Auntie Pasto's Restaurant — Restaurant in Honolulu

Usually this place has great food and OK service.

This time it was good food and horrible & offending service. Only 5 total tables of people the entire time I was there from the time we sat to the time we left. Kind of sad for a Friday night.

The hostess was unpleasant and rushed to seat us so she could run back to her area and gonon her phone which she was on the whole night.

The waitress came to ask our drink order and my wife said diet Pepsi. The waitress said 2 diet Pepsi's and I said yes I'll take a diet. Then she said so 3 diets? Made me think she was drunk. I am a big guy and usually drink diet but I think she assumed I was getting a diet no matter what.

We then ordered an appetizer with the drinks.

5 minutes later we ordered our entrees.

15 minutes later our entrees came out and I asked about the appetizer and she said yes, one moment. Then she came back a few minutes later and asked how the food was and said the appetizer is in the oven.

She forgot to put the appetizer order in, just apologize and move on.

At the end of the meal the appetizer came out.

The food was all good, I had the marsala chicken and the wife had chicken carbonara.

Halfway through the meal something started burning and smoke was filling the restaurant. All the tables full of people, (all 3 of the tables) started looking around to make sure we were not in danger. The smell and haze associated with burning food stayed the rest of the meal. One table walked out witbout ordering thus resulting in loosing 30% of their customers.

I was upset they didn't ask if we still wanted the appetizer because it came out at the end of the meal. I was upset and worried that they didn't address the burning, smoke and haze. Last, everyone in there looked angry or unhappy to be at work. Our waitress was nice, but she came off as either drunk or stupid and insensitive when assuming we both were getting diet drinks

Advice to management, hire better waitresses and hostesses. They are supposed to be people people and nice. If burning food happens often train staff to inform the patrons so they don't think there is a...

Used to eat here in the 90s and was delighted to see it was still here. Finally, I went in for a late supper last night and will admit I was disappointed. Wasn't busy as it was about 8 pm, but it took quite a while before anyone approached the table. Finally, a quiet little server came over to take our order. Don't think english is her first language as she had difficulty understanding anything that deviated directly from the menu. Asked if I could get the clams without mussels as my entree along with a Caesar salad. I asked if I could get the garlic bread with pesto rather than marinara, which seemed to confuse her. She went back into the side station and said they couldn't do it so I didn't order it. Never got a beverage menu and she never asked for a beverage order. My clams came out with mussels and had to send it back. It also came out as an appetizer with the salad. Flagged her down again to let her know. Also, I finally asked for a beverage menu as we saw another table getting beer and wine. My friend ordered a beer. Never got it until he reminded her after his entree was delivered.

The Caesar salad was amazing, but my clams were very disappointing. They tasted fishy and old. I have been back home for several months and was so happy to dine here, but will admit I was disappointed. There were only three other tables in the restaurant, yet service was so slow. Would have ordered dessert, but the vibe wasn't there. Hope this was a random weird night, but ĺ don't think I'll be recommending this place that I've raved about for years now. I wonder if owners changed as it's not the same great energy it used to be.

Update - I guess the response from the restaurant is an auto response as my review does not state everything was "up to par" by no means. Sad as I have sent many people here who I know were coming to Oahu...

I came here many years ago and was it one of the best Italian restaurants I ever visited. However - new owners have missed the mark. Terrible experience and I won't be visiting again.

Ordered the Ceasar salad, calamari appetizer and Chicken Parmesan a la vodka (which once upon a time was a trademark dish).

They didn't advertise a la vodka but they offered to make it when I ordered. I thought there was hope.

The Caesar salad was mediocre at best. Most likely store bought dressing with lettuce that was probably a day old. The salad had faint brown on its edges and has definitely been sitting for a while. The dressing was a little watery but flavorless. The croutons would have been a hit but a little soggy. No ground pepper was offered.

The appetizer lacked the major player. The calamari. Plenty of onions, tomato and cheese and 12 pounds of butter buttttt three wedges of calamari.

The real disappointment was the entree. I basically got fried chicken tenders on fettuccini. The a la vodka was anything but. Very watered down but mostly flavorless. The chicken batter was dark brown and slightly burnt. The meat was dry and flavorless. The fettuccini was undercooked and I even showed the bright yellow and hard pasta to the waitress and she didn't have much input for resolution. I ate the chicken fingers and the rest of the pasta went untouched.

The winner of it all was tho I didn't eat the pasta and even mentioned and showed it to the waitress - and I still got charged the extra fettuccine charge!! I basically paid $30 for overcooked chicken fingers and a salad.

My suggestion is to find another Italian restaurant....... Way over priced and way...