Honolulu Beerworks

Great local beers. They don’t have a huge variety, but I’m always please with what I get. They also have great food, I love the Mac n Cheese and the soft pretzel. The salads are also good — big portions. This place has kind of an industrial vibe with outdoor seating. Great for large groups and bday parties!

Great place to grab a craft beer. In the heart of Kakaako and two blocks away from bevy.

My friends come here for the beer. I come here for the food. It’s a win-​win situation when I’m at Honolulu Beerworks. My friends are happy with the beer and I’m content with the food.
The pretzels are baked fresh and come out pipping hot to the table. The mustard is made from scratch and the cheese is laden with beer. The hoagie sandwich is one of a kind. I think it’s the house made coleslaw with red wine vinegar that makes the hoagie delicious. Although I’m not a beer connoisseur, my beer loving friends always say yes to Honolulu Beerworks when it comes to beer.

I came here the other day with my husband and three of our friends after hiking Wa’ahila Ridge Trail. As with most hikes, they’re made a million times better by rewarding yourself with a nice cold beer at the end. :)
We made good time from the hike, though finding parking even at a weird/​not very popular time (2 pm on a Saturday) was hellacious. We finally found street parking a few blocks over, thankfully it was free due to it being the weekend. Once we were inside Honolulu Beerworks, it wasn’t very crowded at all — maybe three or four tables occupied — so we were seated and assisted quickly.
First of all, five stars for the atmosphere. I loved it. A little warehouse-​style brewhouse with wooden walls, a garage door that opens up in the front and makes it have an open air feel, high ceilings… it was super casual but nice with all of the fresh air and the cool breeze blowing through. We are all about microbreweries and craft beer, so the actual restaurant appealed to those preferences.
The beer prices were pretty normal, especially for it all being local. If you want a Heineken or Bud Light, you’re not going to find one here. They ONLY sell their beers. We didn’t expect any less, so that was fine for us. The tasters for a flight were mostly $ 2 a pop besides specialty beers (those were $ 3.50), so it’s relatively inexpensive to try all of their offerings. I think, if my math was correct, it would have been $ 22 for a sample of every beer they had that day. We picked five to try… unfortunately, we really didn’t like any of their beers. Some (most) of them were consumable in 4 oz form, but we couldn’t justify getting a full glass of any of the ones that we tried.
My husband did, however, like their specialty — their pineapple sour beer. My husband LOVES sours. I hate them. We BOTH reaaaaally liked this one. He wanted a growler of it, but they were adamant about not selling him one. He even offered to buy however many 13 oz glasses at full price to fill a growler himself and the waiter said that he wasn’t allowed. I don’t know if that’s because it WAS a special beer or what? I obviously have no experience in managing a microbrewery, so I couldn’t even begin to deduce why they wouldn’t allow a paying customer to have a growler full of their favorite beer whether it’s a seasonal or not. From a customer standpoint, it’s quite frankly stupid. We didn’t really get an explanation besides «we can’t do that» so it being a ridiculous rule that makes no sense is kind of the best conclusion I can draw with such a vague reason. Whatever. It probably would have been close to $ 50 to fill that growler, and not only were we were willing to pay, but my husband probably would have bought two… oh well, their loss.
That was the first upset; the second one was the food. The lunch menu was super small, not many options, and almost everything seemed to try and aim towards healthy — salads and sandwiches. Not really «beer drinking food,» but then again, it was lunch time and we had just finished a hike, so I guess it was sort of a blessing in disguise. I went with the special, a turkey bacon club on a croissant, which was good. I ordered no tomato and… of course, I got tomato. That was a bit upsetting as the croissant soaked up the tomato juice and the taste lingered. Their house made kettle chips were good, as was the beer pickled pickle. One other guy ordered the special and complained once he was finished that the sandwich was way too small and that he was still hungry; the rest of the party ordered the Italian hoagie, and while they liked it, they all complained that there was just TOO much bread, not enough meat. One guy didn’t even finish his because he was tired of just eating bread, so the guy that was still hungry took it.
Overall, we were incredibly underwhelmed by the food, not impressed with the beer, and super disappointed over the growler situation. I’d be willing to return in the future for dinner and try some things off of that menu, maybe give a few more beers a shot; we know they make a killer sour, so I haven’t totally written this place off just yet. In the meantime, however, I’d rather stick to Kona Brewing Co. if it’s convenient, or I’ll just go to Real if I’m near the Ward area.

Exactly like the brewery’s on the West coast, Honolulu beer works takes all the goods and makes them their own in paradise.
Beer Selection: Their craft brews are state of the art. There wasn’t a beer I had that night that I didn’t enjoy. Their Cooke Street beer was amazing and so was their stout. They always have rotational beers, but they’re a little bit more expensive.
Parking: It sucks. I don’t know where to park. I parked out front and didn’t get a ticket. I can’t promise this will work every time.
Food: The Italian sub was a good-​sized portion, but the chips kind’ve sucked. It’s not a huge menu, but they offer a good amount of tasty food and appetizers to satiate the beer munchies.
Corn hole on the outdoor patio and televisions make for a great atmosphere. The beer makes the place a great time. The waitstaff are helpful and bring beers out quickly.
I definitely recommend!

Great pub for lunch or dinner. Nice thing is the menu changes between the two and it’s short; making a food selection simple. The beer choices are much longer by comparison and include a quite a few local brews.
The Italian Hoagie is great for either lunch or dinner, but for dinner I have to recommend their macaroni and cheese as one of the best in the island.
Plenty of free street parking nearby and a nice walk from Ala Moana park.

The beer has become refined and delicious. Stouts and IPA’s have really elevated over the past year. Really firing on all cylinders on the beer side, need some additional low brow bar food items on the menu though.

This place is awesome! It’s got a nice backyard kinda atmosphere… chill and laid back! Food is always on point… my favorite is the Salmon Salad Sandwich on a Taro Roll! So good… Come check’um out!

Stopped in Saturday morning while waiting for my Oil to be changed at Cutter Jeep. Had the tasty new Hoppy Saison and a Reuben sandwich while reading a book. Both were splendid!!!
The open air feel really makes this place special. The gentle cross breeze reminds me of Wisconsin on the border between summer and fall.
The staff is all fantastic and all the servers talk to you whether they are waiting on you or not. For sure one of the gems on the island!

Stopped in after landing at the airport to avoid traffic on the way home. Beer was good. We did a bunch of tasters for $ 2 each. Food was pretty good as well. We had the Mac and cheese and sliders. Service was great. The waitress was extremely friendly. We’d definitely stop by again.

My wife and I came here on a recommendation from a craft beer enthusiast and we were not disappointed. Honolulu Beerworks is a great little establishment that serves up some delicious beers. Since we were visiting, we split two flights to try as much as we possibly could and there wasn’t a single disappointment in the lot. My favorite was the Pia Mahi’ai saison.
Honolulu Beerworks also serves food. I had the Italian Hoagie, which was great. The lunch menu was a little light on options (4 salads and 5 sandwiches) but the fare all seemed light enough to not stuff you to full to drink beer, which is why you probably come here in the first place. The staff was really helpful with suggestions and very friendly overall.
If you’re a craft beer nerd and find yourself in Oahu, this place should certainly be on your list.

On a vacation to Hawaii, we ventured out to Honolulu beer works, which is slightly outside of the super touristy Waikiki area. You can definitely take a pretty quick Über or a really long walk. We did half and half, and walked here from the large mall not to far away, then Ubered back to our hotel after we drank all the beers.
Speaking of, their beer list is just right — About 10 taps or so. We were able to split a flight of everything they had to offer (2 flights worth), which included a guest beer as well.
It was lunch time, so we also had a bit to eat. They have sandwiches and salads, nothing too exciting there. It was food.
All the beers were very pleasant. In particular, I was a fan of the Makakilo Brown Ale (I’m a fan of most browns though). We also had an attentive, helpful server. They also have a great selection of tees, tanks, hats etc. if that’s your thing. Our server sent us home with 4 fresh coasters (upon request) as well. Yay for free souvenirs.
Much like most of Hawaii, this place had an open-​air indoor/​outdoor feel as well as an outdoor patio.
Highly recommended for craft beer aficionados visiting/​residing in Honolulu.

Beerworks have made improvements!
I’m glad it has. I really am. I don’t mean to give 2 stars to a place to be mean spirited.
The beer menu actually has an explanation of the beers they have and talk about what’s in it. Great! They didn’t have that before. Not everyone knows a whole lot about beer, so it’s nice to have an idea of what you are getting.
There is a Big Ass Fan in the room now, so it’s nice and cool! Really, it’s the company name and it works great! I remember sweating so much the last time, I swore never to come back. I’m glad they got the temperature under control.
I tried the stout that had a hint of bourbon. It was really good. I wish I could have tried more, but I had a dinner to go to, so I only had time for one beer. No whiskey though, but that’s not their bag. I would be thrilled for a whiskey flight.

This place has it in a land of mediocre food/​beer choices. Amazing beer, fantastically fresh salads, beautiful layout (keg Christmas tree!), and super friendly staff. I bought a sticker (BEER I) that is a play off of HE I… to give you an idea. Good place to go outside of touristy Waikiki, Asian massage parlorville, and desolate residential areas. Will always be going here when on Oahu.

Honolulu Beerworks is right next to BOCA and serves fantastic beer and grindz. I got the chance to eat here with a couple of my associates.
I’m not much of a beer drinker so I tried the 4oz taster Farmers Beer along with their Italian Hoagie. It was a very good combo!
The atmosphere is very laid back and the service was friendly. We will be back!

Update December 2015: Tried the pastrami on marbled rye. Very good. Pastrami is moist and lean but has enough fat for taste. Neither the rye nor the saurkraut or Russian dressing are overwhelming. It all works in harmony. We also had the Greek salad. Fresh, with local greens and a variety of other items. I did not care for the lemon vinaigrette, but that’s simply a matter of personal taste.
Original review: I’m a non-​beer drinker who recommends that you try the food here. We’ve gotten lunch several times. The lunch menu is short and a bit different than dinner (a few sandwiches and salads), but there’s something for meat-​eaters, fish lovers, and vegetarians. There’s also a daily special.
The portions are large. I love the Italian Hoagie — ham, salami, capicola, provolone, tomatoes, lettuce, and onion with a red wine vinaigrette as sub dressing. It’s a cured-​meat fest, so you are getting more than a few miligrams of sodium. (Hopefully my doctor doesn’t read this.) One taste, and you’re transported to New York or Chicago. The vinaigrette enhances the flavor and is applied carefully so the delicious French roll doesn’t get soggy. It comes with house-​made crinkle-​cut fries that are thick and crunchy. It also comes with a beer-​soaked pickle spear. I love pickles but I don’t like beer, and to me, the pickle has a strong beer taste.
We recently tried the Carolina pulled pork special. Carolina BBQ tends to be vinegar-​based, rather than the sweet, smoky flavors of the West. The meat was good, moist and tender. The coleslaw was also vinegar as opposed to mayonnaise, and was fresh. They are very accommodating, cutting the pulled pork in half and for me, replacing the coleslaw with a salad of fresh local greens and fresh dressing.
Lunch is fairly quiet, but I hear dinner is busy. My beer-​drinking friends say they have one of the best selections around. The 19, 20, 42, 55,56,57, and 57A buses stop close by.

Pretty good beer and good food options too
FOOD & DRINKS
Let’s talk about the beer first. It’s good! And, I don’t even like beer that much. ;)
Theres several types of beer offered, and usually a seasonal offering. There is definitely something for everyone. And if you can’t decide (like me) there are 4oz. tasters.
The food is also solid. It’s not a long menu, but they do a good job with the food they make. I LOVE the pretzel sticks and mustard. My friend go the pork sliders, and they looked good, but her one suggestion was to heat up those buns next time.
SPACE & SERVICE
I love the space here. It’s big and open and there’s indoor and outdoor seating. There’s lots of art up on the walls — it’s great! The vibe is really chill and friendly for a bar/​brewery. It’s family friendly and a great place to unwind.
The service is good too. The staff all know about the brews, and can make great suggestions.
PRICE
When you can get tipsy on $ 4 worth of beer, the price is good!

Love the open feel to the place and the beers are beautiful to behold and drink. I wish I could give the place 5 stars but two things prohibit that.
First there is NO WHERE to park for this business. The surrounding streets are lined with «no parking» signs and cops are writing tickets left and right.
Second, very limited evening menu.

We love this place. Love the beer. Food is pretty good too, but the menu is a bit limited for vegetarians. We ordered everything a vegetarian can do: mac and cheese, nuts, the cranberry, gorgonzola salad, the pretzel sticks. All really tasty.
As for the beers, I love the Cooke St. ESB. Had never tried an ESB before but after trying theirs, I would rank ESB as one of my favorite beers and have now tried several around town.
We have tried all of their beers and whenever there is something new we give it a go. If you don’t want to commit to a particular beer style, get the small tester tray where you can try up to six beers. I often start this way and then get a pint of the ESB. My husband usually goes for the Saison (Farmhouse Ale) and an IPA, of which there are generally many to choose from.
Interestingly, we have never seen a wheat beer on their menu.
Parking is usually pretty easy but you may be walking a few blocks.
Looking forward to our next visit.

Beer is my favorite alcoholic beverage and honestly, I want to drop my current career and be a cicerone. master cicerone in particular. As a beer enthusiast, I love how the beer/​bar scene has been coming around over the past few years in Hawaii.
I have heard much about this place but never had the chance to check it out until recently. My friends and I went there on a Saturday night ad it was quite busy when we got there around 11 PM. (They close at midnight). The beers are listed on the chalkboard and if you are unsure about their beer, their menu will describe it for you. I chose their IPA which was simply ok but something I wouldn’t run to the bar for. I also tried their berry saison which wasn’t bad. l was hoping for some berry-​ness to it. It had a lot of fruity notes to it but I couldn’t pin point which fruit/​berries were used.
I really liked the look and feel of the bar. I love how it was open air and felt as if I was drinking at a friend’s house vs a bar. I wound’t mind trying this place again and buying a flight just to see how good this brewery is overall.