GREAT EATS HAWAII: HONOLULU CAFE

HONOLULU CAFE

741 BISHOP STREET

HONOLULU, HI 96813

808-533-1555

HOURS: Monday thru Friday 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Closed Saturday and Sunday

www.yelp.com/biz/honolulu-café-honolulu-2

www.facebook.com/honolulucafehawaii/

The Honolulu Cafe quite possibly could have the best location for a breakfast/lunch restaurant in Downtown Honolulu. What they do with this space is depressing. Here you have large outdoor and indoor spaces that looks like something out of San Francisco, Chicago or New York. Yet everytime I visit or walk by this place its seems very empty. This place should be packed morning through business hours. Problem starts when you walk in and the employees do not smile or welcome you. There is no "feeling" in this place. No music. No soul. Just seems large, open and pretty cool but something is really missing. There is also something missing with the food and it is flavor. While the menu includes a lot of items that should be popular with the Downtown crowd such as salads, sandwiches, fish, pasta and soups there seems to be something keeping people away from this perfect location. First they need to add some type of personality or ambiance to the space indoors and out. Something to draw people in and make them hang out awhile. Also need to wake up the flavors in the food. I tried the Salmon with Caesar Salad ($13.95). This was a good sized piece of Salmon with a pretty basic Caesar Salad. The Salmon did not seem to be seasoned and really lacked flavor. There were two pieces of bread on the plate. Not toasted. No butter and again no taste. The Chicken Havarti Sandwich ($11.45) did not get great reviews with my Wife saying "it has no taste". I gave it a taste and thought it was pretty bland. Pulled out the Chicken and tasted a piece and like the Salmon it did not seem to be seasoned. Maybe adding garlic butter to the bread or seasoning might elevate the flavors of this sandwich. Left asking myself "whats for lunch" as I was not satisfied.

Really love this location and space and wish they could transform it into something special for the Downtown crowd. This should be "the place" to be in Honolulu.