Hawaii’s Popular Side Street Inn Coming to California Casino
As we were the first to share, a buzzworthy Honolulu restaurant, Side Street Inn, is coming to downtown’s California Casino in early 2027.
The restaurant has been a fixture in Hawaii for more than three decades, earning a passionate following.
Side Street replaces Aloha Specialties at The Cal. As we were the first to report (sensing a pattern?), Aloha Specialties closes Nov. 22, 2026, after 41 years.
Another fun fact: The “Side Street” in the restaurant’s name was Hopaka Street, a small side street near Ala Moana shopping center where we used to perform as a street mime. We are not making this up.
Side Street Inn seems a perfect fit for The Cal given the casino’s longstanding relationship with Hawaiian visitors. The California is pretty much an honorary ninth Hawaiian island.
Side Street Inn was founded in Honolulu in 1992 by Colin Nishida. Nishida turned a modest neighborhood bar into one of Hawaii’s most acclaimed restaurants. Sadly, the chef passed away in 2018. His legacy lives on in his food, however. Read more.
Side Street Inn is best known for its pan-fried island pork chops, garlic chicken and signature fried rice. Side Street Inn’s fried rice is loaded with bacon, Portuguese sausage, green onions, peas, carrots and char siu, whatever that might actually be.
Now, they have our attention. We are a noted fried rice aficionado.
Other menu favorites include sizzling Korean-style kalbi short ribs, yakisoba, roast pork poke, crispy fried chicken gizzards and Hawaiian-style pulehu short ribs.
We grew up in Hawaii, so we should recognize many more of these terms than we do. We lived there during the pre-gizzard era of Hawaiian cooking, thankfully.
Side Street Inn is known for its family-style dining, with hefty portions intended to be shared. It’s unclear how much of the Hawaii menu will make the trip to the Cal location, but we’re confident the pork chops and fried rice will be featured items.
Side Street Inn has received numerous awards over the years. The restaurant received national exposure when it was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations.”
The arrival of Side Street Inn at the California should provide some comfort to despondent fans of Aloha Specialties. We tell everyone not to get emotionally attached to anything. It’s Las Vegas. People don’t listen.
The Cal has catered to Hawaiian visitors for decades. The casino even uses the slogan “Aloha Spoken Here.”
Side Street Inn brings a lot to the table for The Cal and owner Boyd Gaming, including an established brand and “plenny goodwill.” Yes, that’s Pidgin. There’s a lot of it spoken at The Cal, along with the aloha.
See more at the official Side Street Inn site.
If Side Street Inn’s fried rice is half as good as people say, 8 East at Circa had better gird its loins.
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