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Mon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 a.m.
I truly enjoy the Pipeline as it's kind of like my "Cheers". I started going there for the Sports Bar upstairs which by far was the best kept secret in town. $2 drinks, $2 (now some of it is $3) pupus, great service, no crowds, pool tables, dart boards, sports...can't go wrong! I would take all my out of town guests here because it was like you got the place to yourself. Of course its not quite as empty anymore, which is great for the business, but its not crazy packed or loud like some other places so its still a nice place to be. After a few visits, guaranteed the wait staff and bartenders will remember you.
I don't really know how the Pipeline "used to be" as a nightclub as I've moved here over two years ago but I have seen some great changes since managment has change. For one, the entertainment offered and menu has definitely improved.
I'm not a clubbbing person so I don't attend on those nights BUT I've been to a lot of AWESOME concerts and comedy shows here, really first class and intimate. I felt honored to have seen Gregory Issacs up close and personal here, then read that Gregory Isaacs next performance was at the bust-out-your-binoculars Hollywood Bowl in LA. You can be up close and personal with Grammy winners, you can't get that at just anywhere.
Alas, the property and interior itself, though I'm sure has seen better days, is as clean as it could be, functional and spacious. There was a time when I went and there was no cue balls at any of the pool tables and all the pool sticks were bus up. Takes time to get the bugs worked out under new management, and I'm sure they're working on it.
Pros:
-Great Staff and Service - Super friendly
-Is an intimate concert venue
-First class entertainment
-Reasonably priced regular menu, CHEAP pau hana
-Spacious and clean
-Nice concert sound system
-Location - lot's of free parking
Cons:
-Interior and fixtures a little beat up and/or old
-Video/TV media need upgrading, no HD sports! Can't see anything when they try to project on their big screen during concerts. Awful camera or something.
-When it rains, the outside gets super flooded
-Location - in an industrial area so don't get all dressed up
It would've been nice if Pipeline had let us know that the Public Enemy show was going to start at 1:45 a.m. this morning. We sat there waiting since 8-9 p.m. When we left at 3:11 a.m., MC Lyte still didn't perform. I would've taken a nap first or gone to the silent movie at Hawaii Theater before if I had none that the show would start this late.
I did like the fried calamari with furikake that Cora ordered. I don't think that was ranchero sauce, as the menu described it to be. It tasted like marinara.
I've only been to Pipeline at night to party. It's has a sports bar feel to it and doubles as a concert venue.
For those non-locals, Pipeline is not easily reachable to foot, so you'll need to cab it here.
Comedy Wenesdays you have National headlining comics doing what the do best to make people laugh. Also local opening act is there to make you laugh too.
During my summers home from college (2004-07ish), I went here on fridays for the nightclub part of the operation, sometimes every week to get my dance fix. I've also been here for grad parties and themed fundraiser parties. This was before I discovered that salsa dancers are NOT SKETCHY HORNY FREAKS. That being said, I dropped Pipeline immediately after discovering a better type of club. Some nights it's packed, sweaty, full of groping hands and sweaty sweaty smelly people. Some nights they had this amazing gogo dancer who would put her foot over her head and gyrate. As the years went on, the gogo's clothing got skimpier and skimpier...which I appreciated, because it meant less obnoxious men paying attention to me.
It got to the point where I just wanted to dance, so I started wearing less and less appealing outfits to avoid them.
it's a really big place with a really big dance floor, but I hate how they let in so many people that it becomes a crushing mass and you are getting bumped into right and left. It also gets frigidly cold when it's empty, so I think the management should figure out a good balance for the number of people they can smash in. This club has some of the most aggressive, obnoxious, violently terrible guys of any club I've been to, be it in Hawaii, LA, Japan or Vegas. And the bouncers once made me walk all the way back to my car because I was wearing slippers. OMG THIS IS HAWAII. I've worn slippers to many other nightclubs. AND they let in people wearing what looked like ....gross sweats and very casual clothes. Basically, if you want to be harassed by aggressive drunk men, go to pipeline.
Maybe it's less ghetto as a concert venue.
It's been more than a few years since I've been here for a concert before MGMT's last night. All I have to say is they seriously need to crank up the AC if they're going to cram all these people into the venue. We wanted to get a closer look at the band, but by the time we squeezed halfway through we were about to suffocate. It sucks being Asian and short.. Next time I'd seriously consider getting VIP.
Pipeline seems to attract nearly all the semi-mainstream bands who decide to perform in Hawaii, yet ticket prices are very reasonable. Love how it's probably the most intimate venue around for these events, and I don't even mind being intimate with the guy dripping cold sweat crammed next to me, BUT PLEASE GET SOME VENTILATION IN THERE!!
Update: According to Jace R., Pipeline is the only venue to have nitro tanks to shoot out cold mist. Unfortunately it's up to the band whether or not to have them on because they can be loud.. Ah well, what can one do..
I've been to Pipeline for a lot of different events - a hypnotist, a some comedians, concerts, bollywood night, and slam poetry (and I may not be remembering everything I came for)
First some negatives
- The layout of the place makes it a little difficult to get to the bar sometimes. They have servers coming around, but it's still a minor gripe of mine.
- For slam poetry specifically, because the concert area is long rather than wide it is a little harder to get the crowd into it compared to some of the other venues it was held at
- The bouncers were really strict to my friends once - they showed up at 8:45, cover charge starts at 9. So they tell my friends just a minute, and make them wait outside till it's after 9, and then say ok come on in. When they get inside, the guy tries to charge them cover. I wasn't there for the incident, but I have had this done to me at other bars/clubs and I think it's a little shady. Of course, my friends left because they were irritated by that.
Still, I have never had that happen to ME personally while I was at pipeline, and I still give it 5 stars. Why?
- Great selection of events. They have tons of bands and performers I like, good comedians reasonably priced and now even slam poetry. The hypnotist and bollywood night are a couple events that I don't think are held elsewhere
- Reasonably priced tickets. I have never felt ripped off when I go to pipeline - I always feel like I got a show that was worth paying for.
- Good, cheap drink specials and food. I am not a huge fan of the food, since it's a little greasy for my tastes, but the pizza is surprisingly good.
I am not a regular here for their "normal" weekly promotions, I tend to only show up if there is an act I like, so I don't know what the "normal" crowd here is like. I've been here so many times though, and I love this place.
This was the first club I went too in Hawaii...It's an 18 and up club depending on some nights I believe Saturday's are 21 and up! It gets packed in here as well. You can have a good time at pipeline when your with good ppl and party like rockstars! But my experiences it was just chill
ok i ain't gonna lie, this is not the best club in the world. but it's the best venue in Hawaii at the moment for mid sized concerts. i go to every BAMP show that is held at Pipeline whether it's sold out or not and it's seriously the only place that can hold a sold out crowd and still provide an intimate moment with the band. yes it gets hot, yes it's gets crowded, but this is the best you're going to get if you want an up close and personal experience with MTV's hottest bands.
the great thing about Pipeline is that you have choices, there is a VIP section, so if you get cramped up in the crowd you can always go up upstairs.
the staff is great, the bouncers are firm, and it's pretty much the only venue where people can form a mosh pit.
I was brought here by my friend who's a local. The venue is huge and is kind of a dive bar, warehouse-like dance floor, lounge area plus VIP upstairs mixed in one. I happened to be there the night that UH won their big game and some of the players were there. The place was packed with a very mixed crowd. Some ghetto, some in between. The drinks are cheap and moderately strong. The music is decent, but I like that there's plenty of space to dance.
Personally, I don't really like the crowd and most likely won't return. Creepy guys that don't take ''no'' for an answer aren't my type. =P
OH; my hangout every TUes when i lived in Hawaii.
$2 Wing Zings (THE BEST deal; very yummy and very cheap), quesadillas, chicken sticks, $5 mozarrella sticks
Cheap drinks - $2 well
Nice venue for shows; good, mellow local vibe
As a show venue:
This place is pretty decent. Pipeline can usually land some good acts like Common, Mos Def, Talib, Atmosphere, etc.. The size is just right because you don't want to be in some big empty space like the Blaisdell concert hall and have it seem empty, although it does suck when the place is overly packed and sweaty people are hanging onto your back. Overall, it's a pretty decent place to see a show.
As a club:
Complete ghetto p.o.s. The pool table area upstairs is pretty decent as well as the side bar area, but aside from that the only thing more ghetto than this club is the area it is in.
I was at the Jenny Lewis show on 4/10 and it was one of the best shows I've ever been to. Most of that I owe to Jenny, but I must say that the venue itself was pretty great. The sound, first of all, was fantastic. I don't know if was just the technology or the acoustics in the place, but for some reason, it was just perfect. Also, the place itself is pretty sweet, well-kept with good ventilation (I didn't get too hot/sweaty). Plus there's an upstairs floor, to which VIP's had access (which I didn't but some friends of mine were up there). Looked pretty nice--if they wanted to rest and sit down with a drink, they had the option.
Now, I must say that Pipeline did not make the best choices that night in terms of management pre-show. I arrived at around 9:20 and waited in an already-long line for the doors to open at 10:00 PM. That's when my ticket (yeah, I bought ahead of time, woo!) said doors would open. Well, there was another show going on (Rise Against) until 9:45ish. So the venue had to clear the crazy punks out, clean up, pack up, and set up for an entirely different show and therefore didn't let anyone in till about 11. And Jenny Lewis didn't come on until about 11:45. I must say the wait was pretty excessive, and I wasn't even waiting the longest. My question is, why couldn't they just have the shows on different nights? Instead, they unnecessarily prolonged the wait for all the JL fans, probably just for the extra funds because they're desperate and cheap. Also, there were 2 more shows the next night. That's just stressful, dude. And the only reason why I didn't give Pipeline 5 stars is because of that decision.
Whatevs, the show was great. Also, it was all-ages, and unlike some douchey snobs who run other bars say, it was not a clusterfuck of "little high-school kids." I saw only two people who fell in to the "kid" category (16-ish) and they were fun to watch because they were super into it, dancing and having a great time. It was inspiring, actually. :D
All in all, a great venue, and I'm looking forward to another show there. I know the big names pretty much always go to Pipeline, so I've gotta keep my eyes open.
P.S. Also, I don't know what's up with all these comments about how Pipeline is so "ghetto"...what? They're probably just uptight and sheltered. Pipeline is not ghetto. The ghetto is ghetto. Not this place.
Yes it can be ghetto, but remember when it used to be smokehouse. still had some good times ova here. still get shows. if i was totally bust and wanted to get crazee, i might go for nostalgic sake special occasion or with an entourage. oh wait did i do that last weekend?#@!&$ nah
at least they get parking for free.
It was a Tuesday night, and the locals told us the only thing really going on a Tuesday night is pipeline. Got our pre-game on at the hotel, then headed over to the club. It was quite packed for a tuesday, drinks were cheap... and the music was slappin in the beginning with the bay slaps!
We got played in the beginning by the bouncer, who said the cover was only $10, but once we got in the cashier told us it was $15 because we didn't have HI. state ID or military ID. which kind of sucked, but what could have i done.
Once we got in, we headed to the bar and ordered 6 drinks, and it only cost us $19. I was shocked! $19 for 6 drinks... that's unheard of, i swear, drinking in HI. is super cheap. Yes, this place is a bit ghetto, but it was a Tuesday, what more could i ask for.
This place is decent. It is not the best, and I have been to worse places.
I pretty much only come here when there is a live event going on. I am really not a club-going kind of guy. I prefer a live band and my taste in music is pretty vast.
Well, I have been here several times and seen great bands. Recently I saw Midnight, War and The John Butler Trio. The sound is not the best. They could update their equipment. Sometimes the band does their own sound, and I notice a much better quality with some tweaking.
I have been to both the main floor and the VIP room upstairs. I usually tend to spend a few extra dollars for the VIP section because I just don't dig smelly sweaty arm pits in my face. Well, at least not as much as you would get on the main floor.
The only bad thing about the VIP area is that they don't have a separate restroom. They do have a separate bar and wait staff. That always makes getting drinks a little easier.
As for the parking. If you get a little familiar with the area, you can pretty much find a safe place to park. Yes, it will more than likely be on the street...or you can always pay for the valet, if it is available.
this is solely a review of pipeline's happy hour. first of all, terrific hours - monday through friday (maybe even saturday? i can't recall off hand) from 4-9pm. so if you really wanted to, you could come every single day for cheap booze and foods! second of all, they have the best fries ever. i am not kidding. it's been maybe three days since i've been there last and i'm totally craving them. and god, they're only french fries! (maybe i have a vitamin deficiency? who knows?) they're straight, thicker cut with this crispy seasoning, very similar to jack in the box curly fries, but not quite as gross or cold. they come toasty hot, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. soooooo gooooood. and they're only $2!
everything else on the food menu seems to have gone up a dollar in the past few months (thanks recession!), but i have a fondness for their chicken tenders (with ranch) and cheese quesadillas. whatever, your standard salty bar fare. oh, i just remembered...they do have an exceptional salad with *local* greens. it was actually pretty decent salad for $2, plus you get yer health onnn.
i have kind of an issue with their drinks. i'm strictly a gin-and-tonic or vodka soda kind of girl, and every single time i order one of these $2 babies, i'm getting like all ice with minimal alcohol. basically, these mix drinks suck. you're probably better off with the bud lite for alcohol content. plus, the beer probably goes better with the salt and all. nom noms.
man...let's not really start with pipeline's atmosphere. it's gnarly. i mean, it's not like jizz-on-the-carpet gross but you feel just as equally sticky. bathrooms seem clean, but who knows? it's kind of a bummer that it's not a nicer kind of place. i mean, come on, they have national acts playing all the time. the worst feeling for any band to get is that they've unfortunately resorted to playing at a dump...like pipeline. and the worst feeling for some budding concert-goer to get is that pipeline is the nicest venue EVER, when really, it sucks, and what it really comes down to the lack of nice places in hawaii that want and can put on shows.
to be very honest, i only reviewed pipeline for its awesome fries. that's all that it's really worth going for.
I went there to check out a comedy show by Demetri Martin. Very funny guy. The show was hilarious, and non stop funny. And the place was great as well. Comfortable, cool, and with screens all around the place so that you won't have to miss anything. Very convenient, and great for people who are sitting way in the back.
This place is pretty good with the happy hour special. $2 for pupus, and wines. Though, not the… Read more »
Ok... I'm giving this place three stars, though I feel that at this point, I am being generous. But let me explain.... Okay, so friend was in town and we wanted to see a comedian who was playing here at the pipeline. We went to the PC to purchase tickets during the day. They were having some kind of meeting or something downstairs, just when you walked in. It said that they were open. We walked in and waited a while, and a crap ton of people saw us, but no one bothered to help us, or to even say anything to us. We stood there for a while, felt uncomfortable because we were like right there by their meeting, so decided to wait outside. After they had finished, we walked in again where we still didn't get any help. Well crap... so we decided to come back later for the tickets. We came back in the evening and the bartender upstairs told us that we should have purchased the tickets before 5. Uh, hello!? We tried! Third time was a charm when we came back the next day. So time of the show, it was a small venue. I can see how a small, but still known band might play here and be great. I don't think there would really be a bad place in the joint to see the performers. THAT is why I'm giving it 3 stars. I like little joints like this. Based on service though, I might give it 1.5 to 2 stars. After the crappy service trying to buy the tickets, the waitress sucked. It was like there was a force field around our area and she couldn't (or wouldn't) get to us. We had to flag her down after we had sat there for an eternity. Anyhow, if someone good comes to play here, I definitely wouldn't dismiss this venue, but then again I'm not exactly jumping to go back there.
BEST place for a huge bash! My daughter (and 11 of her friends) held their Graduation Party here...it was the bomb!
Jed and his crew are the BEST! They made sure EVERYTHING was great!...Security, Food, Music, Lights and even clean-up.
The 12 kids were able to invite EVERYONE they wanted...I think they invited over 700 people....
Lots of free parking in the area....the kids had a lot of fun...I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Depends on the night that you go. Out first night here was pretty weak. Hardly anyone was on the dancefloor. Your typical over-aggressive club dudes that don't take no for an answer. We paid cover to get in and left after about 2-3 drinks until we decided to bounce elsewhere...
That was our first time.
Or second attempt was well worth trying again. The DJ was better. One side they played the reggae and the main floor was the mainstream stuff. Better crowd, more people dancing, everyone was having a good time. Being from California, I loved being able to smoke in the clubs here. I'm going back to HI in a few weeks, I'll probably go here again
Again, da Pipe held a great nite of classic rock last nite. Jed and da gang do a good job bringing talent to da rock and packin da house. Back in Black came to town for the second time, and a bunch of us took it in. They look and sound exactly like AC/DC. and after a few times seeing them, ya go cuz they by now, are friends. Made sure Mike Warner, guitarist, had a drink on me there between songs. Saw them last December. Buddhist Priest played too.. Amanda Abila opened and did good classic rock guitar medley set. She was fabulous. considering she's only nine years old. This place is the venue for tribute bands and nostalgic bands along with the Hut and Kapono's, (now closed). A favorite place for locals but as was noted, too "ghetto" for mainlanders who diss it with strange whiney descriptions. Fine. they no like; one less glow-in-the-dark complainer to push outta the way there.
Show was 8 pm til one thirty in the ayem. Good deal for a double sawbuck.
Ghetto place + Ghetto people + Ghetto staff = No Fun At All.
Lots of fights too....
Uugh! If your 18 to 22 than this is the place for you! This place is huge! Very cool place to go for live concerts. On friday and sat. nights get tooo packed and very annoying. Seems like a very young crowd.
horrible. never go here. unless you like ghetto places and people. I'd give it 0 stars if that was possible.
A real dump. Always has been, always will be. Neighborhood ain't too safe either. Treats folks that smoke worse than cattle.
pretty fun on ladies night. The music is fun and the atmosphere is casual. More of dance floor than other places such as ocean's.
Nice size, not too big with a decent sized dance floor by the stage. Went here for a live concert last year and I was surprised that it wasnt that full. Good atmosphere though, chill vibe. Nice place to have a couple of drinks with friends and hear some good music.
The wait can be pretty long unless you know the bouncer. Club is in a huge warehouse. Huge dance floor on the first floor. Pool tables and VIP rooms upstairs. Good music, decent drink prices. Never had the food though.
I hate this place with a passion. Every time I come here I feel like I'm on a curfew. Not too many bands come to Hawaii but when they do its usually at this booty shaking night club. First thing to knock is the location. They had pick the most desolate unlit alley in all of honolulu. On top of that there is no parking whatsoever. Prepare to pay for validated or park all they way by comp usa or jamba juice. Secondly, shows. The room just isn't built for live shows. Everything sounds so fucking muffled. I can't put my finger on it, but it's just hard to really feel the music in here. Maybe its the overbooking and overcrowding, or the irregularly shaped multi-level design of the place. Third is the overall atmosphere.. it doesn't feel like I'm at a honest to god show. Even when watching hatebreed or brand new I felt like I was at a night club rather than a live music venue. it's just trying to be too many things at once. The worst part is when they kick you out at 10 PM. That's right.. they shoo everyone out at 10-10:30 and on the way out there is a line of club goers waiting to take the place over. Ticket prices are pretty outrageous here too, but it IS Hawaii and I guess traveling bands need to make a their 15% cut from the club. Oh yea, and 5 bucks for 8 oz cup of new castle!! WTF!?!? 1 star.
i believe this place is where the locals go. if you're a hoity toity mainlander then yes, this place would be a little too ghetto for your taste. i had fun nonetheless....the locals were very nice =) they had a reggae band playing all night at the main dance floor, the room next door had some dj spinning hiphop. it was all good...but i didn't really see that many people dancing. what's up with that?
Honolulu, HI
Category: Dance Clubs
Honolulu, HI
Category: Dance Clubs
Honolulu, HI
Category: Dance Clubs
Honolulu, HI
Category: Lounges
Honolulu, HI
Category: Nightlife
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