Honokaa Public House
About
A Rhythm in the Heart of the Hamakua Coast
Stepping into Honokaa Public House feels less like walking into a restaurant and more like joining a community living room. Positioned right on the main thoroughfare of Honokaa town, this venue captures the old-school spirit of Hawaii’s sugar plantation era while pulsing with the modern energy of local musicians. The interior is defined by rugged wooden floors and an open-air layout that lets the humid, fragrant breeze of the Hamakua Coast drift through while you sip a cold draft beer.
What to Expect on the Menu
The kitchen focuses on elevated pub fare that leans heavily into island-sourced ingredients. You will often find the menu rotating based on the daily catch, but the staples are what keep the town coming back. Their signature burgers are massive, charred just right, and usually accompanied by house-made sides that don't skimp on flavor. It is the kind of place where the scent of sizzling garlic and fresh-cut fries battles with the sound of a slack-key guitar riff echoing off the rafters.
The Local Edge
This is a destination for those who want to avoid the polished, tourist-heavy dining scenes found elsewhere on the Big Island. The vibe here is unpretentious and loud in the best way possible. Be prepared to share space—the seating is communal, and on nights when a popular band is playing, expect the room to be packed to the brim. Parking along the strip can be a bit of a dance during peak hours, so plan for a short walk through the historic town. It is the perfect spot for anyone looking to shed their vacation persona and blend in with the residents who make Honokaa the charming, artistic enclave it is today.
Amenities & Features
Location
45-3490 Mamane St Unit G, Honokaa, Hawaii, 96727-6943
More to Explore
More cuisines in Honokaa
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Reviews
Showing 9 of 23 community reviewsRicardo ZepedaGoogle Maps
Recently
Great live music! Great people to chat and socialize with. The owner/ manager was kinda of weird, seemed really stressed/ aggressive in his body language and tone of voice for no reason. Maybe a bad night? Thought it was silly to get carded for sitting at the bar, to drink water, and I am pretty elderly ( i was the DD). Weird he only asked me for my ID since my friend was never carded at all. Food was nothing special. Good. But not something id recommend you go out of way to try. Just standard bar food. Nothing wrong with quality, just meh
Melanie LambertGoogle Maps
Recently
The staff is very nice and the food is delicious! We got the pastrami and the honoka'a sandwich. My kid got a carnivore pizza slice, also very good. The servings were generous.
Dave FlodenGoogle Maps
Recently
My wife and I and our adult sons and their girlfriends went here today. The service was awesome, the food was excellent, and the building was cool. If you haven’t been to Honoka’a, visit this town as it is the way Hawaii was. Back to the review-get the pastrami on rye, it was the best that I have ever had!! My wife had the chili which was a huge bowl and the pizza slices were huge! Sorry, didn’t take any photos. My son’s girlfriend was able to get a vegetarian Philly cheese steak and loved it. They also had a great selection of beer!
Patty PickeringGoogle Maps
Recently
This place was amazing to us. We hadn’t planned on stopping but our baby got upset and needed to get out of the car. They were the nicest people, sweet to our ornery kids (our toddler was also upset), brought us olives for our picky toddler, were fine with her dancing, brought us water to make a bottle, and were genuinely some of the nicest people we have met. Even the other customers were kind. If I were from the area, I would definitely be a regular. Also, the pizza was delicious, affordable, and giant.thank you for being such a wonderful surprise stop and being so welcoming to our family.
LesleyGoogle Maps
Recently
This place has a killer Pastrami on Rye and AMAZING pizza. The crust was perfect and the red sauce was so flavorful! The building has a quaint old historic vibe and they have TVs for sports viewing.
Toni KauiGoogle Maps
Recently
It's amazing how one wrong thing changes your entire perspective of a place. For me it was my burnt tater tots that can be seen in my photo. The supreme pizza was delicious, as was the pastrami dog. The cheesy bread was outstanding! But burnt tater tots are what I'm going to remember most and is why Honokaa Public House won't be my first choice for a place to eat in the future.
Wes SmithGoogle Maps
Recently
Got the White Dragon Pizza and Typhoon Tots. Both came out fast and we're fresh and hot and great flavor. Plenty of cheese and plenty of toppings on the pizza. Interesting flavor we enjoyed on the tots.
Michelle PorterGoogle Maps
Recently
I was on a deadly serious mission to try this Pub's signature pastrami sandwich. Let me preface this review by saying that I'm from New York, so I KNOW pastrami! I'm gonna cut straight to the chase, sandwich broke da mouth 100%! I've honestly never had a pastrami on rye that even came close to being as good. Everything about it was perfect, but it was the way the beef was seasoned and cooked that really set it apart. It had the texture of a slow cooked pot roast that was thinly sliced and piled high. It was incredibly satisfying to the mouth with every bite. And the pub was so cute and had such a welcoming vibe! I'd never been there before and was alone, but as soon as I sat myself down at the bar, Maile greeted me and we developed an instant rapport. She was an absolute doll and we had so much fun talking story and sharing laughs. I can't wait to return with my friends and family. I had such an amazing and memorable experience! A five star rating just isn't high enough!
Ghazal KhataieGoogle Maps
Recently
Food was so delicious! We tried Philly cheese steak sandwich and pizza. I loved that I had an option to pick my toppings. I ordered one slice it was more like a half of a whole pizza 😅 Again, service could have been better but for some reason the guy who was there was not very friendly!
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Frequently Asked Questions about Honokaa Public House
Common questions from diners about Honokaa Public House in Honokaa.
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