Outstanding. I hate to even write a review because I want Castro's to be the hidden gem that it is. I discovered Castro's on a whim of wandering around Hawaii. The location off the beaten path is what originally drew me in. The exterior patio seating with blue umbrellas made me curious. Once I walked inside, I instantly knew the Cuban food was going to hit. Not only did it hit, it exploded into space and I returned 4 times on my vacation and recruited family members to go multiple times as well. On my first solo visit, I was going in to strictly get coffee and then decided to give a main dish a shot which was the traditional cuban. Let me tell you - I wish my husband was with me as the portions here are out of this world. This dish came out on a colorful dish on top of a bamboo board with fruit galore! It looked like a painting that I shouldn't touch but rightfully did. Needless to say, I had a leftover box on day 1. I then returned more times and want to highlight the Monte Castro sandwich which I fortunately or unfortunately split with my husband. Unreal!! It was drizzled in honey, served on the bamboo plate, had double decker bread and a plethora of fruit and some picked veggies on the side. I don't want to say more because I want everyone to go and split this meal with a loved one. It is award winning deserving. For my 3rd visit, I had the papaya bowl and once again - it was fantastic and required a to-go box as well. I'm so sad to know I'll never get to try the tres leche French toast as my vacation is coming to a close and there are so many more items I wanted to try. Castro's knows how to do it and I really think all restaurants should take notes from this establishment. From the water guns to spray the birds away to the dining service experience to the quality and taste of the menu item - chef's kiss. Thank you, thank you!!! Best meals in Hawaii hands down. OUTSTANDING!! read more

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Cute brunch spot with beautiful food presentation. We ordered the Cubano and the Tres Leches French Toast - the Cubano was delicious, but the French toast was just okay. It's a small place with some seating both inside and outside. Service was relatively fast. One of the staff didn't seem very friendly and rolled their eyes when we asked to make a change to our order, but aside from that everything was fine. read more

Castro’s - Cubano - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Worth the wait! This was the second time we had breakfast at Castro's, and it reminded me of how great their coffee and food is. We had the traditional Cuban breakfast and the Salmon plate, both well made. If both parties like Salmon, the Salmon will easily feed two people. You get 4 full rolls of Smoked Salmon filet, and bread and fixings to make an amazing breakfast. The Cuban was great as well, but more of a 1-person Enterprise. Overall, great top-quality food and experience on the strip. read more

Castro’s - Salmon breakfast - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Big big fan! I need a quick breakfast, and castors delivered. Along with the breakfast sandwich the fruit was fresh and my favorite part read more

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I love this place. We sat inside this time b/c I can't handle the birds outside. Hubs had some breakfast thing he couldn't even finish. Baby had the papaya bowl that she demolished in 3 meals...she looooved all the fancy fruits, especially the weird kiwi thing. I had the brisket. So good. 2 meals for me...just reliving the meals. Yum. read more

This place is so great I came back twice on vacation. Let ambiance and setting are great. Very vibrant and friendly staff. The food is prepared fresh and tasty. We had the French toast and it wasn't overly sweet but so balanced and wonderful. Overall highly recommend. read more

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Recommend sitting at one of the tables under an umbrella. There's trees, and the uncovered tables come with risk of bird poop (a fresh one landed on my hat). Prices rang up higher than what was displayed on menu -- when I asked, that's when they said there's a surcharge when using cards. So, pay cash and save. French toast: 5/5!! Out of this world. One of the best I've had. Crispy edges, fluffy innards, delightful amount and assortment of fruit (blueberries, Asian pear, yellow kiwi, citrus, banana, pineapple, watermelon, and some sort of grape I haven't seen before), all swimming in a delectable rum sauce. Recommend sharing, it's HUGE. Portuguese sausage (side item): 5/5. It's only 1 sausage, but it's delish and comes with a few pickled veggies. Perfect counterpoint to the French toast and rounded out breakfast. cortadito: 5/5. So smooth and rich, best coffee this trip. Also love that it's right next to Vavin -- Vavin's pastry game is right up there with Kona (the infamous, hours-long line in International Marketplace). An entree & coffee from castro's and a croissant from Vavin...perfect shared breakfast for 2. read more

Castro’s - French toast and Portuguese sausage - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great food and even better coffee! The facilities were very clean and professional. I loved the fresh fruit and Castro's breakfast. Simple but great taste. read more

The food was delicious I had a cubano style sandwich The bread was perfect toasty on top and soft in the middle The garlic sauce was very good. The place itself is very colorful and clean Service was good . Will definitely come back read more

A hidden gem. Friendly staff. Delicious food. Quaint restaurant with limited seating but well worth the wait. Must try the coffee! read more

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If you're craving a Cuban-style breakfast in Waikiki, Castro's is a great find. The best place to start your day. Great and friendly staff and the cuban coffee is excellent. read more

Castro’s - This place is amazing. If you're craving a Cuban-style breakfast in Waikiki, Castro's is a great find. Friendly staff and great coffee. - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Delicious papaya bowl for breakfast! 3 generations ate together and we all enjoyed the meal!

I didn't think one of my favorite breakfasts of all time would be Cuban food, especially in Honolulu. I shared this recommendation with friends afterwards and they doubted as well. But trust me, Castro's delivers. The dishes are beautifully plated and they all came with a side of fruit. The Cuban sandwich here was the best I've ever had, better than any I've had in Miami. The crab and shrimp toast and the watermelon and beet salad were also great. This is a must-try. read more

Castro’s - French toast - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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If you are looking for amazing tasting coffee - great food (brunch style) Castros is the place to be. Definitely worth it. Cafe con leche- is a must if you enjoy coffee- dark enough yet it's perfectly sweatened. read more

Castro’s - Small Cuban coffee bar- - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Castro is a staple brunch spot for me. They close at 1 PM, and at 12:30 they only do to go. If you manage to get in there before 1 PM, I promise you will not be disappointed. It is a very unassuming place packed with culture and vibrant and authenticity. The Cubanos are on point, the yerba mate is very authentic, and you can't go wrong with any dishes on the menu. This time around, I got the breakfast brisket sandwich, which was so juicy on a local egg. The bread was perfectly crunchy, and the side, fruit salad, and pickled vegetables were great mix. The Ropa Vieja was also another grass fed brisket but a little bit leaner. Overall, the service is always very attentive and they pay attention to detail when it comes to presenting you with an upscale Cuban experience on the streets of Waikiki. Don't sleep on the spot if you're looking for something a little more diverse . read more

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Must try the French toast. We'll be back another day to try other delicious looking items on the menu read more

Castro’s - Tres leches French toast. Amazing! The best breakfast I've had in Waikiki - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

delightful food and drinks. one of the highlights of any trip to oahu. crab/shrimp toast and brisket sandwich were excellent. fruit salad was fresh and seasonal. read more

Castro’s - Crab & Shrimp Toast - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Small but cute place. The staff it was very accommodating and nice. Excellent presentation of food, tastes good too! Love coming here when I'm in Waikiki! read more

Castro’s - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We ordered the Buen Día breakfast and a cortado. The food was delicious and fresh. The cortado was of the same quality. The service was friendly and the ambiance was relaxing. Definitely, will visit again to try some of their other menu items. read more

If you are looking to feed your instagram profile; cool. If you are looking to feed yourself, not the best option. Basic taste for too much money, small plate, trying to compensate with bunch of fruits which you can get anywhere. read more

Castro’s - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Great breakfast and lunch. Sandwiches and avocado toast were phenomenal. Prices are high, but expected for the area. read more

Castro’s - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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(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 you're in Hawaii! read more

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The food here was exceptional - the best we had in Hawaii. We had the tres leches french toast and the traditional cuban breakfast with black beans - both exceeded our expectations despite the favorable reviews. A house coffee and cubanito coffee were both exceptional as well. Customer service was friendly and attentive. Highly highly recommend. read more

Delicious Cuban food for brunch. Order at the counter from a friendly server. Then hope to find a table for two indoors or tables for four outdoors at this busy restaurant. read more

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Great service and delicious sandwiches!!! I ordered a Ropa Vieja & a Cubano. Both were wonderful and will be dreaming of that Ropa Vieja- wish they had longer hours since they close pretty early in the afternoon! read more

Castro’s - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The food was a solid 4 stars! Our order this morning: Ropa Vieja ($16): Brisket, white cheddar, sofrito, green goddess aioli Cubano ($15): Ham, pork roast, cheddar, pickles, garlic aioli, Dijon mustard Mediterranean Potato ($12): Okinawan sweet potato, mushrooms, olives, sea salt, almonds Cafe con Leche ($4, 8oz): Espresso beans, milk, house sugar. Both ciabatta sandwiches were grilled to perfection. My boyfriend enjoyed the brisket in the Ropa Vieja, but felt the sandwich overall lacked a bit of flavor. As for the Cubano, the combination of pork roast and ham just didn't hit the mark, leaving something to be desired. Sadly, this was my least favorite experience with a Cubano to date. If you like sweet potatoes and olives, get the salad! It's sweet, savory and light. The real star of the show was the Cafe con Leche. It was incredibly smooth, slightly sweet and absolutely delicious. I highly recommend it. read more

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Castro's was a great spot for a late morning stop. I loved that they have both outside and inside seating. You order your food first and then take a seat inside or outside, depending on your preference. They offer breakfast and lunch, so it all depends on what you're in the mood for. I ordered their Traditional Cuban, which came with an egg in the shape of a triangle, roasted potatoes, linguica sausage, parsley mojo, house pickled vegetables, and amazing local fruit. The whole plate was DELICIOUS and just the right portion size--not too full but just full enough. I also got their iced mocha. My wife got their Buen Día plate, which comes with egg, aged cheddar, and dill crème fraîche. To drink, she got a cortadito. Again, delicious food and the fruit was so good. I enjoyed the experience, and the Cuban music added a great vibe. The service was great, and I would definitely come again. read more

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Helpful to know: they do not take reservations. You order at the counter and they'll bring the food to your table. There's a few tables inside and a few outside, not a ton of seating. The outdoor tables were shaded for the most part. Not the restaurant's fault, but there were some flies and pigeons around, which diminished the eating experience. Decent coffees with nice foam hearts. Hard to resist the tres leches french toast with its impressive presentation! They also gave a generous amount of fruit with it. I'd be willing to come back and try one of the savory dishes. read more

Castro’s - Tres Leches French Toast - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place was incredible and the best breakfast we have ever had! We actually went back a second time on the way to the airport to try more of the options. Everything was fresh, delicious and flavorful. Coffee was also delicious. Service is excellent and really cute restaurant. It also helped that there is hourly parking across the street at the post office so it was easy to come and go. If we can ever come back to the Waikiki area, this will be our first stop :-) read more

Castro’s - French toast - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The cubano was delicious! Food looked amazing! Service was good! Ambiance was pleasant! read more

If you are thinking about liking avocado toast or you are an avocado toast aficionado, you must get the toast here. The service is top notch, the outside seating makes for great people watching and extra the food is delicious. Everything is fresh and made with attention to detail. read more

Castro’s - Best avocado toast in the world! - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I am still dreaming about the wonderful breakfast I had here during vacation last week. I had the Croque Senorita and is seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten. The guava jam and rich Gruyere cheese really rounds out the flavors and I can't wait to go back. The service was quick and attentive, and the patio was lovely to sit out on in the morning. read more

Castro’s - Croque de Senorita - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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For starters there food was fantastic, we've been here twice on our trip so far and hands down some of the best breakfast and lunch we have had. Both times I got the brisket breakfast sandwich which was a 10/10 bread was crispy meat was tender the aioli they put on was superb. My fiancé got the trés lechés French toast and the monte Castro sandwich, they were both fantastic, there French toast is amazing so thick and fluffy good portions enough to feel full, fruit is fresh and not soggy or old, there atmospher is great, so on brand with the Cuban style cute and cozy, servers friendly and attentive. would highly recommend to anyone staying in Waikiki read more

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Overall 4 stars: The Traditional Cuban Breakfast hit the spot in the morning! Great food with friendly staff! Food 4 stars: We got the Traditional Cuban Breakfast as takeout. Our favorite part of the breakfast was the beans. It was flavorful and filling! It also came with a sausage, eggs, potatoes, and pickled vegetables. I would recommend trying this dish if you've never tried a Cuban breakfast. This was my first one and I will be going back for another. Service 5 stars: The staff is very friendly and offered us water as we waiting for our food at one of the dine in tables. She also came over to ask if we needed anything else while we waited for our food. Ambiance 4 stars: this is a cute little shop at the beginning of Waikiki that has outside seating. The shop looks clean and has a Cuban theme. read more

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Delicious breakfast place that we visited during our trip to Honolulu. Traditional breakfast items with Caribbean flair. One of the best meals of our trip! Sure to return when we comeback to Hawaii. read more

Castro’s - Breakfast egg sandwich with fruit and pickled vegetables. - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We've been wanting to try this delightful Gem of a restaurant for some time, and finally today we did it. We knew it was going to be a super meal and it was... Hands Down Outstanding breakfast. Staff were all polite and welcoming. Service was really good too! We order the Traditional Cuban breakfast, Avocado Toast and of course a Cafe con leche. Presentation was amazing too. We will be back... for lunch. Gotta try the Cubano! read more

Castro’s - Avocado Toast - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My wife and I thought this was probably the best breakfast we've had all year! Unbelievable. This is the French toast and the traditional Cuban dishes. Go! read more

Castro’s - French toast and traditional Cuban - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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So charming and delicious! We tried the tres leches French toast, ham and cheese sandwich, and the Cuban breakfast. The juice of the day was pineapple, and I ordered a cappuccino as well. The service was very helpful and polite. We enjoyed eating outside and listening to their Cuban music. Highly recommend! read more

Castro’s - Large cappuccino - Latin American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Day 2 of Oahu started with breakfast at Castro's. With authentic Cuban food, we had great expectations for this spot. Walking distance, we got there around 10AM and there was no line. I ordered their café cubano and a torta. Your food is delivered to your table, and the ambiance is very tranquil here The climate was perfect for outdoor seating. Please give it a try here, and experience some good Cuban food PS: order their French toast for an epic picture read more

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Really disappointed. First time visit. The two girls working behind the counter were rather snooty. They did NOT want to be working. Not a smile, not an aloha, not even an hola to greet. Hopefully they were just having a bad day. But it's also why I give this place 2 stars. The food was good & fresh. Small portions. I'm half Cuban & grew up in Miami before moving here, so it's definitely much fancier than anything my abuelita cooked. Nice side street atmosphere. Unfortunately, there's no desire to return, which is a bummer because we always want to support local. However, the actitud of the staff left too much of a bitter taste in my mouth. read more