooooo well! Good spot to catch a game in a posh environment with good specials. I have a feeling this place will be packed for the Olympics. read more

Very nice small bar with awesome service. My girlfriend and I went there for the Rose Bowl Game and the atmosphere was awesome. The food wasn't too expensive as well and was above average (we got burgers and fries with a beer for 9 bucks!) Definitely would come here again. read more

Wow! Great Venue. I was treated to a morning of Phenomenal Sports Viewing. The Bar itself is nestled in the heart of the Ohana Waikiki Malia Hotel, right next to IHop. What a suprise to see this little gem, it's intimate setting lends itself to a refined sports watching experience with 360 degree panoramic sports on Hi Def 46" (Approx) T.V.'s. The sound system is incredible and the lighting is unlike any other that I've seen in Honolulu. I was very impressed with both the servers and the actual patrons at the bar. Very friendly and very passionate about sports and cocktails. My server, who greeted me, both at the door and at my seat, recommended a Harvey Wallbanger...I was so shocked, to hear a recommendation like that I just decided to go with it. Not only a blast from the past, but OMG, a perfectly engineered elixir of Premium Vodka, Galliano and Orange Juice...Super Big Happy Face, Plus - My Steeler's were winning. The group of patrons sitting next to me were drinking Wasabi and Sriracha Bloody Marys and were super stoked as they were also enjoying some of Rivals Breakfast burritos (I found out they're only available on Sat. and Sun) Anywho, these guys are very new, very well put together and I wish them the best. I'll be back to watch some MMA and even some of the more esoteric sports like curling and rugby... 5 stars for being such a hidden gem in the middle of Waikiki! read more

The advertisements probably prompted higher expectations as this was an average bar at best. They claim it's a Las Vegas style sports bar, but anyone who has been to sports bars there, understand that there's very little similarities between the two. There are lots of sports memorabilia, but that hardly makes it the premier sports bar in Hawaii (as they advertise). The space is rather small and the layout doesn't allow you to watch the various games. Maybe toursits who want to catch a game will go there, but locals will not go out of there way to go into Waikiki when there's a lot of other alternatives. I guess if you like scotch bourbon (they have the largest selection on the island), then it may be worthwhile. Otherwise, there's more hype to this place than substance. read more

I arrive around 11:30 local time, should be lunch, ya? Well, the kitchen is not quite reopened after breakfast yet. I give the bartender credit for letting me know. I ask how long, to which he answers 10-15 minutes, so I hesitate because he's not convincing, but the game I want to watch is on and I order a beer. First beer is down (way more than fifteen minutes, he asks if I want another and tells me the kitchen is open. I order a burger and another beer, he says it may take a while. I ask like 30-45 minutes, because I'd probably have left, "no, fifteen minutes or so". 40 minutes later the burger shows up. They have all the Sunday games on, but the bar requires the TVs are set up in a row, so unless you're right in front of your game, it's awkward. Next visit, I'll find another place to watch the game. read more

Great great sports bar in Waikiki, my spot on NFL Sunday. Ben's the best bartender I've had yet in HI, glass is never empty on his watch. I almost want to tell you not to come here so you don't steal my bar stool lol. Great great sports bar. read more

Very good place to get a drink after work. Bery good drink selections. The pizza pockets are so good. I will be back to try other entrees on the menu read more

As a Los Angeles local, this is the only place to find anything remotely top shelf. This is what I have been missing for months. Has a local vibe but very metropolitan high end friendly vibe. read more

I am extremely disappointed in these so called sports bars, you tell me what kind of sport bars don't air a big fight like GGG VS CANELO I been looking everywhere today to find a bar that will air it for fight fans! But apparently no one has it! It's fricken ridiculous! read more

Great sports themed bar. Food tasty and very good value. On the captain morgan and coke which were increasingly stronger based on a little tip to the staff. A good thing imo. Happy hour from 12-7pm. $3 rum/beer. 24hr food next door for when you stumble out after a good session. Friendly staff, had a drink shouted by one of the bar staff, i guess for our groups entertainment value AFL footy live feed on Foxsports was a key to going here. Many other large screen tvs to watch concurrently. Largest range of whisky an rum in Waikiki. read more

Definitely one of my favorite places to go in the Waikiki area. Daily specials combined with excellent staff is a for sure win. Always have the current games on and are happy to change the channel to your favorite team. Ben is an excellent bartender and always makes sure we are being taken care of. If you're hungry get the nachos (and if on a day during one of their daily specials it's half off!) and TRY to finish the plate. Combine that with a large selection of bottled beers and you're bound to have a great time! read more

WOW, being from Vegas this bar made me feel like I was on the strip the lighting, the drinks, the upscale environment is what makes this place 5 stars... It has one of or if not the best happy hours on the island.... And the sports memorabilia is awesome as well... This place is the it place for any sporting event whether it be football, basketball, UFC or even golf you have to be here read more

Awesome TV's and a great place to watch a game but the food sucks. The pizza slices are big and only $6, but they are slices that have been sitting around for a while. Really bland and under cooked. We had to ask for a hot slice because the first one was cold and old (don't send food back often). Waitress said a fresh pizza was coming out soon. The second one was old again, but a little warmer after waiting 15 mins. Chicken tacos were dry and very plain for $13. Best to eat before you go here! read more

Rivals is my new favorite place to go on Mondays. 1/2 off food and $4 craft beers. The bartender is fast and funny. My roommie and I like to go and get the grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and tomato with tater tots and because it is half off, it's less than $5! AMAZING! They have a ton of televisions so whatever you want to watch, you can. They also have trivia on one of the tvs which is always fun. read more

Awesome bar.. Had a great time here and the staff are fantastic.. The best tv's for watching sports and karaoke in the evening. A Honolulu 'must do'.. Love the Aussie flag in the bar!! read more