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.

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.

It takes a long time for the food the fries are cold but overall it alright but once I saw my fork…read morewith some dirt. kind.

Didn't realize I never reviewed them. It's been a hot minute since I've been. They used to be…read moreopen lunch time, so was easy to go. Now only dinner. Baby and I had date night. Had a glass of wine and baby had watered down lemonade. Her drinks were put in plastic cups with covers and those horrible paper straws. Eyes always bigger than my stomach, we ordered: - Cornbread - when i grabbed it I thought would be super dense but really wasn't. I thought it was very corny and tasty. Lightly toasted. Honey drizzle which wasn't too sweet...or maybe I just ate the parts that didn't have. Baby ate almost 1.5 pieces and even liked the Jalapeno Butter that I just dabbed on her bread. She said wasn't spicy but think she just didn't have enough. - Bone Marrow - lit it on fire to burn off the alcohol. Pretty sure it ddin't get it all so I cut baby off once I realized it. Other than needing some salt, really good. Choke mushrooms on top. One half was scrawny, but hubs had the other half for leftovers and choke marrow. YUM. - Sunchoke and Brussels - YUM. Baby ate some but was not really thrilled about it. I loved it. - Scallop and Mushroom Risotto - YUM. Delish. Baby liked it too. So much leftovers of everything. Realized when we ate it for leftovers it was all pretty oily and needed a pinch of salt. But otherwise great. Staff really nice and helpful. Love that the place is spread out and open. Bathrooms are not assigned which I'm sure can get gross, but is great to not have to wait for just the women's. There is a big stall which was perf since baby is potty training and had to go #1 and #2! Only thing missing was a hook to hang my purse and her bag. Great dinner...but if anyone is listening...bring back the shrimp and grits!!!

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.

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.

We were in Pearl city and did a little shopping at Walmart and we got very hungry so we decided to…read moredrive around and we found this restaurant. We both ordered the ribeye steak, mashed potato, asparagus and fried rice. Both ribeye steaks were cooked to the exact doneness. The size of the ribeye steak was pretty big. Luckily I was very hungry so I finished my steak. The asparagus was very delicious and the mashed potato was very delicious too. Our server, Elijah did an excellent job answering any questions and was very attentive to what we ordered. When the meals came in. He even asked to double check the doneness of the steak by cutting it right down the middle and it was cooked to perfection. I don't remember the last time I went to a steak restaurant other than my birthday, so it's very rare to go to a restaurant and order steak. So this was a large treat to me. The restaurant had a very nice atmosphere with the lighting dim and the music very soft. This restaurant was very busy luckily we just wanted a seating for two even though they asked if we had a reservation and we didn't so we got lucky.

Little Joe's steakhouse is conveniently located on Nimitz Highway across from City Mill…read more We went to this location several times and enjoy the food and service. This visit we came for a late Father's Day celebration. Of course we all ordered steak since this is a steakhouse! We made reservations and we're probably seated at 5 PM. Since we were here early, restaurant was not very crowded at that time, but did fill up pretty good while we were there. One thing that I don't like about Little Joe's steakhouse is that they have the music playing very loudly that it makes it difficult to have conversations over dinner and even give your order to your server. We ordered the filet mignon, ribeye steak, chicken tenders and had sides of potatoes au gratin, sautéed mushrooms, grilled asparagus, fried rice with steak, and garlic fries. The food is consistently good, but I was disappointed in my steak as I ordered the ribeye to be cooked medium, but the steak I received was well done. It was still tasty, but definitely overcooked. My dad ordered the filet mignon medium but it came back rare. This surprised me, because in the past, they've cooked their steaks consistently to order, but cooking a good steak to well done is a definite, no no. Our server, however, was excellent, prompt and very polite. Ambience 3 stars Food 3.5 stars Service 4 stars

JJ Niebuhr is formerly the "JJ" in what used to be JJ Dolan's up on Bethel a couple blocks up from…read moreBlack Shamrock...now known simply as J Dolan's, and still owned by JJ's former business partner, Danny Dolan. JJ was also the mastermind behind Dolan's famous pizza...the hook they devised to distinguish their Irish pub from that of their former boss and fellow Irishman, Don Murphy, owner of Murphy's across the street from Black Shamrock. When an opportunity to take over the former O'Toole's location opened up, JJ jumped at the chance, and split from Dolan's to hang his own shingle, now known as Black Shamrock. JJ bought his pizza expertise with him, and in my opinion, is now the best pie in town...plus his Duck drumsticks can't be missed, which aren't available at Dolan's. JJ, Danny Dolan, and Don Murphy are all still friends, so have no worries, Chinatown is still the place to go for St. Patrick's day because they're still joining together to sponsor the annual festivities...and of course Murphy's is still the place to go if you're looking for Corned Beef or Shepherd's Pie downed with Guinness...but if it's a New York slice you're looking for, there's no need to go up to Bethel anymore, just stumble across the street to Black Shamrock.

Sit down tables, bar tables, and bar seating available and normally readily open on arrival…read more Lots of food options like pizza and bar appetizers, with a variety of drinks available too. Pretty standard sit down bar, but service tends to always be a bit slow or snappy.