The Daley

The Daley in Honolulu. A simple smash burger with a special sauce. I got a double and fries (well done) the best smash burger I've had in Hawaii so far 10/10. would go again. The place has a modern clean vibe and the service is fast and friendly. Highly recommend this place

The Daley I have to break this down in three sections: 1. the food 2. Service 3. Environment The food was outstanding …best smash burger I’ve have… not the best burger but the best smash burger. I ate 1/2 of the double down burger before I remembered to take a picture. Two patties both crispy char outside and juicy inside. The sauce could be a dipping sauce . Just good with the burger. Not my favorite kind of bun but it was good. My favorite fries!!! Grade A The service was confusing…. When it was time for my order the guy was taking my order and checking the other orders at the same time. I said I want two burgers … the first one just the single burger and the other one a double down/fries/diet coke. $45 plus tip $52. I will explain later why that price was not shocking. Order comes out and he said thats two regular burgers. I said i ordered a single and a double… he said im looking at the receipt….you also have a double. I said I guess i will just save it somehow. The cook jumps in and says we can give you a refund. Ok. That never happened. The guy comes over with a reciept from the customer that ordered before me and he said this is your new reciept. They acted like they were giving me a refund and did nothing. The place was too hot and humid to enjoy the food. At one point i asked if there was water or if they sold bottle water. The answer: No I did notice a jug of water near the trash but I guess the guy forgot about that. Later I learned about outside seating but wouldve changed anything. No parking, we paid to park in a lot and walk. The area is a little sketchy but no issues. We were on our way to the airport after staying a few places that charge more for food so I wasnt shocked at the Daley. At this point I just wanted something better than fast food. So we found this highly rated place. Maybe they just want locals in there… not sure. I would recommend this place for take out orders.

Hip spot with delicious food. Single patty smash burger with fries hit the spot. Cool guts working the place. Classic interior that fits the historic business district.

Tried the cheeseburger and was pleasantly surprised. The portion was generous and definitely filling. The standout for me was the mayo-based dressing—they’ve got something unique going on there, and I’m really curious about what they put in it. That said, I did find myself wishing for a bit more tartness to help balance out the richness and cut through the grease. Overall, a solid burger with great potential—just needs a bit more zing.

Hands down the best burger joint we’ve ever been to! Words cannot describe the combination of flavor. The only thing I wish is that I could’ve eaten more…or taken this place back home with me! The perfect and cap to our trip!

Absolutely the best smash burger in the area! Simple, perfectly cooked, and packed with flavor. Pair it with a shot of reposado tequila or whiskey, and it’s a flavorful experience!

**UPDATES** read to the end for updates Swung by The Daley looking for a good burger. The burger itself, not bad. Decent flavor, cooked right. That’s where the compliments end. The rest of the experience was a disaster. I stopped in around 11:30 a.m. on July 14 and witnessed one of the worst-run kitchens I’ve ever seen. Two guys were working, but the larger white guy wearing a bandana was the main problem. He had the worst attitude by far and was behind just about every sanitation issue I saw. He didn’t change gloves after touching his face, including scratching his nose, and then handled food and utensils without a second thought. I watched him cross contaminate nonstop, no handwashing, no glove changes, nothing. If that’s how they act in front of customers, I can only imagine what goes on when no one’s watching. Then the most disgusting part. While messing around with the other cook during food prep, the bandana guy swung a slice of cheese at the other’s face, hit him square on the cheek, picked it back up, and slapped it onto a burger like it was part of the recipe. That’s not quirky, that’s nasty. If cheese slapper has a problem with this review, he should self reflect. Loud music, nonstop profanity, zero professionalism. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone called the health department and sent in a secret inspector. Honestly, they should. This hipster attitude and performative nonsense doesn’t belong in a kitchen. Hawaii has too many great food spots that actually care about what they’re serving. The Daley isn’t one of them. NOT GOOD FOR CHINATOWN. **EDIT** I contacted the Hawaii Department of Health. They also witnessed and confirmed the health violations. "On Tue, Jul 15, 2025, 13:40 Nakanishi, Shani L. <Shani.Nakanishi@doh.hawaii.gov> wrote: I went to inspect The Daily for the complaint. The cook did not change the gloves after touching his face. The manager scolded him and got him to washing hands and change his gloves. No miss handling of cheese slices was observed. The manager will be having a meeting with the staff to discuss the glove use and food handling."

Visiting from out of town and may have found the best smash burger on the planet. We even tried the vegetarian option, which sounds blasphemous but was legit. Definitely will be back.