Proof Public House

Cannot remember when I went, but it was sometime in the last 2 – 3 weeks… gosh getting old sucks… but anyhow, called ahead before I roamed on over there from the DownBeat Diner was able to bring my salad from there to here to eat and to hang out with an old friend… the Guinness was perfect, I was able to sit and watch Fight Club… I have to go back over there to try out the pizza… anyhow it’s a nice change from the old Mercury bar that kind of sort of took up the same spot… yeah I will have to give more detailed review of this spot when I actually try the food… so 4 stars for now until later
CHEERS!!!

I’ve been here maybe three times now, and I really don’t know why.
The pizza, I guess.
I’m not a fan of thin crust pizza, but I have been won over by the dessert pizzas here. It’s always been some sort of berry pizza, and always delicious. I’d love to try their other food… but I can’t resist the sweet goodness of the dessert pizza.
On top of that, the servers are typically pretty on point.
Why not 5 stars then?
Well, for one, the cocktails taste like nail Polish remover.
Also, I’m not actually a fan of the vibe. It’s super loud and crowded, so you can’t really interact with people unless you go outside… and it’s not like it’s big enough or set up for dancing, so it’s just noisy for the sake of it.
It opens earlier, so perhaps one day I’ll make it in before the night crowd and get to experience a more chill environment.

This is a hidden gem if you want some good pizza. Tucked away in this bar, which serves different kids of beers and well drinks, you can order a Mac and cheese pizza plus a fiery one that had some spice and was oh so good. I would even say this is some of the best pizza I’ve had on the island. The pizza isn’t some pizza that came out of the freezer, but made fresh. The Mac and cheese was cooked perfectly where the macaroni wasn’t too soggy or the cheese was minimal or cooked too long. Cooked to perfection, and I want to eat this again. There is also a blueberry dessert pizza that I was too full to try but I definitely wanna try it someday. There are maybe 8 – 10 pizzas to chose from or you can customize your own.
At night the music is played loud and they do have bands playing every now and then, so this isn’t your place to really socialize and have conversations unless maybe there are only a few people. But knowing that, it’s still a great place to go to listen to music, chill, have some drinks, and eat pizza.
I would definitely come again

20 words or less
Fried Rice Kim Chee Pizza
OMG, heavenly, gluttonous, sinful, euphoric
(mouth watering as I type) that’s crazy!
Dessert Pizza: o) Josh is a QT

Gotta love this Hole-​in-​the-​wall pizza joint!
They have homemade pizzas, handcrafted cocktails, a pool table and TVs. What more can you ask for?
Also — they have 50% off glasses of wine on Wednesdays. BONUS!
Had a few glasses of Chardonnay and a slice of the veggie pizza. BF had beer and the pepperoni. Both were good!
My only gripe was that that place was hot… They have some cross-​breeze going through the restaurant but not enough. Wish I had a fan by me haha.
Worthy rival to JJ’s around the corner. If you haven’t, check out Proof! Cheers!

Good pizza, good other foods, and good beer/​prices. Had lunch here twice and enjoyed. We tried the mac and cheese pizza which was interesting and good but not great. Our second time we split bruschetta, meatball sliders, and a slice of smores pizza. OMG, the smores pizza was the bomb diggity! Sadly, it’s not made frequently and we just happened to be there on the right day to find this gem of food. Yes, I did ask about frequency it’s made :-(Hey, I’m glad we got to try it. As the server said, «That may just be my new favorite food!» It was awesome, and unlike most people, I reserve use of the word «awesome» for the super infrequent awesomeness I experience. The smores pizza is truly deserving that title!

Great pizza, no actually impressive pizza selection. Super friendly staff and overall unpretentious vibe make this a great spot to kick back and relax. Would recommend this place over other places on the great service and friendly vibe alone but the pizza is pretty awesome too!

Came here with a coworker after work and it is probably my favorite pizza on the island so far. I only ordered a pepperoni slice, so I can’t judge on their stranger creations. Their pepperoni pizza however has great flavor, good amount of cheese and not too much sauce. Did I mention the slices are huge!!!
To top it off the drinks here are pretty good, pleasingly strong, and a great price. To top it off the atmosphere is great.

Decorated with archival photos, this place looks like a modern day saloon. Proof serves terrific pizza and salad. A pool table located at the right of the restaurant creates a lounge like atmosphere. It reminds me of a college bar.
Movie screens located on either side of the Proof place makes it more interesting. The menu offers a pizza salad combo. You can order either a Greek salad or Caesar salads.
The bar serves an array of drinks. This draws the locals in during lunch time. A good meet place for lunch and for friends.
The atmosphere feels relaxed. When you walk into his place you automatically feel the tension melt away. A good place to get away even for a moment.

I stopped here last night for a quick drink before dinner. I wasn’t sure what to get so the bartender decided to surprise me and it was the best cocktail I’ve ever had!!! I didn’t catch the name of it, but it had whisky, bitters, mint, and a secret ingredient. I loved that it was flavorful and not sweet. On a side note, it’s one of the few bars on Oahu with a pool table – score!

I love Mac and cheese!
When I heard they have Mac and cheese pizza I had to have it! Its amazing I love it! You must try it!
Before I got to taste this amazing pizza I notice the pizza was taking longer than usual and the waitress advised the printer didn’t print out order and brought out a hummus and vegetable platter. I thought what a sweet thing to do!
I will be definitely coming here again

I checked this place out last week with a friend who frequents the establishment when she’s on downtime from HPU. It’s a fairly dark bar/​pool hall that’s on a side street off Fort Street Mall.
Apparently the drinks are reasonably priced and strong– I don’t drink so I’ve only heard. But the best thing hey have going on for them is their amazing pizzas. You can buy pieces by the slice for $ 4-​those flavors change daily-​or a full pie from $ 19 – 23.
The pizza flavors are creative and original, including a breakfast and a dessert pizza. We opted for the breakfast pizza because my friend was really craving eggs and she was buying! It came with cheese, sliced tomatoes, bacon, and two eggs on top. This could quite possibly have been the best pizza I’ve ever had. Usually I’m not a fan of sliced tomatoes on a pizza because they get mushy and messy. But somehow these tomatoes still had bite to them. And the cheese chosen had just the right amount of salt. It was a delicious pie!
Next time I’m getting the dessert pie called Blueberry Muffin! Yum yums!

Came in on a Monday evening to get some pizza. I had a spinach something and pepperoni, bacon, onions and awesome slices. It hit the spot after a nice day off of jogging the aiea loop trail and hitting the gym. So I can stay out of shape despite my efforts. Take a stop by and give it a try.

College-​y bar. Great selection of beers and spirits and pizza! Good pizza. What else could you ask for? A pool table, dart board, and great service? Check, check, check… Nice happy hour specials rolling through like $ 2 Sierra Nevada IPAs. Think I got my after work happy hour spot.

This place is kind of hidden down an alley in Chinatown, very near the HPU campus. The entire front of the restaurant is made of windows that open to the outdoors, providing a breezy feeling to what would otherwise be a somewhat gloomy interior. Seating is fairly limited, but there weren’t many people when I was there. The beer list is satisfactory if not expansive. Wine was limited to one red and one white. I had a slice of blueberry muffin pizza (my curiosity required satisfaction,) a slice of the feta, basil and tomato pizza, and the meatball sliders. The feta, basil & tomato was wonderful. I would recommend anyone get an entire pie of it. Ingredients seemed fresh and were in the perfect proportion. The blueberry muffin pizza was certainly unique, and not overly sweet, with a ricotta cheese and some sort of cream cheese icing along with actual blueberries studded throughout the surface. It grew on me as I ate more. The meatball sliders were delicious. The marinara seemed freshly made and full of delicious herbs, and the meatball itself was very meaty and also freshly made.
I’d recommend Proof for a chill weeknight dinner away from the crowds of some of the more popular restaurants. Definitely worth checking out in Chinatown, and a worthy pizza rival to JJ Dolan’s.

Went for lunch with a coworker… It was our first time, so we shared a pizza and a salad. The portions were perfect (we’re big eaters)!
The pizza was super ono — we had the Bethel St. Breakfast pizza… Def would eat again. Unfortunately it was lunch break, so we didn’t get to enjoy any beer on our visit.

Good atmosphere, great local inspired pizzas! (Loco Moco or fried rice to name a few)

Stopped in for lunch with a colleague today. I hail from the East Coast, so thin pizza is my preference. However, this pizza was a bit too thin and crunchy for my taste. I’d prefer to fold my slice in half, shake off the grease, and enjoy. This pizza was so hard, err crispy, that it snapped in half.
Having said all of that, the flavor of the slice I had was great. It had tomatoes, red onion, and a balsamic reduction, giving it a slightly sweet taste. Thin and super crisp is just not my style. The service was good. The bartender was also our server. He was was attentive but not overly zealous, which I appreciate when I’m lunching/​dining out. Would I go back? Possibly if friends wanted to go, but I probably wouldn’t seek it out on my own.

I Love this bar!!! Josh, Rich, and Michael are awesome. Made us feel at home, and love them to death. Good food, food prices, and they’re open for Sunday football.

I love it here! this is my new favorite:) The pizza was amazing! We created a custom order that was SO yummy :) BACON on my pizza!!! to die for! The drinks were great and they had my favorites behind the bar, Hendricks & muddled cucumber!

A friend and I recently went to check out Proof Public House because we heard that there were unique types of pizza at this bar.
First off, be sure to find street parking – we found parking in one of the lots nearby – because this bar isn’t really accessible from the road. You go down an alleyway to get to it. Upon arriving, now I knew what everybody meant when they said they play old movies on the side of the building. Because the bar is in an alleyway, it allows for that space to do so. Kind of nostalgic and a unique touch.
The bar itself was pretty dark, but it was empty, so my friend and I felt like we were able to relax. There were a few different slices available in the display case to choose from; otherwise, you had to order the whole pizza. The girl behind the counter told us that the slices rotate daily so you never know what you’re really going to get with each visit. At the time of our visit, there were four different slices and the blueberry/​ricotta
My friend ordered a beer and we ordered the mac and cheese pizza to share. We agreed that it was delicious and it was worth trying, and we want to come back to Proof to try some of the other pizzas available. Here’s our experience:
«Mac and Cheese Pizza»: This unique pizza included mozzarella, macaroni, cheddar, bacon and feta. I liked this combo because it was really cheesy and the bacon was to my liking (crunchy bits and not soggy). However, I felt the macaroni was more like decoration instead of being an integral part of the dish. Though I enjoyed the pizza and ate two of the large slices, I would have liked it even more if the sauce were creamier and the macaroni were more part of the pizza than just an adornment.
«Fried Rice Pizza»: Our server said that this savory pizza is actually one of the most popular choices. It comprises char-​siu pork, bacon, pocho sausage, sweet peas and carrots and is also topped with Chinatown kimchee and oyster sauce. I actually prefer fried rice over regular rice so I can’t wait to try this version at some point. I usually don’t like too many ingredients in my fried rice, but for this pizza, I will make an exception.
«Bethel St. Breakfast»: I don’t often see breakfast pizzas, which is why I would want to try this version one day. It includes mozzarella, two baked eggs, bacon, avocado and tomatoes. I would just probably order this pizza sans the tomatoes, but everything else on it sounds good … especially the eggs and bacon.
«Loco Moco»: I recently discovered how much I like loco moco, so I’m curious to see what it tastes like in pizza form. This pizza features grass fed ground beef and two eggs topped with a pepper gravy and green onions. I would order this pizza without the green onions, but I’m curious to see what that gravy tastes like. I have a love-​hate relationship with gravy, so here’s to hoping that this version is thick and tasty.
«Chicken and Waffle»: Sometimes I definitely have a hankering for chicken and waffles, but this has to be the first time I’ve seen it in pizza form. It includes purple cabbage, fried chicken and cinnamon ricotta and it comes topped with maple syrup and powdered sugar. This sounds like a great sweet-​savory blend and I want to try it one day. I’m interested to see how crispy that fried chicken really is, and the cinnamon ricotta sounds really unique as well. I normally don’t like syrup on my waffles but when it comes to chicken and waffles, I make an exception because I want to sample all the components of the meal.
«Spinach, Garlic, Tomatoes and Ricotta»: This flavor was one of the featured slices of the day during my visit. I would just pick the tomatoes off of it, but I do love the sweeter taste of ricotta cheese. If this blend is ever available again, I definitely would want a slice.

I love this place! This is one of my favorite bars to go to for a chill night out. I love the vibe this place has, it’s half open, and they project movies on the wall opposite the bar. It’s just a neat place. The cocktails are great, and the food is also really yummy! I tried the chef salad which I thought was amazing, and the fried rice pizza which wasn’t bad either.
Love Proof!

Proof nails the pizza. Great spot. Comfy spot for the games and great people. Easy 5 star.

So, severel weeks ago tried to go JJ Dolan’s after watching a movie but was crazy packed on that Saturday afternoon, so dragged the Hubs around the corner, to PPH. We ordered our pizza which was noms… we ordered our norm, almost everywhere we go pepperoni, mushroom, extra cheese. If you mess that up, I dunno what to say. The pizza crust was nice and crisp, we ate a good pie. Along with a pint of Guinness and I sorry forgot what the hubs had. It was a awesome lunner (lunch/​dinner). Service was good and attentive, 1000 times better than what I experienced the last time.

Laid back atmosphere. With classic movies playing projector style. Drink selection is off the charts with draft, microbrews, and mixed drinks (whiskey sour). Try the Mac n cheese pizza. Sounds questionable but it’s fantastic. You can thank me later. Shakas.

Nice spot that’s not too crowded. The staff is always friendly and fun. I LOVE pizza, so I love to stop in and see what kind of crazy pizza they’ve come up with. I really like that they make it fresh and change it up everyday. You’ll never get bored! They have regular, vegan, vegetarian and dessert pizza options. There are some tvs, a pool table and at night they play a movie on the projector. I just wish they had room for a dart board. Love this place!

First off we only order Whole Pizza’s because the slices aren’t representative how good this Pizza is.
Kar (wifey) feels this is the best pizza on the Island right now, including Pizza Corner.
The Pizza maker is from JJ’s so you’ll notice a slight similarity.
We’ve only ordered take out so no clue about the bartending.
So far very happy.
Fast turnaround.

Finally, a worthy challenger for the best pizza in downtown. Thank you Proof Public House for reminding me what real cheese tastes like after eating way too much of the shredded bag stuff.
The Fried Rice Pizza is a winner. Great hand-​tossed, chewy crust that didn’t get soggy after it was cut. Creative kim chee fried rice toppings: char siu, bacon, and pocho sausage to satisfy the salty, carnivor; kimchee and oyster sauce for a bit of crunch and loads of flavor; and sweet peas and carrots for whimsy. The flavors are harmonious the way good fried rice should be.
I also loved the Jalapeño Mac and Cheese Pizza, it tasted like jalapeño poppers and totally worked. The Chicken, Bacon, Mushroom, and Onion Pizza is mild, with light favors. If you are looking for a more traditional pizza, try the Pepproni, Sausage, Roasted Tomato and Basil, it’s a familiar combo with lots of flavor.
The Proof Chef Salad is worth ordering. I love smoked fish and the salmon didn’t disappoint. The greens were fresh, the corn, avocado, and onions added texture and flavor and the dressing is house made.
Appearance wise, Proof Public House is a no frills neighborhood bar with nods to the 20’s. The walls are charcoal gray and hung with black and white photos and there is a chandelier. There is one wall with tables and bar seating, a couple TVs, a pool table, music pumping, and at night they use a projector to play a movie on the wall across the alley.
Proof sells pizza by the slice and whole pies. Come here for lunch and pick up a couple slices from the case or do the pizza-​salad combo. After work, stop by to relax and hang out with friends. Full bar, hand-​crafted cocktails, and good food, what are you waiting for?

First time here. One pool table and maybe thirty or so seating. Cook has a cool mustache. Bartenders are chill. Tried a slice of chicken avocado red onion jalapenos and bacon and a slice of steak red and sweet onions with cilantro. I liked the chicken one quite a bit. The steak slice was on the greasy side. Pizza crust here is on the thinner side. It was decent. They had some classic rock playing that was cool. Atmosphere is a pretty typical bar atmosphere. A couple of tv’s low light a couple of projectors on the walls. Nice little joint…

I love the energy of this place. Great music. Great pizza. Guinness on tap. And respectable cocktails. Sometimes there truly are nice surprises awaiting you down dark alleys in Chinatown.

The beau and I have been by a few times to play a few rounds of billiards, but honestly, I miss Mercury. I feel like there’s something missing from this place, but I really want them to figure it out and become the cool dive bar. They admit they’re taking a chance having a pizza joint practically next to JJ’s, but I would have loved to see a dedicated and unique bar menu showing what they can contribute to the local scene. For example, I would love for them to have a whole gourmet french fry bar menu – just add all the toppings from the pizzas!
As for the drinks, which is where my expertise lies, they are definitely strong and HH is a good deal. Not the classiest drinks, but definitely good for a night cap or before night out to get rowdy. I hope this place sticks around long enough for me to grow to love it!

Just had lunch at this place. You can have anything you want as long as it is pizza. They have three or four selections and they are served nice and hot and extremely fast, like 2 – 3 minutes, so it is par-​baked. It is thin crust pizza and the toppings do not completely cover the pizza and the crust is also a little soft for my preference, but there is no way to par-​bake and have crisp crust, so that is why I marked down a star. I still prefer Round Tables piled-​high style.
The bar is not crowded at noontime. But fortunately the bartender named Emily was very friendly and was a great conversationalist. It is always great to meet someone willing to share interesting details of life and and interested in hearing about my happenings so we can exchange information.
Will definitely go back.

When I heard that Mercury was closing I have to say that I assumed that it would be replaced by another bar. Downtown Honolulu has quite a few bars so I can’t say that it really cared to have another one. So when a friend of mine asked me to join her for a drink I didn’t expect much. I mean, I love my friends. I would enjoy myself almost anywhere if they were there but Proof represented itself quite well. So well, in fact that I’ve returned a few times since my last visit.
It is conveniently close to my downtown HPU classes. If you’re in FS or MP and hear a band playing at night, then it’s probably Proof asking you to allow yourself a break from your usual day. The drinks are what you would expect from a bar but the pizzas are creative and made on site.

If jj Dolan and bar 35 pizza had a baby, it would be the pizza at proof. I loved the pizza but wasn’t too fond of the croutons. There’s a pool table in the corner and OPEN WINDOWS! Kinda like the bars in new Orleans. Idk when the switch from mercury bar to proof was made but I do think there’s a different feel to it – it’s a little more welcoming now. Currently they only accept cash and they have an atm machine in the back.

I was walking to Fort St Café when I realized the doors were open at Proof. I peeked in to find people drinking and having a good time.
As I went in to take a look, the décor looked similar to before… but there is a lively spirit inside that is welcoming.
I immediately walked over to the pizza case to peruse the pies. I asked the flavors and they ranged from Pepperoni to Fried Rice pizza! I settled on the spinach tomato, garlic, and fresh mozzarella pie. As I waited for my slice to ‘warm up’, I noticed a nice selection of liquor… mmmm.
When I was handed my piping hot slice, I couldn’t wait to dig in. The crust was thin and crispy and the flavor was well balanced. The crust had a nice chew, but not to chewy… so good!
I cant wait to go back and try the fried rice pizza!