Andrade’s Honokaa Cafe — Restaurant in Hawaii

Andrade's Honokaa Cafe may look like an ordinary cafe from the exterior. It is anything but that! My friends and I stumbled upon this hidden gem before going to Waipio Valley. The staff was friendly, the food was delicious, and the service was quick.

We went in for a light snack but after tasting the tarts, we were overcome with gluttony. Soon, we ordered almost everything on the short menu -- chicken pesto sandwich, chicken noodle soup, pork bean soup, boot beer float, and a pineapple milkshake.

The Portuguese tarts were the highlight for me. They were hands down one of the best custard tarts I've ever eaten. The crusty casing dissolved on the tongue making way for the creamy custard to take its place. The custard was sweet but not overpowering, and left a light aftertaste.

The sandwiches were flavorful and chewy. What set them apart from other pesto sandwiches were the buns that sandwiched the meat and the sauce. The sweet buns were baked in-house and are the speciality of the cafe.

After gorging ourselves on the food, we stopped by at the cashier register to speak with the owner of the restaurant. She was an amiable old grandma who told us about the history of the cafe. She is a descendent of the first Portuguese immigrants who came to Honokaa and started this cafe several decades ago. It has been a family run venture ever since. For me, this little detail added character to the place.

In short, it's a cute little cafe in the small neighborhood of Honokaa serving some bomb Portuguese-Hawaiian food. If I visit the big island again, I'll be sure to stop by here. I highly...

I would give this place a thousand stars if I could. My husband and I were exploring the wonderful town of Honokaa and stopped to admire their menu as we love Portuguese food. Marlene peeked her head out the door and told us they still had food if we were hungry. We weren't very hungry but we were absolutely drawn in. From the minute we sat down we felt as if they had invited us over to their home for dinner. Marlene and Archie were so warm and welcoming and engaging and told us about their history and the place's history. We ended up sharing the spiced pork (her grandmother's recipe) and the chicken and rice soup and it was all just AMAZING. There was a snare drum on a table in the corner and I was curious about it so I asked. It turns out it belongs to local vet who often doesn't have money, so he traded in his drum for food instead, it would go back and forth like this often. They talked about making sure he was fed. When I left this place I had tears in my eyes. I was so moved by these dear people and their incredible cafe. It is more than meets the eye. Do yourself a favor and stop here. It's a very special place that will remind you of what we should all nurture more in the world. I can't wait to...

What an amazing little gem we found! We had just finished at Akaka Falls State Park, and decided to drive north and check out Honokaa. We wanted something to eat, but had no idea what to get. We decided to pull over when we got cellular data service so we could look for restaurants, and as luck would have it, we parked right in front of Andrade's Honokaa Cafe. We were immediately greeted when we walked in, and were asked if we were hungry. When we said yes, she said, "Well, you've come to the right place!". The food was absolutely amazing! My wife and I shared an order of Pineapple Spare Ribs, served with rice, salad and sweet rolls.We also shared a bowl of Portuguese Soup and Chicken & Rice Soup. We finished by sharing a Coconut milkshake for dessert. The best part was getting to know the owners, Archie and Marlene. Such a sweet and extraordinary couple! They took the time to recommend things for us to do for the remainder of our trip. If you are passing through Honokaa, you simply must stop in and pay Marlene and Archie a visit. You will not be...