Bocconcino — Local services in Honolulu

A couple of the menu items are not bad, so I tolerate the lousy parking and often poor customer service. But tonight, will be my final visit. I called many times to order between 6 and 6:30pm. They would pick up the phone, and I could hear background chatter in the restaurant, but they wouldn't answer. I tried to post an online order, but they weren't accepting any. Drove down and walked in at 6:40pm. Was ignored by several staff, including a woman behind the counter, not six feet away. Finally, one of the staff came by with someone else's order and asked if I needed anything. When I explained that I still needed to order, he (politely, at least) said that they closed at 6:30 tonight. Says 7pm online. Would have been great if whoever picked up that phone explained and saved me the drive. Oh, and as I mentioned, their parking sucks, so don't plan on eating there. As usual, I had to put my hazards on and run in. They have very few spots, and one of them is never available due to a red cybertruck always parked there.

Update to my review, following owner's response: Gosh, all that time you spent crafting a retort when you had no time to simply answer my call and say you were closed. I'm the one who went away hangry. I just don't understand; why YOU so mad? Regarding my mention of the cybertruck - which I now assume is yours(?) - that was not a political comment, so pump your brakes. Even with my terrible vision, it would be impossible not to notice the constant presence of ANY bright red, giant eyesore, regardless of the manufacturer. My lazy legs struggled to walk me around it to reach the front door, and then I was too tired to see a sign about early closure, which is useless to any "comfortable" person attempting a phone order. You no longer want my business. I no longer want to spend $24 for sandwiches to support an unpleasant business owner. So yes, we're...

I don’t regret trying it, but I probably won’t go back either.

I got a Toscano sandwich. When I placed my order at the counter, the cashier asked for my phone number so that she could call me when my sandwich is ready…an ominous sign. Sure enough, it took a whole 30 minutes for my food to be prepared. Even considering that everything is made fresh, that’s still a lengthy wait for a deli, especially considering that there were only two people ahead of me in the queue. Pick up was also weird…I went to the counter with the “Pick Up” sign hanging over it, but was told to get my food from the counter with the “Order Here” sign hanging over it. Not sure why.

I ate at their premises. They have a small converted garage with some tables, but the ventilation is poor. The taste of the sandwich was very good. The cured meats had an especially robust flavor. However, like most sandwich joints these days, the price is pretty high. At $20+ per sandwich, it definitely won’t become a regular lunch spot for me.

UPDATE: I didn’t think my review was offensive, but apparently the store owner thought it was. Ignoring the fact that you think that cured meats (including sausages) are unprocessed foods, fresh and unprocessed has nothing to do with preparation time. Even at a nice restaurant where the food is cooked to order and plated nicely, 30 minutes is the maximum amount of time that I would expect to wait for my food. You’re making sandwiches wrapped in paper so there’s really no excuse for the wait. If you’re so insistent that you’re a takeout joint, why even provide the seating area? It’s honestly weird that you’re getting defensive over me simply stating facts, and that you’re proud of making your customers wait for an hour. My new rating reflects the unprofessionalism and pure cope...

Store is very cute, clean, and smells great when you walk in but the food is very underwhelming and expensive. The service is even worse than the food.

The sandwich was $22 and didn’t have much on it. The bread was really dry and needed a sauce or oil or something but didn’t have anything. Ingredients seem good but it’s hard to tell as there were barely any of them on the sandwich. I did ask for meat on the side as I’m pescatarian but I don’t think it would have added much to this sandwich.

When we were called to let us know the order was ready we asked if the sandwiches could be put in a bag or box since we had to take them to go after waiting for an hour. Went to pick up the order, one sandwich was barely wrapped, and the girl handing them to me said our order was exactly 45 minutes, not an hour, in a very rude tone. Doesn’t really matter since when we ordered we were told 30 minutes. Seems crazy that a sandwich with barely anything on it took 45 minutes to assemble and then I get berated while picking it up.

If you like bad sandwiches and bad services with Italian atmosphere then I’d recommend this place, otherwise save your time and money. Bummed because I really wanted to love it but definitely won’t be going back or giving them any additional business.

Update: owner decided to reply by ignoring my review and continuing to provide the absolute...