Gastronome

Angry Orchard Hard Cider BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Angry Orchard Hard Cider BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

DAVE & BUSTER’S HONOLULU
1030 Auahi St. Honolulu, HI
Phone number (808) 589-2215
website daveandbusters.com/honolulu

OK, before we begin, let’s just get the elephant in the room out of the way: No, most people don’t go to Dave & Buster’s for the food.

You go for the games, the drinks, the camaraderie, the University of Hawaii games on TV — then again, since you’re there doing all those things, you may as well eat. So, in the grand scheme of life, maybe you do kind of go to Dave & Buster’s to eat.

Ancho Caesar Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ancho Caesar Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Metro recently was invited to a media reception to sample the restaurant’s new dishes (and some new games), and we’ve got the scoops.

The new dishes fall in line with Dave & Buster’s American diner-style fare, with hearty portions that border on monstrous.

The BBBacon Burger, for instance, is a half-pound beef patty topped with three kinds of bacon (applewood smoked, peppered pork belly and regular), three cheeses (Gouda, Manchego, cheddar), lettuce and garlic aioli on a brioche bun. That beast also comes with fries. Rest assured that it tastes just as decadent as that description implies.

Crispy Nashville-Style Hot Chicken

Crispy Nashville-Style Hot Chicken

Equally intense is the Angry Orchard Hard Cider BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich. This author was not able to pick up any notes of cider, but it was good pulled pork nonetheless: sweet and just a little spicy, with a creamy buttermilk ranch slaw and crispy onions. (And waffle fries!)

Those are both very heavy dishes, so a lighter option may well be the Ancho Caesar Chicken Lettuce Wraps — delicate romaine leaves filled with chicken, bacon, avocado, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Strange to say about a dish containing both cheese and bacon, but it was the lightest thing we ate.

BBBacon Burger

BBBacon Burger

One dish we do want to caution you about, though: the Crispy Nashville-style Hot Chicken certainly looks tempting, but the combination of Parmesan creamed spinach, garlic mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese sauce — plus the spicy breaded chicken and biscuits —is overwhelming and too salty.

The one caveat about eating at Dave & Buster’s is, of course, that these are very heavy meals. Luckily, its new life-size Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots game upstairs is a pretty physical workout — and probably this writer’s favorite part of the whole experience.