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Categories: Hawaiian, American (Traditional), Seafood, Steakhouses [Edit]
2335 Kalakaua AveChili's® Grill & Bar is as bold and flavorful as the food it serves. The energetic, fun atmosphere makes it the perfect spot for a... more »
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The #1 reason why you should go to Duke's is because it is Waikiki's infamous and legendary barefoot beach bar! This place is almost always busy and packed with tourists and locals alike. The atmosphere is everything you'd expect from a sand-friendly beach bar with amazing views.
If you're expecting great food, you'll be disappointed! For instance, I've had some the worst (and priciest) nachos ever at Duke's. To be fair, many of Duke's menu items are not spectacular but just - alright. Note: The drink portions tend to be on the stingy side.
That being said, the atmosphere and beauty of this place make it a nice date spot for pupus and drinks if you're in Waikiki and happen to be looking for such a place.
I have two reviews: Dinner & Bar..
Dinner:
Had the Miso Salmon - so yummy. Prices reasonable - most dishes around $12 and $26 (for certain fish dishes & steak) was probably the most expensive plate. It comes w/ the salad bar which was good & fresh, except they didn't have any cheese. :(. Gets super packed and sometimes a long wait, but ours was 20 minutes. I think we just missed the dinner rush. Casual clothes - no need to dress up. They sat us in the interior so we didn't have the view of the ocean, but we enjoyed it all the same.
Bar:
Dukes + drinks + super cool bartenders + view of the ocean at dusk = good times!
My girls & I started imbibing from dusk till dawn; sat at two different bars on 2 separate days and were probably the only ones left with bikini's on as the PG-13/family crowd started to roll in for dinner. Oh well, this is Hawaii. I'm on vacation bitch, and bikini's are as good as being dressed here anyway! lol. Live music is nice - we really liked the reggae guy.
Had a blast with the staff - all fun people who were entertained by our shenanigans but were also equally entertaining. They kept the drinks flowing and we kept the laughs going. They even made fun monsters and decorations on our cups with the garnishes. I got a free hula pie for my birthday and it was delish - they even got all the bartenders to sing to me. I guess it helps when you're a group of hot chicks who know how to have the most fun of anyone in the joint! One last thing..you MUST..I repeat...MUST try the tuna melt at the bar. Best damn tuna melt EVER. Wear the orchid garnish in your hair when you're all done like I did! haha
Really good food. I was a little leery going there, since even though I'm third generation of living 5 minutes from Waikiki, we never go there simply out of habit of assuming it's mostly touristy & overpriced.
However, we were pleasantly surprised. It wasn't hokey, the service was wonderful (our waiter, a local boy, laughed when we told him our Waikiki-phobia), & I couldn't stop eating those damn fries, they were so delicious. I also liked that they serve our local beers on tap. The rest of the food was wonderful as well, even those foo-foo drinks with the umbrellas.
A little pricey for every day, but a wonderful treat when we're entertaining people from the mainland.
I really wanted to give this place 5 stars becaues the food and atmosphere are awesome... until I went to the restroom where I see an employee come out of the stall and walk out of the bathroom without washing his hands. As a good yelper I follow him on his way out to see where he goes, which is straight into the kitchen. Yuk.
Now on to the food....the ribs and chicken were really good and we loved the salad bar. Drinks were good and the staff was friendly and fast.
I love Duke's!!!
I love this place and come here tons when I am in town. Named after the Godfather of surf, Duke's is laid back, fun, and really is the best spot on Waikiki. It is in the heart of the action, the food is good, and the drinks are the best. Get the Lavaflow, a pina colada with strawberries. This place is fun to grab a bite after surfing or sunbathing or whatevering. It is also a great stop-off during the night for drinks and their super good live music.
Honestly evryone knows that Duke's is great. Its right on the beach, the views are beautiful especially at sunset. The restaurant always serves delicious food, and specialises in fresh seafood dishes.
But thats not my fave part. Connected to the restaurant is the open air bar and grill. You can wear your bikini and slippas right up to the bar and order a drink like you own the place. Their mai tai's are amazing. My fave dish is their version of a beef dip. Its prime rib and thick cut cheddar on rye. Omg its so yummy. And to finish it with their Kahlua Pie is off the hook. I miss my homeland just thinking about it.
I bumped them up half a star for the view, otherwise I'd do 3.5 Came here for dinner and waited around 20 minutes for a table on the patio. Everyone and their mother comes here so if you don't have reservations be prepared to wait. Service was good and the food was okay. Had the burger, bf had the teriyaki chicken sandwich, and we shared a basket of waffle fries. Also had the lava flow drink (good but super sweet) and the hula pie, which I loved but bf was indifferent on. Overall it was nice to relax with a drink and take in the beach scenery all around you.
Our waiter was HIGH the entire time he served us. Thank goodness he was out of it because our little group wasn't exactly well-behaved. Perhaps it gets a little more wild (and accepting of crazy behavior) later in the evening. The fact that there were a lot of families and not many young people was kind of a turn off. But the food was decent (so were the drinks) and the view fantastic.
And can't beat the location...
Dukes is a fun place to eat when vacationing in Hawaii. Their Breakfast Buffet is the best! Its a nice place to eat and enjoy the ocean scenery while chomping down on a Hula Pie for dessert. I highly Recommend it. The atmosphere makes it a memorable experience. Been there over 10 times and never been disappointed.
The view is nice, but not as nice as their Kauai location. The restaurant would benefit from acoustic consideration as it is always packed (reservations thus recommended strongly) and always loud.
Dinner overall is okay, but not spectacular. I always order the seven spiced ahi or shrimp scampi (which is creamy not buttery like other folks tend to like to do). Their entrees come with an all-you-can-eat salad bar.
The salad bar is unsurpassed. I haven't seen any salad bar on Oahu or Kauai in a restaurant that can compete with this one, due to their wide selection, freshness, quantity, but mainly because of their Caesar salad. Their Caesar dressing is flavorful and THICK; I've never found anything like it anywhere else. Sometimes I brave the Waikiki madness just for this dressing. I am dying to know their recipe.
I finally tried their breakfast buffet over the weekend and was a little disappointed. I had to ask for shoyu! Although I loved the all-you-can-eat bacon, their tea selection was limited to Lipton (this is enough to knock a breakfast place down a few stars on its own). Their orange juice lacked a taste of freshness and was rather watery and probably previously frozen, and despite juices being all-you-can-drink, I was never offered a second glass. Their bread pudding was so sweet I almost got diabetes. The rest of their offerings were good, but not memorable. There was nothing, except sheer quantity, that separated this buffet from a breakfast you could find at any of the adjacent hotels. In fact, the next day I had a conference breakfast at the Moana hotel, which although lacking the all-you-can-eat bacon was better overall.
Their Hula Pie is good, but I swear the slices have gotten smaller over the years.
I tried their fish tacos at their Kauai location years ago during Happy Hour when they were $2 for 2. Even Uncle's at Pier 38 couldn't beat the flavor...or the price. I'd be willing to try them here, even at regular price, but I've never stuck around for Happy Hour as hoards of drunk tourists isn't my scene.
Everything is great. Staff, food, drinks. My favorite place in Waikiki. It gets crowded though, so be forewarned, if you don't like crowded places, this isn't for you! Get the tropical itch if you want a free back scratcher. Im not into foo foo drinks, but the wife liked the 2nd captain, a lot.
The location makes the place!
If you are a snotty, uneducated tourist, this is the spot for you! If you are looking to get mediocre food, mediocre drinks and mediocre service, then this is also the place for you!
I didn't go to Hawaii to eat the same kind of food that I can get back home and pay 5 times for the same shit! No Siree!
I went here on a night when there was a slight rain out.. by the time we left there was a virtual hurricane... the (@#)!*#() ??? Still it was pretty cool to sit on the deck and enjoy some cocktails... we had gone to some other hotel and watched a silly show "that everyone raved about"... forgot the name, however it's not important. Regardless, Dukes is good times.
I just could not get enough of their fish taco's. I don't even like fish taco's I had them three times and only stayed four night at the outrigger. This place is a fun time too. Apparently it is one the few places in the area that have not changed in the last 30 years. The prices are a bit high, but it is a fun place to stay and a fun place to hang out and drink too.
I love the snotty, uneducated tourist comment by Dani S.... Too funny, sounds extremely snooty to me. There is nothing snooty about Dukes.
This place has nice service and the decor is cooL. The restaraunt view is fabulous, its looks out to waikiki beach. Birds are like visitors to your table at times too... :/ There was live music played but we didn't sit close enough to see them. The food is okay. it isn't the best but its okay. THe salad bar is all you can eat. My friend thought the salad bar was better than the main course.. :/ I thought the same as well. The Hulu Desert Ice was YuM! I would recommend it to try but its easy to pass up this place.
Pros: Ambiance, Service, View
Cons: Food could be better, Price
We had an informal "hangout" here 2 days before our wedding. We expected 30-60 people show up and Dante helped us arrange an area that could grow if more people showed up. We were right on the beach and could easily walk onto the sand to watch the sunset. Our server was amazing (Malia?) and she took care of all of us; separating tabs and finding us when we moved to another seat. The food was decent and the fish tacos were supposedly the fave in our group. The Mai Tai's are addictive and deceivingly strong so beware!
Not my kinda place... we like to go chill and have a drink but its sad when you have to hope you get ok service when you are young and brown ... i wasnt impressed by the food or drinks at all for the price and the crowd is just loud drunk fratty boys...or older folks who look at us like we are out of place ....not for me ;-) GO upstairs to HULA GRILL ..they are super nice and food is killer ;-) .drinks too! i had a nice lemonade with basil and vodka yum!
Great place for happy hour or fu-fu drinks. :) We often stay at the Moana Surfrider or Royal Hawaiian (which is good turned horrible), so this place was a great choice for late night dinners because it was a easy walk. For some reason many restaurants are closed earlier (island mentality) than we would like, even in a touristy town of Honolulu. So...it's nice to have a place that's open until relatively late...
Chicken wings are a safe bet, their nachos are piled high and quite popular too! The view is awesome and crowd is lively. We've also had good luck with the service.
Not too shabby for a late night snack. :)
My favorite place for a good dinner, because i can order my favorite fish and my hubby can go to the salad bar thats comes with my favorite meal.
Because im not a salad person.
Duke's sits on the heart of Waikiki beach. You can walk out of the pacific and into the bar in about 25 yards. I'm not sure they'll let you, but it is physically possible.
That's probably the #1 reason why people go there.
#2 would be food that's better than it needs to be given reason #1. Most of the fare leans toward the crowd-pleasing island pub grub: ahi, mahi mahi, shrimp, beef. There's also a fine breakfast buffet. It's not as good as the Hula Grill upstairs, but it's also hard to complain about.
The drinks are well mixed and potent (Duke's bartenders seem like they were born with rum bottles clenched in each hand), and the afternoon crowds are lively and fun.
Like everywhere in Waikiki, it seems to have some of the air sucked out after dark, but until then, Duke's is a great place to watch the sun go down.
This is a definite tourist spot, so please make reservations.
I order the fish of the day, I think it sounded something like opu. It was prepared duke style which is baked in butter and garlic. For drink I ordered a mango martini. The fish was tasty but I've had better.
+1 great atmosphere. Sunset. Hawaiian themed. Live band.
+1 great service. The hostesses, our server, and bartender were very hospitable. Our food came out fast too.
+1 great presentation of the food with flowers and backscratchers and unlimited salad bar with every entree
-1 food was Meh. It looked alot better than it tasted. Drink was 90%mango sweetener, I felt like I was drinking syrup.
-1 overpriced and overrated.
This is a place that u should try once.
We went to Dukes for our 1st mean in Hawaii. The food was excelent, the waitstaff was amazing. Their salad bar is CRAZY!!! so good.
we did however get overcharged $50 (long story w/ a gift card and a credit card) They did fix the issue, but it took over a week for them to admit they messed up. I think good customer service would have refunded the $50 right away. But they tried very hard at 1st to say I owed them that $50.
Go eat here, but pay cash.
We didn't get a chance to eat here but stopped by for a drink - which is a must! The staff is really great, and so fast! Drinks were yummy too! Plus they have a great outdoor patio that goes right into the beach! Loved the ambiance.
Mediocre food, but great views! They also have delicious lava flows (cocktails). Go for the drinks and just to lounge around.
Right in the heart of Waikiki, the restaurant sits on Waikiki Beach facing Diamond Head and is walking distance from the International Market Place. The view is phenomenal during the day for people-watching or in the evening when the sun is setting. The environment is toursity and always packed.
Customer service is friendly, however, very scarce considering how many tables and guests each waiter has to serve!
Ate here twice on my recent trip in early October. First time the waiter was accommodating enough to let us order from the bar menu (mahi sandwich, burgers all very good) in the dining room because we wanted something simpler and with 2 tired teens didn't want to sit in a loud bar. Second time we ate off the dinner menu. Great salad bar! Fish, and prime rib were cooked just right. Of all the meals my mom said this was the best fish (so she would say this is rest. is a 4). I think it says it all that we went twice, would recommend if you want good solid food and don't mind the service which wasn't great (just a busy place).
Tip: When you make a reservation they will make you wait an additional 15 minutes after your reserved time, even when your entire party is there. Basically they are waiting for tables to free up and are not saving you one. So big parties be warned, wait could be longer. I would just adjust reservation time or get there 15 minutes earlier to tell them your entire party is there and ready.
We came here for a mid-week breakfast buffet. At $14.95/person it was definitely the cheapest buffet we ate at all week (and we hit up several! LOL!). Amazing views and okay food - nothing to get really excited about . . . but eating here isn't so much about the food but the experience.
For lunch I went to Duke's. I think I'm realizing that Duke's has been a fond Hawaiian memory for me, but the food is actually not that great. My drink was tasty, as were the crab and macnut wontons, but this was not a great fish taco.
Those sad tacos are nothing that a little shopping and tropical drinks couldn't fix.
Eating your food and having a beautiful view of the beach, what more can you really ask for!
This restaurant was located inside our hotel, so we actually came here for two occasion. Dinner on the first night and breakfast buffet on the second day.
The dinner was awesome, I had a Kona Steak, it was cook nicely and the steak was rubbed with Kona Coffee grinds on the steak. The steak was super yummy and juicy. I got the garlic mashed potatoes and it melts in your mouth. They had a salad bar that you were able to get up and get your salad and bread, to drink I had a lava flow.
At the end of the night we were brought a vanilla macadamia nut ice cream cake with Oreo crust on the bottom (complimentary birthday cake desert). Super delicious!
***For the breakfast buffet, they had a WIDE selection of Delicious breakfast treats. Egg, bacon, sausage, ham, omelet chef, toast (all different kinds of bread), bagel, egg Benedict, cereal, french toast, waffles, pancakes and much much more. The food was just awesome, it was a nice breakfast buffet not those cheap hometown buffet food. The food was cook to nicely and just oh so good. I didn't want to leave!
Bill came out to $50.00 for all three of us. Pretty pricey but it was really worth it, and you were able to see the ocean while you enjoy your breakfast.
Sifting through my reviews and looking to delete some I realized that I had not reviewed Duke's Waikiki- a staple and tourist trap.
Named after Hawaii's most famoust citizen, Duke's is where my husband and I had our first dinner when we arrived. We wanted to watch the sunset and go casual to dinner. We wanted to have the typical fruity drinks, dine in a warm friendly and fun atmosphere. You know, cheese it up.
Duke's definitely delivered and after we had our super strong alcoholic beverages, dined on some fresh market priced fish, sang along to some hawaiian tunes, soaked in the most beautiful sunset we've ever witness and felt the cool breeze did we really, finally, believe we had made it to paradise.
We had the fish tacos, tuna melt. And a Mai Tai. The fish tacos were good with guacamole, Salsa and sour cream. The food was above average but the patio was really nice with Palm trees, beach, rolling waves. The hula pie was huge.
They're about a 4-Star Restaurant.
Love the Live Music & the outdoor seating right next to Waikiki Beach.
Spicy Chicken Wings, BBQ Ribs, Hawaiian Pizza & Fried Calamari
http://static1.px.yelp...
(Wednesday, June 3, 2009)
Had the mango BBQ pork sliders off the "bar" menu. Very yummy. Great service once seated but they were obviously understaffed as we waited for 40 minutes on a Wednesday night for a table and there were definitely empty tables.
Great! The difference between this one and the one in Malibu or Huntington Beach is that they have a salad bar that comes w/ any entree! Came here for dinner on a Friday night. It was busy and we waited about 45 min to get a table, but the food was great. Our server was a little slow, but he was still great. He was charming and apologized for the slowness. He took the time to get to know us a little bit and even gave us some recommendations of other restaurants and places to check out.
I had the lime and chile roasted monchong fish. It was delish! And my bf had the sauteed mac nut and herb crusted opah fish. His was also very good. We had a great view of the beach and enjoyed our meal.
Two nights later we went to the bar area for dessert and drinks. We shared the original hula pie, which is a huge chunk of vanilla ice cream w/ an oreo crust and lots of hot fudge. Mmmm... I'll drooling thinking about this! Anyway, service at the bar is slow (obviously) but it was a nice way to wind down. We really enjoyed our time here!
Duke's is always packed and is a bit touristy, but it has a great location and the drinks are not way overpriced like lots of beach front bars in Waikiki. The servers/bartenders have always been really friendly, and while I'm not a huge fan of the food (the calamari is way too breaded and over-fried), the hula pie is so yummy - it's exactly what you'd eat if you were female and sad and wanted to feel better. Ben & Jerry's needs to get on putting hula pie in a pint!
My friend and i frequented this place quite a bit during our vacation, mostly because of the great location. We ate generic food, drank, and met a couple of cougars who kindly offered us some buffalo wings.....this pissed me off, because, for one, i HATE buffalo wings, and secondly, i was insulted by how they quickly expected us - two black men - to jump at the chance to throw down some chicken....really!!!??....but i digress, actually, i took a drumstick before she could even finish offering it to me....i retreated back to my chair like a wild animal hoarding his kill, and cleaned the bone, tendons, fat, veins and all....it was ...ok.
I would give this place four, or even five starts if they tried adding more unique items to their menu, but this is a touristy place after all. The location is what they have to offer, and the fact that they're both centrally located, and right next to the water, makes this a very popular and convenient place to grab a bite and a drink....
The bar was typical "barefoot bar" which we were in the mood for. The best Mai Tai on our stay (not too weak). Service was nice and view of the beach was great. A touristy place so just know that going there. The breakfast buffet ($14) was reasonable.
Another regular place for me when I have my annual BD trip, i love to have happy hour and watch the sunset and usually there is great live music and a lively fun crowd!
Well, there was on May 30th, Carrie was my fantastic server. It is soooo hard to find a bar seat to watch the ocean, hear the music and not have a full dinner. the girls at the podium offered me the last table near the entrance, and made a single hottie feel welcome.
Callie was incredible, always checking with me, a little chit chat, bringing me a water back, immediately after I asked and she was quite busy. I ordered my usually crab macadamia wontons on a bed of shredded cabbage, wonderful tender tuna sashimi... how perfect and i had another drink and the podium girls chatted with me , and Callie took away dishes when soon after I was done. She was the best. MAHALO CALLIE!
Great fun place and comfortable for a single gal alone!
Ambiance= 3 stars
Food = 2 stars
We came here for the lunch buffet, which basically sucked. However, if you're looking for something cheap, this'll kind of suit your needs. $13 I think for lunch buffet.
We also came here for breakfast buffet, which basically sucked too. Completely not worth the $17 each we paid.
Basically, I'll summarize the food as being very college-dining-hall-esque. So, if you're a big fan of Hometown Buffet, but on a much smaller scale, this is your place.
Fan freakin' tastic burger. Wonderful location.
And normally I hate buffets. But Duke's lunch buffet is great too. Salad seems hard to come by on the island, so the salad bar there is a welcome relief to my digestive system. Also, the buffet has some of the best Kalua Pig I have ever had.
Honolulu, HI
Category: Restaurants
Honolulu, HI
Category: Bars
Honolulu, HI
Category: Hawaiian
Honolulu, HI
Category: Nightlife
Honolulu, HI
Category: Seafood
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