Downbeat Diner | Honolulu, Hawaii

We had purchased a Groupon (affiliate link) deal and were eager to try this place since I heard that there's a vegan alternative for every item on the menu. Our first trip down there was... strange. We made the mistake of trying it out on a First Friday so it was pretty crazy. They initially sat us at a table then asked us to get up because another party had been waiting. Ok... So now what? There's no place to really wait so we just stood at the door while everyone looked at us. AWKWARD. A half hour or so later, a booth opens up and we finally sat down. Then, something even weirder happened. The waitress asked if I could get up so she can crawl over our booth to unscrew the light bulb. Yeah, apparently they project a movie on the left wall, but there's no way to turn off just half the lights, so they unscrew the ones on that side. Can you say ghetto ops? Now, normally, an experience like this would be a one-shot deal for us, but here's the thing: the food was really good. So we did what any normal couple would do. We went back. The very next week.

If you want to give this place a shot (especially if you purchased the Groupon deal like us), keep this in mind:
1) Don't go on First Friday
2) At 6:30 pm, street parking along North King Street becomes available so that's your best chance at free, relatively close parking
3) Sit on the right side of the diner

Downbeat Diner
42 N Hotel St
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 533-2328
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The diner is located on Hotel street, next to Manifest and across from Bar 35. While we were waiting for a table on our first visit, there was a band playing outside and some guy dancing in the street. Gotta love the sights and sounds of Chinatown!


Inside, the decor is a modern take on a 50's or 60's era diner.


The fries are all kinds of awesome; crispy and well seasoned. We ordered a basket of cajun style, which tasted like Old Bay with a little extra salt and pepper.


Julie ordered the "American" with vegan patty and vegan cheese. She said it was really good and almost tasted like the real deal.


I got the Western Burger. No vegan patty here! It's a quarter pound of free-range Big Island beef. Oh, and bacon. Yes, REAL BACON.


As you can see, my burger was cooked to a perfect medium-rare.


On our first visit, I ordered the Ginger Brew, which is pictured on the right. It's a ginger ale that's made in-house and I highly recommend it. On the left is the vanilla milkshake, which I ordered for dessert on our second visit.


On our second visit, Julie opted for the vegan BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado, and tomato).


I ordered the Loco Moco. Unlike our first visit, the patty this time was a little overdone. The gravy was light and tasty and complimented the burger nicely.


On our first visit, the waitress handed us the check without asking if we wanted any dessert. Julie and I looked at each other, "Well, I guess that's that!" On the second trip, we ordered the apple fritters. A warm, soft middle with a nice little crunch on the outside.