The Alley Restaurant Bar & Grill

This is a restaurant that’s right inside a bowling alley. I was expecting sub-​par greasy burgers and maybe some bentos? But I got so much more. I’ve been here about three times now, and the porkchops with gravy are my favorite, The gravy for the porkchops is nothing like I’ve ever had… it tastes like BUTTER… like a big brown bowl of melted butter. Probably not very healthy, but it is so delicious, I could drink the stuff!
And then there’s their cakes. They have specialty cakes that you can buy by the slice or by the whole cake. I got the lemon crunch for a birthday once, and everyone loved it. The Pumpkin crunch is really good too.
Never had the chance to bowl here cuz it seems too busy, but the food wait is never too long :)

Been there a couple times… it’s okay. The turkey sandwich was good when I had it. The tasty chicken tasted like it was leftover and reheated in the microwave. Might taste better fresh? Not a fan of the Mac salad, but the fries are good and my friend liked her burger.

Honestly, who catches a public bus 50 minutes into the suburbs, to eat at an old, divey Bowling Alley? Me. That’s who.
While visiting the island last month, a friend & I jumped on a bus from Waikiki & made our way to Aiea late on a Wednesday afternoon. I had originally heard about this place a few months back, catching it on an episode of ‘Diners, Drive in’s & Dives’ while in Dubai for work. Famous for their huge array of tire-​sized cakes, mixed-​plates & Ox-​Tail Soup, we were sold hook, line & sinker.
The Alley Restaurant, located in the front area of Aiea Bowl is without question one of the most wonderfully ambient places I’ve ever walked into. Part dive, part 80’s retro time-​warp, The Alley feels like something out of a John Hughes Brat-​Pack film. With the ecoing sound of bowling balls being thrown onto polished floor, to the original worn-​out carpet, I adored everything about Aiea Bowl immediately.
After an expensive detour to the Waikele Premium Outlets, we walked in here just after 3pm, located a booth in the back & settled in. Having browsed the hundreds of photos already adorning Unilocal,I felt particularly confident in what I wanted to order. The Coca-​Cola Turkey Sandwich with Waffle-​cut Fries & the Combination Plate (Furikake Ahi & Boneless Kalbi) served with Mac Salad & Brown Rice. Our server, who was faultlessly helpful, also sold us on an order of the Spicy Shrimp after querying his favorite menu item. I’m a sucker for a recommendation.
The food arrived to our table one plate at a time, the Coca-​Cola Turkey Sandwich up first. It was difficult to know what to expect with this one, the flavour combination sounded confusing, if not intriguing & the plate itself gave nothing away. All I can say is that my expectations were far surpassed. The fries were without question the best I’ve ever had, which in itself was a high note, since I regularly steer away from ordering waffle-​cut fries. The Turkey Sandwich was utterly delicious; the turkey, moist & jam packed full of flavour. I can’t say what sort of flavour profile it drew from the Cola marinade but it certainly wasn’t what I expected. I’ll be back for this one for sure.
The Combination Plate with Furikake Ahi, Boneless Kalbi & Spicy Shrimp hit the table next. The sweet saltiness of the marinated Kalbi was melt in your mouth delicious, the Ahi beautifully seasoned, while the Spicy Shrimp was wonderfully saucy & hit all the write notes of being both spicy & sweet. All in all, it was a wonderful plate of thoughtfully prepared food & I loved it. I loved every part of it.
After all our plates had been cleared & the belly-​rubbing started, it unfortunately dawned on both my friend & I that we way too stuffed for desert. Not normally a problem, unless you’ve ever seen the desert cabinet at The Alley (which runs the entire length of the front counter), this was a travesty! Taking that into consideration, we made the wise decision to throw a few games between us & ultimately pick-​up some cake to-​go on our way out. Brilliant! We later chose the Lemon Crunch Cake which we enjoyed that night back at our hotel in Waikiki. It was majestic & it was glorious!
This place is absolutely worth travelling for & high on my priority list next time I visit the island. Everything about it is on point, from it’s service, food & overall charm. I just can’t recommend it highly enough.

We made a trip here because of the hype from the food shows. I got the coke turkey sandwich, my son the chicken fingers, my girlfriend got the oxtail and her son the fried pork chops. Everything was great, it met and exceeded expectations. I would gladly make another trip there. The only downside is parking, it could be a pain, but worth it.

Who would have thought there would be this amazing restaurant in a bowling alley? I haven’t had a main dish item BUT I have sampled their desserts at various occasions.
Let me tell you they are huge and so Good!!!
Lemon crunch cake their signature cake is a light spongy cake with a hint of frosting with toffee bits all over. I’ve only gotten pieces of cakes and they are pricey but worth it! My disappointment is I wanted more one piece was not enough. I recently tried the seasonal Pistachio crunch and it’s a winnah! The Pistachio flavor keeps you wanting more and it’s too bad I got the last piece if there was a whole cake I would have brought it.
Red Velvet cupcakes the frosting was creamy and not too sweet but cupcake was a little dry. If only the cupcake was moist than the cupcake would have been one of the best I’ve tasted.
Carrot cake is huge! The pairing of the moist carrot cake and the creamy frosting was incredible. I could not finish this one and saved it for later.
Blueberry scones here are super moist and not too sweet. Most places I go to actually have bits of cream cheese to add flavor and texture but even without the cream cheese their scones are filling and tasty.
I was in awe when I first saw the pumpkin crunch it was literally 2“x2“x2″ I was like I won’t be able to finish. But I did!
I heard the regular food items are really good. It’s always busy when I go there. Lots of people’s waiting to get seated or waiting for their take out. Let’s see what I’ll order the next time I’m there. And if you haven’t gone there yet it’s a place you need to go to soon.

Oxtail soup is the bomb! I’ll go out and say it – it’s THE best oxtail soup on the island! The soup is just dynamite, the whole shiitake mushroom are a nice touch, and I love that dipping sauce they have for the oxtails! I donut know what it is but it’s great to have that such in addition to the old school ginger+cilantro one.

This review is solely for the front service. Owner should think about getting a new hostess that understands restaurant flow. Came with my family which was large (14) nothing crazy. I said we are willing to spilt up the group if we can get earlier seating. We saw 6 parties sat before us who came after us… Uhhhhhh do you understand what splitting a group means. Dumb. I’ll probably just do the to go for now on to avoid the stupidity/​incompetency in the front.
We ended up getting Togo and sit outside because we didn’t want to wait an additional 30 on top of the hour+. We finally got our food 2 hours later. It started to rain and I went to the manager and asked if we can eat inside. No sense of urgency she said let me ask. We decided to screw them and just sit down. And 3 large tables still empty. Again straight incompetency, horrible service all around.

You may be thinking or looking on their Unilocal page saying to yourself. What it’s in a bowling alley?!
Well that answer is yes! This is a great comfort place to come eat and play with family or friends! When you choose to come here make sure to get their early cause after coming from the aloha stadium which was being held buy the flea market.
We ordered their famous oxtail soup and lemon crunch which was most changing to my life because it was the most divine thing that I had put in my mouth! The oxtail soup was just amazing and even the cake. Wanting you to order a whole cake for yourself!
Please go when you come visit the island!

Busy restaurant so you know they’re good. Neil got the famous oxtail soup. Broth was flavorful. Soup had just the right balance of meat and vegetables to fully satisfy neil’s oxtail craving. I wasn’t too sure what to order and was going in between ordering the fried pork chop or the fried chicken. ended up picking the chicken as neil said he wanted to try it. The chicken was crispy and tender drizzled with a sweet chili sauce. Yummy! We were going to order dessert but decided against it as our stomachs were too full to eat anything else. Next time will definitely make some space for the lemon crunch.

Usually service is really good, but this time we got seated in an area between the bowling & restaurant. I think our server forgot about us. We were served our food by another waitress before appetizers or drinks arrived. No one ever came back to refill drinks or ask we needed anything else.

To be honest I was wondering how a bowling alley with a restaurant could have such great reviews. So shocked that it was so good!
First we got the garlic fries. Normally i dont like shoestring that much, but wow these were yummy. Good portion size too! I got the Ahi tuna crusted with sesame with brown rice and Mac salad. Delicious. The fish was perfectly cooked and the sesame flavor was perfect. My friend got the kalbi and tasy chicken (fried chicken) and it was so good… I wish I got that! The portions are huge, a bit pricey, but you get your moneys worth.
The one thing I didn’t like is that for the desserts they didn’t list ingredients. We got the pumpkin pie and when I started eating it I questioned my friend what was in the crust and he said walnuts. I’m VERY allergic to walnuts. I wasn’t happy that that wasn’t listed on the ingredients especially since tree nuts are a big allergy for a lot of people. When I told our waiter, he didn’t offer to give us another pie without walnuts or anything so I was pretty disappointed with that.
So beware! The pumpkin pie was walnuts. Other than that the food itself was good.

I tried the shoyu pork. The portion of meat was substantial. It also came with mac salad, which I did not care for.
The hubby had Kalbi beef bowl. Despite being the bowl portion, it was a lot of food, even for a guy. He did not care for the mac salad as well. We put our heads together and believe it may be a «dressing» issue.
One complaint: way too loud in the venue. I could not hear myself think in there. So I suppose if all you do is eat and leave you will be fine, but I generally attempt to speak with those whom I am eating. No bueno.

I wrote a review for Aiea Bowl instead of the Alley, whoops!
This is a legit hole-​in-​the-​wall. Who would ever consider going to eat at a restaurant in a bowling alley, let alone assume it’ll be delicious?
The Alley is here to prove all y’all suckas wrong!
Huge selection of food but my go-​to is the combo plate with half Tasty Chicken (best chicken you will ever have… hands down) and short ribs. Comes with rice and Mac salad. Wash it down with a beer or fruit punch!
We also had the brownie with cream cheese among their many delectable desserts. They also have an oxtail soup that Mom enjoys, so something for everyone!
So damn good. I would consider this plate the best on the island. For the first time Triple D visited the right place!

The last time I came here was to fulfill my mom’s craving for some oxtail soup. Unfortunately, on the Sunday evening we had to wait 40 minutes for their oxtail soup, but it was well worth it. It’s not easy to please my mom when it comes to food, but she literally inhaled her bowl of oxtail soup. For me, because I’ve eaten their oxtail soup here a lot, I shared with my mom my ritual for eating oxtail soup.
Step 1: Deconstruct. The oxtail soup comes several pieces of dishes. There’s the main bowl with the soup sitting on top of a plate. Then there’s a moon-​shaped plate on top of the bowl with a mini portion cup filled with grated ginger and parsley. Then a second bowl with your choice of rice. Then a third bowl with the most tasty ponzu dipping sauce. Then a fourth bowl that’s empty to put your bones in. If you’re sitting at a table for two, your side will be completely covered with all these bowls.
Step 2: Dump. Ginger and parsley goes right in the soup.
Step 3: Debone. I use my chopsticks to get all the meat off the bone. The meat is so tender there’s no need to use a fork.
Step 4: Dunk. I don’t put all the rice in my soup. I just put a little rice on my spoon and dip it in the soup and scoop up a little meat.
Step 5: Dip. I’ll intermittently dip some oxtail meat in the ponzu sauce. It’s kind of zingy and citrusy.
The soup is so filling, I rarely have space for dessert. They have some really great desserts, especially their Crunch Cakes. I’ve had their lemon flavored Crunch Cake which seems to be their mainstay, but they also at times have strawberry, pistachio, and pumpkin (not all together). If I see a Crunch Cake in their refrigerated display case, I make it a point to take a slice to go.
I’ve had their regular plates, too, with their Tasty Chicken, garlic shrimp, kalbi, loco moco, hamburger steak, and furikake salmon. Never disappointed with these options, but I mainly stick with getting their oxtail soup.
Service here is good, but there are times I’ve waited 30 minutes or more just to get a table. If you end up getting a table in the bowling alley section, it will be hard to carry on a conversation because of all the noise from everyone bowling.

I first seen this place on the Food Network on an episode of Diners drive-​ins and dives. I remember the coca cola turkey was featured so I tried it today over a dry a$$ salad. I took a star off because they had two salad dressings, both I could not consume; nonetheless, the turkey was moist and sweet. The portion was huge for me, but I didn’t waste the protein.
I also took a bite of the pumpkin pie (hubby just had to have it) and regretted it later as it was topped with cool whip… however, it was still worth it, the cakes looked tempting but not for me. No glutenated hangovers for me. Overall, if you do not have food allergies, I recommend this place for the oxtail soup, coca cola turkey, and desserts. Also. The owner walked up to us asking how the food was, and I really loved they she did that because it shows she truly appreciates her customers.

Growing up in Aiea, it’s easy to overlook your own neighborhood when everything is so condensed in Honolulu. So when someone tells me that something is good and it happens to be in this exact area, skepticism follows. Cake from a bowling alley? That’s weird…
Now, I don’t have a lot of experience with oxtail soup, but I can tell you that The Alley’s was delicious. The oxtail meat was practically falling off the bone and the broth was flavorful. Shiitake mushrooms and peanuts were inside the broth too, but only a handful of each. It came with a small dish of ginger and parsley to add yourself and a side of ponzu for dipping.
The shrimp plate was also good. The waitress said that spicy isn’t too bad and even I could handle it… in fact, I think kids can handle this too. When you order plates, you can choose between white or brown rice (or do half and half) and mac salad or tossed salad.
Certainly the most famous items are their cakes — specifically, their lemon crunch cake. The cake itself is moist, filled with tart lemon curd in between each layer and topped with white frosting and what I assume is crushed toffee. In a backdrop of questionable rented shoes and grimmy bowling balls, this cake is the best decision you’ll make when you visit (if you like sweet stuff).
This is one of the few gems in a city that I don’t think a lot of people frequent, yet it does tend to be very busy — rightfully so. Their servers are accommodating and polite, they will always ask how you’re doing and filling waters.
So the next time someone suggests cake, I’ll be thinking of this bowling alley and why it makes so much sense.

I definitely come here especially for garlic crunch fries and ox tail soup. The prices are a little higher than your normal bowling alley food but the quality is definitely up there too. Other things my kids like to eat are the fried noodles and tasty chicken. Just had their portobella sandwich and its pretty standard but i enjoyed it. Bf had the furikake ahi salad, and for $ 15 it was lacking a lot. Pretty much all the desserts are to die for. And when you need the pick me up, they serve alcohol too. On weekend nights it can get packed so plan accordingly. Parking on the same level is limited but there is always parking downstairs or the level below that. The servers and wait staff are always busy but still have always given us good service. I just try not to come starving because whether if it’s take out or dine in the wait can be a while…

THE PARKING
Lot parking has never been a challenge for us despite our many visits here during peak lunch rush. Although the curbside stalls fronting the eatery are reserved for 20 minutes or less, there is ample parking available on all three levels of this concrete structure with stairs connecting each level.
THE ATMOSPHERE
For a restaurant located in a bowling alley, it’s a pretty decent space. Albeit a bit cramped on the restaurant’s entrance side of the establishment, the tables adjacent to the bowling alley open up into a spacious, laid back, understated dining space.
THE FOOD
The casual fare here has remained consistently good over the years. It’s a step well above diner food but not quite gourmet either. Although we haven’t had the pleasure of sampling everything on the menu, there is a wide range of selections available for every palate such as fresh-​made hand-​tossed pizza, local favorites like oxtail soup, hand-​formed hamburger patties for their hamburgers and hamburger steak plates, scratch-​made desserts, and garden crisp salads topped with several protein options… just to name a few.
For today’s lunch, my husband and I ordered two bowls of their famous oxtail soup for the first time. As it arrived to our table, I was immediately impressed by the stacked presentation. Not only was it piping hot, but it was accompanied by a generous bowl of white rice, their house-​made ponzu dipping sauce, an empty bowl identical in size to the rice bowl, an asymmetric shaped plate, and an Asian-​style soup spoon with a cleverly designed crook at the end to prevent it from sliding into the soup bowl.
When it comes to oxtail soup, I’m fortunate to be able to make it at home which means the broth is everything while the texture of the meat reigns secondary. To be fair though, enjoying oxtail soup at a restaurant means I don’t have to make it… so no complaints here! However, with that said, the broth here was just okay. Personally, I found it to lack a certain depth of flavor which slow simmered animal bone usually lends itself to. It also tasted like it was missing the collagen derived from slow simmered connective tissue which I particularly love for its health benefits.
As for the texture of the oxtail meat, it was soft yet at the same time, was not messy which is usually an indication of overcooking. At $ 14.95 per serving, the portion was acceptable and perhaps average for today’s standards. An interesting note though, I noticed that the actual size of the bone – which was conveniently cut into bite-​sized pieces – appear to be from a younger animal rather than an older calf. This may explain the well balance of fat to protein, in addition to the overall tenderness of the meat.
THE SERVICE
The staff are courteous and very hard working individuals. Despite the busyness, they are always friendly and accommodating. On this visit though, our server disappeared toward the end of our meal which caused a gap in attentiveness along with a confusion in wrapping up our bill.
Thank you Lyla D., Christa B., Steven U., Kathy A., Stephen H., Brian M., Nat N., Dave F. and Emi H. for reminding me about how good this place is.

Take out or dine in. The take out window is located outside of Aiea Bowl, and the restaurant is located inside. The restaurant inside gets really busy, so be sure to get yourself signed in. When you do, they’ll ask for your number and send you a text when a table is ready for you. If you’re not comfortable with that, they’ll call out your name. Listen up, because remember that it is a bowling alley and so it is on the noisy.
I have tried a number of things here, but I still like the tasty chicken the best. The chicken is fried and lightly seasoned with a sweet glaze on it. Much like garlic chicken, except without the garlic. And of course, the lemon crunch cake. So good. It has just the right amount of tartness and a little bit of sweetness from the «crunch». I’ve had lemon crunch cakes from other places before, but the balance has always been either overbearingly sweet or way too tart.

Went here for lunch with my friend at 11:00 a.m., and it was already super busy. Luckily, we got a table. We both got the oxtail soup, which was delicious… large bowl and pretty filling… came with homemade ponzu sauce. I would definitely come back here and order it again! The waitress was also super friendly and helpful. The lemon crunch cake is also the bomb! I would love to go back and try more things on the menu and more of the other desserts!

If you are not a bowler, you can still enjoy this bowling alley. This place is located in Aiea bowl. Very casual and friendly staff makes this place a great place to eat. I heard of their «tasty chicken» so I had to try it. It is their version of garlic chicken and it was good. Not too garlicky or spicy. If you are a cake and desert lover this place is a perfect place for you. I got to try their lemon crunch cake and their chocolate cake… Highly recommend the lemon one as it was ono! Price was a little above average, but for sure I am getting desert!

Do get the cake! Lemon crunch cake and strawberry shortcake. The toffee definitely adds the crunch and the cakes are super moist! Oxtail is really good, full of meat and really fatty!

Ok, we decided to go here and have dinner on this rainy night and eat fried noodles and their famous oxtail soup. I personally do not normally go for oxtail, but after seeing it on Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives on the Food Network years ago, I decided it was time to give it a try. This review isn’t about the food because the many reviews & the TV show lets the food speak for itself. This review was on the customer service.
Towards the ending half of our dinner, my girlfriend noticed a roach climbing on the wall in our booth. She grabbed her napkin and killed it. We brought it to the attention of our server (Mika…I hope I got the name correct) and she was super apologetic. We explained that the roach wasn’t in our food and it wasn’t a big deal but we wanted to just let her know. She immediately took it away & said she would bring it to someone’s attention. We didn’t think any more of the incident because hey, what restaurant doesn’t have a roach now and then. If it was in our food, then that would have been an issue but in this case it wasn’t. She came back & informed us that the oxtail was on the house and she would also kick in free desserts. We insisted that this wasn’t necessary, but she was insistent. We took her up on her offer & had a slice of lemon crunch cake & pumpkin crunch.
Mika was extremely pleasant when we first sat down till the end of our meal. It’s people like this that will have us coming back. Its hard to find people like this, and I hope The Alley recognizes her for her great Customer Service.

We came around 6 and parked upstairs. Not too busy around 3 tables occupied but there is a line for take out orders and lotsa people in front of the dessert display case.
We ordered the tasty chicken, Furikake ahi and Oxtail soup. Everything is tasty, good sized portions and food came out piping hot!
We are too full for dessert this time but we will be back soon.

Food is amazing. Her way Thursdays was fun. But the service in the restaurant couldn’t have been more rude. We had been seated with a party of 5, though one didn’t eat and was there just to bowl with us after. The waitress seemed annoyed that we were waiting for a lane but we assured her that we would finish our food before we cashed out. Then when we were about to pay, we asked to split our check and she again seemed very annoyed or upset that we needed the check split.
Other than the rude service, we will definitely be back. The food is ono. Everyone is always ordering their tasty chicken plate. I absolutely love the kalbi! Bowling is also fun after. Our cocktail waitress was very nice. They give lots of food too!

I’ve been to the bowling alley a few times but this was my first time at the restaurant! My dad and I went here for dessert because he’s always talked about how good their cakes are. I ordered a slice of their Lemon Crunch Cake and it was so good! It was a hefty slice full of lemony goodness and the perfect crunch topping. My dad ordered a slice of the Chocolate Insanity Cake. It was so rich and it was the perfect stop for dessert.
Despite the noise from the bowing alley and multiple TV’s on, it’s a casual and laid back atmosphere. I saw a lot of families here for their Saturday night dinner and I will be back to try their regular food items as well!

It seems rather ironic that I’ve lived on Oahu most of my life and have never had the famous Oxtail Soup here. Well, finally the day arrived when enough was enough: Suzy, a Las Vegas Unilocaler, checked in here.. Arg!!! She beat me to it! Hahaha!
Taking matters into my own hands on a rainy day, I made the drive over to Aiea Bowling Alley where this restaurant is located. Parking lot was full, so I went to the lower level and took the first open spot available, then walked up the steps… can’t miss it because of the sound of the bowling balls and pins in this «hole-​in-​the-​wall».
I was lucky to get the only open table. There are 6 booths lining 2 of the 4 walls. The front door is along one wall, and the counter with beautiful baked goods makes up the 4^th «wall». In the middle of the room, there are about 12 small tables — some are round but most are rectangular — that may be arranged to suit your party size. There was a constant stream of customers. Tables were full most of the time!
Service was quick and friendly. The stack of bowls for the $ 14.65 Oxtail Soup was impressive. One bowl was empty for discarding bones; one bowl contained ponzu sauce (I didn’t need the vinegary flavor); another bowl was full of rice; and the main bowl on the bottom was the soup and about 4 pieces of ox tail. In between the bowls was a platter with chopsticks, parsley, and soup spoon. Very cleverly engineered for efficiency and excellent use of space!
The meat was so tender — falling off the bone goodness! The broth was okay — not that much anise as stated in a previous review. There were a few peanuts and black mushrooms — could use more. I guess I’m spoiled by my mom’s version of Oxtail Soup — it can’t be beat, but it’s not served very often!
Since I was still a bit hungry, I ordered the famous Lemon Crunch Cake and the Pumpkin Crunch. The Pumpkin Crunch was like other ones I’ve had at friends’ homes — «normal». However, the Lemon Crunch Cake was OUTSTANDING! I don’t think that I would be able to make this. It was 3 layers of moist and spongy heaven! The tangy lemon curd between the layers really complemented the slightly sweet cake. The crumbled brown Heath Bar topping was a nice crunchy contrast to the soft yellow middle. WOW!!! Now I know why everyone talks about this dessert — mmm mmm!
When I come back for the Pulehu Steak, Furikaki Ahi, Deep Fried Pork Chops, Kalbi, or the Garlic Shrimp, I know I will have more Lemon Crunch Cake. No if, ands, or buts! I might even get some tiramisu, apple pie ala mode, and carrot cake — yum!!! Really looking forward to returning!!!

One word: delicious!!! It was my first time here with my family, food and service was awesome! I ordered the Tasty Chicken which tasted like garlic chicken to me, super crunchy! For dessert, I had a slice of the Oreo crumble pie filled with banana tart and peanut butter cream! Took a bite into it and I already knew I wanted another piece because one wouldn’t have been enough. The other pies looked so tempting too!
¹⁰⁄₁₀ recommend that you guys should go here for dinner :) prices aren’t too high, staff is friendly and welcoming, and food is just delicious!

Ya it’s a bit farther of a drive for us to go to Aiea, but it’s worth it!
I Love:
–Coca Cola turkey (so tasty, it’s a must try!)
I wish they offered that plate lunch style though. You can get it as a topper for salad, or in a sandwich. But I think it would be even better if it was offered with rice, scoop of mac salad and a dipping sauce or two.
–My husband is obsessed with the steak plate from here. It’s around $ 20 and you get two HUGE pieces drenched with sautéed mushrooms and onions. So juicy. What a deal.
–Their salmon ochazuke is super tasty and hits the spot on a cold night
–Their pizzas aren’t bad either!
–I like their crispy super thin fries, plus they have waffle fries too!
–The saimin… broth is tasty, they give tons of spam and kamaboko. It is only $ 6 and so satisfying
–Marshmallow blondie brownie… sinful
–Strawberry crunch cake…*swoon*
–and they offer brown rice which is also a plus.
We’ve been fortunate to have had pretty good service each time we’ve gone!
The only downfalls:
1.) The wait. They get so busy and don’t take reservations so we’ve always had to wait during peak dinner hours. But the bar is right there so you can just get a beer in the meantime.
2.) It is SUPER NOISY (like, ridiculously loud) but that can’t be helped since its in the bowling alley. Also kind of a tight squeeze when we bring the little one out since we need space for the stroller. The tables are super close together as the dining area is quite small. But other than that, we love The Alley!

Pretty good food but I wouldn’t come all the way out here for the food since I didn’t think it was extraordinary.
If you do come here be warned that the hostess might quote you a crazy wait time. We were told the wait was 50 minutes, however we got sat in 15 minutes instead. If the wait is too unbearable, the restaurant does have a take out counter where you can order and eat outside.
I got the tasty chicken and loco moco plate. They actually don’t list the prices on the combination plate since it varies depending on what your combination is. The combination plate does come with two scoops of rice (white or brown), mac salad or green salad. The mac salad is actually pretty good. I typically don’t order the mac salad (maybe I was traumatized by L&L) but this is probably one of the better mac salads I’ve had. If you do order the mac salad it is only one scoop. Also you can get one scoop brown and one scoop white rice (or hapa rice).
Now the tasty chicken. People rave about the tasty chicken but I thought it was just ok. Maybe I’m spoiled by the korean fried chicken we have in Los Angeles but I didn’t think the chicken here was that great. The loco moco was tasty and their gravy sauce is pretty finger licking good.
However, one thing all the reviewers were right about was the lemon crunch cake. This is freaking amazing. I wish we had something like this in Los Angeles because I would want it for my birthday cake every year. It is tart, but c’mon it’s lemon cake. What makes this cake really stand out is that crunch topping on the cake. Delicious! So come here for the cake and I guess you can have lunch with it.

There are very few places that i’d say was worth the wait for seating. This is definitely one of them. Usually when I hear that the wait is more than 10 – 15 minutes, I thank the host and walk out the door. But this place is worth it.
My family and I recently came here tired and hungry on my birthday night after checking out some Halloween haunted attractions. The place was packed, the wait was almost half an hour, but I didn’t want to go anywhere else. We took a menu and figured out what we wanted while we waited for seating. Once there, our waitress brought us water and was ready to take our order. She was super friendly and very attentive. She came often to refill our drinks and check on us. Needless to say, the food was superb. The furikake ahi was to die for! Our other items were the spicy poke bowl, loco moco, spicy shrimp, garlic chicken and boneless kalbi. Yummm! They cook their brown rice to perfection. I HAD to mention this because so many other places that offer this end up cooking it somewhat on the dry side. Not here and I appreciate that. Their house dressing is ono too! We were all more than satisfied. I then ordered a slice each of the Lemon Crunch Cake and the Chocolate Insanity. I ordered it to go because I knew we wouldn’t finish it there. When our server came back, she had the chocolate slice in a box, one empty box, and the slice of lemon crunch on a plate with a lit candle. She said «I know you said to go but I just had to put a candle on this one for your birthday.» They sang me the HBD song and I blew out my candle. What a way to go above and beyond for your customers. My only regret was that I forgot her name. The only thing I remember was that her bday was Oct. 10^th like mine. :0) Blame the kanak attack. That was a genuinely sweet gesture and it was a wonderful end to a wonderful birthday dinner!

Usually, we are a bit skeptical ofrestaurants that have been visited by Chef Guy Fieri as he has hyped up diners and dives across the Nation. Not only has the hype gotten the reviewed establishment more business (yay for more business) but when we have actually dined at said establishment, we’ve come away disappointed. However, The Alley Restaurant & Grill located in Aiea Bowl has renewed our confidence in Chef Fieri’s featured restaurants. This place is really LEGIT!
Of course, we expected the bowling alley atmosphere where you can hear bowling balls rolling down the alleys and the crashing of bowling pins being struck by the bowling balls. Phew, because of anti-​smoking laws within confined spaces, you won’t have to worry about your nose being assaulted with cigarette smoke. The restaurant itself is very casual and you can see people dressed in t-​shirts, shorts and «rubba slippas» to local business wear (no, you’re not going to see men wearing suits or jackets). Even the friendly and attentive waiters are dressed in retro black bowling shirts. There is a parking lot on the same level (3^rd) of the Aiea Shopping Center that is shared with Dirty Lickin’s (chicken wings) and El Charro Mexican restaurant.
What’s interesting about this restaurant is that the bowling alley was purchased by two brothers, Gregg and Glenn Uyeda. Glenn Uyeda is a seasoned and professional chef who has worked at Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin in NYC. He has elevated many local tastes to a casual sophistication and can often be found overseeing or actively working the «line» (sometimes their mother is there).
So, back to the food… we’ve come here several times and of course have tasted their «famous» Tasty Chicken (lightly battered and fried chicken tossed in a spicy/​sweet sauce), oxtail soup (served with grated ginger and lots of cilantro), deep fried pork chops, furikake ahi (they use fresh cut ahi), Pulehu steak (seasoned with Hawaiian salt & spices, grilled and topped with grilled onions & mushrooms) and many more of his menu items. We recently tried the boneless marinated Kalbi (shortribs finshed over charbroiler) and Suppa garlic shrimp (oh, yeah. garlic butter makes seafood taste good). All of the entrées have been tastebud smacking, presented well and served in good sized portions to its prices.
You surely can’t leave without having a slice of lemon, pumpkin or pistaschio crunch cakes. They also have «mile high» carrot cake and chocolate cake. As full as you are, these desserts are light as air and not overly sweet. The desserts are proudly displayed right in the dining area and you can order whole cakes or take out slices, too.
Around the back area of the restaurant, there is a full-​bar and the bartender is friendly and knowledgeable… sorry, I haven’t actually had an alcoholic drink here but I’ve seen many pass by us while dining and the patrons are happy with their selections.
Oh, while many of us are here for the food, the bowling alley is still very active. So, don’t be worried if you hear teams screaming with glee or disappointment, the rolling of bowling balls down wood alleys and the knocking of bowling pins. Besides, coming to the Alley Restaurant & Grill, is like getting a strike or bowling a perfect 300.
#415

I haven’t been to The Alley too often in my life, but I can always count on a good meal whenever I do go.
My latest visit was with a friend for a later dinner. It was a later dinner for him – around 8 p.m. – but I had already eaten, so I was going for dessert.
I love the tasty chicken from here, so it was really hard not to order more food! But I was intrigued by what my friend got, and I got to actually experience dessert from The Alley in the restaurant.
The eatery wasn’t as crowded as I thought it was going to be, for a Friday night. We were seated promptly and our food came out pretty quickly as well.
Here’s what we ordered:
«The Alley Mixed Plate»: You can choose any two of the following to create your own mixed plate: spicy shrimp, suppa garlic shrimp, tasty chicken, hamburger steak, furikake ahi, mahi mahi «Alley style,» loco moco or boneless kalbi. There are so many good choices; I know I would have a hard time just selecting two! My friend ended up with the tasty chicken and loco moco, and he opted for white rice and mac salad as his sides. I was really intrigued because I never saw that combo before — two of my favorite things! The tasty chicken was consistently good, as always, and the loco moco was flavorful and savory. My friend was really hungry and demolished his entire entrée, but he said everything tasted as delicious as he remembered it being (he got this entrée before).
«Chocolate Insanity Cake»: This has to be one of the richest, most decadent chocolate cakes I’ve ever had the pleasure of ordering. I went to the bakery display case before ordering my dessert to check out the pastries available, and I was torn between the «Chocolate Insanity Cake» and «Mama Miya’s Chocolate Cake,» which features rich chocolate cream layered between chocolate cake and enrobed with chocolate ganache. But the «Chocolate Insanity Cake» left a greater impression on me, based on looks alone — it looked a lot chocolatier and fudgier than «Mama Miya’s.» I was so glad I got this cake! The only thing that would have made it even better was a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cake itself was very moist and fudgy, and I savored every bite of the oozing chocolate that came between the layers. The cake itself was VERY sweet – and I have a high sweets tolerance – so that’s why I say ice cream would have been perfect to complement it. I would say that one of my favorite cakes is the «Big Mountain Chocolate Fudge Cake» from Black Angus, but this «Chocolate Insanity Cake» ranks right up there with it.

Under normal circumstances if someone asked me if I wanted to eat in a bowling alley, I would shade them and shade them hard. Typically bowling alley food consists of random bulk food served at restaurant prices and pitchers of beer, this my friends is no typical bowling alley food, but unless you just crawled out from under a rock, I’m pretty sure you already knew that.
Not surprisingly, there was a wait for seating even on a Saturday afternoon. We checked in with the hostess and were able to give her our cell phone number so she could text us once our table was available. Less than ten minutes later we were seated.
The menu is quite expansive. You can order everything from your typical bar food like pizza, fries, hotdogs, etc. to more restaurant type food like boneless kalbi, chicken katsu, loco moco and of course their famous ox tail soup and desserts.
I ordered the ox tail soup and added ramen noodles, and subbed a side salad in lieu of rice, and the husband ordered the loco moco with eggs over easy. I’ve seen a few reviews complaining about service but our server was attentive and checked on us multiple times while we were eating. My soup was delicious and the broth had a depth of flavor that made you know that it didn’t come from a can. It came with cilantro, ginger, a spicy dipping sauce for the ox tails and of course an extra bowl for the bones. I wasn’t able to even eat half of my bowl of soup before tapping out I was so full. My husband on the other hand was a member of the clean plate club.
We took a slice of the Mamma Mia Chocolate Cake to go and ate it for breakfast the following morning (because you know, that’s healthy). I’m a HUGE chocolate lover and have found lots of places can’t really master the chocolate layer type cake due to the fact that most often it becomes dry. This cake was the polar opposite of dry. I’m pretty sure it got the name «Mamma Mia» because at some time someone exclaimed «mamma mia!» after their first bite because this cake was heavenly. Had I known it was so good, I would NOT have shared it with my husband for breakfast or shared it period.
Needless to say we’ll definitely be back for food and definitely for desserts. But rest assured, this will remain the only bowling alley I’ll be eating at.

Crowded but always worth the wait! First time trying the shoyu pork, and it did not disappoint. Soft, tender, full of flavor, this is one dish to try!
I usually get the saimin, ochazuke, oxtail soup or fried noodles, all of which are super yummy and satisfying. Many times our running group comes here after a training run we are in the area, and we always find great carbs and proteins to refuel with here! The menu is fairly extensive, with a wonderful selection of local dishes, salads, sandwiches and burgers, and ono kine plate lunches.
Desserts are amazing; my favorite is the lemon crunch cake. I have heard that the scones are delicious too, that is, if you can get them before they run out!
Portions are very generous, service is usually pretty good, and prices are reasonable.
Now they have an efficient pager system where the take your cell number and text you when your table is ready. Employees are friendly and helpful when you have questions about the menu.
Overall, a really good place for some tasty local grinds. All of our friends from Japan love The Alley!

OMG, this place is awesome! They serve up delicious homestyle Hawaiian food with a smile.
Whether you stumble up on this place or stop by due to word of mouth, you know what I’m talking about…
I enjoyed their oxtail soup which came out from the kitchen in a tower!
My wife and family tried their tasty chicken, which is what they are known for… Guy Fieri also stopped by here and recommend it on his show.
Service was great, considering you’re in a bowling center… drinks were topped off and our server cleared plates as soon as they were empty.
I loved the atmosphere too.
The only issue I had was the parking as space is limited throughout Oahu. Luckily, I was meeting a party there, so we double parked/​tandem style!

It’s been a long time since I’ve been here but it was just as good as I remember. Maybe because it’s in not in my area that I’ve neglected this place but it was a great eating experience on my last recent visit. We went on a Sunday around mid afternoon and it wasn’t as busy so we were able to get seated right away for a table of 5 in a booth. It can get pretty busy as it is in a bowling alley so it’s pretty much a family orientated location especially on the weekends. I suggest you park downstairs to save the hassle of looking for parking in front. That’s always my go to trick whenever I’d come here to eat or go bowling.
Like everyone said on here, one of the most popular menu item to get is the TASTY CHICKEN. It’s also the award winning signature dish as per the restaurant. So of course I got the tasty chicken house salad as I didn’t want to eat heavily on my main dish since I was more looking forward to the dessert part. The chicken kind of reminded me of korean chicken with a hint of chili flakes. It really is tasty and delish! My boyfriend got The Alley Mix Plate where you can mix any two of the list they provided but depending on what you get will determine how much the plate will cost. He got the tasty chicken and boneless marinated kalbi which were all recommended dish items.
On to dessert, LEMON CRUNCH and APPLE PIE ALE MODE with ICE CREAM. TOOOOOO AWESOMELY DELICIOUS! Melt in your mouth, eyes roll back, so darn good kind of desserts. Approved by all of us 5 who devoured those desserts in a matter of seconds. These two desserts were recommended by our waitress so we got them both and added an extra ice cream scoop for our apple pie ale mode. Thank God we did because 1 scoop would not have been enough for us to share. Although the apple pie ale mode seem like it too forever to make, it was worth it in the end. I believe they quoted us on 15 min to prep but it actually took a little longer than that. But we were enjoying each others’ company so time flew by as we talked stories among ourselves.
The service was impressively very attentive that day. I was beginning to think if the busboys/​servers had anything to do as they literally came by about 10 times asking to refill the water which was awesome customer service but I felt that it was too many different people coming at our table in such a short amount asking the same question when at times we didn’t even touch our water. Our plates were cleared in a quick manner as well. But it was cool, better water service than other places I’ve been to.
Prices are not cheapest but you get what you pay for. It’s affordable and filling for the portions and quality you get for each dish. I haven’t had any complaints coming here so you know I’ll always be down to come back here anytime.

A decent place for dining in while at the bowling alley. Growing up in Hawaii, you always hear about their famed desserts– Lemon Crunch and Pumpkin Crunch cakes. I have liked both before, so was willing to try their diner part too.
I got the Oxtail Soup, which was good. Nothing blew me
away about it, but I suppose the ponzu dipping sauce was a nice touch. Their Tasty a Chicken plate reminded me
of Zippy’s Korean Fried Chicken or Garlic Chicken blend, which was good but not as special as I was hoping for.
The desserts were good though. So I probably wouldn’t order in for dinner again, unless starved while bowling. However, I will definitely keep ordering out their Lemon and Pumpkin Crunch cakes though!

Wanna bowl?
Not that kind of bowl, with pins and balls.
Meant da kine like hearty, tummy warming soup!
During last season’s DDD, Guy Fieri popped in here and featured this restaurant for two dishes. The one that pulled me in was the ox tail soup.
After picking up an arriving friend at the airport, we made this our late lunch destination. Remember coming here twenty years ago, but, being outvoted, I was not able to try the food that time. Fast forward to a recent weekday afternoon, we quickly parked and saw a short line at the takeout window.
Popping our heads in, the restaurant area was packed and there were two or three people waiting for a table. We put our name on the list and shortly waited as the late lunch crowd was finishing their meals. Seated near the cashier area, here’s what I tried:
Ox tail soup, shared (
) — Made in a hearty beefy broth, there were shiitake mushrooms and baby bok choy pieces in the soup. Didn’t need the dipping sauce which contained some ginger, this did not disappoint as the meat was off-​the-​bone tender and flavorful from the five spice seasoning.
Loco moco (
) — Looking at the photo, you’d have a hard time determining this dish, especially since my egg was sunnyside up. There is not shortage of gravy and the hamburger patty was beefy good. Add some Red Devil sauce or Tobasco to this bad boy and you’ll be nodding your head sideways.
Lemon crunch cake (
), to go — To Bay Area dwellers, you’d compare this to Blum’s back in the day. The crunch part is actually coffee candy and the lemon refers to the jelly filling and the sponge cake flavor. We shared this in the room a day or two later as we were in food coma from our main meal. Refrigerating it, the cake stayed moist and tasted fine.
By the time we left, the restaurant was only around half full. Our waitress was very kind and checked on us on a regular basis for drinks and water refills. The cashier dude was cool too and not the least bit surprised when I picked a cake slice to go. For a local, down home experience, this is definitely a nice option especially if you live or work in the area. Just avoid those prime time dining times and you’ll save the aggravation of having to wait for a table. Will be back… perhaps for one of their other signature dishes?!