In Honolulu, the distance between downtown and Waikiki matters when choosing a beer stop: they have different rhythms and are not simply two names for the same stroll. Downtown mixes offices, historic buildings, and the edge of Chinatown; Waikiki concentrates hotels, shops, beaches, and nightlife. Murphy’s Bar & Grill is on Merchant Street by Nuʻuanu, while Kelley O’Neil’s is on Lewers Street in the visitor district. Both identify as Irish pubs, but their hours, food, and kind of evening differ considerably.
Murphy’s has decades of history downtown: the business says Don Murphy bought the former Royal Hawaiian Saloon in 1987 and that the bar has kept its role as a local gathering place. Its lunch menu includes a Blarney Burger with Guinness cheese for $15, an Irish Dip with Guinness au jus for $22.50, fish and chips, and salads. The restaurant also lists nearby parking, offers takeout, and recommends TheBus from Waikiki: routes 19, 20, and 42 leave riders, according to its website, one or two blocks away. Its schedule says it is closed Sunday and that Saturday kitchen service runs from 4 to 8:30 p.m.
In Waikiki, Kelley O’Neil’s keeps much later hours: it opens daily at 11 a.m. and lists last call at 3:30, before closing at 4. Live music every night is central to its offer. The kitchen lists Guinness beef stew for $15, corned beef with colcannon for $15, and fish and chips for $16, alongside pizza, burgers, and starters. Reviews for this location mention performances, service, food, and beer; one recent comment mentions ordering Guinness, but the website does not show a current draft list. If Guinness is the priority, ask at the bar what is available that night.
TheBus’s official visitor guide, revised in August 2026, lists several routes connecting Waikiki with downtown Honolulu, including 2, 2L, 13, 42, E, and W. The final leg depends on the boarding stop and service changes, so check the visitor guide and trip planner before leaving. Murphy’s also lists metered parking and garages nearby, without promising free validation. The better fit depends on your plans: Merchant Street for lunch or dinner in a historic venue, Waikiki for pub food followed by live music and a late night.
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In central Honolulu’s historic commercial core, one block from Nuʻuanu Avenue, Murphy’s sits on Merchant Street near the edge of Chinatown and the financial district. The business says Don Murphy acquired the former Royal Hawaiian Saloon in 1987 and has maintained an Irish-pub identity connected to
Irish-American pub food, Blarney and Irish burgers, fish and chips, stew, salads, and seasonal dishes; lunch and dinner, reservations, and takeout. The website lists nearby parking and TheBus routes.
On Lewers Street, a few blocks from Waikiki’s hotel and retail strip, Kelley O’Neil’s offers a late-night version of an Irish pub: the business says it opened in 2001, books live music every night, and keeps the bar open until 4 a.m. Its address sits within the visitor district, where walking betwee
Irish pub established in 2001 with live music every night; pub menu with Guinness beef stew and pie, fish and chips, corned beef with colcannon, pizzas, burgers, and starters.
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
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Official website of Murphy's Bar & Grill ↗
Primary source
Murphy's Bar & Grill · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Murphy's Bar & Grill ↗
Primary source
Murphy's Bar & Grill · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Murphy's Bar & Grill ↗
Primary source
Murphy's Bar & Grill · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Guía de autobús de Waikiki a Honolulu ↗
Primary source
TheBus · Accessed October 22, 2026
Guía oficial revisada el 23 de agosto de 2026: desde Waikiki, el centro de Honolulu se sirve por rutas 2, 2L, 13, 42, E y W; planear la parada y el horario con el planificador actualizado.
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Guinness de barril, referencia histórica del negocio ↗
Primary source
Beer in Hawaii · Accessed October 22, 2026
Entrevista de 2013 a un responsable del bar que decía que Guinness se mantenía en barril; se registra como contexto histórico, no como inventario actual garantizado.
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Official website of Kelley O'Neil's ↗
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Kelley O'Neil's · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Kelley O'Neil's ↗
Primary source
Kelley O'Neil's · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Kelley O'Neil's ↗
Primary source
Kelley O'Neil's · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Conexión Waikiki–Downtown ↗
Primary source
TheBus · Accessed October 22, 2026
Guía oficial de Waikiki revisada el 23 de agosto de 2026; describe líneas de autobús de Waikiki y sus conexiones hacia zonas culturales y Downtown Honolulu.
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Downtown and Waikiki bus links ↗
Primary source
TheBus · Accessed October 22, 2026
Guía oficial revisada el 23 de agosto de 2026 que lista rutas desde Waikiki hacia Downtown Honolulu.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Murphy's Bar & Grill · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
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Kelley O'Neil's · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official logo: murphys-bar-and-grill-downtown-honolulu ↗
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Official business website · Accessed October 22, 2026
Official logo converted to optimized WebP and saved in logoscia-/irish-pubs-new-orleans-honolulu-20261022.
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Official photograph: murphys-fish-and-chips.webp ↗
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Official business website · Accessed October 22, 2026
Official photograph converted to optimized WebP and saved in fotoscia-/irish-pubs-new-orleans-honolulu-20261022.
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Official photograph: murphys-st-patricks-crowd.webp ↗
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Official business website · Accessed October 22, 2026
Official photograph converted to optimized WebP and saved in fotoscia-/irish-pubs-new-orleans-honolulu-20261022.
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Official photograph: kelley-guinness-pie.webp ↗
Primary source
Official business website · Accessed October 22, 2026
Official photograph converted to optimized WebP and saved in fotoscia-/irish-pubs-new-orleans-honolulu-20261022.
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Official photograph: kelley-fish-and-chips.webp ↗
Primary source
Official business website · Accessed October 22, 2026
Official photograph converted to optimized WebP and saved in fotoscia-/irish-pubs-new-orleans-honolulu-20261022.
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Official photograph: kelley-corned-beef-bowl.webp ↗
Primary source
Official business website · Accessed October 22, 2026
Official photograph converted to optimized WebP and saved in fotoscia-/irish-pubs-new-orleans-honolulu-20261022.
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Reseñas Google de 2 Merchant Street ↗
Secondary source
Restaurant Guru / Google Maps · Accessed October 22, 2026
Página de la sede exacta, actualizada cuatro días antes de la consulta, muestra la valoración Google 4.6/5 y 917 opiniones; reseñas recientes mencionan rapidez del servicio, ambiente y el sándwich abierto de pavo.
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Reseñas Google de 311 Lewers Street ↗
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Restaurant Guru / Google Maps · Accessed October 22, 2026
La ficha exacta enumera 311 Lewers St y atribuye a Google 4.2/5 y 1,486 opiniones; comentarios recientes mencionan servicio, música, cerveza y platos como hamburguesas y guiso.