the service was suuuper friendly, they invited us in and explained the dishes, made recommendations. we chose our proteins as banh mi sandwiches. turned out great. delicious food. read more

Decided to order online & it was delish! Fast pickup time, food was great! The Olena Burger was no frills, good quality, tasty, solid beefy taste. The chicken bahn mi was so fresh with crisp pickled veggies and the bread was the best with that crisp outside but soft, chewy texture within. All around a super scrumptious lunch! Oh and the truffle fries...mmm! read more

I first stumbled upon a post on Instagram advertising their ribeye katsu (yeah I know, my brain took a second to fully register both words existing side-by-side as well!) and bookmarked the picture for future reference. For almost two weeks afterward, my Instagram feed became peppered with images of food pics from here both from the official IG page and from foodie accounts of locals that frequented the spot. Honestly, the best subliminal messaging I've ever encountered. Finally, the wife and I took a trip out there from our humble abode in Waipahu with my two siblings in tow. OUTSIDE: If you want to blend in with the warehouses, you paint your building grey. If you want to stand out from the warehouses, you paint da buggah orange! You can spot this building from a mile away, quite literally if not for the equally large warehouses blocking it from the main road! Catching your eye from a distance with it's citrus-colored exterior, the establishment stands proud as if to challenge you to come see what they're about. INSIDE: No seating area to eat, but we were offered standing room to feast since we arrived shortly after the lunch rush dispersed and they were nearing closing time (3pm). On other occasions, we drop the tailgate and eat in the parking lot as long as we don't take up parking during peak hours. STAFF: I only know of Rose, who works behind the counter and is equal parts friendly, knowledgeable, and funny. In a later venture here, the eatery experienced network issues resulting in Rose having a few customers take I-O-U cards instead. Not a common business practice, I'll admit, but I admired her trust in her customer base. Sure enough, while waiting for the credit card machine to come back up, a few customers who had left with their food earlier (around 10 minutes had elapsed since we placed our order) had returned with more than enough money in hand telling Rose to keep the change and exclaiming that she was the best. I mention this to speak to Rose's character. Even though my little group (myself, my wife, my two siblings) has only met her four times for about 10 minutes in each visit, she's the embodiment of what a local business should be: welcoming and helpful. There's another lady that was here the first day we came and after ordering around $90 or so in food, they came out with four ice waters for us on the house. What a kind gesture! On the day the card machine went out, my brother and I zoomed out to a nearby ATM and came back to pay for his food even though he got it like 20 minutes ago. As a thank you, Rose gave me a Filipino Lemonade for free since I didn't order anything. I accepted graciously. FOOD: Okay, so I know I should be writing this AFTER I've tried the ribeye katsu because that's the post that brought me here and it would be truly poetic to end my review with that BUUUUUT I haven't tried it yet because I'm an idiot and never preorder in time. Haha! But the absolute best things I've ever tried here are the brisket musubi. These things are the greatest musubi I have ever eaten! Basically, your standard musubi with braised brisket and a sauce of some kind on it. It sounds simple, it probably is, but it's just too amazing to put into words! The meat is tender, there's some melty fat on it sometimes, the sauce is balanced in it's sweet and tangy and savory elements! Oh, there's so much happening here, you just need to try it yourself! There are also pork belly and teriyaki spam musubi variations also. The teriyaki spam is great! Doesn't taste like an out-of-the-bottle teri sauce, really tastes like some thought was put into the mixture. Haven't had the pork belly yet, but will be sure to do that soon. The Olena burger was excellent, it balances all the sweet and tangy elements mentioned before with it's sauce and the coleslaw in it. The burger itself is cooked well and the bun is soft, but holds up well under all the ingredients. I got the fries with the truffle oil and parmesan, which were fantastic as well! OVERALL: I'm calling it, 10/10. Haven't tried the whole menu yet, but every bite and sip out of this place has been amazing so far. Even the wife loves it! She particularly loves the halo-halo and makes it a point to grab one every time we come by. read more

In a sea of crappy corporate frozen garbage, finally, a breath of fresh air and fresh food! This place is simple, fresh, delicious, and the service comes with genuine aloha. I can't believe I'm only discovering this place now and it's no surprise that they're 5 stars on Yelp. I can only hope that they find a way to expand a bring something to Central Oahu. read more

Start off to say that the staff is just over the top amazing. Customer service carries a bright positive vibe that leaves you feeling good. My husband and I are from Philly and the Philly cheesesteak is definitely Philly approved . Beef brisket sliders simply melt in your mouth and the fish & chips are as good as they are in Scotland. Poke bowl didn't disappoint either, very fresh. Filipino lemonade 10/10, iced latte 10/10. Amazing! read more

Ono ono foodCheck um out as soon as you can!!!! Prime rib Thursday's nuff saidThe banana poi bread, fish and chips and chocolate chip cookies.....onolicious read more

A friend and I met for lunch. She suggested Olena which I had no idea even existed where it did. Only major complaint we had was that there was no seating. We had to find somewhere else to enjoy our food which was delicious as suggested by the sweet woman running the front. She shared her favorites and I went with one of her favorites- lemongrass chicken bowl with olena rice. It was pretty good. I'd definitely get that again. My friend got the beef stew I believe. She enjoyed it. Get some seating out there please!!! read more

Amazing food! Amazing service! Fish and chips are sooooooo delicious we also had the stew absolutely delicious! The food is made perfectly, the meat is so yummy and not over cooked. The salad was fresh and yummy! I will be back read more

Super friendly service and super good food. Great find and good break from the touristy restaurants we've been seeing. We had the fish and chips, burger, stew, and beef bowl; everyone enjoyed their food. Highly recommend. read more

this place is so good I ate all the food before I could take pictures and I went twice lol. everything I ate from poke bowl, adobo pork belly, stew, fish n chips, ribs, cupcakes, lemonade was all AMAZING. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE read more

Great people! Super friendly and helpful! It was a very pleasant visit with happy staff! We got a delicious hearty gluten-free stew that had lots of meat! Yum!! Also got a plate with guava BBQ ribs and it was tender and finger licking good!! Can't wait to go back to try more dishes!! read more

The food was so awesome! Delicious and fresh!! Can't believe it's sooo close to the Airport! read more

OlenaHi - Salad Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Stopped for quick lunch after a long morning and pleasantly surprised by the excellent quality and customer service of this little gem. The banana poi bread, Filipino lemonade, sliders, and truffle fries were our favorites!!! Wish they had several seats right outside so we could enjoy our food and not have to eat in the car. Definitely a pick up and go sort of place. read more

Great little find in the industrial area of Kalihi. Super friendly staff and very attentive. Will talk you through the menu and help you find the perfect meal. Although I live on Maui I'd def visit again. Want to try the empanadas (since they just sold out when I arrived). Hint: put your fresh chip order in at Hawaiian Chip Co across the street and while you wait order your food from ōlena. They'll both be ready about the same time and you can be on your merry way! read more

the first stop on our trip to honolulu! the owner is so nice, made time to chat with us as we came in lugging our suitcases. food is wonderful and affordable, and the calamansi pineapple drink is so refreshing. great place to hang while waiting to check in to your room. read more

5 star spot! I came across this place when typing in local eats. I was stoked to find out it was only 5 minutes away from my house. Right when we walked in this sweet lady greeted us( not sure if she's the owner). We went with the kings burger with everything on it & truffle fries. To top it off we ordered the lemonade & cranberry ginger ale with a cookie for dessert. The cookie was so soft! One of the best cookies I've ever had. While we waited for our food the owner talked to us about the BBQ sauces they had and made small talk. She was really sweet and welcoming. The burgers and fries were so dang good! This place is a new spot for us to frequent. It can get a bit pricey for burgers depending on what u order but I felt like it was worth it. Only down side is there's no place to sit, but it didn't bother us too much. We just sat in our car and ate our food. There's also a chocolate dipped strawberry place in the same building. So we were able to sample those while we ate. read more

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Absolutely AMAZING... We finished every last crumb! Everything from the service to the quality of the food was exceptional! Thank you Ronald and Rose, you'll be seeing us again very soon. read more

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Tried a couple items which was very ono. Baked goods onolicious. Owner and staff very friendly. read more

We ordered the fish and chips and bahn mi sandwhich. The Bahn Mi sandwhich was probably the best bahn mi I had in a while. Fish & chips was a very large portion. Pineapple calamansi drink is a must try. Go for the large, you're welcome in advance..lol. We stumbled upon this place while going to the chip store because we could park in their parking lot... we were hungry so we stopped in for a meal. I'm so glad we did. 10 out of 10 would recommend. read more

We stumbled upon this place after buying fresh chips from across the street and I'm so happy we got food from here. The food is so delicious and the owner has the best personality! If you're in Oahu I would definitely recommend stopping by here to get food! read more

So delicious and fresh! Was borderline hangry getting out of HNL and decided to find a quick lunch on Yelp.... Olena did not disappoint! Hubby ordered the poke bowl and I had the ahi roll. Both were super fresh and the ladies at the counter were genuine and funny! We will definitely return! read more

Tried the Prime Rib. Prime Rib was cooked perfectly medium rare,nice cut,tender great taste. Would have it again, however it is pricey. But then again you get what you pay for and it is good. I'll be back! It was a nice treat.And it's in Kalihi, Thanks Olena read more

I'll keep this short as I was disapponted since this is a gourmet type of operation so I expected more. They add a little more to their selection so I was expecting more since it costs more. Ordered the burger with topping. Had it to-go but when I ate it later the bun was soggy from the dressing. I heard them say they would put the cole slaw on the side for another customer but I guess they didnt do that to my burger. You would think they would since it was takeout. Hte burger ws great. But I couldnt enjoy it as a sandwich burger since the bottom bun was soggy and untouchable. The banana poi bread is great. The service is great. The facility is clean and the kitchen is the cleanest I have seen. read more

Order lemon grass chicken salad times two and received lemon grass chicken with rice. Lemon grass chicken had no lemon grass that I could taste. Really disappointed since there was so many positive reviews. However the soba noodle salad was excellent. Staff very friendly. So disappointed!! read more

Great food & great service! Tried the Jook w/Beef Brisket (not on the regular menu but was available as a special), Lemongrass Chicken Salad, Filipino Lemonade, & Banana-Poi bread and everything was awesome! The beef brisket was melt-in-da-mouth ono! I love calamansi lemonade as it is, but with the pineapple pieces added, it was like dessert! They are very friendly and call you by your name. Saw a few people ordering the fish & chips...think I'm gonna try that next, especially with Lent coming up! Highly recommend! read more

Their calamansi Filipino lemonade is my FAVORITE!! Also just tried their tofu poke which was amazing. I'm not one for eating tofu, so that's saying a lot, hah! Their staff is also so nice! Love supporting small family-run businesses! read more

Love the customer service , the atmosphere and people are amazing. I eat here once a week. I normally visit on Thursday's to get their brisket read more

I stopped in due to a review by a friend of mine today. I am actually driving out of the customer parking lot right now and have not tried the food yet. But if the food is half as good as the service Rose gave me at my arrival then I will probably be blown away by the food. I will update this after I eat. read more

The best bbq pork ribs!!! Thank you Rose for your outstanding customer service. Can't wait to try the banana poi bread!!

This place was fantastic!! We came straight from the airport and couldn't have found a better first meal in Hawaii! We had a hard time deciding what to order because everything looked/sounded amazing. Ended up with the poke bowl (top 3 poke I've ever had), the fish and chips, and the pork rice bowl. Yum! Devoured it all. Got a banana mango bread for the road. Heard those sell out fast go grab one quick. We will likely be coming back before our trip here is over. read more

Ono food at olena! Not only was the food delicious but the staff is amazing, knowledgeable and kind. You can tell they really enjoy what they do and it shows in their food. Much mahalo! read more

This was a great little find. We were pretty much lost when my found this neat little place. They were more than eager to suggest multiple great items. We picked the Fish and Chips, Pork Slider and a cookie. Everything was amazing. Great place to stop leaving the airport or returning. read more

Chef Ron's prime rib is a delish and special treat. During this stressful time, it is great to enjoy such a fine meal. The mashed potatoes are so yummy and the popovers... How did Chef Ron make it so perfect? And best of all is the prime rib. If it was the end of the world, I would be happy after enjoying this meal. Chef Ron does it again!! Bon Appetit!! read more

Super friendly staff, melt in your mouth fish, crispy fries. Tasty tarter. The bbq ribs were delicious. Wait time was reasonable too. OMG, the cookies are to die for. Kind of in a funky, narrow road but well worth finding it and navigating the road. read more

To begin with, walking inside I felt nothing but welcomed. Such genuine and kind people putting in a honest days of work. I'm very impressed and highly recommend coming. read more

Absolutely everything is wonderful except they are not open at the moment. Will be back in a flash if I know when it opens up again!

We (wife and I) tried this place a few days ago at the suggestion of some friends. The restaurant (more of a takeout) is located inside the Dole Factory building (across the parking lot from Costco) in Honolulu on the lobby floor. We tried the "fish and chips" at the suggestion of the talkative lady behind the counter. I asked for a salad instead of "chips" because my doctor told me to reduce my carbohydrate intake. We got 4 large pieces of fish deep fried in a crispy crust. Excellent tasting fish; crust was crispy even though the coating did not contain Panko. Salad was good too! My wife got the chips: the bottom of the tray was filled to nearly the top of the plastic tray with well prepared chips (French Fries). Excellent lunch! Will return again to try out their menu again when we return in October of this year (2023). One suggestion to the owner is to make a bigger menu so it can be read without having squint trying to read it. read more

My coworker Alice, suggested we try this place. Their menu was quite intriguing to say the least. They pretty much had me at pork belly. I had the pork belly bowl, it was fantastic. The combination of rice, slaw and pork belly was perfect. The Filipino lemonade was sooo refreshing. I also bought some pork belly musubis for later (it was ono!). Thank you Rose for being so welcoming, and Simon kudos to your culinary skills. Although your place is far from our office, we will be back for more. read more

Unbelieveable! Best poke I've ever had- no doubt! Ms Rose is an awesome hostess. The banana bread is off the chart!

If you want something special for a fraction of the cost, visit this place. And if you love fish sandwiches, most definitely get their ahi sandwich!!!! Everything is great, made from scratch, made with love by the very talented Chef Ron Simon. While you're there, definitely get the Filipino iced tea so you can wash everything down with this refreshing tea. You won't regret it!! I highly recommend this place!! read more