"What's a good casual restauant where locals eat?"

"Know of any great dive bars outside of Waikiki?"

"Where's a great place to just grab a beer?" 

When these questions arise, I have one answer: Side Street Inn! The dive/sports/karaoke bar/lounge/grill always hits the spot. Every time I take visitors here, everyone leaves happy* and ridiculously full. (*unless you're on a raw foods or organic diet. Haha.) 

Each Side Street dish is large and prepared family style, so it's best to come in a group so you can sample more of Chef Colin Nishida's goodness. One person per dish is usually a good ratio. So if you come with a group of 4, order 4 dishes, group of 5, order 5 dishes, and so on. After you get how much to order out of the way, your next challenge is what to order - the menu explodes with dozens of yummy choices.  

As a frequent Side Street patron, I'm here to offer you a guide to the tried and true dishes that always please. (I'm writing this from memory alone. No copy of the menu near.) If you're a fan of local-style comfort food with rich flavors and textures, you'll be a fan of Side Street Inn.  

Feast on this: Farmer's Salad, Pork Chops, Fried Rice, Sizzling Rib-Eye, Poke, and some drinks. 

Here are some of my favorites: 

Meats: 

Fried Pork Chops - Side Street's best known dish. Hey, if the pork chops are good enough to be in SAVEUR Magazine, they're definitely good enough for me. I always crack up at the ketchup served as a dipping sauce. So unexpectedly good!  

Misoyaki Chicken - Easy to overlook on the menu, because, c'mon who orders chicken at a restaurant? But order this and you'll enjoy simplicity of the recipe. 

Spicy Chicken - Tastes as if popcorn chicken were enlarged and lightly drizzled with sweet and spicy sauce. The taste and texture equals greasy perfection. 

Sizzling Rib Eye - When I hear the snap, crackle and pop of this steak as it's cooked up with chopped mushrooms, onions and butter, my heart pitter patters with excitement.  

Fish:

Poke - Classic Hawaii dish served up right. 

Ahi Belly - So fresh and delicious, you'd never suspect you were eating this in a dive bar. 

Carbs: 

Fried Rice - Insanely huge mound of sticky fried rice with portuguese sausage, bacon, carrots, peas, green onions. Compliments anything else you order on the menu. 

French Fries - No good reason, but I always like to order a basket of fries here. Probably because they also go well with anything on the menu. 

Vegetarian: 

Farmer's Salad - Nalo Greens (from Dean Okimoto's farm in Waimanalo) lightly tossed in house dressing and mixed with ripe tomatoes, avocado, onion, shrimp, capers, and something fried on top. The perfect salad to sneak into an otherwise meat and carbo filled dinner.

Garlic Mushrooms - Tender mushrooms bathed in garlic and butter. I could eat these by the dozen. 

Dessert: 

Fried Butter Cake - I ordered this for the first time with a food writer from San Francisco. The pound cake is fried in butter, so has a soft texture with an ever so slight crunch, then is drizzled in chocolate sauce, and topped with vanilla bean ice cream. We were giddy all night afterward. I often dream of this cake but regretfully sometimes don't have room to order it after filling up on all of the above. 

Girls' night out at Side Street. No counting calories allowed.  

Side Street also has weekly drink specials and a fully stocked bar, so is definitely a pau hana hotspot. It was once a truly hidden dive, but has increasingly become more popular and not without good reason. 

Guests of the restaurant read like a who's who of Honolulu. Chefs Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong, and Hiroshi Fukui are frequently spotted at Side Street, as is Honolulu's giant mayor, Mufi Hannemann. Famous mainland fans include Anthony Bourdain and Ming Tsai. You really never know who's going to be sitting next to you drinking a beer and singing karaoke! 

Don't be scared of the dimly lit exterior or high fat and calorie count. Many locals will tell you, a trip to Side Street Inn should be on any visitor's to do list. So kick up your heels, let your guard down, and enjoy one great night at this foodie institution. 

Side Street Inn, 1225 Hopaka St. (From Kapiolani Blvd., turn south on Pensacola, then turn left on Hopaka St.), Honolulu, HI 96814, (808) 591-0253.  

--RAP