Flew from California to have their Loco Moco again! This was my second visit, and their Loco Moco is hands down the best in Waikiki. I absolutely love their rich onion sauce and the high-quality patty. A must-try! read more

Genius Lounge - Loco Moco - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!! Made a last minute reservation and was seated outside. The server was super friendly and had such an amazing energy to him. He was quick to bring us out our drinks and food. The food is insane!! Fusion mix of local, Japanese, Italian, Korean!! It is definitely some of THE BEST food on the island, and trust me I like to eat!!! The carbonara pizza and garlic chicken were our favs! Even their salad with their dressing was amazing! But what made our night so special was that our server, with out me knowing went out of his was to write on a plate happy birthday with my name on it!!! And brought out a desert with a candle and they sang to me!!! This was so special and sweet and truly made me so happy. Thank you for an amazing time!! read more

Genius Lounge - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It is tucked upstairs on the 3rd floor of the building, above 2 other restaurants. There is a back lanai, dining room & bar & a front lanai. We chose the lanai facing over the street view, wasn't much to look at, but it was nice to be outside. Exteriors had a little bit disconnect as it looked like a Mexican restaurant, but the interior was super cute and looked like someone's home with a Holiday tree. Drinks were only Ok, didn't really enjoy them as much as the food. Tried the house made noodles with the pork & Parmesan Alfredo dipping sauce, very tasty. The noodles had a great chew & even tasted good the next day. The Black sauce chicken appetizer was delicious. Just get it, lol, as were the pork gyoza. Wait staff was nice, and gave some good recommendations. read more

First meal in Oahu after landing pretty late!!! Thank goodness this place closes at midnight and there was absolutely no wait!! We were all starving so we got: -Kalua Pork Nachos!!!!! THE STAR OF THE SHOW BEST nachos EVERRRRR they use wonton chips and they're literally perfectly light and crispy (kept breaking when I'd try to scoop the toppings tho) we ended up just eating it with chopsticks BUT SO FREAKIN GOOD I'd just get this next time hahah -Kauai Garlic Shrimp: superrrrr flavorful and lots of garlic all on a bed of mashed potatoes!! Paired very well if ya ask me -Garlic Ahi Steak!!! Yum came with a garlic cream sauce and it was sooo goooood. The ahi was so fre$h, soft and just melts in your mouth!!!! -Kalua Pork and TKG Island Egg Carbonara: so rich and creamyyyyy, def a good dish to share!! I felt like it was enough and there was 4 of us -Loco Moco: I never order loco mocos anywhere so I'm not sure what's considered good or not but overall, loco mocos are ok LOL def on the heavier side 11/10 SERVICE!!! read more

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I'm super surprised that there isn't a line for this place. The drinks here are awesome. We got the guava mojito and it was amazing. The food here is incredible. We got grilled beef tongue and loco moco pizza. Both are super delicious. Highly recommend this place. read more

Genius Lounge - Loco moco pizza - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This one is a hidden gem on Lewers st!! It is a small and homely feel, indoor and outdoor seating is available. Ideally for smaller groups. However I am sure they will be more than happy to accommodate large groups if you plan ahead. I did get reservations when I planned my visit, I arrived shortly after they opened so i may have beat the rush. The staff was of course friendly welcoming with Aloha! You will need to provide proof of vaccination and ID with it, so yes masks will be required when you're not at your table eating. FOOOOD!! - absolutely amazing, tasty and prepared perfect with little to no wait. (Once again I was there with only about 4 other parties). I ordered the Kuala And Mochi Cheese spring rolls- fried rolls with the perfectly soft and melted cheese came out dressed and fresh. Followed that with a large order of Kuala Nachos my brothers idea. These Nachos were freshly prepared with homemade chips, plenty savory, sweet island pulled pork, salsa and toppings to satisfy any appetite. I finished off with tue Yuzu Chicken and a Side of white rice. The chicken was topped with fresh limes and onions while bathing in a citrus sauce on a bed of fresh lettuce. the chicken made to perfection soft and nearly melted with every bite! My brother ordered the steak and his review was 10/10 only said it was perfect! Definitely hitting the spot. Must visit in Waikiki read more

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Disclaimer: This is yet another draft that has been in my queue for the past few months. My visit to GL was in April 2019. Per the usual mantra: Better late than never. pure GENIUS. I'm not the Genius that decided to venture here. I wish I could take the credit. That Genius decision lies with my brother. But, then again he usually has pretty good ideas. Visiting Genius Lounge was one of them thankfully. SETTING: The 2nd floor of a nondescript building. Follow the walkway and slightly long staircase to their entrance. Seating areas are outdoor, indoor, and at the bar. GL wasn't too crowded and we were able to secure seats on the balcony/patio area facing the street. HAPPY HOUR FOOD / DRINK: Happy hour is everyday from 600pm to 800pm. And the hours of happiness is when we arrived. A variety of drinks and food comprise the happy hour menu. My brother and I shared the chicken karaage, tako kim chee, garlic fries, and the poke. My favorite was the fries, of course. The tako and kim chee was an interesting combination, but at least worth trying once. SERVICE: Very satisfactory. Food was dropped off in a timely manner. Our server checked on us periodically throughout the happy hour (albeit they weren't that busy so early in the evening; there were only two other tables occupied). BOTTOM LINE: Unique setting; we really liked the outdoor patio setting. Affordable variety of drinks and food on their happy hour menu. Good service. read more

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ULTRA COOL My God what a find. It was raining as happens in Waikiki but it should have been packed for our birthday but it wasn't. Sidled up the somewhat secret stairs entrance LOL and got a few konas. Cool dude at the bar & a cool waiter. Like us but better looking. Bar is about 8 years old. I told em it had the vibe of an old sailors bar! Wood everywhere. Cheap beers. Sake. Japanese food is their thing. Booze. We ordered the fried chicken app karaage which had nice crispy Asian inspiration. What else? Garlic fries were tasty. Bro got the peel & eat shrimp hot as ballz with nice teriyaki types seasoning. Big nite out for our birthday turned into laid back binge drink at the local gin mill. What a cool place for the haoles!! Love it keep up the good work fellas. Cheap happy hour deals IN PARADISE. WHATTT. 500 stars. Right up there but cooler than kalapaki joes on Kaua'i. See pics. read more

Genius Lounge - Had the chicken karaage & shrimp & garlic fries. FINE & CHEAP. COOL PLACE!!!! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Delicious meals served family style. The furikake ahi, garlic shrimp and ribeye were all perfect and delicious. Get there for happy hour and enjoy some tasty beverages as well! read more

Arrived around 6:30pm on a Thursday. We were able to wait and get seats at the bar. The Bartender Shanan was awesome. She knew the menu inside an out and recommended some choice items for us. We ordered the Kalbi, Red Mochiko Chicken, Kailua Pork Mac and Cheese, Garlic Ahi Steak, and Hawaiian Ribeye Steak, and on Shanan's recommendation ended the meal with the Taro Ice-cream made locally. The kalbi was good, nicely marinated, meaty, a little fatty and tender. The red mochiko chicken was really good, slightly sweet with a little heat, lightly fried, light and crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle. My favorite dish was the Hawaiian ribeye steak. It comes out on a sizzling platter flambé (on fire)! It is not only aesthetically pleasing, it tastes delicious. Cooked medium rare on a skewer with peppers and onions, it is a perfect little dish that is easily shared. The garlic ahi steak was good. I liked the creamy garlic sauce that it was topped with. Kailua pork mac and cheese was a nice contract to all the meat. It was creamy, cheesy and everything that mac and cheese should be. Everything was spectacular: the food, the drinks, the service and the ambiance. I will definitely come back. read more

One of our FAVORITE places to eat and hang out in Waikiki the drinks were phenomenal and the food was amazing, the staff was amazing as well very friendly felt like home. read more

Genius Lounge - Loco Moco - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Non-transparent pricing and small portion sizes. The food was honestly very tasty, but no one likes leaving a meal feeling slightly cheated. During happy hour, there's an implication of value, but it seems they instead cut the portions much smaller. I paid $12 for the tiniest portion of poke. Our $7 fries were so small! You can check my photos for reference. The waitress would ask us questions like "do you want the original or garlic?" with the implication that between the options, they'd be the same price. When we asked whether rice with poke would be extra, she indirectly answered our question by saying, "well, that'd be a slightly different dish". When our bill came, we got charged an extra $3 for choosing the garlic edamame, and our drinks (which were ordered during happy hour) were fully priced. I think that businesses should be honest with their customers about exactly what is being served and the pricing. read more

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Food was ono! Drinks on point! Service was awesome and so was the ambiance. Totally would recommend and come back! read more

We came to Genius Lounge during a recent Hawaii vacation which had been postponed since last year. I made as many reservations as I could ahead of time since I knew getting a seat at a restaurant might be a challenge due to the current conditions of 2021. We got seated right away and started with kalua pork nachos (excellent) and kalua pork Hawaiian carbonara (so good). We also got the kids loco moco plate and a dynamite roll, which was the best part of the meal. For dessert we got the Hawaiian macadamia nuts chocolate brownie (so rich) and we also had a few drinks. Service was very friendly and attentive. Note that the space is small and you should make reservations. It is also located on the second floor, and I don't know if there was an elevator because we had to carry up our stroller. All in all, some of the best food we had on the whole trip. read more

Genius Lounge - Hawaiian macadamia nuts chocolate brownie - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My friends and I were struggling to find a dinner spot that catered to everyone's tastes, but I was glad we landed on this spot! It was a quick walk from the hotel and they were able to accommodate our party of 8, and we were able to sit out on the back patio. The service was quick and attentive, and wow the drinks are affordable compared to LA! I got the Tropical Mojito and it was very delicious and refreshing. My friends got the Hello Kitty Tea and that drink was also so good! As for food, we shared the Spicy Mochiko Chicken, the Hot Stone Loco Moco, and Kalua Pork Mac & Cheese. Everything tasted so yummy and complimented our drinks well! This place has such great vibes, drinks, and food. Can't recommend it enough! read more

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Love the dark beer and pineapple pizza! I had to ask for the pineapples on the 4-cheese and honey pizza but I keep going back and enjoying it! read more

Genius Lounge - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Beef tongue was tasty but a bit expensive. Would order again. Garlic shrimp was not bad. But ordered a side of the habanero sauce to dip in. Was surprised that it was $5 for club soda from the bar tap. Overall not a bad spot for later night food. read more

Great hidden spot with Chu-hais! My loco moto pizza was great and everything is has a good portion. Worth the walk and time!

Tried this place for the first time. I like that it's walking distance from my hotel. It's right off from Lewers street. They serve Japanese, Hawaii and American food. Lots of items to choose from and an extensive drink menu. Happy hour is literally an hour. Indoor and outdoor seating. We went twice just because there was no wait, food and drinks are good and it won't break the bank. Staff are friendly. Pictured is their black mochiko chicken and fried kulolo with Ube ice cream. We had the calamari, yuzu chicken, tkg egg tan tan udon, yuzu chicken, curly fries and karaage. All tasty! Great for families, friends and date night. read more

Genius Lounge - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Small, family run place with great food and great service. It was a wonderful find while in Honolulu.

Nothing here blew my mind and the entire menu was overpriced for no reason at all, besides that it's "Waikiki." I imagine if we came during happy hour it might've been a little better. This place is literally for late-night bar food and drinks specials, however we came kind of expecting more dinner portion sized foods. My friend and I came for their late hours and dined in outside on the balcony. Our service was good but our server's recommendations weren't that great. We left pretty hungry :((( We ordered: The Furikake Ahi Steak (this was the best tasting item and was $30 and very small) The tempura Pico De Ahi roll - disappointing, that is all. The presentation was great though. Tan Tan noodles, ok this wasn't bad. Both of us ordered mojitos, I got the lilikoi one and it was way too sweet read more

Genius Lounge - Pico De Ahi roll (not a fan) - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We have come back here a year later and this place is still as good as we remember. Everything was great and the Yuzu chicken is still my favorite. If you come in the first two hours after opening they have happy hour and the prizes are great. When comparing to other restaurants in the heart of Waikiki this is a great bargain. You won't be disappointed! read more

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Stop by around 9pm for a bite to eat. The place was practically empty which should of been my first sign. Greeted by a friendly waitress, who went over the menu. My friend was a vegetarian so I asked her to make him an avocado roll. She said they didn't have a vegetarian roll so I ordered the avocado roll sushi tempura with pico de ahi and the locomo. The avocado roll presentation was amazing and tasted really good. Kind of oily but was different because the rice was fried. The pico de ahi was delicious. The locomo was served in a big bowl with 2 over easy eggs on top. Very nice presentation. I took a bite and noticed that that it had a weird sour taste. Thought it as odd so I didn't finish it or even bother to take it home. My stomach started churning when I got to my car. Luckily I made it to the bathroom at the nick of time. The food I ate was spoiled! I still have stomach pains and will call restaurant to report in the morning. Chef, please check the quality and safety of the food you served to the public. read more

If you happen to be in Waikiki and are looking for a small bar that's not too well known, but still amazing, try Genius Lounge! Yuzu Chicken: 4/5 Mojito: 5/5 Pros- The food here was surprisingly delicious considering it was bar food, but the real stars of the show were their drinks! All of them were fairly affordable and the mojitos in particular were super refreshing with the perfect hint of mint. It was by far one of the best alcoholic drinks you could order inside! However, if mojitos aren't your vibe, they have such a wide selection of different alcohol that it's honestly hard to only pick a few. If you're looking for shots, try the Green Ridge sake it's, delicious. (dont underestimate the alcohol level in some of those sweet drinks tho! and drink responsibly) Cons- There is very limited seating inside, so we had to sit outside, but that made this spot very covid friendly. Prices: $$ Yuzu Chicken- $15 read more

Genius Lounge - Mojitos - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Tucked away on the 2nd floor of what used to be a clothing store. This place is not only a bar but it's a restaurant too! Also great spot to come for happy hour! The pupus here are yummy. We ordered their shoyu poke, karaage chicken, Cajun curly fries, and carbonara pizza. Also had some drinks Moscow mule, li hing mui mojito, and Kirin beer. Chill spot to come and eat some pupus and get your drink on in Waikiki! read more

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This place is amazing. My girlfriend and I were only in Honolulu for a week but decided to come here twice. The restaurant itself looks very unique and I loved the look of all the tables. For food, we had the oysters, the loco moco, the yuzu chicken, the ahi steak, and the loco moco pizza, and all were incredible. The servers were also very nice and super helpful when we had questions. Overall this place was great and we will definitely be returning in the future. read more

Used to go more when I worked in Waiks. But been awhile. Went one night during pandemic and was sad sad sad. No one there when we went for some "late night" (back when could only serve until 10pm) cocktails after dinner. This time did a staycay and went with the hubs, my brother and his bf. Brother guys had and early dinner already so just came for drinks and the company. Hubs and I were starving and ordered the tongue, kalua pic mac n cheese, yuzu chicken, kalua pig and mochi spring rolls. I feel like the menu is a little overloaded with kalua pig. Everything was pretty good tho. The tongue was soooo soft. Mac n cheese super cheesey. Spring rolls was ok...mine didn't have much mochi was very kalua piggy. Yuzu chicken was good but we thought back in the days they used to give a side of the yuzu sauce thing to add on. We just had beer so nothing fancy. Was good. Feel like the atmosphere is way more touristy than before, and a little less local-friendly...but the workers were still really nice. It's always a safe go-to in Waiks... read more

Another after work night meet with the co workers! You know we love to try out different places. We got this referral from one of our guest. And we have to say WE REALLY ENJOYED THIS PLACE! The staff was AMAZING! Never skipped a beat when getting our orders and bringing them out at a great timely manner. We enjoyed our drinks and food at the outside seating. It was a great night and we all had lots of drinks and shots. We also enjoyed the happy hour food menu and other menus. The garlic curly fries and calamari was soooo mouth watering good! We definitely said we'll be coming back again. Thank you Genius lounge and staff!! read more

The food was a 10/10. I had the surf and turf. The steak was cooked perfectly and so were the shrimp and the sauce that came with was very flavorful. This was me and my wife's first time visiting Hawaii and I enjoyed the food and the ambience. The service was great as well. Hawaii owes me nothing. Go eat here. read more

Friendly environment and a good place to enjoy the night breeze with cocktails Spam Katsu was very interesting menu and I enjoyed it read more

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The food is OK. Not great, not terrible. Service was not good. The environment is very mediocre. The menu is almost impossible to understand. It has symbols for veg and vegan items at the beginning, but there are no symbols throughout the menu. Our waiter wasn't bringing the check so we got up to pay inside and he came and told us to go back to the table. Not a good experience. I'd pass if I were you. read more

Came to this place after quarantine and so glad I did. They had the proper protocols to ensure a safe eating experience and even had outdoor seating! The food and drinks here is amazing. I had the poke, edamame, and curly fries and their Highball drink. My intention wasn't to come here for dinner, but seeing the portion sizes of their plates, I will totally come back with a bigger group! The poke was fresh and well seasoned...i could have eaten a whole bowl alone. Then the edamame was cooked enough so that it didn't taste soggy. I feel like a lot of places could easily ruin edamame. And the curly fries were so crisp and thin! Totally my type of curly fries! Unfortunately, I forgot to take pics of everything, but you have to come here for the food and drinks! The staff here is great too. Super friendly and attentive!!! read more

Genius Lounge - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Food and service were both amazing, highly recommend this restaurant. Great location, quick service, food came out very timely. Had some sushi and pasta, and lava flows. Loved everything. read more

Alright so hole in the wall yes positive check. Food and portions good? Yes and on point. Service.... Not so good there was two guys the one that was the busser had more personality and attention to us then the original order taker. His one skill that stood out was his ability to take the verbal order by memory and it get placed correctly. Otherwise his attention to you and ur party falls short. The food saved y'all. read more

Experience was fine. I was able to get a table Friday night without a reservation. The server was friendly and attentive. I had the 4 kinds cheese w/ big island honey pizza. The pizza was really heavy on blue cheese, which was a little to potent for me personally. So just make sure you really like blue cheese if you order that! read more

Long story short, made and cancelled a dinner reservation via Open Table for the same day and this venture ended up charging me for the cancellation fee. Their hostess didn't mention anything about a cancellation fee being charged when I called them as a courtesy to cancel directly. When trying to explain my case, manager was still persistent about still charging me for all the business he had to turn away due to my large party (even though on Open Table there were time slots available), and for setting the table for a party of 18 (15-20 minutes??). Thanks for sharing the aloha spirit. read more

Lots of delicious appetizers and entrees, my favorite was avocado roll, good size. I'm glad they offered mocktails, I got the pina colda drink very yummy. read more

Was drawn to this place by Yelp and it one of those rare occasions when the Yelp rating did not match up to the business. When we arrived here, there was a long staircase to climb to get into the restaurant, which was not such a big deal but when we reached the landing to go inside the restaurant, it smelled like sewage gas, which was the last thing you want from a place you plan to eat at. We sat down anyway, gat a drink and some Spam katsu sticks, which were actually pretty good. We also tried the Kalua pork rolls, not good. Greasy, falling apart, just not well executed. The drinks were the standard commodity tourist accomodation, one member of our party got a passion fruit martini and it sucked, sorry to say. Sadly Lewers st has become overrun with vagrants and does not feel safe after dark. Why its called the genius lounge makes zero cents to me. Maybe I'm just not a genius kind of guy. read more

Genius Lounge - Spam katsu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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not a fan.. wanted to try it because my daughter apparently saw it in tiktok.. food was ok but the ambience is not appealing, crew was ok but all in all nothing really special for this place to come back read more

I had a lovely evening genius lounge. The service was great and the food was lovely and tasty. There were only a few other people around when I was dining on the patio and it was nice and quiet and relaxing. I was staying on the main drag and decided to wander off for a bit more quiet and I found it. Well worth the two or three block walk. Prices were a bit more reasonable than I had seen elsewhere. read more