Imua Lounge

No ice l little spot friendly atmosphere with a laid back. Vibe they have drink specials everyday of the week and the food portion is insane bottom line you get what you pay for. They have live local music which makes this place even better will definitely be back mahalos auryte

Would give 5 stars for the food, but service was so bad, I left regretting the color of my skin. I’m a local haole who brought a white friend from the mainland. The waitress made it painfully clear to us that we were not welcome guests. She went out of her way to make sure we ordered and were served last, but not before thoroughly ignoring us all together while taking great care of the local tables. Caucasians and tourists: if you aren’t sure that discrimination really exists in Hawaii, I would highly recommend dining at Imua lounge to get treated like a second class citizen!

Nice place with a stage for live bands. Spacious and it has a nice flow. Good food but only had one waiter. Had to wait a while for our drinks.

Ok, this is written with an eye toward nostalgia as we are mainlanders missing Hawaii dearly. Outside all the obvious reasons we love travelling to the islands, Imua is right near the top. For you locals, this could be one of those taken-​for-​granted type places; just another of many dive bars that you’re used to frequenting. For us, however, this little excursion showed everything right with Oahu. Friendly, local crowd of incredible diversity (lesbian/​straight/​transgender/​old/​young) and the COOLEST little troupe of Hawaiian musicians we’ve ever seen. Lots of talk story and tunes sung in Hawaiian. We were treated with smiles the entire evening (we might have been the only non tourists in the entire place).
Unfortunately, we had eaten before arriving, so we didn’t savor all the great dishes other reviewers keep mentioning. The drinks were nice and strong, though, and they had no problems letting our 16 year old son sit with a soda to watch the band.
Can’t wait to return.

The food here is so awesome! We had the Fried Rice with scrambled eggs on the top, Steak and Mushrooms and Spinach Tofu Salad. Each entrée has so much flavor and the presentation was so pleasing to the eyes.
The service was on point. The waiters and waitress would check up on us a lot. My drink was always filled. They make it a pint to talk to the customers and make you feel at ease.
We have been here to this bar a lot but the service and food has improved. I would refer family and friends here defiantly!!!

was going in between giving this place a 3 or a 4 star. here’s why. while the food was good, the service we received was not. My husband and friends went there for Happy Hour yesterday. We ordered the fries and onion rings mixed plate for $ 5.how can you go wrong with that price, as well as the steak and smoked meat. Next time we will definitely order the fried pork chop as it seems to be the favorite here. When we arrived, The bartender did not seem too keen in getting our order as my friend had to call her to our table numerous times. Despite this fact, we’ll be back.

Local dive bar with some live good music — not sure of the schedule but it was entertaining when I was there!
Food was really good — tofu salad, pork chops, fried rice, steak.
Service was friendly.
Come with low expectations and good friends, have fun!

Deep fried pork chops!!! That is all.
Think local dive bar + live music + serious deep fried food and crazy strong drinks! Yea, you got this place. Its really divey, casual place on a keeaumoku in a strip mall next to that Asian grocery store and such. its right behind ala moana so parking can be a hit and miss but its not bad!
Food:
All things deep fried! Deep fried pepperoni chips? They have it! Kalua nachos are stack so high, you;ll need an army to finish it. Or take a few local boys. And the deep fried pork chop though is amazing. I didn’t think it could be that good but wow! Totally amazing!
Décor: dark, blue, green and neons scattered. The bartender is friendly. She made us some really crazy drinks. Crazy enough to put a gorilla to sleep! I pawned mine off but I know others like it. The band is nice. People get up and dance to the songs. They even call you out if you don’t! But overall, its a chill spot! Just don’t drink too much if you are driving. All the sugar and colors mask how strong they really are. But that’s a good thing. Definitely have good bar food though!

I give them a one. .they allowed a singer on stage to use profanity and call out a female for unknown reasons and yet allow this singer to continue to sing and ask the paying customer to leave. idiotic and the singer who is supposedly a man is nothing but an ignorant idiot… i will never go to imuas and i would tell everyone else not to go there as well.

The food is excellent. If you haven’t tried the deep fried pork chops you have to get there and order some.

Love everything about this place. food is awesome. service great. friendly. its become a must go to place for me and my gf :)

I don’t often write a review after a single visit. Indeed, the Unilocal computer is constantly nagging me to write a review of this place or that. (Sorry Unilocal computer!). But after reading the reviews of other Unilocalers and having a similar experience, I felt I owed Imua a few good words. It’s a nice place. It really is.
My friend and I were brought there by the offer of a free drink given out at another event — the Top Hawaii Entertainer of the Year Pageant. We found Imua located in a parking lot off Keeaumoku. It looked a bit sketchy on the outside, but what the heck — a free drink is a free drink. (lol)
My uneasiness evaporated as soon as I entered the door. Some places just feel «right» immediately and Imua felt that way to me. Even though I didn’t know a single person in the room, I felt right at home.
My friend was a bit uneasy. She was all dolled up on this occasion. (For the perversely curious, the only time I’m in drag is when I wear guys clothing — lol big time). «This place is really local,» she remarks. I assured her it was ok. IHalf the girls at pageant were guys and a few of them would be here soon. Imua, after all, was one of the sponsors of the event, so I was sure we’d be welcomed at the bar.
We got lucky right away. A large group vacated a table for six and we parked ourselves there. Three young women approached and asked if they could sit. I said sure. I loved the three immediately. They were so Hawaii. One Filipina (Alissa), one Asian (Jen) and one of Portuguese descent (Feyhi). They took charge of the table right away. Like two dumb haoles, my friend and I were sitting there staring at the debris left by the previous party — plates, napkins, glasses, etc. Jen bused the table — tossed the rubbish in the trash and took the glasses back to the bar. I noticed others were doing the same. Only a single server worked the room, so why not help her out — local style here.
My friend knows how to make friends. He ordered a round of drinks for everyone. We all introduced ourselves and became instant amigos. Alissa it turned out lived only a few blocks from me. Feyhi entertained us with a long story about her cousin’s run in with a haole policeman. She had to look at me twice apologetically before I assured her I was not offended. Why should I be? The guy sounded like a real jerk — and it was a funny funny story.
By this time another woman had joined us. She didn’t want me to use her real name in the review, I will call her Gloria because she seemed to me to be a bit glorious. Gloria is transgen, like me, but I only knew because she told me. .She’s from Papakolea, and went to the same high school as my wife. She calls San Francisco her home and runs a bar there. She invited us to stop, and she had such gorgeous hair.
As time flew I become extremely wobbly in my heels. My friend thought it was time to go. Just as we were leaving, the winner of the pageant, Miss Cocoa Chandelier, arrived with her mother and grandmother. I kissed Cocoa’s cheek, told her how beautiful she looked, and my friend and I disappeared into the night.
I realize my review mostly concerns the people I met at Imua, But because I believe you can judge a place by the friendliness and warmth of its customers, I’m giving 5 stars to the bar. They have live entertainment on many evenings, karaōke, and half price drink nights. Their food, according to other Unilocalers, is outstanding, so I’m going back to sample. Check out Imua’s Facebook page for coming events and specials. I hope to see you there. I’m the chick wobbling in heels. Lol

Food: 5-​stars. As far as bar food goes, it’s up there. The pork hash are really good, and they’re not what you would traditionally think of as pork hash. I’d say they’re more like giant pork meatballs served alongside some very tasty sauces. The kalua nachos are as good as they get and the serving size is huge (I’d say they’re better than Uncle Bo’s variation of the same dish). The pork chops — which as you can tell from the reviews — are the damn business. In terms of «bar» pork chops, these are better than the likes of Sidestreet Inn, Home Bar, the Alley at Aiea Bowl, etc. in my opinion.
Those are my go-​to items on any given day. In my prime, I could easily smash all three of those by myself and only be on my third or fourth beer.
I did dock 1-​star because the bathroom gets a little grimy… I think I saw some cockroaches having a potluck in there one time.
Aside from that, this is a good dive to run into a bunch of old friends from back in the day. If you can’t tell by the name, going into this place is like walking into a Kamehameha reunion on most nights. Being part Hawaiian (not Kamehameha grad, though), I love the vibe.
However, it’s possible that non-​locals might walk into this place and feel like the popolo brotha that just stumbled into a country bar, where the jukebox suddenly skips, and all the bikers and hillbilly’s turn and look at you. But it’s really not like that. Nothing but «aloha» at this place.
You’ll get the big local braddahs, you’ll get the fluorescent shirts throwing back cold ones after a hard days work, you’ll get the tita’s singing Atlantic Starr — «oh, you’re like the sun, chasing all the rain away…» (and singing it surprisingly good), you’ll get the beautiful local girls who you’ve checked out since high school and still look just as good, you’ll get good food and decently priced beer; and you’ll get servers who seem to know everyone’s name. Mix all of that together, and you got Imua’s.

Got dragged here on a Monday night in support of my good friend’s roommate performing in the karaōke contest! Again, I had another snobbish moment of learning my lesson about the whole «Don’t judge a book by its cover» proverb.
Slightly skeptical walking up, I do have to admit I was the ONLY Caucasian blonde person in the entire place, but the best part was that it didn’t feel that way… AT ALL. Everyone was super friendly and truly was there to have a good time (: the atmosphere was laid back and refreshing compared to other bars where everyone is constantly trying to get at you.
I can’t wait for next Monday night, you know where to find me (:
P. S. The best part is the super friendly and H I L A R I O U S bartender Chris!
OMG OMG OMG and the nachos… Too die for

I feel like I missed something when I visited Imua Lounge a few weeks ago, with all the rave reviews I was totally hyped when my friends invited us to meet them here for pau hana.
Tried the pork chops that are the talk of the town and found more fatty pieces than full, meaty pieces that I am used to from places like Home Bar or Side Street Inn. The sauce on top was a nice touch though and definitely added some flavor.
Service was fine except that my Captain Coke somehow turned into a Malibu Coke… which bothers me because I was on my third one by that time. Perhaps I need to give this another shot but it definitely feels like a «Cheers» setting where everyone knows your name. Except for me.

A friend came back in town to visit and wanted to meet for drinks at Imua. I’d heard of it before, but had never been.
When I pulled up, I was not a fan of the parking situation. I feel there are bars in the area with better parking, but I was able to eventually find something and headed in.
When I got inside, I was a little surprised. I knew it was a local, neighborhood bar, but I wasn’t expecting plastic holding chairs and a stage in the center. Still, we had a big group and were able to all be seated together which was nice. And the crowd there seemed to be regulars, so they must be doing something right.
When the waiter came around we ordered drinks, but they didn’t have many specials — which surprised me for a no-​frills bar like that. If not for the drink specials, what keeps everyone coming back? Then they turned on the karaōke machine and started playing songs, which was fun — I’m a fan of drunken karaōke.
But, as the night wore on — I just didn’t see Imua’s charm. It didn’t feel cozy or friendly. They didn’t have especially good food. They didn’t have great drink specials. It was just okay.

Wow! So much fun! I’ve never been here before!
It was all decked out and decorated for the holidays and not at all what I was expecting! The seating was very comfortable and I was quite excited for the live music (every Wednesday). Although I have to say, once the music started, it was hard to talk… but then again, you better be paying attention to the show!
It was a friend’s birthday and when I arrived he already had a pitcher of margarita… Um. they gave him the whole pitcher??? crazy people! but it was good fun watching him enjoy his birthday knowing he had a DD to take him home! For regulars, it was a very relaxed setting and I enjoyed that it seemed like everyone knew each other.
I didn’t have any beverages except for water, yes, I’m boring but I had a long drive, and I ordered the fried rice. At first I couldn’t get around the price but once it was brought out, holy damn it was a large portion. I ate some and the eggs on top and still it looked like I barely touched the plate! No one else wanted so I was able to box it up and take it home.
Such a nice evening of friends, music, comedy and fun! Can’t wait until we go back!

I keep forgetting to review this place!
When I was first brought here, it was at the insistence of my friend who said he knew the owner. Now, mind you this was New Years of 2012 … And we didn’t know we were crashing a private party that the owner was giving to his staff, family and friends! Yikes!!! BUT, we were welcomed with open arms and told to stay and enjoy … I loved their hospitality!!!
Needless to say my friend, the owner and I enjoyed the new year with tons of liquid goodness … Hahahaha … I was gone after my 15^th shot (?) lol
I loved the atmosphere there, it’s very comfortable and relaxing!!! I made my way back there just last week with the same friend that brought me there last year :)
Owner wasn’t there, but the bartenders and waitstaff were still undeniably AWESOME!!! Haven’t tried the food … Yet! But plan to this week when I bring another friend of mine and convert him to the place!!!
I just wanted to tell everyone there what a great job they do!!! It is never overlooked!!!

I came here the other week for a cd release party and although the band was excellent… the bar itself was «eek! Methinks not.»
Upon arriving, I think I only saw maybe three waitresses working. the bar was somewhat crowded but I still had to wait for some person to come and assist me. after waiting for 20 minutes, I had to walk up to a waitress who was standing on the side talking story. Although she was nice, the service was slow…
My cousin and I ordered a few munchables, onion rings, fried rice and some other things. the fried rice. i dont think the chef knows that you are supposed to use «cooked» rice rather than rice right out of the bag. I felt like I was chewing on pellets or something… the onion rings were good but having the pellet rice just killed it.
My cousins and friends came afterwards to hang out and even then, the waitresses were walking right past our table and helped the «regulars». I get that regulars are treated like family and whatnot but when you start to neglect PAYING customers… you need a customer service workshop.
the price was ehhhhhhh… for the experience of my food, I highly doubt that I would want to pay the price I paid again.

I was surprised to find a locals themed bar along Koreamoku. Live band playing Hawaiian music, Kam schools items adorn the bar. Can’t mistake the local flavor here.
The bartenders were super cool. Always checking up on us and providing helpful responses to our questions on the bar. We tipped the bartenders well and she clearly appreciated it and was very engaging.
I would’ve given this establishment 4 stars but opted for 3. Should actually be 3.5. The lower rating is because of the disappointing nachos. Lots of tortilla chips but skimpy on the toppings. We ate the chips with toppings on them but left a sizeable portion of clean chips. At $ 14 (or was it $ 16?), you would expect fully loaded nachos.