Tim, the bartender, makes me feel welcome and also disappears into the background when I'm…read morechatting with my husband or guest. That's an art right there! Love his helpful suggestions, his pineapple shaved ice drink is not only an art piece but delicious! Tart, lightly sweet, icy, the scent, texture, the beauty! I'm a horrible photographer so I can't capture it to show you but just get it! You're welcome! I love their bourbon, candied bacon... the best! The Sunday brunch is simple, easy, and reasonable. Don't bring more than a table of 4. Also, not for kids. This is a magical, quiet place for adults, an oasis in the midst of the Ala Moana noise and craziness. My new favorite spot especially when I'm alone.

The service here is awful. The food and cocktails are okay…read more Hidden within the Foodland Ala Moana Center is a bar behind a wooden door on the makai/ewa side of the store. It has bar seating, cocktail lounge seating and a few "dining tables." The food is pretty good, I would give it a 4/5 because the portions are rather moderately small. But overall tasty and the bacon is outstanding. We had to order 6 items for 2 people to feel slightly full. But the menu is also fairly small with just tasting style apps meant for sharing and enjoying, they are not hearty and not meant to be entree sized. The cocktails are great, they do a wonderful presentation complete with smoke and etc. They have an extensive whiskey list and the options are are all diverse (mules, daiquiri, mescal, champs) yet standard. Now the service is pretty bad, greeted and asked repeatedly if we had a reservation which we did, we almost felt unwelcomed. Then the older skinny bartender perhaps in his 60's was very unfriendly and tried not to talk to us, take our order or even acknowledge us even though he was standing in front of us drinking water from his water bottle. This guy needs to work at a gas station or something where he can just sit in a corner and not speak to people. I wouldn't come here again, but if I were in the area and craving bacon I suppose I would. =) Bad service is just so off-putting.

This review is for the recently opened speakeasy,Hush, which is located upstairs. I made…read morereservations through IG and if you go on their site you have to click on hush on Open Table. I made reservations for 5:45 PM however when I checked in at Pint and Jigger, I was notified that the reservations were for P&J and not the speakeasy which opens at 6 PM. Therefore I believe that there are still kinks to be made with their reservation system. We waited at the bar until it was sorted out. You walk through a whiskey wall and walk upstairs to the speakeasy. They used a lot of the decor from the former location known as Harry's Emporium. We were the only ones for about an hour so we were able to maximize the bartender's time. Max is an excellent bartender and informed us that they are only open on the weekends for now. He's the only bartender and they are still working out staffing issues. No food at the moment. The theme is New Orleans/French. The drinks and music all have that vibe. The room is dim but not too dark. We left around 7:30 PM when two other couples showed up. We will definitely be returning.

Best to make reservations, especially later in the night. Got lucky and sat at the bar…read more Food was good. I got the burger and mushrooms appetizer. Drinks were tasty. Well made. There's a speakeasy inside the restaurant. Hostess said it's by reservation only and these no food.

Drinks. That's what…read moreyou're here for isn't it? It is why you've searched for EP bar, looked over various reviews, and randomly found yourself reading thru the first few lines of this review. Well, welcome Dear Reader, and I hope what I'm about to share peaks your interest to visit EP Bar. I had my 2nd visit to EP Bar earlier this month with friends for some after dinner drinks. We did make a res, but there were some walk-ins while we there, so it's probably recommended but not necessary. We perused the menu, and our 1st round consisted of: Ringo Star Strawberry Fields Forever Pho Us By Us Hail Mary Any guesses on the drink I chose? It's related to the Beatles. If you guessed Ringo Star.....take another guess. The Strawberry Fields Forever was very refreshing. Recommended. My partner ordered the Hail Mary, which (sadly) wasn't to his liking, and he happily "helped" me finish my drink before ordering his own in the next round. I chose the Ringo Star as my next drink, and I'd say if you're a fan of Mr. Star and/or apples, this drink is right up your orchard. Recommended. SERVICE The service is friendly, mixed with a splash of polite, and served with patience and knowledge. BOTTOM LINE A great place for drinks. Casual ambiance/vibe and relaxed atmosphere. Recommended.

Fifteen minutes west of Waikiki, you'll find yourself in a completely different Hawaii…read more Honolulu's Chinatown feels worlds away from the beachfront resorts and postcard-perfect sunsets. The neighborhood is vibrant, gritty, and alive--a mix of Chinese, Southeast Asian, and Native Hawaiian influences layered over historic buildings, glowing neon signs, art galleries, and hidden cocktail dens. It reminded me a bit of New Orleans: worn facades with stories to tell, creative energy around every corner, and the sense that the best experiences are often tucked behind an unassuming door. Which makes it the perfect home for EP Bar. "EP" stands for Extend Play, a fitting name for a place built around music. Long before listening bars became fashionable in Los Angeles, New York, and London, there were the jazz kissa of Japan--small cafés where people gathered not to drink or dance, but to listen. Records spun through carefully tuned sound systems while patrons sat immersed in the music. The music wasn't background noise. It was the main event. Walking into EP Bar, you can feel traces of that tradition. The room is intimate and inviting. Reservations are highly recommended because the place fills up quickly on weekend nights. Once inside, the atmosphere hits a sweet spot. The music is loud enough to create a mood and provide privacy for conversation, yet never so overpowering that it dominates the room. Loud enough to muffle the secrets being shared between old friends. Loud enough to drown out the office gossip that somehow followed everyone from the coffee machine into happy hour. The soundtrack isn't just playing--it's setting the tone. As an Old Fashioned guy, my choice was easy. I ordered a Oaxaca OF, which swaps traditional whiskey for mezcal. Smoky, balanced, and memorable, it felt like the kind of drink that rewards slow sipping between tracks. Another member of our group went with the Pho Us By Us. To nobody's surprise except perhaps her own, it tasted a little salty. Considering the ingredients--Green Chile Vodka, Sake, Pho Spice, Lemon, and Soda--it was probably the most honest cocktail description I've ever seen. The drink tasted exactly like its name suggested. That's part of the fun here. The menu doesn't hide behind clever marketing. Drinks like Thai Me Down and Candy Rain practically dare you to order them. Not every note landed perfectly. Service was a little off-beat during our visit. But like any live performance, sometimes the rhythm isn't flawless. Thankfully, the vibes, decor, music, and overall experience more than carried the set. What I appreciated most was that EP Bar doesn't feel like a gimmick. It feels like a genuine continuation of a tradition that began decades ago in Japan's listening cafés, traveled across oceans, and found a home in Honolulu's Chinatown. It's a place where music matters, conversation flows, and the pace of the evening slows down just enough to appreciate both. The place slaps for what it is--and for what it isn't. In a world increasingly filled with distractions, EP Bar invites you to do something refreshingly simple: sit down, have a great drink, listen to great music, and be present. I'll definitely be back. After all, every good record deserves another spin, and I'm curious to see how the needle lands next time.

This spot is the place to be in Waikiki! Definitely make a reservation because this place fills up…read morefast, especially later into the night. What surprised me most was how good the food was for the price. Usually spots with this kind of atmosphere rely on the drinks to carry the experience, but every dish actually delivered. The chicken karaage was crispy and packed with flavor, the beef takoyaki disappeared almost instantly, and the taro chips with mascarpone were such a unique combination. Between the cocktails, food, service, and atmosphere, everything just worked.

We dropped by speakeasy RM 38 (Room 38) inside the Imperial Hotel on Lewers in Waikīkī. We were…read morevery glad we did. The owner is Steve Aoki, of Aoki Group, and son of daredevil and entrepreneur, Rocky Aoki. The staff were super nice. The brunette (Ellie?) working Sat, 4/25 was super friendly, and worked her ass off. The Azn fellow who also took care of us let us look at the bottles of special bourbon we drank: Four Roses & Blantons both tr the Aoki Collection. Regarding the ambiance its whimsical inside. I didn't look on the lanai, but I understand you can smoke cigars out there. The background music was jazz and the occasional Motown hit (Stylistics). My cuz who lives in Kaimukī has neva been to RM 38. I promised to add him to the res next time. Its a lot easier to get in vs another speakeasy in Chinatown, and its walking distance from where I always stay at the Moana.

I was looking for a casual bar to grab some drink and found this place in the food hall. Bartender…read morerecommended their tipsy mai tai and decided to go with it. Presentation was nice but it was a little light on the alcohol and a lot of ice. Overall I was ok to have some drinks and hang out.

Tipsy Tiki in Waikiki is a small but very cool spot to grab a drink…read more I stopped in for a Mai Tai, which was refreshing. The ambiance has a fun, laid-back feel, making it a great place to relax for a quick drink before exploring more of Waikiki. It's not a big bar, but that's part of its charm. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area!

Being the whiskey lover I am, I just had to make it a priority to visit Ko'olau Distillery while…read morevisiting O'ahu! The first time we visited the distillery was back in 2021. There wasn't much of anything other than the single rickhouse area, so when we went back in 2025 it was nice to see how much they had expanded. A nice, full tasting bar, plenty of seating area (outdoor and indoor), and an expanded rickhouse. The employees are friendly and give great recommendations. Definitely loved seeing how much they've grown in the 4 years since we visited. They had more expressions to try this time around, which was great because I got to do a flight of their releases. My wife got a cocktail which she enjoyed. This place is definitely a good vibe for any whiskey lover visiting O'ahu!

Great space hidden in the back of an industrial zone (with nice landscaping FYI) this distillery…read moreoffers tours and craft cocktails with live entertainment / trivia nights plus food trucks. The night we went there were 2 musicians playing great music and taking requests. One even had a trombone! There are lounge couches, high tops and picnic style tables, some indoor, some outdoor under a tent. Nice local art on walls. We loved the craft cocktails especially the Old Fashioned. The tasting board of their different blends was great too! Taco night was some darn good home cooking ! Carlitos is a family run business and you can tell they really care about the food. We had the pork tacos and the pork was amazing! The refried beans were some of the best we ever had. This distillery is fun for couples, families, and groups of friends. There are also some games around for little kids, who were hanging in the outdoor tent. Definitely worth a visit !

Gotta give a shout out to Alex for helping me feel comfortable with going to learn how to line…read moredance for the first time. Came in alone and nervous. just wanting to learn how to dance. He made it easy to not worry about being a beginner.

If you're looking for a fun night out, this place is so fun! They've got country line dancing, pool…read moretables, darts, strong drinks, and lots of entertaining people watching. You can even sign up to take a shot and have one of the staff members slap you afterward... which looked absolutely painful but hilarious to watch. Great happy hour, fun atmosphere, and definitely one of those places where there's always something happening.

It was a fantastic place. The drinks were particularly well made and artfully designed. We also…read morehappened in during their Karaoke night, ended up drunkly singing with the owner who seems like a genuinely cool guy. 10 out of 10 solid place with really sick aesthetic good energy, fantastic drinks, stellar vibes.

Every time I visit China Town I usually pop by Manifest to support one of my favorite locally owned…read morebusinesses. Whether you're looking for coffee, tea, cocktails or just a quick drink they have a lovely selection. I've enjoyed working from my laptop there during the day, business meetings, popping by for a drink before heading to a show and the club vibe they turn into later at night. The bartenders / staff are friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Definitely pop by if you're in the neighborhood.