Thank you for the hand cut steaks and other meaty goodness this morning!! Could not have been happier with the service. What a hidden gem…only regret is not knowing about your shop sooner!!! Thank you!!!
overcaffinatedmommy twomoreshots
Really enjoyed the variety of pastries when they first opened and had my favorites but now I’m finding it more and more difficult to get certain pastries and making a trip to be out or not made that day is really annoying when the case use to have several different types and was full. Please have a full case!
Jo Y.
A butcher shop & a bakery that are physically together in one business? Yes, who would have thought this combination would be a popular & successful joint venture of 2 owners having the passion in what they do! Enter The Local General Store (LGS), that replaced the former Kaimuki Superette (KS) in Kaimuki. Co-owner Jason Chow grew up in Kaimuki & attended the University of HI at Manoa w/ a biology degree. He then realized his passion for the local farmers/ranchers in support of the local food system while distributing sustainable fish to restaurants, then was exposed to animal butchery at Mud Hen Water Restaurant (MHW). He moved to Berkeley, CA to work at The Local Butcher Shop where he learned how to break down whole beef, pork, lamb & chicken; & fabricate/use the whole animal by turning unwanted cuts into sausages, smoked meat, pates, terrines & stocks. He also worked at Butcher & Larder in Chicago. Jason was one of 12 people recognized under the Eater Young Guns Class of 2019 for up & coming young talent & outstanding leadership skills. Co-owner/wife Harley Chow grew up in Waipahu & attended the University of SFO w/ a biology degree. While she initially intended to go into the medical field, her passion was baking. She worked at Jane the Bakery in SFO & learned how to make croissants & was part of the winning team for Best Croissants in SFO in 2018. In July 2018, she was accepted into the James Beard Foundation Women in Culinary Leadership Program & mentored w/ Pastry Chef Meg Galus in Chicago for a year, where she learned refined pastry techniques in women-led leadership skills. Both worked at the now-closed Hawaiian restaurant, Aina, in SFO, where they met & got married. Both moved back to Oahu in 2019 & jointly had pop-up events at the KS & farmers' markets during Covid. They then opened their brick-and-mortar shop consisting of a whole animal butcher shop & bakery called LGS in May 2023. The butchery focused & sourced local, ethnically raised meat to reduce Hawaii's reliance on imported meats, & the bakery focused on croissants & laminated doughs (folded layers of butter and flour), while sourcing locally grown fruits/veggies. Both areas were to bring awareness & increased accessibility to the local food system in HI. The butchery offers raw & cooked cuts of the entire animal, as there is no waste. Housemade meats include: beef (chuck roast, cross rib, pot roast, steaks, brisket, osso buco, stew meat, short ribs, roast beef, ground, salami, corned beef, burgers, tongue); lamb (Molokai venison, ground, shoulder roast/chops, shank, riblets, sirloin, leg medallions); pork (Boston butt, spare ribs, spam, jowls, chops, ground, Portuguese/Italian sausages, chorizo, smoked ham, ham hocks); etc. Other housemade items: beef/lamb tallow, lard, soup stock, beef/bacon chili, beef jerky, salsa, Bratwurst. The pastry shop offers both sweet & savory artisanal desserts that are too numerous to mention, which are offered on a rotational basis. Some of their pastries include: bear claw, kau orange marmalade & hazelnut braid, twice baked choc w/house azuki paste, guava/cream cheese danish, brown butter mochi w/ strawberry guava jam danish, mountain apple on vanilla custard, ginger & olena cookie, choc ganache croissant, bibimbap danish, smoked eggplant/goat cheese danish. Other items include: cookies, puddings, cakes, quiches. Excellent sandwiches of the day (breakfast from 8a & lunch from 11a), using meats from the butchery & housemade bread from the bakery. We had the following: * Lilikoi danish. This unique lilikoi curd & baklava croissant danish was nicely balanced, slightly tart & not overly sweet. Loved the flaky layers of buttery croissant! * Char siu danish w/ pickled mustard greens & sesame seeds. Enjoyed this savory, unique croissant made for Chinese New Year! Who would have thought to use char siu & pickled greens to create this delicious creative pastry?! * Salami sandwich. With housemade
Sue
Cool store with local meats, condiments, and drinks!
Randy S.
This is my new place to pick up the best croissants - in person. No more wasting my time going online to see if I get the privilege of ordering one (1) croissant - available in the mid to late afternoon - to have for breakfast the next morning. Now I can get a fresh, buttery, moist, insanely flakey croissant to take home and eat that same morning for breakfast. Yes, I think these plain croissants are as good as you will find in the city. Biting into a fresh one means having the brittle outer layers shatter and scatter like shards of fine glass in a breeze. Your fingers will be coated with buttery goodness - don't lick or wipe your fingers, rub it off and moisturize your hands! Just JK. But a really good croissant is a sensual pleasure. And maybe even better - the danishes! If you've baked in San Francisco then you take a plain croissant as a matter of great pride. Any baker who is part of an annual award winning team for best San Francisco viennoiserie pastry has serious cred. Harley Tunac has it, as a former member of the team at Jane The Bakery's when they were the best. Any flakey treat she puts out at The Local General Store is going to be creative and tasty - croissants (plain, chocolate, twice baked), danishes (sweet or savory), braids, and twists. And they have moods, just like people. Some days, gleaming golden brown delicious. Some days a little dark, like a cloudy day. Some days, perfect looking. Some days, like me - meaning they could be in better shape. There is much more to The Local General Store than just viennoiserie. But I usually just focus on what makes my tummy happy in the morning. I can put up with less than perfection because this stuff is just so good.
Kyla W.
Been there, that's enough. It could be a 3.5 because I like the lilikoi danish, very flaky and crispy even though I waited few hours before consume it. The filling is lilikoi mixed with some other flavor. Is not super sweet since lilikoi more on the citrus side. The other two items I had not for my liking unfortunately... Azuki Bean Twice Baked Croissant (special for the New Year), I didn't expect there will be chocolate at the bottom (maybe I misread the name) it makes the croissant very sweet, hard to finish one time. But croissant is very flaky. Maybe I will take out the chocolate and azuki, just eat the croissant. Mango Chiffon Cake - very sweet, I want to throw up in the end because of the sweetness. And it is a chiffon cake, don't expect the moist and fluffy texture of the cake itself, and too much cream and coconut shreds in between. If you are in the area, you can try them out (recommend the lilikoi danish), but not worth it if go out of your way since parking is not easy in Kaimuki. You might be lucky to find street parking or metered parking. 3 items came out around $20, you can make the judgement if is reasonable price or not. I would stick to my Wallflour Bakeshop for best croissant!
Kris Sherwin (krispy)
Great local meats at the butcher counter. Perfect for the carnivore in your life!
Adam Bauer
Wow, so happy I walked in here! Pastries, meat, sandwiches and the people are truly amazing. I recommend it to anyone...
Michelle N.
My dad is an old Asian man that is super picky about his food. He used to be okay with croissants from Costco but I took him here about two months ago after church and now this is the only croissant he will eat. He walks to The Local General Store at least 2 times a week for these amazingly flaky decadent croissants. He'll ask me do you think this costs too much and I say nothing costs too much for you, Dad! Live your life! There was one week they were closed for renovation and my dad came back home so sad. We saw their IG post though on hours and he was so happy to know he could go the following week. Truly though, all the baked goods me and my dad have had here are freaking amazing. These are on par with the baked goods I've had in SF and Napa. Also super pleased we can pick up pate here. Great, friendly service as well and so happy it's in our neighborhood. We LOVE coming here.
Marissa K.
Love this spot in Kaimuki! It's a local bakery and butcher together in 1 spot. There's a cute outdoor area to eat at too. Love their baked goods! Ordered a Lilikoi pastry (forget what it was called) but it was delish! Also ordered a ham & cheese quiche because it's hard to find that here. This place doesn't disappoint! Parking can be a bit tricky but you could find street parking if you get lucky! Worth checking out though!
My favorite croissant and pastries stop in Honolulu. Please make your magic available online through apps. Successful and busy people are happy to pay more to have your pastries and products delivered! Thank you for great service every time I visit! Have a great day!
Irene S.
My go-to for pastries and meat but you have to go early. I always get there in the morning, often before the meat market is open (but they have items in the fridge to purchase). I used to pick up items at the farmers market and was thrilled they opened a shop. My favorite is the croissant cinnamon roll with the icing. I don't like very sweet cinnamon rolls and theirs is perfect with the delicious icing. The chocolate croissant is also mildly sweet and dependable. Many of their other items change according to seasonality of the fruits. They share the parking with Mud Hen Water so if the restaurant is closed, there usually is a space.
Nadine C.
Dessert in Kaimuki, Honolulu, Hawaii... After lunch, we decided to get dessert from The Local General Store. Because it was a holiday, metered street parking was free! Located on Waialae Avenue, this cozy shop has several stools along a counter for dining in. Because it was in the afternoon, selection was limited. I settled on a Croissant Cinnamon Roll with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese frosting. Maybe I should have ordered something else because the pastry was on the drier, harder side. Maybe I expected too much because my friends who reviewed this place raved about it. I'll just have to return and get a sandwich and a Croissant... and I'll have to come earlier in the day. Service was very friendly and personable. Thanks for the hospitality and pleasant, clean environment!
Gabriel P.
After lunch at a nearby eatery, the group started talking about dessert. It was decided that we would go to TLGS. One of the group works in the same building as TLGS. It was later that I found out there later that they were a few parking stalls in the back of the store. The entrance is from Waialae Ave. The pastries were limited because we came after two o'clock. Interestingly, the store has pet snacks next to the humanly consumed products. My wife and I bought a bear claw, ginger bread cookie, and a cinnamon roll. The chocolate bear claw would have been better if eaten when we purchased it and not later that night. Light chocolate taste with a good crust. The ginger cookie had a good ginger taste. The texture was soft, but I prefer crispy. On to the cinnamon roll. It had a wiped cream cheese frosting. Good taste and texture, but my preference is sweet. Someone in our group said they make good sandwiches. I have to come back to confirm. Enjoy
Deborah P.
I never heard about this place until our Aunty Nadine C mentioned to us after our get together we go and check it out. Located on Waialae Ave and 9th Ave had to look for street parking but good thing it was a holiday but still parking is limited. We found parking and started down the street then met our friends then Peter Y said theres some parking stalls on the side of the store. My mind was to get something sweet since Nadine said they have some desserts. I headed for the counter and yes they were the dessert but because we were late the choices wasn't that much. But I got the bear claw with chocolate filling inside, also ginger cookie, and there cinnamon roll. The bear claw was good , ginger cookie was good ginger taste kinda of soft type texture and the cinnamon roll was good too. If we ate it there would have been better but taking it home it tends to sit and gets a little hard. They also sells sandwiches and cut deli or butcher type meats. Daniel C said there sandwiches are good. So did Peter Y said it good must be since he work close by. Lol..... the people were very friendly and patient because of what I was looking for and trying to think shall I buy this or that. Haha... if you looking for something to ear stop by and support them. Go after the end of the month of Jan I think they going on vacation or do some renovations. IDK.
Thank you for the hand cut steaks and other meaty goodness this morning!! Could not have been happier with the service. What a hidden gem…only regret is not knowing about your shop sooner!!! Thank you!!!
Really enjoyed the variety of pastries when they first opened and had my favorites but now I’m finding it more and more difficult to get certain pastries and making a trip to be out or not made that day is really annoying when the case use to have several different types and was full. Please have a full case!
A butcher shop & a bakery that are physically together in one business? Yes, who would have thought this combination would be a popular & successful joint venture of 2 owners having the passion in what they do! Enter The Local General Store (LGS), that replaced the former Kaimuki Superette (KS) in Kaimuki. Co-owner Jason Chow grew up in Kaimuki & attended the University of HI at Manoa w/ a biology degree. He then realized his passion for the local farmers/ranchers in support of the local food system while distributing sustainable fish to restaurants, then was exposed to animal butchery at Mud Hen Water Restaurant (MHW). He moved to Berkeley, CA to work at The Local Butcher Shop where he learned how to break down whole beef, pork, lamb & chicken; & fabricate/use the whole animal by turning unwanted cuts into sausages, smoked meat, pates, terrines & stocks. He also worked at Butcher & Larder in Chicago. Jason was one of 12 people recognized under the Eater Young Guns Class of 2019 for up & coming young talent & outstanding leadership skills. Co-owner/wife Harley Chow grew up in Waipahu & attended the University of SFO w/ a biology degree. While she initially intended to go into the medical field, her passion was baking. She worked at Jane the Bakery in SFO & learned how to make croissants & was part of the winning team for Best Croissants in SFO in 2018. In July 2018, she was accepted into the James Beard Foundation Women in Culinary Leadership Program & mentored w/ Pastry Chef Meg Galus in Chicago for a year, where she learned refined pastry techniques in women-led leadership skills. Both worked at the now-closed Hawaiian restaurant, Aina, in SFO, where they met & got married. Both moved back to Oahu in 2019 & jointly had pop-up events at the KS & farmers' markets during Covid. They then opened their brick-and-mortar shop consisting of a whole animal butcher shop & bakery called LGS in May 2023. The butchery focused & sourced local, ethnically raised meat to reduce Hawaii's reliance on imported meats, & the bakery focused on croissants & laminated doughs (folded layers of butter and flour), while sourcing locally grown fruits/veggies. Both areas were to bring awareness & increased accessibility to the local food system in HI. The butchery offers raw & cooked cuts of the entire animal, as there is no waste. Housemade meats include: beef (chuck roast, cross rib, pot roast, steaks, brisket, osso buco, stew meat, short ribs, roast beef, ground, salami, corned beef, burgers, tongue); lamb (Molokai venison, ground, shoulder roast/chops, shank, riblets, sirloin, leg medallions); pork (Boston butt, spare ribs, spam, jowls, chops, ground, Portuguese/Italian sausages, chorizo, smoked ham, ham hocks); etc. Other housemade items: beef/lamb tallow, lard, soup stock, beef/bacon chili, beef jerky, salsa, Bratwurst. The pastry shop offers both sweet & savory artisanal desserts that are too numerous to mention, which are offered on a rotational basis. Some of their pastries include: bear claw, kau orange marmalade & hazelnut braid, twice baked choc w/house azuki paste, guava/cream cheese danish, brown butter mochi w/ strawberry guava jam danish, mountain apple on vanilla custard, ginger & olena cookie, choc ganache croissant, bibimbap danish, smoked eggplant/goat cheese danish. Other items include: cookies, puddings, cakes, quiches. Excellent sandwiches of the day (breakfast from 8a & lunch from 11a), using meats from the butchery & housemade bread from the bakery. We had the following: * Lilikoi danish. This unique lilikoi curd & baklava croissant danish was nicely balanced, slightly tart & not overly sweet. Loved the flaky layers of buttery croissant! * Char siu danish w/ pickled mustard greens & sesame seeds. Enjoyed this savory, unique croissant made for Chinese New Year! Who would have thought to use char siu & pickled greens to create this delicious creative pastry?! * Salami sandwich. With housemade
Cool store with local meats, condiments, and drinks!
This is my new place to pick up the best croissants - in person. No more wasting my time going online to see if I get the privilege of ordering one (1) croissant - available in the mid to late afternoon - to have for breakfast the next morning. Now I can get a fresh, buttery, moist, insanely flakey croissant to take home and eat that same morning for breakfast. Yes, I think these plain croissants are as good as you will find in the city. Biting into a fresh one means having the brittle outer layers shatter and scatter like shards of fine glass in a breeze. Your fingers will be coated with buttery goodness - don't lick or wipe your fingers, rub it off and moisturize your hands! Just JK. But a really good croissant is a sensual pleasure. And maybe even better - the danishes! If you've baked in San Francisco then you take a plain croissant as a matter of great pride. Any baker who is part of an annual award winning team for best San Francisco viennoiserie pastry has serious cred. Harley Tunac has it, as a former member of the team at Jane The Bakery's when they were the best. Any flakey treat she puts out at The Local General Store is going to be creative and tasty - croissants (plain, chocolate, twice baked), danishes (sweet or savory), braids, and twists. And they have moods, just like people. Some days, gleaming golden brown delicious. Some days a little dark, like a cloudy day. Some days, perfect looking. Some days, like me - meaning they could be in better shape. There is much more to The Local General Store than just viennoiserie. But I usually just focus on what makes my tummy happy in the morning. I can put up with less than perfection because this stuff is just so good.
Been there, that's enough. It could be a 3.5 because I like the lilikoi danish, very flaky and crispy even though I waited few hours before consume it. The filling is lilikoi mixed with some other flavor. Is not super sweet since lilikoi more on the citrus side. The other two items I had not for my liking unfortunately... Azuki Bean Twice Baked Croissant (special for the New Year), I didn't expect there will be chocolate at the bottom (maybe I misread the name) it makes the croissant very sweet, hard to finish one time. But croissant is very flaky. Maybe I will take out the chocolate and azuki, just eat the croissant. Mango Chiffon Cake - very sweet, I want to throw up in the end because of the sweetness. And it is a chiffon cake, don't expect the moist and fluffy texture of the cake itself, and too much cream and coconut shreds in between. If you are in the area, you can try them out (recommend the lilikoi danish), but not worth it if go out of your way since parking is not easy in Kaimuki. You might be lucky to find street parking or metered parking. 3 items came out around $20, you can make the judgement if is reasonable price or not. I would stick to my Wallflour Bakeshop for best croissant!
Great local meats at the butcher counter. Perfect for the carnivore in your life!
Wow, so happy I walked in here! Pastries, meat, sandwiches and the people are truly amazing. I recommend it to anyone...
My dad is an old Asian man that is super picky about his food. He used to be okay with croissants from Costco but I took him here about two months ago after church and now this is the only croissant he will eat. He walks to The Local General Store at least 2 times a week for these amazingly flaky decadent croissants. He'll ask me do you think this costs too much and I say nothing costs too much for you, Dad! Live your life! There was one week they were closed for renovation and my dad came back home so sad. We saw their IG post though on hours and he was so happy to know he could go the following week. Truly though, all the baked goods me and my dad have had here are freaking amazing. These are on par with the baked goods I've had in SF and Napa. Also super pleased we can pick up pate here. Great, friendly service as well and so happy it's in our neighborhood. We LOVE coming here.
Love this spot in Kaimuki! It's a local bakery and butcher together in 1 spot. There's a cute outdoor area to eat at too. Love their baked goods! Ordered a Lilikoi pastry (forget what it was called) but it was delish! Also ordered a ham & cheese quiche because it's hard to find that here. This place doesn't disappoint! Parking can be a bit tricky but you could find street parking if you get lucky! Worth checking out though!
Restaurantji Recommends
My favorite croissant and pastries stop in Honolulu. Please make your magic available online through apps. Successful and busy people are happy to pay more to have your pastries and products delivered! Thank you for great service every time I visit! Have a great day!
My go-to for pastries and meat but you have to go early. I always get there in the morning, often before the meat market is open (but they have items in the fridge to purchase). I used to pick up items at the farmers market and was thrilled they opened a shop. My favorite is the croissant cinnamon roll with the icing. I don't like very sweet cinnamon rolls and theirs is perfect with the delicious icing. The chocolate croissant is also mildly sweet and dependable. Many of their other items change according to seasonality of the fruits. They share the parking with Mud Hen Water so if the restaurant is closed, there usually is a space.
Dessert in Kaimuki, Honolulu, Hawaii... After lunch, we decided to get dessert from The Local General Store. Because it was a holiday, metered street parking was free! Located on Waialae Avenue, this cozy shop has several stools along a counter for dining in. Because it was in the afternoon, selection was limited. I settled on a Croissant Cinnamon Roll with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese frosting. Maybe I should have ordered something else because the pastry was on the drier, harder side. Maybe I expected too much because my friends who reviewed this place raved about it. I'll just have to return and get a sandwich and a Croissant... and I'll have to come earlier in the day. Service was very friendly and personable. Thanks for the hospitality and pleasant, clean environment!
After lunch at a nearby eatery, the group started talking about dessert. It was decided that we would go to TLGS. One of the group works in the same building as TLGS. It was later that I found out there later that they were a few parking stalls in the back of the store. The entrance is from Waialae Ave. The pastries were limited because we came after two o'clock. Interestingly, the store has pet snacks next to the humanly consumed products. My wife and I bought a bear claw, ginger bread cookie, and a cinnamon roll. The chocolate bear claw would have been better if eaten when we purchased it and not later that night. Light chocolate taste with a good crust. The ginger cookie had a good ginger taste. The texture was soft, but I prefer crispy. On to the cinnamon roll. It had a wiped cream cheese frosting. Good taste and texture, but my preference is sweet. Someone in our group said they make good sandwiches. I have to come back to confirm. Enjoy
I never heard about this place until our Aunty Nadine C mentioned to us after our get together we go and check it out. Located on Waialae Ave and 9th Ave had to look for street parking but good thing it was a holiday but still parking is limited. We found parking and started down the street then met our friends then Peter Y said theres some parking stalls on the side of the store. My mind was to get something sweet since Nadine said they have some desserts. I headed for the counter and yes they were the dessert but because we were late the choices wasn't that much. But I got the bear claw with chocolate filling inside, also ginger cookie, and there cinnamon roll. The bear claw was good , ginger cookie was good ginger taste kinda of soft type texture and the cinnamon roll was good too. If we ate it there would have been better but taking it home it tends to sit and gets a little hard. They also sells sandwiches and cut deli or butcher type meats. Daniel C said there sandwiches are good. So did Peter Y said it good must be since he work close by. Lol..... the people were very friendly and patient because of what I was looking for and trying to think shall I buy this or that. Haha... if you looking for something to ear stop by and support them. Go after the end of the month of Jan I think they going on vacation or do some renovations. IDK.