Earls Kitchen + Bar officially opened on Oct. 8. The Kalākaua Avenue eatery is the brand’s first Hawaiʻi location. The restaurant spans almost 13,000 square feet — it’s the former space of Atlantis Seafood & Steak and California Pizza Kitchen, combined — and offers seating for more than 300 customers.
The brand is a Canadian restaurant chain, which now has more than 70 locations across North America. Each of the Earls restaurants are designed with their local communities in mind, and the Waikīkī location is no exception. Its interior design is inspired by Hawaiʻi’s tropical beauty, and features open-air skylights, lush tropical greenery and artwork from local Hawaiian artists.
The open-air restaurant also includes a bar and patio space that overlooks Kalākaua Avenue.
After attending the grand opening party, we re-visited the restaurant on three different occasions to get a comprehensive taste of its menu — it’s extensive, with plenty of options for brunch, dinner and happy hour.
The cuisine is described as Modern American with global inspiration.
“We pride ourselves on a culinary philosophy that delivers big flavor with every dish,” states Randy Pena, regional chef for Earls Kitchen + Bar. “Diners can expect truly addictive dishes like the sticky Korean ribs, spicy Calabrian pasta, tomahawk maple-glazed pork chop and our must-try wagyu beef oshi press.”
The dinner menu consists of appetizers, sushi, salads, sandwiches, pastas, seafood and steaks. Plant-based options are also available.
The meaty Korean ribs are a nice balance of sweet and spicy, with a slight kick from the Gochujang sauce. The ribs’ sticky texture contrasts nicely with the crunch from the crispy onions.
Of the appetizers we order, the jumbo lump crab cake ($26.75) was my favorite. It features jumbo lump crab topped with pickled red onions, avocado, arugula and a lemon vinaigrette, and is served with a caper remoulade.
There’s a generous portion of lump crab with minimal filler, which is always a win.
The aburi salmon sushi press ($21.75) and wagyu beef oshi press ($23.75) come highly recommended, since both feature the eatery’s pressed sushi, which is especially popular in Canada. The pressed sushi features more compact, rectangular-shaped pieces that are often flame-seared.
Both the torched dashi salmon and flame-torched beef were savory choices and boasted a nice, smoky flavor.
Choose from salads like little gem Caesar ($16.75), southwest chicken avocado salad ($26.75) and Cobb salad ($19.50). The latter is a colorful concoction comprising smoked bacon, crumbled blue cheese, Oʻahu oven-roasted tomatoes, avocado, a soft boiled egg and creamy ranch dressing.
Entrees include a variety of pastas, seafood and steaks. Customers can also choose from sandwiches, burgers and tacos.
The Chilean sea bass is coated in a Shiro miso marinade and mushroom dashi broth, and is served with quinoa and bok choy. The flaky fish is moist and tender, boasting a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The marinade has a slight miso flavor — it’s not overwhelming, and complements the fish nicely — and the savory, light mushroom dashi broth took this dish to the next level.
The Tomahawk maple-glazed pork chop ($45.75) is one of the eatery’s signature dishes. The Kurobuta bone-in 14-ounce chop is massive and boasts an impressive presentation. It’s served with dry-cured bacon jam, garlic mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables and peppercorn jus.
If you’re craving steak, the eatery offers a bountiful selection. Its steaks are aged for a minimum of 45 days to achieve superior flavor.
Classic options like filet tenderloin ($56.75) and USDA prime rib-eye ($69.75) are served with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
Luxe options and combos range from steak and truffle tortellini ($41.50) and Cajun blackened steak ($59.75 for 7 ounces, $72.75 for 14-ounce rib-eye) to surf and turf ($70.75 for 7 ounces, $83.75 for a 14-ounce rib-eye) and black truffle butter steak ($61.75 for 7 ounces, $74.75 for a 14-ounce rib-eye). While the rib-eye was tender, flavorful and cooked perfectly to our liking, we preferred the black truffle butter steak, thanks to its rich, umami flavor.
While only four desserts are currently available, it’ll be difficult choosing just one.
If you prefer chocolate treats, opt for the sticky toffee chocolate pudding ($14). The indulgent dessert is like a dense molten lava cake, and comes with almond Florentine, fresh berries and vanilla ice cream.
The creme brûlée cheesecake is also a winner, and is ideal if you want something a little less heavy but still sweet. We enjoyed the New York-style dessert’s fluffy interior and caramelized topping.
The eatery also offers a bi-daily happy hour in its bar and lounge — once from 2 to 5 p.m., and a late-night option from 10 p.m. to close. The same menu is featured during both happy hour times.
We’re told the restaurant closes at midnight during weekdays and at 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. If you’re concerned about happy hour seating, rest assured that the “lounge” area is pretty spacious, if you can't get a space at the bar.
Happy hour dishes feature discounts on some of the eatery’s most popular appetizers, along with some exclusive features.
The charred corn and avocado dip ($10 happy hour) is a creamy concoction with a slight spice, thanks to the Chipotle aioli and Tajin. It’s topped with feta and served with crispy corn tortillas.
The Szechuan shrimp and pork dumplings ($16 happy hour) are a bestseller. The dumplings are coated with black vinegar and garnished with chili crunch, roasted peanuts and green onions. The heat builds as you eat more of these, but the dumplings are succulent and flavorful.
The Nashville crispy chicken and pickled skewers ($14) are a happy hour exclusive; however, the chicken is featured in the dinner menu’s Nashville crispy chicken sandwich. The hot, fried chicken thighs are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
The spicy ‘ahi tuna or spicy salmon crispy rice sushi ($16 happy hour) is ideal for sharing; we loved the contrast between the creamy spicy ‘ahi and crunchy sushi rice base.
The petite steak frites ($16) are another happy hour-exclusive dish; it’s basically the mini version of the steak frites entrée featured on the dinner menu. For this dish, the steak is sliced pūpū-style, making it easier to share — which is nice if you want to try several other dishes.
During happy hour, customers can enjoy select cocktails at half price. Choices include Earls lime margarita, nitro espresso martini, white sangria and Earls Old Fashioned. Since cocktails normally cost $16.75 to $24, this is one of the best deals during happy hour.
Other drink discounts include $3 off select beers, wines by the glass and Earls Mai Tai; and $7 cheekies (or mini cocktail shots and tiny tinis).
Earls Kitchen + Bar’s weekend brunch menu is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends, and features dishes like guava pineapple pancakes ($21.75), chilaquiles brunch bowls ($22.75), Nashville crispy chicken and waffles ($25.75) and a hearty breakfast burger ($23.75).
The restaurant currently doesn’t validate parking, but there are multiple parking garages nearby (check the individual parking lots for validation requirements).
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CONTACT
Earls Kitchen + Bar
2280 Kalākaua Ave., Honolulu
808-751-2299
Earlsrestaurants.com/location/earls-waikiki
Open 11 a.m. to midnight Mondays-Thursdays, and Sundays; 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays; weekend brunch served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
