Key Takeaways
- Side Street Inn, a Hawaiian restaurant and sports bar that started in Honolulu in 1992, is opening its first Las Vegas location at the California Hotel & Casino downtown.
- The opening is expected in early 2027, according to Casino.org’s Vital Vegas.
- It takes over from Aloha Specialties, which closes Nov. 22, 2026, after 41 years at The Cal.
- Island pork chops and the loaded fried rice are expected on the Vegas menu; the full menu hasn’t been released.
What’s Happening
Boyd Gaming’s California Hotel & Casino, better known as The Cal, is bringing in one of Honolulu’s best-known local hangouts. Side Street Inn will open its first Las Vegas restaurant at the downtown property, KLAS-TV 8 News Now reported Thursday. Casino.org’s Vital Vegas says the opening is planned for early 2027.
Side Street Inn began in 1992, when Colin Nishida turned a small Honolulu bar into a go-to spot for local comfort food served family-style. Nishida died in 2018, but the restaurant kept going, and a second location opened in Waikiki in 2010 and won Honolulu Magazine’s Hale ‘Aina Award for Best New Restaurant. The restaurant has also been featured on the Travel Channel’s No Reservations and on Food Network.
Its best-known plates are the pan-fried island pork chops and a fried rice loaded with bacon, Portuguese sausage, char siu, peas, carrots and green onions. Other favorites in Honolulu include garlic chicken, kalbi short ribs, yakisoba and pulehu short ribs. Vital Vegas reports that it’s not yet clear how much of the Hawaii menu will make the trip, though the pork chops and fried rice are expected to be part of it.
What It Means for Las Vegas
The Cal has catered to visitors from Hawaii for decades under the slogan “Aloha Spoken Here,” and downtown Las Vegas is often called the “ninth island.” Losing Aloha Specialties after 41 years is a big change for regulars, so bringing in a name that islanders already know helps keep that connection going.
For locals and visitors, it means a new sit-down option downtown, a short walk from Fremont Street, built around big, shareable plates, which is a good fit for groups and for game days, since Side Street Inn also runs as a sports bar.
If you’re a fan of Aloha Specialties, you have until Sunday, Nov. 22, to stop in for one last plate.
What to Watch Next
- An exact opening date and hours from The Cal or Boyd Gaming.
- The final Las Vegas menu and prices.
- Whether Boyd Rewards members get any opening specials.
Sources
- 8 News Now (KLAS-TV): Side Street Inn to open first Las Vegas restaurant at The Cal
- Casino.org Vital Vegas: Hawaii’s Popular Side Street Inn Coming to California Casino
For informational purposes only; not financial, investment or legal advice.