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    Moani Island Bistro & Bar

    4.3 (683 reviews)
    ModerateBars, Hawaiian
    Open 3:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

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    MOANI ISLAND BISTRO & BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Loud
    Live music

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    Recommended Reviews - Moani Island Bistro & Bar

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    Inside
    Eve R.

    Food was great. Music was great. Staff was great. No complaints. Our friends moved back home and we came here for some local food and it was perfect. We got the Kalbi ribs, pork chops and a loco moco, as well as the pork belly shrimp and wings for appetizers. Everyone's favorite was the pork chops!! The gravy was so yummy and the crispiness of the pork chops so good. Well balanced and I can't wait to order it again. The pork belly here is always a favorite between my boyfriend and I, all the flavors are so cohesive. The Kalbi was a little too charred for my liking but it was still good. Always love coming to moani's can't wait to be back soon

    Darbie V.

    We came here based on a suggestion from our hotel staff they said it was great "local food" we were interested and saw that they had fried rice on their menu so we were excited to try it. The vibes are good with live music but the music is LOUD so be prepared you have to talk pretty loud to hear the people at your table. The gluten free menu is available but it is limited. The server was fantastic about answering questions and honestly she was the best part of the meal. I ordered the edamame and shrimp fried rice my mom ordered the Caesar salad. The portions are LARGE plenty for 3-4 people to split let alone two. Caesar salad was standard and good from what my mom told me. Edamame- I probably would not order this again. It was fine, but I didn't love the seasoning blend on it personally there are other things I would be interested in trying. Shrimp fried rice- I was really excited to try this and I was really hoping that it would be excellent and it was OK. The shrimp was cooked well and the fried rice just felt like it needed some more butter and it was lacking some of the things that make fried rice, fried rice like a fried egg so overall not my favorite dish. The gluten-free menu was pretty limited on options for me to try so I would probably go to somewhere else to try and get fried rice in the future.

    Moani Caesar
    Gabriella D.

    Mediocre all around. The Garlic Butter Shrimp was by far the best thing we had; meanwhile, the "Crispy Calamari" was in fact soggy and the Kalbi was dry and bland. There's live music, which was loud but nice; other than that it was pretty empty and felt sterile inside. Service was slow, flaky, and didn't handle the shellfish allergy in our party well.

    Sonia V.

    Moani Bar & Grill at Ka Makana Ali'i is one of those spots that instantly feels like West Side pau hana energy -- live music, good vibes, and plates that hit the spot after a long day. The atmosphere is open, breezy, and always buzzing, especially when the band starts up. It's the kind of place where you can roll in with family, friends, or your whole canoe crew and feel right at home. The menu leans heavy on local comfort favorites appetizers, island‑style entrées, and cocktails that go down easy. Portions are solid, flavors are consistent, and the drinks come out fast even when the place is packed. Moani's happy hour is one of the best parts -- perfect for grabbing a drink before dinner or chilling after shopping. Based on current listings and typical offerings at Moani's Kapolei location, happy hour usually includes: Discounted signature cocktails, Beer specials, Reduced‑price pupus like wings, fries and more. Moani is known for its live music, featuring local artists almost nightly. It's lively but not overwhelming -- you can still talk story at your table without yelling. The crowd is a mix of families, couples, and groups celebrating something (because someone is always celebrating something at Moani). Moani Bar & Grill is a solid Kapolei pau hana spot -- good food, strong drinks, live music, and a happy hour that makes it easy to unwind without breaking the bank. If you're already cruising Ka Makana Ali'i, it's one of the best places to stop, chill, and enjoy the West Side vibe.

    Katherine S.

    Another fun night at Moani's! They had live music and karaoke tonight. The food is always great and tasty. Definitely never a let down in that department. The service can be a bit slow when the place is crowded but that's expected. If you haven't already tried this spot, it's definitely a local food fav of mines! Updated with photos of tonight's food.

    Dolan T.

    So my wife's cousin and his wife came to visit from the mainland so we decided to take them out to Moani's for dinner cause they get live entertainment and food is good and you know that if you like drinking the is the place cause the alcohol comes faster than the food

    Jasmine G.

    I just want to thank the staff for being so honest. I left my bag here a month ago opened and everything with my whole life in it. I got a call from a friend that my bag was found. I sincerely appreciate you guys.

    Derrick B.

    I wanted to try a new place and it's my birthday weekend so thought oh let's do it. Walked in without a reservation and was pleasantly surprised with immediate seating and live music! It was pretty busy and vibrant. Again, live music!! So exciting and my understanding is they do this every day. Can't wait to come back The food: family style and plentiful. We ordered two mains, a pupu, and a side. The chicken dish, kalbi, and Mac n cheese and calamari. All delicious and I don't have any notes to provide. Maybe if I had to say something negative would be the kalbi was a tab bit salty but delicious. I had a mango margarita which was also yummy. Service: I never had to worry about getting drunk refills. Prompt service and was checked on frequently with a smile. I totally recommend this spot and can't wait to return.

    Jam A.

    I love this place for the cocktails, their entertainment and their breakfast menu. Local grinds, local music, and ran by locals. They have two locations. This one is located in Kapolei. They have indoor and outdoor seating. They have live entertainment in the evening. They have a full bar. Full menu, breakfast and dinner.

    Calamari
    Fern K.

    It was my first time to this particular location as I've been to the Moani location at the International Marketplace, Waikiki a few times. Anywho, my nephew and his family were in town from Florida and staying at the Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa and I wanted to treat them to local food but with a flair! Moani totally answered that call, splendidly! The food was phenomenal and the service was fantastic! Unfortunately, the only thing that kinda turned us off a bit was the level of noise in the restaurant; albeit, there was live entertainment and at the time that I booked our reservation it was during "Pau Hana" time! Totally bad timing on my part but a wonderful experience! I give Moani Island Bistro & Bar my personal 5-Shaka rating!

    Son of a peach tea
    Brian S.

    This place was surprisingly good! We arrived a bit late, so missed the live entertainment, but the food seemed to be authentically Hawaiian and was super delicious. Absolutely try the fried rice, as we found it to be fantastic! We also had a few cocktails which were reasonably priced and very well made. Kudos!

    Margi T.

    First of all I overlooked sending my review for Moani Island Bistro back in Sept 2025 when my hubby, son and his girlfriend ate there for dinner. We just wanted to head out to the west side with no particular place in mind. We pulled in to Ka Makana Ali'i and decided to eat here. The place was pretty busy but the gentleman up front said a family of four is leaving soon so he'll let us have their table. We waited for a bit then got seated. It's a good thing our server Curtis M. shared that the plates are family-sized or else we would've each ordered a plate for ourselves. I believe we ordered the crispy calamari, smoked meat, garden salad, pulehu chicken, kalbi, and the Moani special fried rice. Yup, we had a spread and ended up taking home whatever we didn't eat. I didn't take pictures of everything but I did of only a few dishes. The room is one big open room so it is kind of loud but you can still have a conversation. There was a happy Hawaiian guy playing exceptional awesome music. Hubby had a bourbon that Curtis suggested and was happy with it. Lots of parking right out front too. We'll be back. Mahalo for a great evening.

    Fried Whole Fish - (sorry, had to sample before the pic)
    Chantal C.

    Girl brunch! (borderline just an early dessert w/ coffee) Ube french toast was soft, decadent, ube-ciously sweet - in a good way, and the star of brunch I was hoping the pancakes were made with mac nuts inside but it was only a topping. Sauce flavor on point *chefs kiss nonetheless! I always leave Moanis satisfied, full, & happy with leftovers. lol cheers (:

    Sizzling Kalbi, super good Pupu

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    Page 1 of 18

    Moani Island Bistro & Bar Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Moani Island Bistro & Bar

    What time is happy hour at Moani?

    Great question! It's M-F 3-5pm!

    Are children allowed?

    I recently was there and I was sitting across 4 well behave children ages 5-8 food was great had the Beef luau and Noodles mmmm enjoy. BTW The football games were on too

    Do they take reservations?

    Yea

    Is there Happy Hour at Moani's Kapolei?

    Monday - Friday from 3pm to 5pm

    Is there outdoor dining available?

    Yes

    Can you bring your own bottle of wine? And if so, what's the corkage fee?

    Yes it's a $25 fee

    Do they take reservations?

    To the best of my knowledge the one in Kapolei does not take reservations.

    What is the purpose of the 23+ only during those hours?

    Less immature humans

    At what time do they only allow the 23+ crowd?

    Tuesday, Friday & Saturday evenings after 10PM, unless otherwise noted for special events

    Is there live music ?? when?

    Yes every night. If you follow their instagram, they have a monthly calendar of who's playing which night

    Is the HH only on drinks? Or do they have a HH menu for food as well?

    Yes, they have Happy Hour pupus. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6_xkViBZlh/?igshid=1pkwg85a91mes

    Can kids go?

    Yes, I saw babies in there. It's not a rowdy type of bar.

    What time are they open to on Friday's? Their web page says 12pm...do they mean 12am?

    I checked their website and it was corrected to 12 AM.

    View All 19 Questions

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    Kapolei Karaoke and Escape

    Kapolei Karaoke and Escape

    3.8
    (193 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    The OG spot for Karaoke in Kapolei. Located upstairs and accessible via elevator or stairs…read more Service is pretty laid back. Best way to reserve is online. Rates are reasonable. My fave room is the large private area with its own entrance, it's right before the main entrance of the business. No food or drinks available for purchase but you can bring your own. I did notice some paper goods available for purchase, pretty smart. Selecting songs is done on your phone. Pretty simple and straight forward search system. Sound system is on point. Def a good place for celebrations and get togethers.

    Was really looking forward to coming here to have fun. We could not properly book online so we…read morewanted to see if we can walk-in. Their website says "call before you come" so I decided to call ahead but all calls went to voicemail. We decided to head in to see if it's available, and if not, we're gonna shoot for the next day. My group along with couple others and 1 person showed up waiting, peaking inside, trying all doors but nothing. Called the number on the door several times and nothing, every call went to voicemail once again. Then we find out owner is talking to the optometrist across the karaoke. Optometrist personnel tells a group to call the number on the door, the same number I have been calling all afternoon. And surprise! Owner picks up their call on the first try. I call again after they hang up to hopefully get a booking and calls went to voicemail again. At this point we just left. What kind of communication is this? You put contact information on your website, instagram, and your door and you nitpick which caller you're gonna answer? Communication in this business needs to improve drastically. This was a terrible experience.

    Photos
    Outside  It's on the second floor
    Outside It's on the second floor
    We #escaped the #BlackBeardsBrig and #Genie #EscapeRooms #KapoleiEscapeRoom! #DebutDanceDistrict @BryantCabrera
    We #escaped the #BlackBeardsBrig and #Genie #EscapeRooms #KapoleiEscapeRoom! #DebutDanceDistrict @BryantCabrera
    Hours

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    Moani Island Bistro & Bar - bars - Updated August 2026

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