Castro's — Restaurant in Honolulu

(Last visited 12/10/2022.) While vacationing in Hawaii we were told to check out Castro's for their incredible Cuban food! Well, their hours are so where they're open from 7:00am to 2:00pm each day (when I went, Google says different now). Like, that's SLIM fam. Truly a breakfast and lunch place, but I'm here to tell you why it's worth waking up early to check this place out!

Atmosphere/Appearance: Located as a part of a multi-business building right on Kalakaua Avenue is this gem. There really isn't much for parking, but there is some space on various streets in the area. Just be careful. Inside is quaint and cozy. It's beautifully decorated, maybe a couple of tables, but on the left side is where you can order, see into the kitchen and check out the menu. It's Hawaii, so you naturally will want to sit outside to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Service: There isn't much service. You just walk up to the counter, take a look at the menu and tell them what you want. You pay then the food is brought right out to your table. Nothing too crazy.

Food: First up we started with the Meal Tamal. Let me tell you, the presentation of the food is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It came out on this beautiful blue plate covered by smoke and then the glass dome gets removed revealing the incredible dish. So in the Meat Tamal is grass fed brisket, roasted seasonal vegetables, sofrito, organic corn, chimichurri that's all wrapped in a banana leaf. This is a heartier dish than an actual Mexican tamale. They are very different. The filling was like a red beans and rice kinda consistency. Flavored very well. The brisket was so crazy-tender. Really floored me and left me speechless. The flavors were so powerful and went so deep into my taste buds. It's just cooked so perfectly and is even better with the chimichurri or even the hot sauce. Next up was the Croque Señorita which is local ham, truffle mornay sauce, egg, guava jam, lilikoi yuzu gel, Gruyere cheese, not all between brioche bread. Again, another looker of a dish that you don't even want to touch because you're afraid of destroying art. Lol. It was light, airy, fluffy, the cheese was perfect and the egg added some extra texture to it. The guava jam was phenomenal. This was a plate that as you checked out different things on the plate, it was like exploring parts of a city or country, experiencing something new. On our 2nd visit we checked out 2 sandwiches... that left a bit to be desired so I won't get to into them. The Cordero was like a brisket beef kinda sandwich that lacked in a flavor a bit. Same for the Cubano. Good sandwiches, but we just weren't blown away by them like we were with the dishes from our first visit.

Value: It's Hawaii. It's not going to be cheap, but you won't spend more than $20.00 or $30.00 here per person.

In conclusion, I loved it here at Castro's and it's totally worth getting up early to come check this place out! It's family-owned with everything made in-house with such an amazing reputation! Make this a place you check out when...

I'm soooo glad I found this place while looking at pics for places to eat on IG for our 2-week trip to Hawaii!

Our first stop, before picking up our cruise to other islands, was Waikiki! We came here twice before the cruise, and came back a third time the day our cruise came back since we got off the ship about 8am and our flight wasn't until 10pm. Staff was helpful when we asked questions, and they definitely pointed us in the right direction on the first visit when we asked for advice. I mean that food we ordered on the first visit was so amazing we repeated the order on the third trip. The Croque Senorita was amazing, I mean one of THE BEST breakfast sandwiches I've ever had! If you can even call the masterpiece a sandwich. The flavors are unique and all just go together so perfectly! Then my fiancé loved the flavorful Meat Tamal so much that he also got it again on our third visit. We were not as blown away by our two lunch sandwiches on our second visit, but they were fresh and tasty and still good, just not specifically something that we thought we could never find back home.

The space is cute and cozy, with most people opting for outdoor tables. The hot sauce with the Tamal was great if you like hot sauce, so definitely try some! The fruit is fresh, you get a good serving and it varies by day which also comes with breakfast. The flies/fruit flies can be a nuisance, but it seems to be that or birds that bother you when dining out anywhere in Hawaii so that's just something you have to expect, and can't hold against the restaurants. Go here, take pics, enjoy, and go again! Our meals were so beautiful that on that last visit the table next to us asked what we were having so they could go back some other day and order it! I miss this place already. If only there was a Croque Senorita here in my state, I'd be there, wherever I had to...

This place was on my must-visit list while staying in Honolulu and it exceeded my expectations! Coming from Vancouver, we have many diverse and delicious brunch options. So for this to be one of my favourite brunch experiences of all time is a huge compliment.

DRINKS: Cortadito - the double shot of espresso was strong without being bitter. I personally found this to be a bit too sweet for my tastes but I'm glad I gave it a try. Plantation Mate (Lilikoi) - my mom really enjoyed this refreshing drink which was subtly sweet and complemented the food well.

FOOD: Smoked salmon board - such a stunningly colourful and fun dish. It's kind of a DIY twist on a lox bagel. The onion bagel was perfectly toasted, house-cured and smoked salmon had a nice salty bite and the assortment of creative toppings added beautiful textures and flavours. Ropa Vieja - I was debating between this and the Cubano but the 12 hour slow cooked brisket sounded too good to miss out on. I'm happy with my choice, the meat was tender and seasoned so well. Bold meaty flavours were rounded out by the onions and green goddess aioli. The pickled asparagus and pepper on the side were very welcome to cut through some of the other flavours, I only wish there was more!

OTHER: -service was very kind and the staff are happy to talk about the menu items -the space isn't the biggest - there are a few tables inside and outside -we ate around 9AM on a weekday and didn't have to wait for a table

Overall, I'd love to stop by again and try some of their other offerings! While our trip isn't done, I have full confidence that this will be one of the best...