Carval Cafe is one of my favorite lunch stops in Honolulu's once thriving but now languishing Restaurant Row. It's a small, open air place with limited seating but there are tables to be found in the common areas of The Row as well. Ambiance is very casual but pleasant. Everything I've had there was delicious, especially the braised short ribs and the bacon-wrapped roast pork. They have a daily special of a panini with soup or mixed greens for about $10 or $11. It's a bargain for Honolulu, but if you are a big eater you may have to order two (it's plenty for me, but I'm not a Local Boi). If you've read my other reviews, you know I don't just hand out 5-star reviews; that should be all you need to know.
Reiko S.
Nicely run family business in Waterfront Plaza, next to the bank. Food and drinks made with care. Very pleasant customer service.
Rachel S.
Hope your food is better than your Aloha or kindness. But then I will never know because I will never come back. Poo poo on you for denying a Kaamaina's simple request for change for a $5 bill. There were no other customers in line. Shame on you!!!
mary m.
sautéed mahi with garlic tomatoes garlic and capers fish has no flavor can't taste any of the garlic potato salad tastes like straight mayo salad dressing also horrible
Amber Y.
My go-to place for lunch during work hours! Amazing food with different varieties each day along with their staple menu as well. The ambiance is so welcoming and the customer service is really great. My favorites are the Friday - panini and soup of the day - Turkey pesto and clam chowder. I also love the sweet potato fries and pepper chicken. One time they had Kalua pig nachos that were crunchy and tasteful!!
Crystal R.
A great place for lunch as this place offers some delicious plates! Ranging from meatloaf to chicken marsala, from shoyu pork to burgers. A few major downfalls to this place are: 1) it might put you into that afternoon snooze while you are at work and 2) their specials might run out by the time you get there. With that being said, the ambiance here is very casual and busy during that lunch rush. In order to view their specials of the day, you will have to either go there in person or check their Facebook page. Wait time for ordering doesn't take that long either so you won't have to worry about getting hangry after smelling all the good food coming out from the kitchen.
Michael Cullinan
Cobb Salad. Everything fresh, good chicken, delicious fresh dressing. Really fast. Reasonably priced for the area. Would recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cobb Salad
Jojo M.
CarVal is a good place to grab lunch. I really enjoy their garlic short ribs, Carval house salad, Turkey panini, or Thursdays special tuna melt w tomato bisque. I enjoy their special fish plates but the prices are pretty steep. Cafe is located on the ground floor of Waterfront Plaza and is only open for lunch during the week days. The service is what it is and they are pretty quick.
Darren N.
They do a pretty good short rib plate. It's not spicy and just a little sweet. The meat is tender and can be cut with a fork easily. It comes with two scoops rice and a side, and while the portion is modest, the price is not unfortunately. They do have several cheaper options like their panini of the day. Very fast service, they must have a lot of it ready to plate. Parking in the structure itself or nearby street parking. You can take it to go or eat outside under limited covered seating.
Julian Beasley
Did not try their food nor, will I ever eat at this establishment. Just bad business, I came in and just asked for napkins the auntie came behind the counter I greeted her Aloha and she asked if I had an order I was honest and said no, I just needed napkins. She then asked where I ate I said "Aloha Mamacita" then offered them a tip she refused and said in a really nasty and very rudely-aggressive tone " maybe I should go ask them?" Maybe customer service is just not what they do. Hard pass. Even came back to show I had money told me not to eat here and leave. "Aloha Mamacita" has excellent service and both Mexican and local food options ???
When I have to make a work event visit on this side of town, I usually make a stop at Restaurant Row for lunch and because it's a plus that they validate your parking for 2 1/2 hours. I wanted something healthy and saw this place. The lady at the counter was so friendly and helpful and so was the man who gave me my food order. The service was great. I ordered a mini size carval house salad and plantation iced tea. They were generous with the portion size of the salad as it did not look like a mini. I forgot to take a photo before I started eating it. The spring mix, cucumbers, tomatoes and mandarin oranges tasted very fresh. I want to say the dressing that it came with must have been homemade as it was not a familiar salad dressing that I'm used to. The candied pecans added a sweeter taste after every bite. The food was great and the place was clean and welcoming.
Charles B.
Whenever I have to come to Waterfront Plaza I always try to stop in and order a plate from Caraval Cafe. The food is always cooked to a very high standard with plenty of daily specials as well as the regular menu items. This visit I had the Dynamite Chicken which was bite size piece's of chicken cooked in a Karaage style with a Sriracha aioli, along with brown rice and tossed greens in I think a lemon sesame dressing. My wife tried the grilled salmon which she said was lovely and crispy on the outside while soft and perfectly cooked on the inside. No table service, just order at the counter and pickup when called, with limited indoor seating and more options for outside with plenty of shaded seating. Don't forget to get your parking ticket validated when ordering for three hours parking.
Lori Penitani
great food and different specials everyday. They make really good salads.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cobb Salad, Furikake Salmon
Paul C.
Ate here twice in the past week while on lunch from jury duty. Food is really good - had chicken sandwich first time and barbecue chicken pizza the second time. Pizza was particularly tasty. Wait time is not very long at all. Prices are reasonable and the owners and staff are really nice.
corinne Johnson
Lovely little mom and pop cafe. Very good food, nice clean area and friendly staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Panini Sandwich, Carval House Salad
Carval Cafe is one of my favorite lunch stops in Honolulu's once thriving but now languishing Restaurant Row. It's a small, open air place with limited seating but there are tables to be found in the common areas of The Row as well. Ambiance is very casual but pleasant. Everything I've had there was delicious, especially the braised short ribs and the bacon-wrapped roast pork. They have a daily special of a panini with soup or mixed greens for about $10 or $11. It's a bargain for Honolulu, but if you are a big eater you may have to order two (it's plenty for me, but I'm not a Local Boi). If you've read my other reviews, you know I don't just hand out 5-star reviews; that should be all you need to know.
Nicely run family business in Waterfront Plaza, next to the bank. Food and drinks made with care. Very pleasant customer service.
Hope your food is better than your Aloha or kindness. But then I will never know because I will never come back. Poo poo on you for denying a Kaamaina's simple request for change for a $5 bill. There were no other customers in line. Shame on you!!!
sautéed mahi with garlic tomatoes garlic and capers fish has no flavor can't taste any of the garlic potato salad tastes like straight mayo salad dressing also horrible
My go-to place for lunch during work hours! Amazing food with different varieties each day along with their staple menu as well. The ambiance is so welcoming and the customer service is really great. My favorites are the Friday - panini and soup of the day - Turkey pesto and clam chowder. I also love the sweet potato fries and pepper chicken. One time they had Kalua pig nachos that were crunchy and tasteful!!
A great place for lunch as this place offers some delicious plates! Ranging from meatloaf to chicken marsala, from shoyu pork to burgers. A few major downfalls to this place are: 1) it might put you into that afternoon snooze while you are at work and 2) their specials might run out by the time you get there. With that being said, the ambiance here is very casual and busy during that lunch rush. In order to view their specials of the day, you will have to either go there in person or check their Facebook page. Wait time for ordering doesn't take that long either so you won't have to worry about getting hangry after smelling all the good food coming out from the kitchen.
Cobb Salad. Everything fresh, good chicken, delicious fresh dressing. Really fast. Reasonably priced for the area. Would recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cobb Salad
CarVal is a good place to grab lunch. I really enjoy their garlic short ribs, Carval house salad, Turkey panini, or Thursdays special tuna melt w tomato bisque. I enjoy their special fish plates but the prices are pretty steep. Cafe is located on the ground floor of Waterfront Plaza and is only open for lunch during the week days. The service is what it is and they are pretty quick.
They do a pretty good short rib plate. It's not spicy and just a little sweet. The meat is tender and can be cut with a fork easily. It comes with two scoops rice and a side, and while the portion is modest, the price is not unfortunately. They do have several cheaper options like their panini of the day. Very fast service, they must have a lot of it ready to plate. Parking in the structure itself or nearby street parking. You can take it to go or eat outside under limited covered seating.
Did not try their food nor, will I ever eat at this establishment. Just bad business, I came in and just asked for napkins the auntie came behind the counter I greeted her Aloha and she asked if I had an order I was honest and said no, I just needed napkins. She then asked where I ate I said "Aloha Mamacita" then offered them a tip she refused and said in a really nasty and very rudely-aggressive tone " maybe I should go ask them?" Maybe customer service is just not what they do. Hard pass. Even came back to show I had money told me not to eat here and leave. "Aloha Mamacita" has excellent service and both Mexican and local food options ???
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
When I have to make a work event visit on this side of town, I usually make a stop at Restaurant Row for lunch and because it's a plus that they validate your parking for 2 1/2 hours. I wanted something healthy and saw this place. The lady at the counter was so friendly and helpful and so was the man who gave me my food order. The service was great. I ordered a mini size carval house salad and plantation iced tea. They were generous with the portion size of the salad as it did not look like a mini. I forgot to take a photo before I started eating it. The spring mix, cucumbers, tomatoes and mandarin oranges tasted very fresh. I want to say the dressing that it came with must have been homemade as it was not a familiar salad dressing that I'm used to. The candied pecans added a sweeter taste after every bite. The food was great and the place was clean and welcoming.
Whenever I have to come to Waterfront Plaza I always try to stop in and order a plate from Caraval Cafe. The food is always cooked to a very high standard with plenty of daily specials as well as the regular menu items. This visit I had the Dynamite Chicken which was bite size piece's of chicken cooked in a Karaage style with a Sriracha aioli, along with brown rice and tossed greens in I think a lemon sesame dressing. My wife tried the grilled salmon which she said was lovely and crispy on the outside while soft and perfectly cooked on the inside. No table service, just order at the counter and pickup when called, with limited indoor seating and more options for outside with plenty of shaded seating. Don't forget to get your parking ticket validated when ordering for three hours parking.
great food and different specials everyday. They make really good salads.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cobb Salad, Furikake Salmon
Ate here twice in the past week while on lunch from jury duty. Food is really good - had chicken sandwich first time and barbecue chicken pizza the second time. Pizza was particularly tasty. Wait time is not very long at all. Prices are reasonable and the owners and staff are really nice.
Lovely little mom and pop cafe. Very good food, nice clean area and friendly staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Panini Sandwich, Carval House Salad