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    Back Alley Café

    4.2 (206 reviews)
    Open 2:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Back Alley Café Photos

    Business Info

    BACK ALLEY CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Karaoke
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Back Alley Café

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    Wings!! Yum!
    Kristy N.

    Nice small lounge. Not too crowded, not too loud. Servie was great. Definitely gave good recommendations and was very friendly and patient. The food was so delicious. We are looking forward to going back for that Thai Loco Moco!! The wings were also fabulous! Crispy and lots of great flavor options! See yall soon! Definitely going back!

    Garlic Fried Chicken, yum
    Telly L.

    This jem was a surprise! This is an industry spot so you know food is going to be good. Small space with cute ambiance. We ordered the garlic chicken wings and chicken kimchee fried rice. The chicken was wonderfully crispy and loaded with freshly chopped garlic. When they say garlicky, they mean it! The fried rice was also very tasty and came in a large bowl topped with an egg. Highly recommend, bring your friends!

    Sushi menu. Mon to Wed only
    Casey A.

    Dropped by on a Sunday night and happened to check out Back Alley Cafe. At first it was to have a couple of beers before heading to the next stop, but it ended up being a good time sharing stories and laughing with the bartender and waitress until midnight. Chad definitely knows how to treat his customers right, and Denise being there made the experience more enjoyable. I didn't have a chance to taste the food or their sushi, but its something to look forward to on the next drop in. The grindz thats posted on Yelp looks Ono! If your ever find yourself here, look out for the Chad special!

    Front entrance
    Ms LaLa D.

    Small Local Bar. Street Parking. Full bar selections. Bar Food, Sushi, Cajun Seafood, Thai Food. Opens til 2:00 AM.

    Pork chop with mushroom
    Michelle O.

    Came here with my other half on a Friday night. Line out the door but luckily we made reservations in advance and had a kareoke room. Kareoke room is free for up to 2 hours if you spend up $100 on food and beverage, but kareoke songs are still $2 per song so don't forget to bring cash. Remote control was a bit confusing at first and no song book, but you get the hang of it after. The food though... that's why I'm writing this review. I've never been to a bar with such amazing food! Sushi was great, crab fried rice was wonderful and even the pork chop was insanely good!!! Would come back again for sure.

    Business meetings
    Emily B.

    Good food, easy going stop in. Philip is bomb, takes care, and cooks good. Relaxed, good music. Will come back again. Tyyy

    Thum khao kapoon
    Lauren S.

    Thum khao kapoon isn't on the menu, but chef phil is AMAAAAAZING!!! There isn't too much Lao restaurants on Oahu, but this place is it! Everything is delicious! The flavors, the spice level, the freshness is perfect! I can't explain enough how good the food is here! Customer service is on point! Like I said, chef phil is amazing.. amazing in his skill and treats you like family.

    Peach soju
    Nadine C.

    Red Dragon Roll Salmon Skin Salad Agedashi Tofu Back Alley Roll We got all of the above at Happy Hour prices after 10:30pm - yay! Thanks to Sari for the great service and helpful tips! She recommended that we get the $15 bottle of soju instead of the $20 mixture of soju with ice cream and yogurt. Good call! The Peach flavored soju was just right! I had been here before, but I was focused on karaoke ($1 per song in a free private room) and didn't get to eat that much (hard to do both at the same time). My friends were ordering food that looked really good, but no one was singing, so... I felt like I had to... haha! Sorry... LOL! This time, Lisa M. was so kind to help me celebrate my Night Off from work! She had the night off, too! We were SO HAPPY!!! Then Randy S. joined us and we laughed even harder and ate MORE yummy food!! Randy said that "Back Alley Roll" is kind of what they have the most of - like Special of the Day or "Whatever the Chef Feels Like Making". Our male server clarified this when I asked, "what is Back Alley Roll"? And I gave an example, "Like salmon?" And he said he could ask... ...and then it appeared... fresh and deliciously savory with a slight crunch from the slivered cucumbers! MMM! I ordered the Agedashi Tofu because I remember that Angel H. had that the last time we were here - and it looked ono - and she said it was... and we all agreed! Lightly battered to get the flavor to adhere onto the soft tofu... with various toppings which included a tiny spicy kick! I'd get it again - as well as the Red Dragon Roll and the Salmon Skin Salad. Yeah! I wanted the Uni... and I repeated it several times... However, wishing hard and saying things aloud doesn't make magic happen all of the time. When they run out, they run out. Like "If can, can. If no can, no can..." Shucks! This just means that we must return... The free street parking in metered stalls after 6pm is very convenient. Restroom was clean and functional. Environment was pleasant and spacious. The late Happy Hour was good timing for us because some people were leaving so the place wasn't crowded! If you come for the "Early" Happy Hour, go as soon as you can because every seat will be taken later! Note: Daily Happy Hour from 5:30 pm to 7:45 pm, and Late Happy Hour = Sunday-Thursday from 10:30 pm to 1:30 am.

    Cute Sashimi platter
    Chrissy L.

    Such a cute spot!! Came here with my boyfriend a few days ago for a pre-movie snack. We have driven pass this place so many times and finally decided to stop in and glad we did! We were too early for the chefs food but sushi was open and we just wanted smaller plates anyway. We ordered our usual drinks, and the BAE roll which was lovely and also the sashimi plater which was just as cute as it said on them menu lol. Very tasty! We were here right when they opened and Chad was our person. He was absolutely wonderful. Between the hospitality shown from Chad and and the sushi, we can't wait to come back again and try more food and maybe rent out the karaoke room one night!

    Spicy Chicken Wings...
    Jace T.

    If you're looking for someplace to kick it, eat, drink and maybe sing karaoke... then this is a spot you should consider... located on Sheridan St closer to King than Kapiolani and just mauka of Meadow Gold... with very little parking but quite a bit of street parking... but check out the signs because there are restrictions... inside is a lil' tiny with a bar and about half dozen bar seats and another half dozen tables, but if you get a karaoke room I can't help you cuz I've never seen them here... but the food is what I come for and friends come for the booze... The goods... 1) Spicy Chicken Wings... Spicy wasn't too bad for me and I don't usually do spicy but these have spicy and honey on them to give them a unique kick... done well and if you've had Vonn's chicken kinda taste like those... 2) Gyoza... nicely sized pieces with a pre-made dipping sauce... Imma give these a standard thumbs up... they were good but not special but still good! 3) Chef's Roll... someone ordered this and this was ono! Imma big fan of white onions and sashimi... if you like that combo get this one! 4) Chicken Wings... just fried chicken with ranch dipping sauce... was good without the ranch but together worked! 5) Chicken Karaage... seemed anorexic compared to the Chicken Wings we ordered but tasted surprising gud... of you don't wanna fuss with bones get this! 6) Ikura Uzura... was on the specials board... for the Ikura fans! 7) Pork Chops... pre cut and topped with sautéed mushrooms and onions... was a nice size chops and tasty! 8) Kim Chee Pancake... a Korean dish that came with the same sauce as the gyoza... was good but took forever to come out cuz my friend ordered this before I got there and came about second to last of all the things we ordered! 9) White Chicken... this was interesting... looked like baked chicken chopped up with a dish of cubed veggies or fruits and a separate dish with salt and pepper... I'm assuming to sprinkle as you pick you pieces... I don't remember eating this but was on our table and we also had a basket of fries soo I was kinda full when this Plate came out... ;) Service... good friendly service and they constantly check if we needed anything and refilled water routinely... I knocked down a star for the late Pancake and they're lack of control of LOUD patrons in the joint... dis one guy was yelling and pounding on the table next to us but no one asked him to keep it down... think he needed to be cut off! Otherwise this place is a legit watering hole to grind at... until next visit... Grind On! Pau!

    $18 Poke

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    6 months ago

    awesome service with great people especially the bartender with the long hair always smiling

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    The beer here is never really cold. Food is so-so... Not sure if it gets any busier, but we were the only ones there for a bit.

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Back Alley Café

    Restaurant doesn't allow dogs?

    Can you bring children?

    Yes

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    Food was excellent, very tasty!!! Portion sizes were small but definitely worth going back to try…read moremore dishes! Corn, rib eye sticks, Kalbi bao buns!!!!

    Little Plum is always an enjoyable experience. First of all, the restaurant is quaint and…read morecomfortable. The dining area is one open area, the table setting is cozy with its crochet coaster and wooden chopsticks rest. There's an open kitchen so you can watch the chefs put love into each dish. My server even pointed out who will be making my crispy pork belly. The wait staff is so helpful and welcoming. They made sure our vegan friend was well-taken care of. She suggested the mushroom jook where they would put the chicken on the side. They even added more mushroom to elevate his dining experience! Today we ordered family style, which they happily accommodated for us. They served the rice on the side. Our menu included short rib bao and shiitake bao (vegan), ume tomato, namul, spicy miso eggplant, crispy pork belly, menchi katsu, and mushroom jook. The standouts were the crispy pork belly with its watercress tomato onion salad, the ume tomato on whipped tofu, and spicy miso eggplant. The mushroom jook is so comforting, hearty and full of flavor served with chicken confit and a soy egg. The two desserts offered are both winners. The mochi churro with kinako and anglaise is crispy, light and creamy. The pineapple orange pudding is so cool and refreshing. And, 100% of dessert sales go to the culinary team! What?! Love this place. Plus, with you check are some fun asian candies -white rabbit and haw flakes! I haven't been there for dinner yet. That'll be next.

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    Ki Club

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    Went here for my birthday dinner. Thoroughly surprised at how good the food was and the service…read more Beautiful, modern interior and the atmosphere was chic. The menu has changed to a more tapa style. We went with our two young children & they were very accommodating. We ordered a bunch of stuff but most notable was the Ensalada Salad, Croquette Cordero, Taco Raisu, Karaage Pollo, and for dessert, the Piña Borracha. We ordered some pork and steak skewers. These were ok, I would skip these next time. A little burnt. My favorite was the Ensalada Salad. The crab was sweet and the salsa opaca was so refreshing with the apple foam. Was told to smash the crisp on top and combine it with everything and that took it to another level! So good that we ordered another one. The price of this was so affordable too! The Croquette Cordero was like a mini curry ball with chimuchirri sauce. A little heavy but if you love curry, this is for you! The Taco Raisu surprised us. The taco meat was so flavorful!! Even though we were stuffed, we kept going back for more. It's like a deconstructed taco & you use the lettuce as a wrap. The Karaage Pollo came with a Cucumber Escabeche. It was so tangy and refreshing, which perfectly cuts through the rich, savory oiliness of the fried chicken. We got the Piña Borracha for dessert and that had a coconut cake, coconut lime mousse, banana lilikoi curd, and pasted pineapple on top. Amazing!! Great way to end the night. Everything was top notch. You can tell they put a lot of effort into each dish. Can't wait to go back!

    I go here on occasions. I've made to brunch a couple times but typically I make it to the…read moreevenings. The restaurant hours are relatively calm, but switches gears when it becomes a nightclub. Restaurant-wise, I believe the menu had a recent change-up to further explore fusion possibilities. I've been going down the list and the dishes have been pretty good so far; I haven't made it to the taco raisu yet, but I do need me some desserts. The picarones is like a peruvian andagi, which was pretty cool. The miso cream brûlée was from the prior menu, but also a Yes. The bar is knowledgeable and innovative their mixology- I've had the shizuku garden and that was amazing.

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    Miro Kaimuki - The Counter

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    4.5
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    Became a fan of Chef Kajioka after dining at Cafe Miro in January. As we were planning a trip back…read morein August for the wifey's bday, I definitely wanted to head back and made reservations for The Counter as I saw pics on IG of their meal here. We lucked out and found street parking nearby. As we walked into the restaurant, we were quickly greeted by the host/server who showed us to our seats along the U shaped counter. Loved the clean and modern decor inside the restaurant. As we sat down, our water cups were quickly filled and the only few questions they had for us was whether we wanted the wine pairing and we wanted to add the caviar toast and shaved truffles. We opted for the wine pairing, caviar toast and truffles. The meal was fantastic from start to finish. The most notable dishes for me were the ahi and caviar toast, cold corn soup, the lobster and the dessert. Sadly the portion of the toast here was about 1/2 the size of what we had at the cafe and unfortunately they didn't have uni for the night (maybe don't go on a Tuesday). Service was fantastic but they did have a few hiccups which were tolerable as the food was amazing. The wine pairing was also good and paired well with the dishes. As we are currently planning our trip back later this year, we will definitely head back to either the cafe (if the remodel is completed) or back to the counter for another meal. This is likely the best meal we've had in HNL in quite some time and highly recommend it.

    Beautiful food, prix fixe menu that delivers texture, creativity and luscious flavor…read more Unexpected gem in a cute Honolulu neighborhood.

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    This place has amazing food, great views, excellent service, and delicious drinks but it has been…read moreCLOSED for months due to a pipe burst (?) or something.

    My bad review is entirely based on how terrible the food was. For context, we ordered Tonkatsu…read moreramen and Tsukemen dipping ramen. Ramen, according to the server, was the most popular thing on the menu, so how likely could it get messed up? Tonkatsu: Rich, but lacked any salt or had very little. We requested some salt and that instantly made the ramen better. The noodles had enough salt to carry it, but the broth was not great. It tasted like the broth was watered down or reconstituted, however no seasoning was added to re-adjust the broth. Broth: Had little salt and lacked punch, umami, and was brown instead of white. Noodles: Had enough salt to taste good, but was slightly overcooked Pork: Extremely bland. Tasted like zero salt was added during cooking. Toppings: Greatly lacking in toppings Tsukemen: The Tsukemen had a lot of the same issues. Now being a dipping ramen, the broth should be even richer and more flavorful than any normal ramen. Tsukemen -- no matter where you have it in Japan, should be richer and saltier than most broths, but the broth here was severely lacking. For $26 a bowl this was worse than your DIY frozen ramen packs. Now I'm not asking for Japan-level of ramen mastery here, this is after all, just a tourist spot -- but if your Tonkatsu is the best selling item, you have to step it up. Our server did mention that some people complained about the amount of salt in ramen, so they adjusted it. But dare I say, instead of diluting the normal salt/seasoning amount for everyone, couldn't you just add a separate, flavor-light version for people inexperienced with ramen, instead of diluting the original for everyone else? If you're reading this Mr. Morimoto, I would highly encourage you to fly here and order the ramen. I think you and I would share the same opinions. P.S. I've also been to your other Morimoto spots and it was not this bad.

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    So glad we ate here! Looks like there are lots of hip options in Chinatown, and we would have…read morewalked around and tried even more if we had had more time. We had a 4 hour layover in Honolulu and it was a quick 15 minute Lyft ride here to Lucky Belly. We were the only party here right at 5:30 pm. Loved the art and clean simple elegance of the exposed brick wall and wood tables. We were greeted and served by a very friendly host. We had the duck tacos, plus the special dim sum appetizer combo of pork belly bao, lobster dumplings and oxtail dumplings. We could not pick a favorite. The variety of textures was fantastic and each of the meat fillings were perfectly seasoned and tender, delicious! Each had a different sauce- just enough, not too much. Nothing was spicy but there was chili oil on the table if you wanted to add more heat. We got 2 nonalcoholic spritzers, one lilikoi and one hibiscus, which were each refreshing and complimented the meal. Since the service was so efficient, after eating, we still had time to zip over to Magic Island to stroll around, take in the scene and enjoy the sunset before heading back to the airport. Our last evening in Hawaii was really special thanks to this delightful restaurant!

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    Back Alley Café - karaoke - Updated August 2026

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