New Violet’s Grill

Wish I had read Unilocal reviews before buying my Groupon coupon. Couldn’t believe there were restrictions on what you can order!!! Teacups were so dirty and kettle looked like it was in the war. Both men and women’s bathrooms were absolutely terrible. Was this place newly remodeled??? Guess it didn’t include the bathrooms. Did they pass inspection? I usually like to purchase Groupons but this was a bust!!! I had to order two takeouts which was absolutely unbelievable! It didn’t even have the sauces for the katsu & tempura. Buyer, beware!

Please save yourself the trouble and do NOT eat here. The food is terrible. My order (shrimp tempura) was literally inedible and came out 15 minutes AFTER the rest of my party’s food. The batter was thick and heavy, not at all like authentic shrimp tempura.
My 2 children went to the restroom and when they came back, they both reported that it was really dirty and gross. My son said there was hardly any soap in the dispenser. Eeew.
The real kicker was the sign that was posted above the kitchen which reads: If you came here to complain you have already used up 98% of your time. I would like to suggest that you use your remaining 2% to find the door. How rude!!!

Love this place. Used to go every Sunday with my family for breakfast!!!

Ox tail had too much cilantro and my wife good was on point but once we was checking out the waitress who helped us gave us BIG attitude! HERES A REVIEW!

I had been here a looooong time ago and wanted to try it again. I kept seeing the Groupon deal online but read that there were a lot of restrictions. Luckily I didn’t get it since what I wanted wasn’t allowed. I ordered the oxtail ramen and I have to say it was delicious! The meat was very tender, the soup was tasty, and the ramen had the perfect texture! Unfortunately, the wait was over an hour to get it! It wasn’t overly busy either. Because the oxtail was so good, I will be back, but not when I’m super hungry!

Where do I begin?
First, the name is kind of misleading. It’s actually a Japanese/​Okinawan food establishment (as per the menu).
Next, this place used to be a bar, which would explain the layout & décor. There were still beer signs up on the wall mixed with the oriental dolls scattered around the room. Also, my husband used the restroom and said it was like a mini maze in which the hallway felt as if it was getting smaller as you walked further down. He also mentioned a teeny tiny sink that could only wash one hand at a time.
Now onto the menu… It’s about 7 pages of printed paper stuffed in sheet protectors binded with those report presentation sleeves used for elementary style essays (you know, the ones with the plastic sheets that come with the plastic clip to hold everything together). The introduction explains their Groupon policy (yes, there’s an entire page dedicated to clarifying the dos & don’ts). Afterwards, the first food listings are not Japanese/​Okinawan like you’d expect by now, but local style foods, such as loco moco and fried rice. The menu listings in itself are also confusing because it was the same items listed over and over in different parts of the menu with different prices because one or two items were omitted from the previous listings. BTW, I still don’t get what Okinawan food is and how it’s different from Japanese food based on the menu. There was no clear distinction in the ethnic dishes listed other than how they labeled the sheets on the menu.
With all that said, the food was actually descent. My oxtail soup was a tad bit on the salty side. My son’s ahi katsu looked overdone on the inside, but he ate it up along with most of my husband’s fried rice. My daughter devoured her porkchop. Oh, and if you order a soda, they give you a can with a cup of ice and a straw (so, I’m assuming no free refills).
As for the service, it was just ok. When it came time for my kids’ desserts, the waitress asked them if they wanted rainbow sherbert and my daughter asked what the other options were. Then, the waitress replied: «uh, there are no other options… that’s all we have.» My daughter then said, «then, why’d you ask?» LoL I wonder what would’ve happened if my kids didn’t like that flavor? It would have been nice to know before getting the combo.
So, although the food was not bad, this «restaurant» was all over the place! I’m still left wondering: Does this place want to be a hole-​in-​the wall local diner type of joint or does it want to be an expensive, classy restaurant? Is the food local, oriental or a fusion of both cuisines? How do they define Japanese and Okinawan?
Overall, the quality and feel of the atmosphere was more like LikeLike Drive-​inn, but the pricing was more upscale like Tadashi desperately trying to be like The Pineapple Room. It didn’t really match. It was a very interesting experience indeed!

My grandparents live in Kalihi, so I basically grew up in Kalihi. Of course when I was younger and it was pay day my Papa would take all the grandkids out for dinner, we used to go to only places in Kalihi and Violets Grill was one place that we frequented. I haven’t been here since I was in middle school with my grandparents and to be honest it has gone downhill. I thought there would be nostalgia coming back today but more like disappointment.
So I came here because I Groupon and the Groupon was on sale $ 9 for $ 20 value. I thought wow awesome deal! And I couldn’t pass it up. Came in to Violets Grill for dinner and of course the restaurant looks different from when I remember. We were greeted and we’re able to choose where we wanted to seat and was helped promptly. The menu I think needs an upgrade it’s literally in plastic sheet protectors, and the dishes need to be thrown out our cups all had dings and chips. Anyway once you open the menu they have a disclaimer about the groupon. Which for me is a first I’ve never used my Groupon with menu restrictions. Apparently only the more expensive combo items are available to Groupon users. Feeling pretty defeated because I thought I was gonna get a deal today we still ordered.
It was a party of 3 we ordered oxtail soup, small Saimin with kamaboko, and shrimp tempura. Let me just say it’s pretty pricy about $ 17– $ 1 per plate BUT, it comes with soup or salad, a drink, and dessert choice of pudding or ice cream. The starters we had Miso soup which was a delicious way to prep us for our meal. We got each item 1 by 1 which annoyed me because I rather get my food at all one time but hey that’s just me. I had the tempura it came with 4 pieces of tempura, 2 pieces of fish, and some veggie tempura. To be honest I didn’t like it. The shrimp tempura was edible but everything else I had to pass up the taste was awful. The tempura tasted like it was fried yesterday and then microwaved upon order, not crispy at all, and the tempura sauce was very bland. The ox tail soup I had high hopes for after reading reviews but I was disappointed again. The soup had no flavor! It was like water, oxtail, and the veggies that were in it. No flavor, good thing they had salt, tobacco, and shoyu on the table because the soup was drowned in it. The only thing I really liked was their kamaboko Saimin, even though they only had 1 piece of kamaboko sliced in half the Saimin had more flavor than the oxtail soup and tempura combined.
I’m only giving them a 2 star review because service was okay. Even though the waitresses were sitting around talking loudly on the phone ordering their lunch and forgot to get me my green River drink, they were very nice to me when they finally came to our table, and quick with serving us. If I didn’t have the groupon I would have left this place in my memories growing up as a child, would I return? Probably not.

Not worth it and what we expected!!! False ad? I could not use my Groupon because there is other restriction besides if u purchase $ 9 or $ 18 it is strictly for 2 or 4 people and only combo meals (notice inside their menu) !!! Groupon fine print does not say «combo meals only» but only for «Japanese infused food for 2 or 4 people» so maybe this can be argued or this is false advertisement? I had 3 people and they will not accept Groupon.
Food was too little! Had a doburi and only ½ to almost ¾ was filled in the bowl. Smoke meat as if they don’t know how to make it. They did not offer cheese with omelette. Fried rice had no green onions and itsy bitsy pieces of ham or some kind of meat; too small to tell!
Service…not the greatest!!! No offer to refill water and to check if they is anything else we needed or menu suggestions. Not too friendly especially younger girl.
Force to come back to use Groupon or will give it away… Won’t come back again after that! Maybe if in the area will go I Love Country Café which has bigger portion and more selection and friendlier people

Average food, extremely slow service, 45 minute wait, no coffee refresher. The waitress never explained the lengthy delay until i asked her what was going on. Apparently there was only one cook for the whole restaurant! The Groupon discount only made the experience barely palatable. Not otherwise recommended. I don’t understand why it’s so popular, and without a Groupon, I wouldn’t return, because the prices are $ 14 – 17 per meal.

Looking for the best hamburger steak in town Violets grill popped up on Google. Not True! Lots of bread crumbs and it left me thinking, «Where’s the beef?» For $ 14.95 I should have more meat.
I did have a Groupon coupon that they accommodated because it was for 4 people but there were only two of us. That was the good thing. The sad thing is that this restaurant probably could do well if they improved on there timing and provided better customer service. My partner enjoyed his Japanese dinner which was half eaten by the time I got my dinner. Really it takes 45 minutes to cook hamburger steak? The server was no where to be found after my partners meal was delivered. Perhaps he had to kill the cow or purchase more bread crumbs… who knows. Anyhow, this was my first experience and probably the last experience here at Violets Grill in Kalihi.

As soon as my fam. Got there tonight,
No hostess
No welcome/​greeting
No one served us
We sat anywhere for awhile and then left
The tables were unclean with left over dishes
WTF IS THIS GRILL. Not a grill at all.
Oh and the people looked so sad in there LOL

What happened?! Since my last post we have came back several times and really enjoyed the experience. Someone commented to me in person that the food wasn’t good (which I chalked up to the daytime cooks) but after my last experience I am agreeing with her.
FOOD (¹⁄₅): FRIED SHOYU PORK, really good nothing was left. HAMBURGER STEAK, too peppery to the point where I could see it in the burger patty. POTATO/​MAC SALAD, k this is where I was most disappointed. The first time we had this me & my wife were fighting over it since it was just that good. This last time it had what I said to the waitress was a «tangy» and actually did facial expressions of dissatisfaction when trying to finish my 1^st and last bite. What I really wanted to say was that it tasted sour.
SERVICE: After the Potato/​Mac Salad incident the waitress said she will check in the back about it but never said anything.
CONCLUSION: I have noticed that anytime they run a groupon the quality of the food goes down. Honestly if they put more effort into the food (like they do with the Fried Shoyu Pork) and actually read the comments made by their customers they would not have to keep offering these discounts.

I don’t normally like to give bad reviews but this establishment needs to improve everything from customer service, food, and cleanliness.
Where do I start?!
BRAH So 45 mins ago, we decided to try this place out because they have groupon deals. Upon entering we ran into leaving guests who commented about the newspaper scattered on the floor saying «What is this mess?» Then we were «greeted» by the waitress who didnt even say hello but asked «how many» and told us to sit anywhere. We weren’t offered water until we asked.
I’m sorry bit this place seemed extremely dead. The waitress that sat us seemed like a ghost who would walk near you just to create a presence. She didn’t even look like she’s happy working there. She literally didn’t even check up on us except for that Asian girl with tatts who looked like she was getting trained; she was a bit more attentive.
I had ordered the New York Steak with tempura. Medium well. I got a medium rare and it literally was swimming in pink-​ish blood. I mean I know some people don’t mind but I personally I don’t like my meats looking like I just hunted them fresh off the forest… the Asian girl kindly took my steak and had it cooked some more.
My boyfriend got the violet special with teriyaki chicken. Ugh please don’t let me start on this but his sashimi had a bone in it and the salmon wasn’t cut right. The tempura could be better.
Pleeeeease please improve. when we left nobody cleaned up the newspapers on the floor…

First time coming here with family. My mom heard about their ox tail soup and pigs feet soup which is why we came here tonight and also brought my grandma. I’m not to much of a ox tail/​pigs feet person so I ordered the Chicken Katsu Don boring. My mom ordered the ox tail soup. Dad ordered the pigs feet soup. Grandma ordered the Loco moco. We recieved our drinks and salads very quickly. The house dressing is delicious!!! Our server, his name started with a T. He was very nice and provided excellent customer service! 5 stars for him. However when it was time to wait for our main food, it was a 35 minute wait. Our server apologized twice and said it doesn’t usually take this long. We noticed other tables didn’t get their food yet either. My grandma got her food first. She got her food the fastest probably after 15 minutes after the salad but she was done by the time the rest of us got our food. When we finally got our food… we ALL was very satisfied!!! Mom and dad said had LOTS of meat. My donduri was probably one of the best donburi I ever had my very tasty and filling. 4 stars because of the wait… kept it at 4 stars cause the food was so good!
Came here on a Friday night around 6:30pm.

I was pleasantly surprised. The oxtail soup was better than Asahi Grill on Ke’eaumoku, IMO. Here’s why…
Oxtail soup at Violet’s for $ 16.50 is a complete meal. It comes with rice, salad or miso, ice cream and a drink. Asahi Grill version for $ 17.50 (approx.) only comes with rice. Violets already wins for value.
The oxtail soup itself was healthy style. Hardly any grease floating on top. Chock full of mustard greens, and it had shiitake and a jelly thing (Asahi is just broth, bones and garnish). Again, Violets wins for goodies in the soup! The meat was well trimmed, not fatty at all. I got 3 BIG pieces of oxtail. Asahi gave me 3 smaller pieces, but their meat was more fatty but fall-​apart.
Hubby had pork tonkatsu plate and ate the whole thing. Looked good tho!
We had the Groupon so far both meals we paid $ 32. The groupon cost $ 8 for $ 20, so with a Groupon, there’s value, but without it it is on the high side, but remember what else the meals come with.
The Aunties working there were so kind and funny. They were like old friends. Service was attentive and soooo nice.
Overall, it’s my new Oxtail soup spot!

Hey, what’s up with the low ratings of this place???
I went to New Violet’s Grill the other day, and I thought this old school restaurant was pretty cool, as I had a deeeeeeeeeeelicious bowl of Oxtail Soup with my gf — Jules Y., & da Famous Auntie — Nadine C.
I’ve often wondered… who is the genius who invented the Oxtail soup?
I mean really… you are eating a tail of an ox, and the tail is not too far from the exit chute where the ox does number #2, yet us locals dig that Oxtail Soup!!! Lol!
New Violet’s Grill is located at the Kapalama Shopping Center, and this small strip mall was recently renovated, therefore all shops in this complex looks brand spanking new!
Upon walking into New Violet’s Grill, we were greeted right away, and the waitress told us we could sit at any open table or booth.
As we got seated, water & menus were dropped off right away… and lucky for me, since I was the rookie of the group, (as both Jules Y. & Nadine C. have already been to Violet’s in the past), I was lucky that they were gracious enough to show me the ropes over here…
Basically we were here for one thing… the OXTAIL SOUP! There was no need to look at anything else on the menu.
We all ordered up 3 bowls of this delicious Oxtail Soup… and with our Oxtail Soup meal you get the following items -
1. Cabbage Salad
2. Rice (Brown or White)
3. Tsukemono (Japanese pickled vegetables)
4. Grated ginger for seasoning of the soup.
5. A Drink (I got an ice tea)
6. And a dessert (I got the Green Tea Ice Cream).
The meat of the oxtail was soft, as the meat came off the bone real easy!
The oxtail soup had the following ingredients loaded inside the Oxtail soup —
1.Cilantro
2. Gai Choy (Mustard Cabbage)
3. Shitake Mushroom
4. Peanuts
5. Konnyaku
All these ingredients in the soup made it for a really delicious Oxtail soup!
It’s been a bit chili the past few days… and guess what? I’m thinking I might need another bowl of that Oxtail Soup!!!
Jonesing for Oxtail Soup? May I suggest you check out New Violet’s Grill! Ono da Oxtail Soup!!!

— Ginger, fresh juicy & grated
— Shoyu taste (no need add!)
— Cilantro
— Gai Choy
— Thick Sliced Shiitake Mushrooms
— Konnyaku
— Peanuts
— Almost Fall off the bone Oxtails
— Choice of Brown or White rice
— Flavorful, full-​bodied broth from simmered bones
Served nice and hot in a Japanese bowl: D
Didja guess what kind of dish this is?!
If you love oxtail soup, you know what the aforementioned list means: YUMMM!!!
Which is then followed by thoughts of:
«MY, OH MY, SHALL I GO THERE RIGHT NOW FOR LUNCH TODAY OR FOR DINNER TONIGHT!!!»
And if you have a spouse, bf, significant other who you know loves oxtail soup:
«HONEY, bf, friend; cousin, mom, dad, brother, sister, etc.; co-​worker, boss: DO YOU WANNA GO THERE WITH MEEEEEE for some oxtail soup!?! :D
Hehe
Ever since Kam Bowl closed down with the bowling alley of the same name is when many oxtail loving Oahu residents have been searching high and low for that same delicious, rich, oxtail soup.
There’s even excited discussion amongst the oxtail soup lovers here on Oahu about which restaurant now has the best oxtail soup! Oahu travelers even look forward to the downtown California Hotel restaurant for their late night oxtail soup special!
My love of oxtail soup began at home. My mom who during my lifetime and even decades before served as president, treasurer, historian, secretary of her University of Hawaii-​sponsored homemakers extension council (U.E.), learned to be a really good baker and cook and this is one of her dishes that I absolutely loved. I miss all the tons of peanuts she used to put in for me. When she discovered just how much I loved peanuts in the soup and her soup ran out from me eating them up, she’d head to Chinatown just to get a whole new bag to add into the soup. Spoiled yeah?! Teehee! :D Thank you, mom!!! :D
Oxtail soup generally is made from simmered beef tail bones developed into a fairly rich thick broth with peanuts added. When served, it’s topped with spicy greens like Chinese parsley aka cilantro.
This restaurant makes it Japanese style with the mushrooms and konnyaku. The cin choy is a Chinese crunchy chewy mildly vinegary cabbage that adds a nice flavor and matches the cilantro. Never tried it with Gai Choy before but I really liked the taste it added to the soup overall.
Difference between my mom’s and this one is this version comes with Japanese ingredients, mushrooms and konnyaku. My mom’s had tons of peanuts so perhaps the thing that could be improved is if they could add TONS OF MORRRRRRE PEANUTS!!! :D It’s been quite awhile since those times in my mom’s kitchen but taste wise is at least very similar.
I love the food served at this restaurant. Reminds me of Japanese style home cooking made in cast iron pans. I’m not Japanese but I’ve got an ex grandmother in law who this food reminds me of taste wise in a good home cooking way. They’ve got many different dishes from shoyu pork to french fries (I ask for ‘em extra crispy) to crispy pork chops but I never tried the oxtail soup until last night.
All my tastebuds were focused concentrated on extracting every single drop of flavorful goodness. I half laughed to myself about my oxtail soup table mates, good friend Nadine C. and bf Fran C., for being so concentratingly quiet while they fished through their soups and ate in heart warming peace. Well, at least that’s what I thought they were doing. With the three of us sitting and eating together there is almost never any silence. But for this?! Maybe that’s the mark of good tasty oxtail soup: D
So try it if you might. Get a groupon ($ 20 for $ 10 for two ppl; $ 40 for $ 20 for four ppl) and don’t forget to use it. Present the groupon on your phone to your server sometime before/​after you place your order so they can add the deal subtraction to your bill.
After ordering, it does take awhile to come (maybe I was just half starved lol) so be sure to go with ppl you can pass some time with while you wait in anticipation. We ordered the soup as a complete meal which came with salad, (vinegary-​sweet won bok) tsukemono, white or brown rice, small dish of grated ginger, and a beverage (soda, green tea, iced tea).
What a great complete meal deal and what an amazing taste flash back to my little girl days sitting my mom’s kitchen with the entire pot of oxtail soup full of peanuts at my disposal sitting quietly and enticingly on the kitchen stove :) Mmm. :D
Thank you for the delicious memories, mom and dad, and for also sharing this delightful taste experience with me, Nadine C. and Fran C. ((Hugs))! :D

When you hear a certain song — it sometimes can bring you back to a particular time in your life… like high school days. Or when you encounter a distinct fragrance — it may remind you of an event or person… For example: the scent of pine trees might bring to mind «visions of sugarplums» or Christmas…
For myself, when I dine at this place, «Violet’s Grill», I think of my dad because he would often bring our family to this Hole in The Wall restaurant for dinner. The wait staff recognized us after a while! Although dad had diabetes, he still would order the lemon-​lime Green River beverage. He liked Green River so much that we served it at his Memorial Service!
Our family enjoyed the Complete Meals which include Miso soup or green salad with House dressing; white or brown rice; tsukemono (Japanese pickled vegetables); a beverage; and dessert with your entrée. Note worthy specials are items such as Ahi Belly, Okinawan Pigs’ Feet, and Korean Fried Chicken. They also serve «normal» dishes like Teriyaki Chicken, Pork Chops, and Shrimp Tempura.
Recently, I’ve been here a couple of times with Unilocal friends — some were First Timers and some have been here before. We checked out the Ox Tail Soup which is an «Okinawan Specialty». The meat was quite good — almost falling off the bone, and tasty! The soup was full of chopped cilantro (Chinese parsley), diced mustard cabbage, sliced mushrooms, peanuts, and slivers of konnyaku (a flavorless, clear, rubbery gel). It’s served with a side of grated ginger which you may add to the broth for extra kick! An empty bowl is provided for discarded bones — a very thoughtful gesture! When I had the Ox Tail Saimin, the noodles were firm, delicious, and plentiful!
Notes:
There’s a free parking lot which is shared with other restaurants such as Zippy’s, Wingstop, and Ahi & Vegetable.
Violet’s Grill has been renovated with a new floor and updated seating! (You may want to face the TV screen and enjoy your favorite sport.)
It seems like the air conditioner has been «fixed» and is in good operating condition!
There’s a bar area towards the right where karaōke may be happening!
Look for a Groupon — get $ 20 worth for $ 10 purchase!
Check for specials like Steamed Opakapaka and Grilled Flounder!
Enjoy!

My parents have been wanting to try the new violets grill for some time because they frequently have groupons and other coupon deals. We therefore went for dinner one night with an entertainment book coupon in hand.
Upon entering, we were not greeted or seated, and after a few minutes of waiting for someone to notice us, we were asked to seat ourselves. The right side of the restaurant apparently serves as a karaōke bar, so we were made to listen to some pretty terrible singing even though we sat in the far left.
The menu book was old and sad, it made me think that the owners/​workers don’t tKe pride in working here. The service was also not really what I was expecting. The waitresses gossiped and talked about their personal lives within earshot of the customers, and while they were pleasant enough when waiting on us, it just felt awkward.
If you order a combo meal ($ 19), you get a choice of two entrees along with miso soup or salad, sashimi, pickled cabbage, a dessert and a drink. They don’t have regular soft drinks, so you get your choice of fruit punch, green river or lilkoi drink. :/​I want impressed. The food on the other hand was good. I liked the very sweet shoyu pork and legit Katsu sauce. I liked the miso soup and sashimi. I even liked my green tea ice cream, even though I had to stare at the short black hair on the plate it was on… not to mention, it was a pretty inexpensive dinner with the coupon.
I don’t know if I’ll be back without a coupon. I would like to try their is tail soup next time though.

I hate to give any business a one or two star rating but I have to give my honest opinion. I’m giving this place two stars and I feel even that’s being generous. I had a Groupon for this place. I will not be getting any more Groupons to come here. Everything was terrible from the service to the food.
They had two females working there, an older woman and a young girl. My husband and I walk in and the girl behind the counter just stands there. She did not greet us nor did she smile. She just stood there looking at us. My husband had to ask her if we can just sit anywhere and she replied «Yes,» so we just sat ourselves. The restaurant was dead. There were two other tables besides ours. The two females did not look happy to be there. They did not smile the whole time we were there.
I also noticed that they raised the prices on all the entrees. The entrees also came with a drink, soup or salad, and dessert. The hubby ordered the Korean Fried Chicken listed for $ 15.50. It was printed on the menu that it came with four pieces of thighs. However, when it came, it was only two pieces cut in half which made it four pieces. He said that it was alright. I ordered the kalbi and it was tough. It took me forever to chew it. $ 16.50 for three pieces. The miso soup was salty. The best part of the meal was the vanilla ice cream, which I’m positive that it wasn’t made in house.
The only time the girl smiled was when she saw the tip that I left her. She smiled and thanked me. On the way out, my husband commented that we should have just gone to Ahi & Vegetable, which was a few doors down. He didn’t have to tell me twice.