Pioneer Saloon at SALT — Restaurant in Honolulu

First time going to SALT and decided to try this place out.

Lots of metered street parking or you can park inside the parking structure for free for 1 hour. Second hour is $1 with validation.

As of April 05, 2021 they are not doing any dine in. It's all take out only.

So I ordered a hamburger steak and shoyu pork plate. They both came with potato salad and white or brown rice.

First off, they are using those cardboard take out containers due to the new law. If you've had experience with them then you know they aren't very good. The lid doesn't really stay in place and it crushes kind of easy so make sure if you have a few plates you don't stack them on top of each other as they will probably deform. Not their fault as it's the law but wouldn't want you to lose your meal because of the container.

Anyway the food took a little while to prepare as they apparently had lots of phone orders but it was ready to go when I went back in after 15 minutes (was told 10 to 15 prep time). The hamburger steak is quite large and the gravy was delicious. The hamburger however is a mixture and contains a fair amount of chopped onions. Which is great for me as I love onions. That may not work out well for you if you don't.

My GF had the shoyu pork and says it's some of the best shoyu pork she has had in a long time. It's just fatty enough to keep it tender but not overly oily. I thought it was darn good as well and almost made me wish I got the same thing.

Potato salad was good but also contains a decent amount of onions...good for me...maybe not for you.

There are lots of seats including wooden benches just outside of the restaurant so it's pretty easy to find a place to eat nearby.

Don't forget to ask for validation if you need it and the bathrooms also need a code so ask for that as well.

Overall a great experience and will be going back to try more dishes...

They've consistently presented the food with care and detail. Service was pleasant as well.

We tried natto for the first time, and it tasted great with the included sauces you have to put in yourself. Natto alone leaves a lot of room for all the taste buds to really know what fermentation tastes like.

We all enjoyed the shrimp burger a lot. The patty had a mix of various flavors. We would order this again

The garlic ahi was a bit on the saltier side. I have noticed ahi (tuna) is naturally salty. There may have been added salt, too. It was a hit for 1/3 of us. If you like garlic and salt, this may be for you.

The miso salmon was good it was favored over the garlic ahi for 2/3 of us. It did come a bit burnt on the edges, which I personally like the taste of, with moderation. It had a decent balance of sweet and salty. Would probably order the shrimp burger again over this dish.

The fries are amazing. They come with their own seasoning. There is no need for ketchup. They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's hard to find such a thick cut of fries.

It was a nice added touch to have a water station for guests to fill for themselves should they want to hydrate.

As for price it is worth it, but I do see how not all levels of income can afford/be deterred by the price points of some of their quality meals. A la carte items can be a bit pricey as a side of fries is $10. Given how delicious they are they're well worth it.

Perhaps giving half portions would allow more inclusivity amongst in debt populations, which is seemingly the majority of us with either college debt, a mortgage of some sort and/or...

Pioneer Saloon at SALT

I'll be honest the ONLY THING I've ate here is the Seared Ahi Steak. And I have to say it is AMAZING. Thus never really expanding my horizons. My brother and friends generally order the Mochiko Chicken which from what they've told me is super good as well.

The seating area is small but there is a small outside area as well. Staff is young and friendly.

Food takes a little while to come out but it's definitely worth it.

The SALT location is their second location on Oahu. The original Pioneer Saloon is on Monsarat near Waikiki.

SALT has a parking structure that you do need to pay for but I believe Pioneer validates parking. There is street parking but it is or course limited.

There is a bathroom on the property but there is not a private one for Pioneer.

I've visited this location probably over 15 times now and I haven't been disappointed yet. Although SALT has a lot of options in regards to food, I recommend you stopping by Pioneer Saloon to get fresh...