Haleiwa Joe’s at Haiku, Kaneohe

Paul and I knew nothing about Haleiwa Joe’s, so when I told Paul, “hey, we need to eat at Haleiwa Joe’s cause these gift certificates are going to expire,” he promptly went online to look at reviews.  Which actually boggled me because we had a gift certificate.  How bad can it be… it’s free! Last year, I sponsored five rubber duckies for $5 each at the annual Rubber Ducky Race in the Ala Wai Canal. One of my ducks came in 22nd (not bad!).  It was also the 22nd anniversary of the race, so I actually won something which included $200 in gift certificates to Haleiwa Joe’s at Haiku. Sweet!

Paul and I knew nothing about Haleiwa Joe’s, so when I told Paul, “hey, we need to eat at Haleiwa Joe’s cause these gift certificates are going to expire,” he promptly went online to look at reviews.  Which actually boggled me because we had a gift certificate.  How bad can it be… it’s free!

Location: (GOOD) There’s a Haleiwa Joe’s in Haleiwa (North Shore Oahu) and there’s one in Kaneohe.  We went to the one in Kaneohe.  The restaurant is nestled in back of an apartment complex and overlooks Haiku Gardens.  Coming down Haiku Road, it’s on the right.  There’s a nice-sized parking lot.  Lock your car and keep valuables out of sight.  Haleiwa Joe’s at Haiku Kaneohe is a known “tourist spot” and thus a target for theft.  We didn’t worry too much, but don’t invite temptation.

 

[mappress]

Seating: (GOOD) They don’t take reservations. It was a Monday and we arrived around 6pm.  We were seated quickly.  It was recommended that we try to get a table by the railing overlooking Haiku Gardens but there weren’t any spots. Our spot was still very nice and only two tables in from the side seats.

 

Ambiance: (GOOD) Hawaii tourist restaurant minus the $30 parking fee.

Food: (GOOD) I had the opakapaka special. Paul had the prime rib. Haleiwa Joe’s is known for their prime rib. Rightfully so.  It a juicy, thick 33 oz. cut that covered the entire plate.  Paul powered through half of it before giving in.  My fish was average, but I was expecting it to be on par with other Pacific Asian restaurants like Roy’s.  Dessert was a peanut butter cheesecake and that was good.

Service: (GOOD) Our server was extremely pleasant and happy.  Definitely what you would expect from a good tourist restaurant.

Overall: (GOOD)  Would we go there again?  Of course!  We have more gift certificates =). The fish was a little disappointing, but the prime rib was good and had great “wow” factor due to its size. A dinner at Haleiwa Joe’s will set you back about $70 to $100 (dinner for two) so it falls into our “only for special occasions” category for our family.  Not worth it to bring the kids, but great if you want to pretend you’re eating out on vacation without having to fight the Waikiki traffic.