Off The Wall Craft Beer & Wine — Restaurant in Honolulu

(Last visited 12/10/2022.) On vacation in Hawaii for a couple of weeks and I saw some time ago that the best wings (according to the Mashed YouTube channel) in Hawaii were here at Off The Wall Craft Beer & Wine. I'll be the judge of that... so here's how things went!

Atmosphere/Appearance: This place is located inside the South Shore Mall located in Honolulu. There's no direct signage outside the lets you know this place is here, but once inside you'll see it clearly. The restaurant is beautiful though. The big windows let in a whole lot of natural light, the ceilings are super high with exposed ventilation and the structure around is a mixture of brick and wood. I really liked it in here. It was fairly quiet since it was the middle of the day during a weekday.

Service: I can't remember the name of our server, but I think her name was Naomi or something like that. She was really sweet and even took the time to give us a list of about 25 other places around the islands that we should check out! She was simply awesome.

Food/Drinks: So here at Off The Wall, drinks are just that. Off the wall. When you check in to the host stand they run your credit card and give you a restaurant card. With this card you're allowed to get an empty drink glass then go up to any of the available beers or wines on the wall and access them. You tap your card and then pull down on the lever. Once this happens a volume counter will begin to let you know how much has gone into your glass and then the total price is revealed to you as well. The first beer I tried was Killah Dragon cider by Paradise Ciders. It was fruity, a bit sour, not terribly sweet, but had lots of bold fruit flavors. Next up I tried Red Zeppelin by The Aloha Beer Co. This one was a bit bitter, not sweet at all, more-so on the heavy side, but a strong, hoppy, flavorful beer you'd need breaks between. When we came, we actually were able to check in on Yelp and there was an offer available where they gave you a free order of empanadas! They're big, fluffy and flaky and is served over a bed of slaw with a side of chimichurri sauce. These were INCREDIBLE. They were buttery, crispy, warm, hot, not spicy, full of meat and seasoned so well. Next up are what Mashed Food called the best wings in all of Hawaii. You get a choice of BBQ, salt & vinegar or chimichurri. The last option sounded the best so we went with those. They are gigantic. Lol. They're also topped with sesame seeds and scallions. These were... okay. I thought they would've been crispy, but they were more fleshy. The flavors were mild and not very bold, but decent. Next up I tried the Portlock Porter by Aloha Beer Co. Of course it was thicker, more down-to-earth, a little bitter, with some mild chocolate and coffee flavors. I was most impressed by how unsweet it was, which make the beer much easier to drink. Next up was the Off The Wall Burger. It was THICCC and stacked high. It came with thick hand-cut fries that were delicious and served with a nice, light aioli. On the burger is smoked gouda, bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado that I added. The burgers are cooked to your preferred temperature. I asked for medium-rare and it came out medium well. The flavors worked very well together, but weren't very bold. It was cool.

Value: The empanadas that we got would've been $15.00 for the 2 had we not checked in. The wings were $17.00 and you get 6, but they're enormous so they eat more like 10. The burger was $22.00 with the fries. Things were a bit inflated here as far as pricing goes, but it's Hawaii. It just is what it is. Bring the wallet and expect to spend here.

In conclusion, I enjoyed myself. I enjoyed everything that I ate, but most things could've been better. Check this place out if you're...

EDIT: Updating my review after speaking to the manager Scott who went above and beyond in customer service. I appreciate his openness to feedback and dedication to making things right. We had a candid conversation where I truly felt my feedback was being heard and hope it will prompt changes going forward.

Now a review for the food and drinks: Off the Wall has a pretty good variety of drinks available ranging from sours, IPAs, seltzers, wine and even prosecco (although this was tapped out when we went). The pour-your-own system is a great way to try out different drinks and they had a delicious Matsumoto Shaved Ice Li Hing Pineapple seltzer on tap that I probably wouldn’t have tried otherwise. Food was good as well, we ordered the ahi nachos, beef empanadas, chicken verde bowl and calamari. Everything was spot on but the empanadas were the best - can definitely see why they’re a best seller!

All in all, I hope our experience was just a fluke and would be willing to give this spot another try thanks to Scott’s superb service.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Check your receipts!! This review is solely for the service, which is ironic for a self-serve place but hear me out.

First strike was when we arrived for our reservation only to find the hostess gave our table away to the wrong group. That was fine as she quickly went over to move them to another table. A little awkward but luckily there were tables available for them to move to.

Second strike was their closing time. The staff began cleaning and closing the restaurant an HOUR before their advertised closing time. We even asked staff twice because it definitely felt like they were closed - tables were up on chairs, taps closed off and the staff was sweeping and cleaning around our table. It made us all extremely uncomfortable and like we overstayed our welcome. We ended up leaving half an hour early - the other group there also did the same, I’m assuming for similar reasons.

Third strike - check your receipts! They charged an additional, unauthorized $15 tip to our bill that was NOT shown on the tablet while signing. So so shady. I have no tolerance for businesses that...

Ambiance: Decor: Rustic style. Plenty of metal and wood combinations. Noise Level: Medium. It is a place where many people come to get some draft drinks, so it's expected to be more on the loud side. Comfort: The size of the place is more on the small side of things. There is a small outside area with about 5 to 6 small tables.l, first come and first serve basis. The seats outside are not the most comfortable and very heavy to come around.

Service: Staff Friendliness: we were greated at the front and the concept of the restaurant was explained to us. They keep your card on file while you are in there and you obtain a "drink card" to get your beers whenever you want. The workers overall were very nice but we did feel rushed multiple times and the lady kept coming out to get things of the table to often. Wait Time: Wait time to be seated was minimum and to received the food, it was normal.

Food: Dishes Tried: Empanadas, Grilled Cheese Sandwich, and the Vegan Burger. It's worth mentioning that the restaurant was out of Brussels Sprouts and Chimichurri Sauce. Taste: In general the concensus was that the empanadas were over seasoned, but good crunch to it. The vegan burger was under cooked and missed flavor as a whole. Lastly, the Grilled cheese sandwich had a really thick bread that did not pair well with the dish itself. The flavor of the sandwich was below average. For a simple dish, it was definitely missing the "this is good" factor. Presentation: Good. Portions: Good size for one person. Value for Money: Based on flavor. No

Drinks: Variety: Good amount of different beers and a few wines selections. Quality: N.A (did not have drinks)

Hygiene: Cleanliness of the Venue: Great. The bathrooms were not used in this visit. Staff Hygiene: Great.

Overall Experience: Best Part: The concept they have of self-serve for drinks. Worst Part: the disappointment with the food. Recommendations: For a quick and easy bite maybe this is the place for you but if you actually want to seat and enjoy your meal and company, it might not be the best place.

Final Rating :...