Fall 2008 - Issue 1

The Silversword: Home > Entertainment > Restaurants on Kapahulu

Restaurants on Kapahulu

Meagan McClellan, Staff Writer

Tired of the Silversword Cafe, Brother's Brew, or the Courtyard? You are not the only one. Since Chaminade does not give students a variety of restaurants to choose from, I will try out different restaurants to give you a little variety in your life, for a cheap price, and a delicious meal.

This week I decided to try some of the restaurants located at the new Safeway complex on Kapahulu.

Caliente del Sol

One thing that is extremely hard to find in Hawaii is a good Mexican restaurant. Since I am obsessed with Mexican food, I thought that choosing Caliente del Sol would be a good option. Being from Southern California, I have been blessed with a plethora of incredible Mexican restaurants.

Unfortunately, like most of the Mexican restaurants that I have tried in Hawaii, Caliente del Sol was another let down.

I would rate the food overpriced for low quality. I tried the garlic chicken soft taco; the taco was small and should not have been $4. The only thing that was appealing was the garlic chicken; the toppings on top of the taco were disgusting.

Eva Rochlen, a college student who enjoys finding new places to eat, rated her experience a low one, and said, "I will never come back. The taco was super expensive and it was not even tasty."

The rice, beans, and chips were nothing special either. The Mexican rice spices were not exciting, the beans were plain, and chips were stale.

One of the only positives about this restaurant was its cleanliness. I also liked the interior decorations. The employees were very friendly and helpful with ordering.

My experience was not a positive one, and Caliente del Sol did not meet my standards.

Caliente del Sol
www.calientedelsol.com
888 Kapahulu Ave. Suite 160 Honolulu, HI 96816
808.739.2777

Good to Grill

Good to Grill is a new "fast-casual Kiawe-wood fired" restaurant that is conveniently located next to Caliente del Sol.

The first impression that you get of this restaurant is the amazing aroma. Walking into the store made me feel that I was at a campfire. It was a comforting feeling that made me excited to try some of their firewood style meat.

I ordered the Prime Rime sandwich with fries. The prime rib sandwich was not as good as I hoped it would be. The prime rib is definitely a lower quality of meat. The bread was tasty crispy ciabatta bread. The shoestring fries were the best part of the meal.

This place is nicely decorated and I enjoyed the outside patio seating. There are plenty of seats to choose from, which is nice because I hate being smashed up to another table.

I will probably go back to try the ribs, but I also consider this place pretty pricey.

Good to Grill
www.goodtogrill.com
888 Kapahulu Ave. Suite 170 Honolulu, HI 96816
808.734.7345

** Fun fact: I found out from one of the employees that the same person owns Good to Grill, Burgers on Edge, and Caliente del Sol.

The Quick n' Easy

Restaurant Prices Quality Last Thought
Kozo Sushi $$ A Quick sushi on the go
Uncle Bo's $$$$ A Love the environment, hip bar & dinner scene
The Pyramids $$$ A Unique Egyptian and Mediterranean food & entertainment (belly dancers)
Dave's Hawaiian Ice Cream $$ B Ice cream little too pricey
Burger's on Edge $$ B Cheeseburgers In Paradise is better
Leonard's Bakery $ A YUMMY malasadas!
Waiola Bakery & Shave Ice $ A Soft shave ice, next best thing to Matsumoto's Try Li Hing Mui & Mango
Genki $$ C Cheap sushi, times I have been, had stale food
Ono Hawaiian BBQ $$ A Hawaiian Luau Style Food

Prices: $=1-4, $$=5-10, $$$=11-15, $$$$=16+
Quality Grade: A= A Must Eat, B= Pick This Place Over Others, C= Try at least once