Overview
TEX 808 BBQ + Brews Hawaii Kai is a casual barbecue-and-bar restaurant in Hawaiʻi Kai, on the east side of Honolulu. The identity lines up cleanly with the Google Places record: same name, same Keahole Street address, same phone number, and the same website. The current record also shows it as operational, with a mid-range price level and a large enough review base to suggest it is established rather than experimental. (tex808.com)
For a traveler, the main draw is straightforward: Texas-style smoked meat in a waterfront Hawaii Kai setting, with beer, cocktails, brunch, and live music layered on top. It reads more like a full dine-in outing than a quick counter-service BBQ stop, and the location itself seems to be part of the appeal. (tex808.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
The menu is centered on Texas-style barbecue, but it is not limited to classic brisket-and-ribs plates. It mixes smoked meats with local and island-adapted items such as brisket loco moco, poke nachos, seared ahi, fish plates, and a brisket-based “Big Texan” sandwich. In other words, this is barbecue with a broader Honolulu comfort-food lane rather than a narrow, purist smokehouse. (toasttab.com)
- Overall menu style: Texas barbecue with Southern-style sides, beer, cocktails, brunch items, and a noticeable Hawaii/local fusion element. (toasttab.com)
- Notable dishes and specialties: smoked brisket, pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, smoked turkey, smoked sausage, brisket loco moco, BBQ bowl, Big Texan sandwich, poke nachos, brisket chili, and banana pudding / mini churros on the official site summary. (tex808.com)
- Drinks: Toast lists margaritas, beer specials, and whiskey mention on the Toast listing; the official location page also highlights happy hour and a bar that stays open later than kitchen hours. (book.toasttab.com)
- Price range / spend: Google’s price level is 2, but the menu suggests a traveler should expect roughly midrange casual-dining pricing rather than cheap plate-lunch pricing. Most plates sit around the low- to mid-$20s, with sandwiches and bowls often in the mid-to-high teens. (toasttab.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: there are some non-beef options and seafood items, plus salads and a fish plate, which helps mixed groups. But this is still fundamentally a meat-forward barbecue restaurant, so it is not especially vegetarian-friendly. (toasttab.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The Hawaii Kai location is presented as a waterfront, sit-down restaurant with a patio/deck feel, live music on many nights, and a bar that outlasts the kitchen. That combination makes it feel more like a relaxed evening destination or brunch stop than a purely functional meal run. (tex808.com)
- Service model and seating style: dine-in with table service, plus waitlist and reservations through Toast; takeout/order online is also available. (restaurantji.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: reviewers consistently describe a relaxed patio/deck setting with water views; the official site leans into the waterfront/brunch/live-music identity. (restaurantji.com)
- Amenities or practical features: happy hour Monday–Friday, weekend brunch, live music most nights except Wednesday, and later bar hours than food hours. (tex808.com)
- Best fit: casual dinner, brunch with a view, drinks with food, or a “local place for visitors” kind of stop. (tex808.com)
- Weaker fit: travelers looking for ultra-authentic Central Texas barbecue purity, very quiet dining, or a high-end chef-driven BBQ experience may be less satisfied. That caution is supported by mixed traveler commentary about the food’s authenticity and consistency. (tripadvisor.com)
History & Background
Public-facing background is fairly limited beyond the business’s expansion into at least two Oʻahu locations, with Hawaii Kai functioning as one of the main branches and Moanalua as the other. The official site frames the brand as a Texas-style barbecue restaurant chain in Honolulu, but there is not much accessible founder or chef history in the sources reviewed. (tex808.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Travelers repeatedly praise the brisket, ribs, and the overall value-for-the-money feeling relative to other Honolulu-area dining. Service is also a common strength in both review platforms and traveler comments, and the waterfront patio/view is a major part of the positive experience. A few dishes get special mention, especially the brisket loco moco, chili dog, mac and cheese, and barbecue bowls. (restaurantji.com)
Common Gripes
The biggest recurring complaint is inconsistency: some diners feel the brisket is dry, fatty, or underwhelming, and some question whether the food is as authentically Texas-style as the branding suggests. Sides get mixed feedback, especially mac and cheese and corn, which are occasionally described as weak spots. The downside signals are fairly well-supported across multiple reviews, though they are not universal and sit alongside many positive experiences. (tripadvisor.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Hours: the Hawaii Kai location is listed by the official site as Mon–Thu 11am–10pm, Fri 11am–12am, Sat 10am–12am, Sun 8am–9pm; the site also notes weekend brunch and happy hour Monday–Friday. (tex808.com)
- Best time to go: brunch and sunset/early evening are the most attractive windows if you want the view plus the full experience; live music is listed for 6:30–8pm except Wednesday. (tex808.com)
- Reservations / walk-ins: Toast shows both waitlist and reservation options, so it is not purely walk-in only. (tex808.com)
- Ordering strategy: the smoked meats are the safest first order, especially brisket and ribs; mixed reviews suggest sides can be hit-or-miss, so don’t treat them as guaranteed highlights. (tripadvisor.com)
- Budgeting: expect a casual-but-not-cheap meal; shared plates, bowls, or sandwiches can still add up once drinks and sides are included. (toasttab.com)
- Location note: the place is in Hawaiʻi Kai at 377 Keahole Street, and multiple sources confirm the same address or unit number with only minor formatting drift. (tex808.com)
Verification Notes
- Official identity is consistent across Google Places, the official site, and Toast: TEX 808 BBQ + Brews Hawaii Kai, 377 Keahole St / Unit C1-A, Honolulu, HI 96825, (808) 207-8198, https://www.tex808.com/. (tex808.com)
- Google shows 377 Keahole St Ste C1-A; Toast shows 377 Keahole St Unit C1-A. This looks like formatting drift, not a real conflict. (tex808.com)
- Operational status is supported by the official locations page and Toast listing. (tex808.com)
Sources
- TEX808 BBQ & Brews - Hawaii Kai (official locations page) —
https://www.tex808.com/locations— retrieved 2026-04-02. Best source for official name, hours, phone, reservation/waitlist posture, brunch, happy hour, and live-music schedule. - TEX808 BBQ & Brews home page (official site) —
https://www.tex808.com/home— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for the brand’s self-description, high-level menu identity, and the official Hawaii Kai address/hours summary shown on-page. - Toast local order page for TEX 808 BBQ + Brews Hawaii Kai —
https://www.toasttab.com/local/order/tex-808-hawaii-kai— retrieved 2026-04-02. Best source for menu detail, drink specials, and confirmation of the Hawaii Kai unit address and current open/close posture. - Restaurantji listing for TEX 808 BBQ + Brews Hawaii Kai —
https://www.restaurantji.com/hi/honolulu/tex-808-bbq-brews-/— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for broad sentiment signals about atmosphere, service, and recurring praise for the brisket and patio setting. - Tripadvisor listing for TEX 808 BBQ + Brews —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60982-d23072345-Reviews-Tex_808_BBQ_BREWS-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for recurring traveler complaints and praise, especially around brisket consistency, sides, value, and the view/service experience. - Tripadvisor listing for TEX 808 BBQ & Brews —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60982-d26249140-Reviews-Tex_808_BBQ_Brews-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html— retrieved 2026-04-02. Helpful as a secondary traveler source for the Hawaii Kai context and sunset-deck mention, though details appear less complete than the primary Hawaii Kai listing.
