Haleiwa Joe's — Restaurant in Oʻahu

A local told is about this place and he was dead on! The first thing we noticed was the parking lot was packed, always a good sign! Google reordered my photos but as you scroll through you'll see our sunsetting seats on their outdoor patio (we all agreed it was worth the wait vs sitting inside). Decor and atmosphere were cozy and welcoming. Their biggest highlight is their outdoor seating.

Food Apps: we ordered the Joe's Tempura Crab Rolls. If you like tempura then you're in luck because it's such a thin layer and they got it perfect. I on the other hand have grown to really dislike tempura so even though it was a thin layer, I couldn't get passed it. Three out of the four at our table didn't like the rolls. The fourth person ate them all, I think because he was paying for them.

We also ordered the steak fries. It was a basket that we shared between the four of us which seemed like it was a good amount. We could have had a few more but as an app they were good.

Finally, we ordered the Fish Monger Soup. It was so much better than I expected. I'd almost say this is a must have if you go. It won't be for everyone but it'll be appreciated by most.

Drinks I got their version of a Long Island, it's the pic with the pineapple slice. It was great and I should have ordered a second! However I didn't because they were $12 a piece and weren't as strong as I hoped.

One person ordered a fruit non-alcohol concoction and she said it was great. She was pregnant so she couldn't have what she really wanted.

Plates I got the grilled Swordfish with mango salsa and garlic mashed potato. The fish and salsa were underwhelming but the potatoes were spot on knock out!

The two ladies got the baked fish which their experiences were like mine, the fish was ok and the potatoes were the best thing in the plate.

Finally, one person got the coconut shrimp which he said wasn't too different than he got on the mainland.

Desserts Cheesecake itself was delicious. If I could do it all over again I'd still get it but I'd choose either chocolate or fresh fruit. Their combination of the two didn't see very well with be. So I scraped the chocolate of and are the fruit with the cake.

Service Our server was great. He started away for a little too long as dinner liquids could have been refilled faster but that's being picky. Overall he did a great job. All of the staff were courteous and professional but didn't feel too stuffy, it was great.

All in all, this is the only restaurant we ate in the North Shore. If I had to do it all over again I would still have gone there. It's a neat place. I'd definitely go back if I had the opportunity.

PRO TIP There's a descent size grass area adjacent to the patio. There were a few families using it for a play area for their smaller children. I'm not sure if this is normal everyday but it seemed so natural I just assume this is normal. So, if you have little ones and nice weather, this place gets extra points for being able to get a break from the table with the kids or let them play while you watch...

This is a difficult review to write because I used to love this place but my last experience has changed everything. I used to live on Oahu and enjoyed coming to the restaurant when I was on that side of the island. The food was good and there was sense of a local hangout vibe with a great park- harbor patio view. I visited twice, Saturday and Sunday. I was on island finishing business and I needed a break. I stopped by for an " aloha" fix, a drink and a coconut shrimp appetizer. Both were great. I sat out in the patio. It was early Saturday afternoon and the scene was perfect. The server was with the restaurant for years and we talked briefly about how nice the place was and how hard it is to find staff. She was hospitale and reflected aloha. A great experience. So, having that as a precedent I thought I'd take a friend and have lunch the next day. Mistake First off the server is in the wrong business. He was abrupt and almost indifferent to us. Compared to the previous day it was like I was on a different planet. Understanding that enthusiasm is contagious so is the lack of it. We were seated on the patio, the view was great but the vibe from the server dampened the moment. So far it was tolerable but impending clouds were forming. We ordered their local.onion rings as an appetizer. No big deal, just something simple before the entre. When the rings arrived the server almost dropped them on the table like an after thought. OK, maybe he's having a bad day so I gave him a pass. He left and we didn't see him again until our entre order arrived. No water service or "how's the appetizer?" follow up. Just the opposite from the day before. Now the coup de grace. The food was terrible. Not bad. terrible. The onion rings had a batter crust that was almost impenetrable to chew. I'll eat almost anything but I passed on the rings because the last thing I wanted to do was see my dentist because I cracked a tooth biting into an onion ring! On top of being hard as a rock they were cold! Not a good start. My partner ordered the "fresh fish" and I the ribs. The fish was tough and my ribs were like someone threw them on a grill and then poured barbecue sauce over the top of them. Bad. I had to ask the server for water and the check. I should have said something but I'm convinced the receptient would not have been understanding. I could have asked for the manager and have gone down that route but I didn't want to dampened the moment any longer and I had to make an appointment on the other side of the island so time was of the essence. I left disheartened and disappointed. Will I go back? Everyone deserves a second chance but I already paid for the first, who's going to pay...

I normally never leave negative reviews, but I decided to with this one because it is an expensive restaurant and I would hate for others to leave as disappointed as we did for the amount of money we spent. We stopped in at this place after visiting Waimea Falls. We chose it because it had very good reviews. We got seated fairly promptly, only had to wait about 10 minutes. The staff and servers were very friendly and our server was also very professional. You definitely could see the ocean from the windows and the outside porch. With the exception of two dishes, unfortunately that is where the good ends. The brussels sprouts and the braised short ribs were awesome! Very flavorful and cooked well. We had a party of four and sadly none of us were impressed or even enjoyed the rest of the food. The Ahi appetizer we got was just fairly average. Unfortunately, the Caesar salad I got was almost inedible due to a heavy hand with the anchovies in the dressing. I had others in our party try it to make sure it wasn’t just me. They couldn’t eat it either because of the strong anchovy flavor that overpowered everything else. We also had a fish dish and pork chop with sides. They do not have a very large selection of sides and sadly, the fish dish and the pork chop that we ordered again were just average. I ordered the roasted chicken which came with cilantro rice and green beans. The plate looked very pretty, but sadly the taste did not match. The chicken had very little flavor unless you put the sauce and pineapple pico de gallo on it. The sauce itself was delicious and so was the pico which helped salvage the chicken. Sadly, the rice was just terrible. None of us are very picky and we give a lot of grace but I don’t think I have ever had rice that tasted that bad. Absolutely no flavor which is crazy because it looked very pretty. Again, and the others in my party tried it to make sure it was not just me and they thought the same thing..It tasted as though no seasoning at all had been put in there. Luckily there was still some bread with butter on the table and I was able to salvage it by adding butter and salt. We were so disappointed because though the dishes looked pretty the flavors were such a letdown, especially for the price. Just want others to be warned, but again I want to praise the staff and our server who were fantastic. I just wish the food had matched . The main reason I’m giving it three stars is because of...