Waikiki Brewing Company Kaka'ako

PLEASE NOTE: Waikiki Brewing Company Kakaako updated their menu shortly after we visited for this blog. The nachos are now even better than before!  We have to go back to do an update!

Ever since Waikiki Brewing Company opened up, I have been wishing they had nachos.  Well, wishes do come true.  Recently at their 2nd location in Kaka'ako, they added nachos to their already delicious menu.  The Nacho Friends couldn't wait to try them!  When we arrived, the manager, Adam, took great care of us and gave us our own little corner to spread out in.  We partnered up and ordered nachos to share with a variety of meat options such as Drunkworst, Kiawe smoked brisket, Hawaiian herb shredded chicken or Kiawe smoked pulled pork.  And the best part???? They make their own beer cheese with the Jalapeno Mouth amber ale.  The nachos came out super fast on large pizza trays. I knew I was going to love them instantly with all that homemade beer cheese and fresh jalapenos on top.  Although they don't come with it, several of us ordered sides of BBQ sauce which added an extra awesome kick to the already yummy nachos.  Our server, Beth, was the best.  She let us have split checks and wasn't bothered when we moved around and mingled. We know our group is large and can be overwhelming sometimes.  You killed it Beth!

Waikiki Brewing Company (www.waikikibrewing.com) has two locations.  They both have the same delicious beer, but the menus are slightly different.  Happy hour is every day from 3pm to 5pm with $5 pints of core beers and $12 64 ounce growler fills to go.  The brewers are always happy to chat beer and talk about the process and equipment.  If they are not busy and you ask for a tour, they will take you in the back and show you how it all works. Luckily for us, Nathan was hanging out when we were done eating nachos and we got a most epic tour.   You can see the passion he has for brewing beer explode from his smiling face as he shows you how the beer is made.

We love you Waikiki Brewing Company!  Keep doing all that you do! 

Nacho Friends

Nachos are my boyfriend...

 

We like beer and nachos!

We had the whole corner to ourselves for our nacho party

Wanna taco bout it?

Just in time to capture a picture before the wall was re-painted for POW WOW!

Old nachos...super good but the new ones are even better. 

 

Mike & Stacey (4) – PRESENTATION: Looks good but a little sparse with the toppings. RAD: Jalapenos gave a good kick to the flavor.  Poblano salsa has awesome flavor and the beer cheese was really good.  LAME: Toppings could be increased, especially the pork. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.  Great service and nice atmosphere.  Good music!

 

 

Nacho Libra (4) – PRESENTATION: An entire platter of nachos!  They came out super fast.  RAD: Choice of delicious meats! Real cheese sauce. The beer in the sauce gives it a distinct flavor, it pairs perfectly with the smokey meat.  Salsa is yummy!  LAME: Needs more cheese sauce…naked chips.  But…a side of extra sauce was just right.  Wanted some more freshness, maybe tomatoes? green onion? pineapple? TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.5, but a 5 with the extra cheese sauce.  Will have to try with other meats. Loved the relaxed atmosphere on the lanai. The drinks and beer never disappoint.

 

 

Flaco (3.6) – PRESENTATION: Damn! I'm hungry!  Chips on bottom, some toppings spread on top.  Looks chunky, not a continuous food item.  RAD: Huge chunks of pork!  That was the best topping. LAME: Chips had a slight burnt flavor, but it wasn't that bad.  Actually it was a little rough on the aftertaste. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: Pork, green salsa, sour cream jalapenos, nacho cheese.  Good Ration, the nacho cheese is on every chip, which is good, but makes it a little sloppy.  I decided to take a whole point off my overall score for the burnt flavor.  Also a little sloppy. I agree, BBQ sauce drizzle would be awesome.

 

 

Nacho GF (4) – PRESENTATION: Pretty!  Served on a pizza tray. Nicely crisped edges. RAD: Drunk-worst! Pepper sauce/salsa, it's awesome! LAME: Jalapenos, delicious but fierce.  A bit soggy. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: Lots of cheese!  Could use a few more green things and more of that delicious salsa.  A bit saucy.  Service is great! Try the smoked wings!

 

Fibonacho (4) – PRESENTATION: Wow!  That is a big plate of nachos!  And all that brisket…drool. RAD: Lots of meat on the nachos.  House made nacho cheese. LAME: Could have used a BBQ drizzle.  There were quite a few "dry" chips.  But a side of cheese solved that. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, the amount of brisket overcame.  They were delicious!  I would eat them again!  Great service.  The drinks were cold and the nachos were cheesy!

 

 

J-Quellen (4) – PRESENTATION: Went with brisket, amazing flavor and the fresh jalapenos were a nice touch.   RAD: The queso is AMAZING!  Well done! LAME: Burnt chips, a little too many. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, a little more meat. Beth was an amazing server!

 

Tyler (4) – PRESENTATION: The plate presented well. I did a 50/50 pulled pork/beef brisket plate. Props for not getting the meats mixed…a perfect split! RAD: The queso was dope. LAME: I requested no jalapenos…had to pick them off. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, overall good coverage. Some underchips were blanks.

 

Shananigans (4) – PRESENTATION: Baked nachos are my favorite.  Fresh jalapenos!  Meat looks super onolicious! RAD: Fresh jalapenos, beer cheese OMG, beer cheese. LAME: These are not available at the WBC next to my apartment.  My chips were pretty burnt in some places, more than the other trays. I happen to be one of those people that does not like the flavor of burnt.  Unlike my mother who would see a piece of toast that was completely charred black and ask, "Are you going to eat that?"   TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4.5, lots of toppings and well laid out.  There is some room for improvement, a BBQ sauce drizzle would push these over the edge. We tested our theory by ordering some sides of the different sauces and it was awesome!  The manager on duty, Adam, was super friendly and helpful right away and our server, Beth, took amazing care of us even though we moved around and needed split checks.

 

 

Tequila Cat (4.5) – PRESENTATION: Looks delicious!  Especially the fresh jalapenos. RAD: Queso made with jalapeno mouth beer! LAME: Nothing. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4.5, minus 0.5 because we needed more brisket.  Great indoor/outdoor space.  Awesome server, great turnout!

 

 

Don Frijoles (3) – PRESENTATION: A very nice pizza pan full of chips and cheese. RAD: Cheese sauce is damn good and the meats are on point! LAME: Not enough salsa or jalapenos. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.4, not enough salsa or jalapenos BUT the SALSA IS GOOD!  I prefer melted cheese.  Fun outdoor location, good service!

 

 

Nick Nock (2.5) – PRESENTATION: Drunkworst slices don't look plentiful enough, lack of color, cheese sauce makes me think fake sauce. Nice wad of sour cream and green salsa. RAD: The meats here are delicious, some of the chips have browned edges, beer cheese is awesome homemade addition. LAME: Fresh jalapenos look good but are way too hot. Wet cheese makes soggy chips. Nachos look like they need more effort put into them. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 2, chips on the outside/bottom do not have enough toppings. At the end, there is a huge wad of sour cream/cheese/salsa covering the last chips.  Great homemade cheese but it makes chips soggy. Great smoked meat but nachos lack smokey essence. Needs more fresh ingredients. Smoked nachos with cotija or queso fresco.

  

Brando (2.99) – PRESENTATION: Jalapenos were finely placed.  They were full, seeds intact, the sight of them kind of made me want to s#$% myself for some reason, that was oddly amusing, don't judge me. RAD: They made 'em on a pizza pan, and the salsa, the salsa was titties (that's slang for good on construction job sites.) LAME: No beans. I'm a stickler for beans.  Which is odd. I lived off beans and rice for the majority of my childhood, I should be sick of these. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 2, plenty of naked chips at the bottom, beans would've seeped onto those chips.  Pork was good, as was sour cream, cheese, & jalapenos, but waiting for that one good chip was a lot of effort.  Bar is awesome.  Staff is awesome.  Free Leonard Peltier!

 

Jason V (4) – PRESENTATION: Props for halfsies (pork/brisket) RAD: The texture of the cheese was on point, silky smooth but full of flavor.  LAME: Not enough protein, the protein to chip ratio was abysmal. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3, see above.  My first nacho night was a huge success!

 

 

Tango Tango (3.875) – PRESENTATION: Large diameter metal platter, piled about 1.5-2.0 inches high. Corn chips, liquid sauce. RAD: Fresh jalapenos with a kick! Real liquid cheese and oven roasted chips! LAME: Lacking chip/topping ratio.  Store bought chips, not enough protein. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.5, okay but only okay, WBC be more generous!  Decent but room for improvement.