The Alley — Restaurant in Honolulu

We just happened to visit during their soft opening and enjoyed some delish drinks! Personal favorite was their mango lulu which had the perfect combo of sweetness and tangy chunks of real mango! Whatever creamy buttery goodness they scoop and place on the top is seriously addicting! The boba remained warm and chewy and we resisted stirring the drinks as recommended!

A week after their grand opening, my daughter and her friends waited in line and only after 15 minutes to get to the front of the line did they see a small sign that said it was card payment only (no cash transactions due to COVID) so they were bummed because they, being teens, only had cash on hand. :(

The interior was pretty (no sitting inside tho) and the packaging (cups and bags) was nicely designed. The service is swift since they have two registers and the drinks are seriously yummy. Just make sure you QR code the menu when outside to help pass the time in line and use credit card or contactless payment. Also, speak loudly if you’re ordering when there are a lot of ppl inside; the combo of wearing masks, the protective barrier at the cashier, and noise volume... we ended up receiving a plain black tea when it was supposed to be a brown sugar something and was disappointed with that drink. It was our fault that we didn’t double check the order before it was placed so don’t make the same...

Really bad experience!! Destroyed vacation!!

I visited The Alley at the Ala Moana Shopping Center on March 26, around 1:10 PM, hoping for a refreshing treat. Sadly, the experience was very disappointing.

I ordered a “Strawberry Mochi” with extra strawberries and no sugar. Instead, the drink arrived without extra strawberries and was extremely sweet. When I politely asked about it, the young male employee insisted it was correct. After tasting it, I returned to explain again that it was clearly sweetened. He became visibly angry, snatched the drink (causing it to spill), and used offensive language—acting as though he was proud of his behavior.

Although the manager came out and was courteous, she did not have him apologize, which was disheartening. I’ve visited other The Alley locations many times without issues, so this rude encounter really put a damper on my day and vacation. I hope the company addresses this employee’s attitude to prevent other customers from having the same...

If The Great Pretender was wrong about one thing, it was how they handled Lewis Mueller. If it was wrong about another, it was promoting The Alley's boba tea. The boba itself is delicious, everything else was far below that. The shop itself was loud enough for employees to have to shout at customers over an intercom in order to be heard. The feeling of spiritual death was pervasive even as loud music gave the illusion of life. My drink was decent, but the friend whose order I paid for had his order made incorrectly. He went in to ask for them to correct and he said the poor employee looked dead inside. I don't blame her. He complained that it was sour and salty. Another friend compared it to cum and tofu, which I personally would have rather consumed than that particular drink. I would not go back. I should not have fallen for the anime product placement....