Blind Ox

We came here for a birthday celebration. This was a speak easy I found on OpenTable and then came to help for the reviews. The place was fairly small and we sat outside due to the large party. I would recommend going with a smaller group for the speakeasy experience.The drinks were delicious and very pricey! My drink came with a the blind ox branded golf ball which was pretty cool because you can keep it. The food smelled delicious as it was coming out. Def recommend but beware because your wallet might hurt a little!

A bartender in Waikiki tipped me off that Blind Ox was worth the hike, and I absolutely loved everything I had! The Love Potion #829 and Tokyo Nights were both interesting, complex, and beautiful to boot! My only note would be that the floral rim on the former is a little much; maybe mix the flower petals with sugar to make it a bit less aggressive.The drinks were great, but the food may have been even better. The octopus and French onion soup were both perfectly executed, but my favorite had to be the blue cheese mac and cheese balls. So so so delicious! I could have eaten about 20 more.

Came here for the drinks, wanting to come back to try the food and see the bartenders again!Initially when I read some of the Yelp reviews that talked about the "NY/LA vibes," I thought to myself, "maybe I can skip out on this one." I'm your Cali girl, and you know we be bougie, hipster-esque, and fancy. But I'm also the girlie that likes uniqueness and different and unfamiliarity -- thus I didn't have too high of an expectation for this place. Boy, was I wrong. The drinks here were beyond my expectations. Bartenders were great! I felt like I made instant friends after my one drink. Huge shout out to Boo and Keisha! For drinks, I had the Viva la Matcha and Elevated Boca (per recommendation of Boo). I love Jasmine tea, and Viva La Matcha didn't disappoint. I smelled and tasted the floralness of the Jasmine, and loved how it was topped off with a matcha Pocky! The Elevated Boca is probably one of the best old fashion I've had. The couple next to me got a variety of food that looked amazing. I will have to come back to try the food. And I promised my Boo that I would. Bartenders were great. I came myself and sat at the bar. So I loved watching their interactions and mixology of drinks. Lastly, vote for Boo the Bartender! She's in a competition for a great cause. Proceeds go to an organization that brings awareness and prevention to girls bullying other girls! Link below! See ya ladies, drinks, and food next time!https://barboss.org/2023/boo-hooligan-2

In the grand scheme of Honolulu spots, this gets a solid "mediocre" from me (which is my definition of a middle of the road venue...50% of things I enjoyed and 50% need some work). It definitely attracts a crowd in search of a cool, hipster, unique setting. I do like the secretive, darkened ambiance that this place has. It is a bit hidden, the windows are curtained off and the faux front door has a phone box to look like you need to speak to an operator for entry. The entry is actually on the side street with a valet parking stand which brings me to the first subpar issue: On the night I had a reservation, the valet told me he was full so there was no customer dedicated parking left. I circled the neighborhood x 5 and could not find any street parking. I told the hostess that we were just going to cancel and go somewhere else due to lack of parking and they told me to park in the Safeway lot across Kapahulu. The signage there warns of towing for non-customers so I was not really cool with parking there but the restaurant staff assured me that their own employees do it all the time. For a somewhat haughty spot, I was unimpressed with this recommendation but had no choice. If this is their solution, The Blind Ox should really negotiate something with the lot managers so that customers know they will really turn a Blind Eye to using their lot in this manner. I did not like spending my evening in a hidden, sequestered speak-easy without windows not knowing if my car was going to be there when I got done. The ambiance works by having a cool bar, lots of premium booze available, and a life-sized bull in the middle of the room with fully unadorned gonads on display. There are some nice custom house-made cocktails available with great menu descriptions of expensive ingredients and pricing to match (most of the cocktails on the menu are at least $20!). The service was about what you would expect from a bar setting (friendly if a little understated, but perfectly adequate. The 2nd issue that did not impress was the food. The menu descriptors sounded great but the deliverables were pretty average. The most notable items for my party were the Scotch Eggs which were tasty and on par with many I've had in Europe. But, the Oyster Shots and Gold Popcorn Chicken, were both less tasty than anything I've had anywhere (ingredients seemed of good quality but both screaming for salt). Overall, I'm glad I got to check this place out despite leaving with testicle envy. But after this visit, my recommendation would be: Take an Uber and leave your car at home, come for a cocktail or 2 and then go elsewhere for dinner.

Crafted Pleasantries.It's Kapahulu, $5 valet is well worth it. . Top recs from this visit:U-10 Scallops - overall a very impressive and tasty assemblage. The stack may seem intimidating but trust that you can enjoy it in one bite. If I can do it, so can you! -- The dainty morsels of green apple are unique, refreshing, & decoratively appealing. The polenta base is quite thick which slightly overpowers, but successfully contrasts, the buttery soft scallops.Spanish Octopus - full flavored smoked octopus blending very well with the sauces.Who's Your Caddy - ....because why not? (:Other recs - Bone Marrow, Golden flaked Chicken Nuggets (yes, there's gold)..Second time here and I admit, the ambiance is pleasant but its effects are heavily dependent on who you're with. As a girls night out, Blind Ox is a classy spot to dish out and catch up on all the tea. Whereas, a date night - prepare for conversations under pleasant low lighting. . cheers!

I recently dined at Blindox during my vacation last week, and I must say, it was quite an interesting experience. The restaurant boasts a cool ambiance, though it's a bit on the dark side. To enter, you pass through an outside courtyard where a friendly host guides you inside.We had made a reservation, and they promptly seated us. Blindox has an extensive selection of spirits, including some special options and flights, but we opted for wine. For starters, we ordered the charcuterie board, which featured good cheeses and meats. Unfortunately, the fries were a letdown as they arrived cold initially and had to be sent back for a fresh batch. On the bright side, the crispy pickle duo was quite tasty, as was the nori shrimp. The Spanish octopus was just okay, and the torched misoyaki tofu stood out as one of the better dishes.For dessert, we tried the bourbon crème brûlée, which, in my opinion, was just okay.Summing it up, the food at Blindox deserves about 3.5 stars in my book. The service, on the other hand, was commendable, earning a solid 4-star rating. The ambience, while cool, did suffer from being a bit dark and musky- 3.5 stars. Overall, it was a decent dining experience with a few highlights and some room for improvement.

Everything about Blind Ox met our expectations. We had the private room, that also came with our own bathroom. Lighting was great, not too bright & not too dim. It was adjustable which was nice for when we took our pics. Our waiter was really awesome! He conversed with us, and even laughed at our jokes. He did videos with us, & even took our photos. The food was all delicious. Not all the dishes we had is pictured, but we definitely was full. It was all shareable for us girls. We even had oyster shooters which was delicious. The presentation of all the dishes was beautiful, and I like how our waiter explained all the dishes. He was very knowledgeable about each dish. He also made great drink recommendations for us ladies.Everything about Blind Ox was perfect for my sister's birthday. We definitely plan on coming here again!

Came here for a surprise dinner for myself and a few friends. There are two dining areas. One where the check in is and on the right side after some stairs is a fancier dining area which will make you say wow! Parking may be a little tough especially during peak hours but they do offer valet service if you prefer not to find street parking. Staff are friendly and actually very engaging which is nice when you're out drinking with friends. Food here is actually really good. Here's the breakdown of what we ordered. We got the blind ox blue balls ($16) which is crispy mac cheese balls, bone marrow ($28) which comes with bread that you can put the bone marrow on. Defiently recommend! The blind ox french fries ($16) which is great to share. The truffle oil and garlic taste made the fries so tasty! Their special dipping sauce was also a plus!. The blind ox steak ($38) is an 8oz NY strip, very tender, juicy and flavorful steak which I also recommend! Lastly, we got the the A-5 Wagyu Katsu Sando ($52). Probably my favorite of all the foods. The wagyu is so rich and literally just melts in your mouth. A must try! Overall, a very good experience. Little on the pricey side but for the quality of the food, i'd say it's worth it. We did order a few drinks/shots but the food is the main event here at Blind Ox.

Honestly live this place!! Everyone I go I've never been disappointed! From the cocktails to every dish on the menu is carefully thought of and crafted beautifully! Every time I'm in alohaland, I come here! The service is super friendly! The ambience is sexy, chill, and classy! Go there with your friends, significant other or just solo and you will be happy and satisfied!

We arrived and were sat in a tiny cramped table. I'm 5'9" and about 165lbs, I was struggling to sit comfortably and was sitting upright the whole time. Not sure how plus sized guests are supposed to sit at these tables unless they get a booth? Waitress was nice! The two drinks we got were the tequila machata one (ok) and the miso shitake drink (ok). Overpriced craft place what do you expect. I am not much of a drinker so I can't elaborate on cocktails. The lobster roll. Don't get it. Smells super old and fishy. The buns were your store bought Hawaiian rolls not toasted or buttered or anything. They take this limp frozen lobster and place it on top and give you with a side of this special clear sauce which tasted like tap water. How about butter and garlic ?! Pretty gross, you're in Hawaii go to a local poke place instead or how about they fish for local lobster? Hm.. there's an idea! The tacos with the raw fish. It was so bland. Needs a sauce or marinade, maybe a citrus marinade? The avocado smash was that of Albertsons guac. Unseasoned and no flavor throughout these overpriced tacos. Bland at best. At least the shell was crispy. The chicken nuggets with gold flakes. Go to Carl's Jr and get their chicken stars. Seriously, tough chicken and unseasoned. A complex looking dish only to be disappointed. I dipped them in my Mac and cheese ball sauce dip (very good). They give you honey and corn flakes on the size. Maybe the chef and owner were stoned when they came up with it? The bull balls (Mac n cheese)... best part. I mean you get Mac n cheese and you deep fry them and put a good sauce on them. Of course it'll taste good. But not $20 good for 5 balls. The real hero tonight....!Overall this was a recommendation from a guide so shame on us haha. Save yourself the $150+ meal and go get a poke bowl, shrimp plate, or anything else. Don't try and impress your date with this place. Looks cool, but the chef needs to step it up with the basics.