Downbeat Diner & Lounge

This place will always hold a special place in my heart (and stomach) as it was the first date location of my (now) husband and I. Regardless of that slight bias, this place is so awesome because…
– it is open super late (4 am, I think?) which supports our late night cravings
– pretty much everything on the menu is vegan or can be made vegan. everything from milkshakes to loco moco to «chick’n wings»
– service has been consistently good
The only con to this place is parking = hit or miss as it’s in Chinatown.

Always a great place for a late night bite! And you can never go wrong with their shakes or brownie sundae!

Really good food at reasonable prices. Salads and veggie burgers are our favorites. Drinks are reasonable. They have a very good beer and cocktail selection– wish they had a few more unique wine choices. The staff here is super friendly and on top of everything. Great place to meet for lunch or enjoy after work. They also have happy hour from 4pm-​7pm– half price pupus and dollar off drinks. While they have lots of vegan and vegetarian options– this is a perfect place for a mixed group. They also have great burgers and chicken too. Something for everyone.
Only complaint is the music on the lounge side is often too loud for the space, especially when there are not many people there. It was hard to talk to anyone.

I’ve been here twice. My friend frequents this place for late night grindz. Which is totally a pro that it’s open later for the hangries peoples. There are also a lot of vegetarian and vegan options, which was surprising for a such a small place. (TL;DR: Subtracted 3 stars based on quality control for food and customer service.)
The first time I came here, our server was a younger blonde guy with tattoos and stretched ears. He was very friendly, attentive and helpful in suggesting popular/​delicious menu items. He suggested we get the «mac and cheese» and add bacon, which we did. It was amazing and super cheesy good. There was a lot of cheese so that when you went in for a spoonful, there’d be those long stringy pieces of melty cheese goodness. The whole consistency was a perfect balance between cheese, sauce and noodles. With some tapitio sauce, that mac and cheese was fiyah son.
So of course, on my second time there we had to get the mac and cheese again!!! *insert sad whomp whomp whomp music* We forgot to add bacon, that was totally our fault. We take some blame. But there was something different this time… the sauce was watery and cloudy, like when you add a few drops of milk to water. There was no melty cheesy texturey goodness. The confusion set in… no, it couldn’t be. What had happen to our once delicious bowl of cheesy noodles?!? I know this is downbeat diner. So the expectations should not have ever been high, period. But this… someone had downbeat the living cheesus outta this mac and cheese… there was no cheese at all, just some watered down whatever of what once was.
So of course, my friend and I had wanted to alert our server of our confusion. I believe our server’s name was Britney? Brittany? Some form of Brit… y. Though our server did not want to acknowledge us. We waited and waited, trying to ask, trying to find answers. She never cared to check up on us again. I’m sure because we were not a part of her group of friends that she had rather hang out and chat with while on her shift.
In the end, we decided to accept this mac and cheese fate for what it was. And acknowledge to ourselves that it was too good to be true. That the mac and cheese we once had was some magical unicorn who was free to run wild in the daisy fields far far away. Where he took all of Brit’s customer service skills along with him.

My partner in crime (aka the hubby) was in town for Spring Break and I promised to take him to Scratch Kitchen right across the street from Downbeat Diner… But with our luck, our number 1 plan failed and so we bumped into this diner.
Downbeat Diner is not your typical diner, the lighting and vibe gives it a bar «feel», not to mention the sticky and just muggy feel as you enter; while the booths (not the design) gives it a little touch of a diner.
Moreover, do not be fooled by the ambiance because their breakfast is pretty bomb! ESPECIALLY when you can have an alcoholic beverage (we had mimosas) on the side! Totally win! Yes! Downbeat diner serves alcohol no matter what time of day. As I’ve mentioned, we had mimosas and it was mixed just right (half and half not ⁴⁰⁄₆₀ vice versa). Food is pretty good; a little pricey but serving is enough for 2, even more. The hubby really enjoyed the omelette while I was too busy devouring everything to even pick a favorite.
In addition, despite the fact that our waitress was sick at the time (luckily, we didn’t get sick) she still provided us good customer service. Service was a bit slow but I didn’t mind waiting since I’m with the best company ever (so cheesy).
In conclusion, we enjoyed our visit. Do we care to come back again? Maybe.

I researched Honolulu vegetarian options before we arrived in Hawaii & from there it was determined that this would be our first major food stop. It did not fail us — everything we put in our mouths was top notch. We WILL be eating here again during our stay in town. Vegetarian & vegan options for everything on the menu, including local fave moco loco.
Staff is attentive, fast, and helpful with recommendations.
In the land of spam & beef products, this is an oasis of veg friendly deliciousness.

I had breakfast here on a Saturday. It was fairly still early around 10am. No crowd completely empty. Walked right in and i could choose anywhere to sit.
The menu was simple and easy to read also on the plus side breakfast served all day!!!
There was only one waitress who was behind the bar who greeted myself and later came over with water. Very friendly and patient.
I ordered the monti cristo sandwich with fries. 8.00 +3.00 (fries)which seemed reasonable to me. Nothing to complain about.
Honestly i am glad scratch had a super long wait because if they didn’t i would’ve never tried downbeat diner!

SO. over all good food and service! But there was one major disappointment. the $ 10 breakfast burger came on a plate all by itself. Sides were offered for an additional $ 3.50 (home fries). Just wasn’t acceptable in my opinion. The burger left me close to full but a side of anything more then the pepperccini left next to it would of been better then nothing at all.
We will be going back to try other dishes. The pesto scramble was really good. Filling

I probably come here twice a week maybe three, on a good week. :)
The ambiance is laid back and traditional. I love the staff, everyone is really kind and smiling.
Now,
I am vegan and love their food; however, all of my friends are not vegan and they love the diner as well because almost everything can be regular or vegan.
I love the Monte Cristo — vegan. I love french toast and ham… sooo yummy.
Also the vegan bbq wings and the hot wings are to die for.
The chocolate peanut butter milkshakes — vegan are AMAZING too…
Curly fries are delicious.
Vegan Cajun chicken wrap is great.
Honestly everything is suuuuper ono here. Love it and I’m a regular for sure.

I’ve always passed by this place while painting the town and thought «hmm we should eat there» or «I’ll go there someday!“And here I am. I finally stumbled upon it. Nooo I’m not Downtown for drinks but figured I should walk over and have dinner. Okay well I did grab a Primo to pair with my California Burger and Volcano Fries!
I love the diner atmosphere. It’s pretty open and inviting. The servers/​waitresses are really cool and hip! I want to grow up to be like them. You could also sit at the bar to knock back a few brews or cocktails.
They offer a lot of vegan and vegetarian alternatives to most items on the menu. However, I was a typical carnivore with my above order. Okay an omnivore (I had French fries, avocado, and other assortments of veggies on my burger)! The Cali burger was loaded with avocados which made it worth it! I didn’t pay close attention to the menu so I didn’t notice you could add fries/​salad for $ 3. I just happened to see a plethora of pics from other Unilocalers of Volcano Fries and it was default. Fries covered with cheese, gravy, and Cajun seasoning. I was expecting them to be a bit spicy because of the name but the gravy and cheese tamed it. I ended up adding Tabasco. But I couldn’t finish them lol so I should’ve just gone with a normal side order of fries. And I was almost tempted to add a milkshake! I’m definitely starting 2016 off right!
Regardless of my personal New Years resolutions/​goals I’m bound to come back here again. And I’ll bring a friend to share appetizers with! Perhaps I’ll even add that milkshake or sit at the bar too.

Vegan and delicious. I know, I know, you’re probably turned off by the word «vegan». Hear me out and give me (& DownBeat) a chance — -
First of all, this restaurant serves up non-​vegan dishes. It’s just that everything can be made vegan. Burgers, sandwiches, wings, nachos, loco moco, and even breakfast food can all be made vegan if you’d like. And boyyyyyy, it is seriously mouth-​wateringly delicious. I say you order some vegan wings, a vegan teriyaki burger with garlic fries and a side of a vegan milkshake (and beer, ‘cuz, why not). The wings are surprisingly meaty and super tasty– it really tastes like real chicken wings. The burger was amaaaaaazing. I’ve had a lot of vegan burgers in my life, and this one tops the list. One of my friend ordered a non-​vegan California burger and he absolutely loved his burger.
They only have few beer options on the menu and nothing on tap, but they serve interestingly named beer, i.e. Hipster Ale (haha). Which brings me to my next point: the décor. Very hipster-​like, casual/​laid-​back, cool/​odd pictures on the wall– restaurant has this chill vibe, I like it.
Parking is a bit challenging. It is located in the middle of trendy downtown with all the other trendy restaurants. Street parking/​metered parking is usually the route to go. I know some people pay for those parking lots for $ 5-​$ 10, but if you’re eating sometime after 6pm, look for metered parking because it’s free after 6pm!
Take a chance on a vegan burger– you won’t regret it! I promise!

This new vegan is sooo grateful to add this to my short list of vegan friendly eateries!
In recently adopting a vegan diet to improve my health it has been a challenge at times to eat out. So when my hubby posed the question…“So where are we going for your Birthday?” I said How about Greens & Vines?” Which was followed by an overly exaggerated roll of the eyes! So back to my Unilocal research! Then low and behold I saw the reviews for this diner that had ono diner food but also almost all of the selections have a vegan option on their menu!
So we walked into the place at about 7:00 pm and was greeted promptly and seated.
Décor was cool. Booths were upholstered with a print with 80s celebrities. Playing behind the bar was a tv with movies from the 80’s we saw «Planes, Trains and Automobiles!(John Candy and Steve Martin classic)
Service was friendly, informative and prompt!
Food was yummy!
Appetizer: Volcano Fries — nice crisp fries with a light gravy with a bit of a kick.
Hubby: The Carnivore burger — bacon, ham, cheese and grilled onions. With a side salad.
Son: The Breakfast Burger — Cheddar cheese bacon and egg
Son’s gf — The Monte Cristo sand — French Toast sand with cheese and ham.
Me: Vegan Teriyaki Burger with salad.
To share: vegan toffee shake and chunky monkey shake.
Everything was really good! Burgers were cooked well and shakes were served in cute mason jars and super yummy!
Everyone was happy and we found a new place to frequent that won’t cause this new vegan and her family any added stress! Downbeat Diner you are a Godsend!

Ok so I’m updating my review on Downbeat because I’ve gone back actually a few times (my friend loves this place since she is Vegetarian). I will say I have had a much better experience than the first time I went. Service was a hit or miss. sometimes good and sometimes really slow or bad attitudes… But this IS like the most hipster place to hang out in.
Food wise… Still pretty average. Nothing spectacular except the option of having any of the items vegan! I definitely think the drinks are probably what’s best here. This place is a cool chill spot to hang out at. Oh and it’s much cleaner than it use to be. Thank goodness! Haven’t seen any cockroach sightings since!

Went in at about 1 pm in a Sat. The place was about ¾ full. Mostly booths and about 6 bar seats. I sat at the bar and was greeted right away. The waiter/​bartender did a great job. Friendly, efficient and refilled my iced tea repeatedly.
I ordered the pesto omelette ($ 9.50). Not sure if the kitchen was backed up but it took 25 minutes to come out. The food tasted good but the omelette was super small. I ordered it with bacon but got sausages. Oh well the sausages were actually pretty good.
Very simple bar foods but that’s the nature of the place. May stop in again if I’m in the area. But then again there are so many other good choices in the area.

I’ve been coming to Downbeat Diner on & off for a while for lunch. In the past I’ve had their chicken pesto sandwich & loco moco dishes & wanted to try their Chicken & Waffles after seeing it mentioned in Frolic Hawaii recently. I didn’t see it on their lunch menu & upon inquiry, our server stated that it’s only available on Sunday. My back up choice was their Mac & Cheese $ 5.00 (and I added the bacon option $ 1.50). It was pretty good, rich, creamy & satisfying. I couldn’t finish it, probably because I had a chai milkshake $ 5.50 (which was also awesome) so my Mac & Cheese leftovers are in my mini fridge.
Their prices are pretty low. Everything our group ordered was under $ 10 & my co workers both had sandwiches or burgers & both items were only $ 8.
Service is quick & friendly.

Somehow, some way, I always end up at Downbeat Diner after a fun night in Chinatown. They have good food at a decent price, and most importantly, they have vegetarian and vegan options. (Sometimes, they get vegan orders mixed up with non-​vegans ones, which can be annoying, but it’s a rare occurrence.)
The diner itself has a very cool vibe, with movies projecting on one of the walls, a vast and unique drink selection– including but not limited to, spiked milkshakes– and of course the pop icons printed on the upholstery of all the booths.
Downbeat Lounge is connected to Downbeat Diner, with a door inbetween. They have a small stage that is great for bands, and they have a good sound system for different dance nights. The Lounge has their own specialty drinks, which are served in mason jars and pretty tasty.
The service is okay, they’re usually kind of slow and a little passé… but considering how hipster this place is, it kind of goes. And since we’ve been here so many times, it’s obviously not bad enough to discourage us, lol.
They have different events throughout the week, such as brunch on weekends with mimosas and bloody maries, and Taco and Tequila Tuesdays.
If you are vegan, and love chocolate, do NOT leave here without trying the vegan chocolate chunk brownie.
Side note: It’s always hilarious that I order the Vegan BLAT («bacon», lettuce, avocado, tomato sandwhich) and my husband literally orders the Carnivore burger. Maybe that’s why they mix up my order and accidentally give me meat sometimes…

I left Downbeat full… of disappointment. I used to LOVE this place. I was their number one advocate. But, unfortunately, the last couple of times I’ve been there the service has been incredibly subpar.
My partner and I had lunch at Downbeat this last Saturday and the experience is what has caused me to update my review.
We walked in to a somewhat full restaurant and sat down. My partner ordered the egg breakfast with bacon. He received the egg breakfast with Portuguese sausage. I ordered a grilled cheese with tomato on wheat bread. If you look at my last review, you’ll see I raved about their grilled cheese. Unfortunately, it has fallen from grace. I received a grilled cheese on sourdough with the cheese barely melted. I really dislike sourdough bread which is why I had specifically asked for wheat bread. I attempted twice to flag down our waiter by raising my hand and saying «excuse me» to ask for a side of ranch but was ignored both times. The waiter did not come by once to ask if our meal was ok so we never got the chance to explain to them they messed up on our order.
I won’t be back for the food, but would go back for drinks in the lounge.

I love coming down to Chinatown, and there’s some great restaurants that have opened, but my only problem is that most of them close at 2… or shall I say they stop serving at 1:30. We had walked by Downbeat on past visits, and were pretty happy that they are open all day. Low key and chill dining area… friendly greeting when we entered. Cool booths!
I ordered a natural ginger ale… very refreshing! They have a number of items to choose from. I ordered the club sandwich with garlic fries, the partner had the pesto chicken with curly fries. Both came out in a timely manner and tasted great! It was around 2 pm so it wasn’t that crowded which was nice. I’m sure it can be a zoo. Our waitress/​bartender was very friendly and had that 50s pin up girl look… very cute!
I will definitely be back. Such a great little gem in Chinatown and one that’s open past the standard 2 pm.

We’ve been coming here for the past year, finally posting a review! One of the few spots in Chinatown open on Sunday’s, they are a great choice for brunch and even have brunch drink specials.
Food: always spot on whether you choose regular, vegetarian, or vegan. This time I tried the Avo Sammy, great light sandwich with fresh avocado, tomato, lettuce on toasted bread. Simple enough but delish. Had their maple bacon old fashioned, crispy thick cut bacon in a bourbon old fashion. Smoky, salty, crispy, with a sweet finish… yum!
Service: Friendly, attentive servers. Since they were one of the few places open in the area, the restaurant was crowded with one waitress. She managed all of the tables efficiently and took care of all the customers.
Atmosphere: Funky, Dive-​ish, diner décor. Clean with a cool vibe. I like it as it gives it their distinctive personality.
Value: Great prices, good portion sizes, make this place a plus in the value category. My Avo Sammy, side of fries, and Old fashioned only set me back $ 15.
Overall a great place for people looking to get unique drinks with healthy diner food.

I like this place!!! It’s pretty chill, hip and they have a wonderful vegan selection!!! I’m not vegan, but I love that they have this option because I can bring my friend here without being limited!!!
Plus… Their vegan food is pretty tasty!
I only have them 4 starts because service… Could have been a little better. It was t that busy… But it seemed liked server didn’t pay attention to us. Not a biggie because I’ll definitely be back.
Atmosphere: I came here on Saturday night. Restaurant was fairly busy but we were still able to sit right away. Chill, hip and casual
Service: could be better. Not that bad… But wasn’t the greatest experience of mine. Didn’t affect my decision to come here tho
Food: the fact that they can make vegan food taste that good was awesome in itself
I’m will be back here… I want to try their other menu items!
I had the vegan chili nacho… And my vegan friend had the vegan loco moco. thumbs up!!!