VOTED BEST DIVE BAR IN THE NATION! ! ! ! ! ~ If you can ignore and maneuver through the dumbass Crackheads outside the bar, then you can handle taking a shot in the OLDEST BAR ON OAHU ! ! ! ~ Historically AWESOME. ..... Located on Hotel Street and Nu'uanu Ave. INSANE CROWD during FIRST FRIDAY ! ! ! (Celebration of the First Friday of the Month) Streets get packed in waves.... ~ Just avoid the Super Crackhead Bar across the street! (Brass knuckles optional) read more

This is a dive bar that has an incredible amount of charm and is the oldest bar on the island. The drinks are inexpensive, and the beer selection was better than I expected. There were around 20 different choices of bottles. Lee was our bartender. He was friendly and attentive. He offered up conversation and was happy to have us there. The patrons are a tad on the seedy side, but they had no lack of character. Everyone was friendly and we felt very welcome. Only downside... the bathroom. No urinal in the men's room, but a large trough. Also, no stall door for the toilet. Just a shower curtain seperating you from the general public. Oh well. I will be back! read more

Im a highly experienced bar food mgr. Just left this place. Here you go. You decide: Ordered a drink. Cash on the ba more than enough. Left to bathroom. Upon return,. Drink there. Although left more than enough, change missing. Bartender keeping her back to me. Had to ask her about the costof drink and my change. She then acknowledges my concern and then gives me my change No apology an excuse that she was counting her drawer. Ok.....then, completely disappears to other end of bar. As an FB mgr of several multi mil$ establishments this is not only unacceptable behavior but typical of rip off tactic. Not going back. You should not start! Stay away from Smiths Union Bar. This is a representation of Management and ownership. read more

We went on a Wednesday night and had a blast!! Listening to the karaoke was the best part and mingling with some of the interesting patrons was fun too. Drinks are cheap, be prepared for anything. My only regret is that I didn't get a T-shirt as a souvenir read more

This place is okay for a dive bar in downtown Honolulu. They have karaoke, and plenty of seats at the bar or tables. No beers on tap though, just bottles and liquor. I wound up going here because the clubs next door had long lines for First Friday. Will I return? If someone else wants to go, I'll go too. If not, no. read more

hotel st just reeks of wwII era sailor whorehouses & i luv it! there are so many empty buildings but you can see the signs of a time gone by (see pic). so this joint claims to be the oldest bar in chinatown? or all of honolulu? whatever.. its old! the bartender was a mid age bra type who was tiptoeing around hooker conversations w/my dude while i sat there w/my $3 miller light. the bar is dark 5 or so tables that seat 4 lined against the wall the 10 or so patrons that were there on a wed afternoon looked questionable.. (think king eddys in downtown LA , the mainland) you have to come here.. very non touristy & very vintage-y read more

Smith's Union Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

On to the next place! Theodore A. Peck , John Rei and I always hear Karaoke from the oldest bar on the island from our office across the street, so Gideon E Helms and I had to come in and see what the draw is.......um well they are the only place so far on our "Cantina Crawl" that serves Classic Coors with a really different clientele. Not enough beer to make him sing karaoke! The barmaid has a good set of pipes. No A/C! read more

Smith's Union Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I hate that I'm only yelping negative places, but this place specifically needs to be said that it sucks. 20 minutes of waiting with maybe 18 people at the bar and the bartender looked upset that I asked for alcohol read more

Smith's Union Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This bar may seem a little intimidating on first glance, but as any regular will tell you, once you go once, you'll fall in love! Friendly people, a welcoming, non judgmental atmosphere and a fun time any night of the week! Plus dollar karaoke EVERY night and the lowest drink prices in Ctown. You can't go wrong! read more

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PROS: -Great place to sing karaoke on a weekend night -Cheap drinks -Cool crowd -Fun, intimate setting CONS: -A little divey but some of us like that! 80/100 Yelp Challenge 2015 read more

They water down the liquor which means they poor half out fill rest with water an save half to make overhead margin they are ripping coustmer off what u drink is not a drink if u taste it correctly read more

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE if looking for a fun karaoke night. There is a local who requests every song and does not allow anyone else a turn. The bartenders are RUDE and do not do anything to help the situation. If you're looking for a fun night out this is ABSOLUTELY NOT the place for you. read more

Guy working the door wouldn't let me in with an out of state ID. Said he couldn't read it. I showed him where it said my birthdate: 1984. Said he couldn't read it. Never happened to me before. I'm 31. Well older than most at the bar at 11 on a Friday. I asked to speak to a manager. He said he was the manager. Seemed weird for a manager to work the door. Said his name was Mark, but wouldn't give me a last name. It was difficult to work out because the guy was wearing headphones the entire time. The whole thing was rather silly. Went to another bar obviously. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. The bar manager was so disrespectful it was unreal. She missed out on good business because of her lack of respect towards her customers. She blatantly told me "I'm not talking to you." When I said sorry, she said "whatever." When I explained that who she was talking to was my friend n I was trying to order us drinks she said "I don't care it still doesn't change that I'm not talking to you." When I finally got tired of the disrespect I said "that was rude I can't believe you're talking to me like this." She said "yeah that still won't get you a drink." I've honestly never been treated like this before at a bar when all I was trying to do was contribute to their establishment. All I know is I'll never return and I'll let others know to not go there because the lack of customer service, to say the least was ridiculous. read more

It's small. Reeks of seediness but it's actually a really fun dive bar. Drink prices are good and strong. There's $1 karaoke in the back, but always filled up and used by divas. Oh well...But I love this place nonetheless! read more

I love this dive bar. It's probably the closest thing to a hipster bar Hawaii gets. The owner is super friendly and he makes the BEST jello shots...which of course lends well to the other best part about this bar...KARAOKE! $1 a song! So jello shots and singing definitely go hand in hand!! :-) Love this place. read more

First impression. Smells like piss. Seemed to have a mostly older crowd. We left as soon as we smelled the piss read more

The vibe here is relaxed and the staff are friendly. For the oldest bar in Honolulu, the place, while a "dive" bar isn't too shabby. A full bar in a great locale and they seem to be making moves to clean it up and make changes. The place is small but you cannot beat the price of the drinks!!!! A place I will definitely return to! read more

This place was as humid as a sauna and smelled VERY strongly of piss with a bunch of wasted regulars hanging around. We didn't stick around, it was too disgusting. read more

Exactly the atmosphere I search for in a local "dive" bar. Small, jukebox, kitschy decor, good prices, friendly service, and great mood lighting. read more

Mostly locals during the day, but a great mix of everybody at night... the downtrodden, military, trendy, professionals, old queens and young hipsters. Everybody is welcome and everyone gets along. Its a great place to both start young and end your night. Less expensive then most of the 'popular' clubs with a good selection of bottle beers and karaoke songs. read more

Dive bars are my favorite and this is a great dive bar. You never know who you are going to run into at this place. It's a fun bar to day drink at with friends and sing karaoke. The locals that hang out are super supportive of everyone singing and the place becomes a big party. I guess it is one of the oldest bars of Honolulu too. Imagine all the fun that has been had in those walls over the years, especially back during war time. All those sailors! Be aware of your surroundings as there are a lot of homeless people in the area. I have never had a problem with anyone there, but you hear stories. read more

WHERE'S THE ALOHA?? Last night, about 8 of us were celebrating a friend's birthday. We rolled into Smitty's around 11 and the place was less than half full. We all sat at the bar. A few people ordered drink immediately, one was picking out songs to pay for and sing, a couple more were thinking of what they wanted and two of us didn't order because we were the designated drivers. ON A HALF EMPTY NIGHT, the bartender yelled at us saying we had to get away from the bar. Those seats were his "moneymakers." I asked if we could just sit until people showed up and he gave us an emphatic, "NO." He said he was being "really nice" by letting us stand/sit in the back. I was so shocked for the following reasons: 1) When a bar is half empty, you WANT a bunch of single, young women sitting at your bar. It brings men who are likely to drop a decent amount of cash. You do not yell at them. Common sense, no? 2) Without the designated drivers, the rest of our group would not be in there dropping cash. Instead of yelling at non-drinking DDs, you should be offering to get us water or soda or something. The nicer you are to DDs the more likely they'll stay longer. Otherwise, they'll rally up their friends and call it a night. Greed and obnoxious behavior will never make you money. Maybe that's why this place was 1/2 empty on a Friday night. Since your current method doesn't seem to be working, it wouldn't hurt to try have a little aloha and make it a fun atmosphere. Successful bartenders are usually fun and outgoing and can determine the success of a bar. read more

Not a place I would usually find myself on a Friday night but when First Friday comes along, you end up wherever the night takes you. After getting some pizza and beer at JJ Dolans, we found ourselves at this fun little dive karaoke bar. I realized that despite not really being into karaoke, it makes for an entertaining night at a bar. Way more interesting than usual bar conversation and evasion moves. Everyone here was in a great mood and people just passed the mike around when their song came up. You can just sing along without the mike like I do and still have a blast. My group just got a round of beers and some rum shots to keep us going. Good prices and fun place, just remember cash only. Don't be intimidated by the sketchy appearance. All of Chinatown is pretty gross. Embrace the meth addicts and bums and have a great time. Smith's is a great way to end your fun night... by drunkenly singing "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey. read more

Smith's Union Bar - Journey - Dive Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Super divey kind of place. There's karaoke and lots of alcohol. That's pretty much all I can say. If it weren't for my friends being there, I would give this place a lower score. The bartender was boring. The bathrooms were super disgusting. Can't really say much about the place other than those impressions. read more

I love this place. It's small but a good place for a more relaxed evening. And there is karaoke!

Small dive bar this place is actually pretty fun. Not so crowded and a very interesting crowd. The bartenders are friendly. Avoid high cover charges in downtown on weekends!!!! read more

Every single time I come here I am guaranteed to have fun. Cheap drinks, nice people and great Karaoke. It can get packed sometimes so its tough to get your song in but its so much fun listening to other people sing and singing with them. Unlike other Karaoke bars, its not full of old uncles singing country songs. The crowd here usually sings stuff that everyone can sing to. Never had a problem with the crowds here. No punchy people. The only thing that sucks is that they are pretty understaffed. The poor barternders are running around like wild animals trying to fill orders. It wouldnt hurt to have two bartenders. Also, it would be nice if they had pupus. Nonetheless, whenever I come to town I am guaranteed to stop at Smith's Union for some pre-party Karaoke action. This place was such a sketch-hole before but now it's the place to be! read more

Hahahaha I feel like I am home when I stepped in here, super dive bar it appears to be sketchy but over all I felt safe. I love the sign over the place "Live nude shows" wait! what? Its an old sign from back in the day when strippers would perform. I spent a few hours in there chatting up locals. If you are a girl you might not want to go alone. Come with your crew, , this place was a big hang out for sailors once upon a time., they would come to get laid. I saw a few sailors there but they did not seem to be on the hunt. If you come with a group you will be fine. I think we spent 40 bucks we did not run out of money here, Our bellies ran out of room from all those drinks. If you like high end bars do not come here. read more

What character! What a dive! They say it's the oldest bar in Oahu, possibly Hawaii... however that being said, it's odd that there are no beers on tap! Found this more humorous than anything else. Still, can't beat the prices, and they have ice cold bottled beers and mixed drinks. If you're in Chinatown or hanging at night, either way, check it out and at least grab a drink. read more

Friendly, cheap, full of locals, and the best karaoke singers ever! This place is so unassuming but I'm so happy that my BF and I stumbled in here because it was the perfect way to spend our Sunday. I'd write more but I wanna keep this dive bar a dive bar! read more

Smiths Union Bar... Oldest bar in Honolulu, defunct brothel on the second floor, seedy characters and plenty 80's hair metal on the juke box. Great place to quench your thirst after wandering around Chinatown... read more

Great dive bar in Honolulu!! Just out checking sights in China Town and stumbled across this place!!

if you are looking for an excellent made drink on the cheap. this place is for you. oh and great music. i am never disappointed

Can't say enough good about this place. Reminded me of everything I miss about the old NYC, only if it was set in Sydney Australia - incredibly mixed & happy, smiling crowd singing karaoke & being disarmingly dumb. Cheap drinks too - what's not to like? read more

"Paddy" bartender last Friday night was awesome!!!! Good times

I've been coming here for years but tonight they've lost my business. March 23 2014 Saturday night MARINDA the bartender was VERY UNPLEASANT. She offered to pour me two shots which I tipped her $3 dollars for at $15 for both and she poured it at 1:58am. I asked her if I could get some water to drink for after I take the shots and she said No very rudely. She then threatened to take my shots away and pour it down the sink at 2am when the bar closes. She was rushing me to take the shots. She is VERY UNPROFESSIONAL and she should not be pouring or selling after 130am if she is going to do this. I will talk to THE BAROWNDER DWIGHT about her and hopefully he talks to her about her attitude. She is VERY UNPLEASANT. I will no longer be taking my business there. The $1 Karaoke's are fun but NEVER GO THERE WHEN MARINDA IS WORKING. GO THERE WHEN RACHEL IS WORKING! RACHEL actually takes care of her customers and does not try to cheap you out on money. She actually takes last call and does not distribute any more liquor after 130am courteously giving you time to finish what you paid for. read more

One of the pit stops of my trip, Smith's Union bar was one of them. Located in the heart of Chinatown, this is the oldest bar on Oahu since WWII. The bathrooms reminded me of the Navy bars in San Diego, and Tijuana. You go in, take care of business, and you're out partying up again. Anyways, one thing nice about this place is that it has karaoke. Anyways, will definitely sing on by this place on my next visit to Oahu read more

As deep Oahu as it gets! Say hi to Miquela! Baller. Knew him in LA. Makes you feel like home. Divey spot, good music, great peeps! Hit this joint, have a shot and a beer and rock this beach! read more

This business is terrible. I used to go here a lot late night to get a beer or enjoy some karaoke. Lately they've really taken a down turn with racism and hate. I, being Caucasian, experienced extreme bias when I tried to buy into a karaoke song. The bartender immediately came up to me and told me that I was not welcome when I asked to see the songs for some karaoke. He decided that since I did not buy a drink first, I could not pick a song and swiftly kicked me and my girlfriend out of the bar. This place sucks and nobody should go here ever. read more