Tough to find. Lacking in atmosphere, hence the business strip mall. Began to lose interest once I saw tacos, burgers and pasta on the same menu. Burger was alright - heavy on the acid, order of fries was small, all slightly overpriced - best part was the sweet cashier/server. read more

My wife and I got the soft shell crab burger. I thought they were pretty enjoyable, although it was a bit bland flavor wise. They don't put too much condiment or anything on the burger, although maybe to highlight the soft shell (deep fried) and paniolo beef combination. For$13.50, I guess it was worth it compared to other burgers featuring local beef. I really wanted to like this place, and I wanted to try other things on the menu. However, my concern is, my wife didn't feel too good after eating the burger. Shortly after consuming the burger, she felt tingling and numbing sensation under her tongue. She didn't vomit or anything but throughout the day she felt uneasy in her stomach. What a bummer, it was her birthday. So maybe she had a bad piece of crab (mine was fine).When I Googled it, the tingling and numbing sensation could have been from poorly stored shellfish, or just from a bad shellfish (contaminated by algae or something). My caution is to be aware of such potential food poisoning. read more

Went back for a BLT with avocado on 10 grain bread - HEAVEN!

I've been wanting to try their Surf & Turf burger for a while now! Finally made it down there since I was on summer break! They are only open Monday-Friday until 2pm so I needed to go when school wasn't in. My friend and I quickly ordered and found seats. It's open air eating outside so I tried to find a spot near the doorway. My friend ordered the BLT sandwich and her came out fast. I was waiting there for over 10 minutes and finally went up to the counter to ask if my food was coming out anytime soon. The woman behind the counter just said it's coming out shortly and walked away. I waited another 5 minutes and it finally came out. When my friend and I got there, there was only one party in front of us in line. By the time my food came out the place was full of people that came after us and everyone had already gotten there food. There was no sorry or even eye contact when my food finally came out. The same woman I talked to called my name out and when I approached the counter, she quickly walked away. My friend said her sandwich was good but it was cold by the time she ate it 15 minutes later. My burger was good but I never had soft shell crab before. I thought I'd try to just because everyone on Yelp was raving about it. I didn't like the parts of the crab that were hard shell and it was a bit too fishy for me. Warning: it made a HUGE mess from all the juices so I don't recommend eating this with someone you want to impress or someone you don't feel completely comfortable with. Although the burger was good, I don't think I'd return because of the horrible customer service. read more

Believe the pictures - the burger really is 9 inches tall. How am I suppose to fit that in my mouth? Somehow I managed. :-) That said, the burgers were really good, juicy and cooked to the doneness requested. I had the surf and turf, the actual taste of the crab was lost in the burger, but added a nice crunchiness. BF had a bacon cheeseburger. $3 for bacon seems a bit steep. And was a maple bacon, so it was sweet. It kind of detracted from the beefiness of the burger. Location is not visible from the street and no sign. But go ahead and park in what use to be the design center and go into the open air mall area. It's right there. read more

I always like going to EAT Honolulu for a good healthy lunch. But I do look forward to their specials the most. My favorite dish is their braised short rib with forbidden rice. I keep forgetting to sign up to their email list every time I go there. The prices are a bit steep but the food quality is good. read more

I've been to this place twice now, and both times disappointed. Originally went bc Yelp highlighted the place. Ordered takeout, peak lunch time, my bad. It was crowded and took approximately an hour to get my burger and polenta fries. Yummy but who has an hour to wait for takeout! Decided to give it a second chance today. Phoned in the order bc learned from last time. Super friendly manager answered and took my order. She repeated the order very slowly twice. When I got there order was ready within 5 minutes so I was happy. Almost left realized they forgot my lemonade (which manager recommended). I went back. The unfriendly cashier was unapologetic and very unfriendly. I drove away and found they forgot the two pieces of bacon that I ordered which was main reason I went (bacon got great reviews). I called to complain and unfriendly cashier informed me "no problem we didn't include bacon in your order". Again, no apology. Very disappointed by manager and service. Not worth a third try....there are much better places to go. read more

For a company lunch, we had take out from EAT. I ordered the Paniolo Cattle Co. Beef Burger Steak and the Handmade Mozzarella Sticks, which DID NOT include the Oahu Tomato Marinara. My main entrée's beef burger patty was tasty, but it was also microscopic (maybe 3-1/2 inches diameter). The forbidden rice (half a scoop of rice) and the salad were also sparse and not to mention, the dressing came in a sauce container that was also meagerly filled. I paid nearly $20 for slightly more than a snack. You could get almost a full priced meal at a decent restaurant for that price mind you. Generally speaking, I think a lot of people in the office was left unimpressed and a bit hungry, especially those who got the lunch plates. One co-worker ordered the polenta fries, which was also underwhelming, and seriously the chili aioli was a smudge between two sauce container tops. For the money and the size of the Beef plate, I feel like there are comparable or better quality places for less that give a whole lot more. Alas, maybe next time, I'll try a burger...as people who got burgers seemed to be happier. read more

I really enjoy lunches at Eat. The setting is totally casual, nothing fancy but the cooking. It's self service where you order at the counter then pick up your food when it's ready. Sometimes it is busy, the line may be slow, and it may take a while for the food but I've never experienced a big problem. They're a strong proponent of farm to table and get whatever they can locally and fresh and there are daily specials. My regular order is the turkey burger with polenta fries. EAT is one of the few places that has a reliably good turkey burger, which I'm not positive, but I think is house ground. I get blue cheese or gorgonzola on it for a little added zing. The sandwich comes with a couple slices of pickles and not nearly enough pickled onions - I could eat a bowl full of them alone! The polenta fries are definitely unique and worth a try even if you're not fond of polenta, if for nothing else than the dipping sauce, a really delicious, creamy chipotle or other type of chili. My wife usually gets the soft shell crab sandwich which is hard to find especially this good. The crab is extra crunchy and tasty. The salads are good and plenty large. The self serve ice tea and lemonade are always fresh. I struggle to stay away from the fresh cookies but I know they're good because sometimes I loose the battle. The only thing I've been disappointed with is the carrot cake, which was pretty dry. And the fact that they're not open on Saturday! If you don't need your meal super fast or super cheap but want super good food, try EAT! read more

Surf and Turf Burger and some polenta fries. What I liked: the combinations of flavors and the meat taste with the fresh cut vegetables and there was also a yummy sauce somewhere in the mix, the fact that they cook your meat EXACTLY how you ask (we went for medium) and not two steps over. Well Done...no thank you! What I didn't like: polenta fries were nothing to go crazy about, my soft shell crab was really small while my friend's was bigger than her burger. I would definitely return and try the BLT or just soft shell crab sandwich AND just because you can taste the freshness of their ingredients. read more

The people and food at EAT are awesome. Ordered the steak burger and Hawaiian fish platter. They allowed for med-rare cook temp on the burger which was sooo good! The platter had lots of great flavors, but I ended up adding siracha to the bland-ish rice :-/ Overall, great lunch. I'm thinking about riding down for breakfast one day too! read more

Have eaten at the cafe before and the food is good; portions are small. Recently tried to contact owners to have an event catered but could not get Chef David on the phone in time. For those of you looking to have your event catered....think twice before booking with EAT. They are affordable and the food is ok but you'll pull your hair out waiting to hear back from them! read more

My husband and I went there for breakfast. They story is a little confusing, but believe me, that's how Eat Catering and Café made us felt. I ordered an egg and ham plate for myself and a sandwich for my husband. They totally screwed up my order. They made my egg and ham into a sandwich, so when I told them they took back the sandwich, but instead taking back the wrong order, they took back my husband's sandwich which was the right order. So started from there, was one mistake after another, they forgot about the cheese, and used wrong bread. They forgot the add cheese in my husband's sandwich, so they made a new sandwich for him. Later, the waitress brought out a new sandwich and said she was going to throw away the wrong one, but my husband already finished half of the sandwich, so he asked the waitress if he can keep both. The waitress told us to hold but never came out again. As we were all wondering what was going on, they called me for my egg and ham plate and told me that they threw away the new sandwich they just made!!! Did that even make any senses!! Ok, just forget it, but then I notice not only my eggs were cold, but also they were in weird shape, more like triangles! Come on, don't tell me they recycled that sandwich and used the eggs for my egg and ham plate!! I think they just did! And they told they threw away the sandwich! What a lie! read more

Came here for lunch with a friend during a weekday recently. I had the Kalua Pork Panini. It was quite good. The only suggestion I might make is that they include some cole slaw on the side, or some apple slices or something else of the fruit-vegetable type to round the meal out a bit. Plenty of free parking in the Gentry Design parking lot. read more

Okay. I might be a little biased since I work here. The truth is though, the food is amazing. Not only do I get to see the food prepared first hand, but I get to eat it every day for lunch. It is hearty, comforting, and so flavorful. I know that service can be a little slow, but it is definitely worth the wait. The timing is something we are working on, and will be better every time you visit us. I love this place. read more

Eat is the restaurant right below my office (lucky me!!) and I'm tempted every day to purchase something from here. My favorite meal is hands down the surf and turf burger. It has a big ole patty and a fried soft shell crab inside. It's a ginormous burger and had no idea how I'd eat it when I first ordered it, but after one bite, I couldn't resist eating it ALL. My other favorite dish to order is their breakfast burger. You can pick the type of bread, cheese and meat. I always get it with bacon because they're bacon is SUPER delicious! Every soup and pasta I've ordered here has been fantastic and fresh. It's always pretty busy during lunch time so the wait can be a bit long and some of the stuff is pretty pricey. But it is high quality food definitely worth trying! read more

I was introduced to EAT by a friend and I am definitely a fan! Great lunch spot for sure. The food is tasty, fresh, local and a good value for the price. I had no idea this was here and probably would not have figured it out if my friend didn't work nearby. But now I will definitely be bringing more people around to see it for themselves. Big thumbs up! :) read more

Wow! I meet Dave and his wife at the Honolulu Food festival and tried his Chocolate Bacon. Was impressive stuff, so we specifically went to his cafe the next day and tried their signature 'surf and turf' burger. It was worth the wait, this culinary delight is soft shell crab with local beef and tastes amazing, provided you like both seafood and meat. Dave remembered us from the precious day and gave us a warm welcome. The home made lemonade was awesome as well. We will be back again when we visit from Australia. read more

I love these guys. Solid burgers. Local beef always. Try the one with the soft shell crab. There is nothing like anywhere else in Honolulu. The fresh fish sandwich is really good too but my favorite is their BLT. They do something special to the bacon so that it has that special unmami taste that is surreal. The menu is changed quarterly but these items are always available. read more

YUM! we had no idea of this place when we ate there. We happen to be in the design center and was starving. The food was awesome! The Panini & burger is worth going back for. I like how it was simple and casual and all about the food. read more

i loved M.O.T..this place is very similar. My favorite is the paninis and curry carrot soup. the prices are high for the small portions. no side chips or fries here. you are lucky for the pickle sliver. grab your own water and utensils. there are no other eating establishments in the area, so out of desperation we go here for lunch. UPDATE: the owner really does care. He emailed me. I have to give this place another chance. This place was recently reviewed in the Star Bulletin. Read that review too.. read more

This place used to be called Matters of Taste... from what I understand with the name change there was also a change of ownership, and the food has improved a lot! The food is good, but before you go you should know that the experience is not fancy one. Its sort of an indoor-but-outdoor setting (tables in a hallway of the Gentry Design Center), and its self-service. Around lunchtime it gets crowded as all the little tables are full of people and they are close together. There is a room "inside" the cafe that resembles a dining room in a French farmhouse or something like that, which you can reserve for a group and I imagine it would be a cool place to hold a meeting, but if you're just popping in for lunch you can't eat in there. This is the only reason I don't give it 5 stars... at their prices I feel like the total "experience" could be a little plusher. Even if they just updated the appearance of the outside dining area a bit and spaced the tables apart more, that would help a lot. As far as the food (aka the important part), I work across the street so I eat here a lot. And it is tasty. They have a pretty good variety of different stuff available here: salads, sandwiches, soups, tacos, gyros, and a breakfast menu which I've never actually had anything from since its only served until 10 AM. My favorite menu item is the steak salad on field greens with pickled onions and gorgonzola. Their burgers are delicious too... juicy, fat, and very fresh tasting. Generally the plating is nicer than what you'd expect to encounter at a self-service lunch cafe and sandwiches/burgers are served in these cute little bamboo boxes/trays, which does help with the otherwise no-frills dining experience. The only thing I've had here that I wouldn't recommend is adding chicken to your salad... I've found the chicken to be pretty tough every time I've tried it. read more

Easy parking! Changing menu, and always something good to choose. This place should be crowded. But it's not. Like!

Good food, yet the minimal service could be a turn-off. Came here for lunch and ordered the cuban panini, reuben panini, side of potatoes and coleslaw. The sandwiches were super yummy and filling, I could only finish half! The side dishes were exceptional, should've ordered more of them! read more

A secret place nestled in the Nimitz Design Center, the atmosphere is relaxing and the food is great. The owners and chef do a lot to keep it real by shopping for as much locally grown, organic produce and local meat. The food they make is tasty and they're always spicing it up with new menu items. One of my favorites were the pork tacos. But don't go with my recommendation, chances are you'll get something good no matter what you order. read more

Been on a burger hunt lately. Eat is unique in that it's not in a very conspicuous place located in the gentry pacific design center. Had a plain cheeseburger with the polenta fries. Ordered it medium it came medium was not as drippy juicy as I tend to like it more lean but highly flavorful beef. I think the polenta fries could have been off the charts if but it tasted like it was fried in the same oil as their soft shell crab so it was kind of crabby. Not a bad thing so much but it was unexpected and probably not what they intended. Both needed more salt but that's an easy fix and a personal preference. Service was friendly, food was good, ambience is casual seat yourself prices a bit on the higher side of moderate but all at a good value. read more

Hubby had the surf and turf burger and i had the burger special with mushrooms and onions with homemade red wine ketchup! The burgers were huge and very juicy! Best burgers! read more

The Surf & Turf burger is awesome! HUGE patty topped with soft shell crab, avocado and the "special sauce" is sooooo good! Ask for extra sauce on the side, you'll want to dip everything bite in it. HUGE portion, and definitely worth the price. I added cheddar cheese to it. The polenta fries were really mushy, not what I was expecting. I'm sure it it didn't help that I got take-out so they were probably sitting in the container waiting for me to pick it up so I think I'll try them again next time if I eat there. Also tried the Seasonal Green Salad which was really good. The vinaigrette was really good I also used it to dip my fries in. Just be aware that they get really busy for lunch so expect to wait for your food - even if you phone order. read more

Close to my job so I usually go when I crave the Vege panini. The carrot cake is also very delicious. Always want to try different things on the menu but the "Eat your vege panini" is just too yummy. Love this place! read more

This is a true hidden gem for a downtown lunch. Located just inside the Gentry Pacific Design center, across from Sam Choy's Eat Honolulu is a gourmet cafe that's perfect for your lunch or catering needs. The polenta fries are not to miss (especially the dipping sauce). The food is fresh and made to order so be prepared for a culinary delight. This cafe also caters and upon request will do private parties and dinners, so keep it in mind for your next event. I've never been disappointed by a meal here. Be sure to request the sugar smoked bacon with your panini, it's worth it! A perfect spot for a lunch followed by browsing the many shops in the design center, whether you're looking for unique balinese furniture or a new piano or keyboard from Piano Planet. This is truly a not-to-miss destination among the many Nimitz highway eateries. read more

Food tastes great, but the service is a little slow. The dining ambiance was a little sleepy, too. I think the location was the downfall. Food is excellent, though. read more

~April 25,2014~ I came here with a friend for lunch since it's really close to my office. Looking at their Yelp page, the place seems like one of those cute cafes you'd find around LA. We go there around noon on a Friday. It was crowded but not so busy we couldn't find a seat -- everyone seemed to be ordering take-out. I ordered the Classic Burger combo, which came with their Classic Burger, a drink, and polenta fries. I had never had polenta fries, so I was excited to try them. For my drink, I made myself an Arnold Palmer using their iced tea and lemonade (free refills), which was pretty good. The iced tea had a light floral flavor and the lemonade was not too sweet. However, the wait for my food was too long. For someplace that serves takeout, they sure took a while to make a burger. I think I waited about 40 minutes before they called my name to pick up my food. My friend ordered the Surf and Turf burger, and they lost or forgot about his order! His food took even longer than mine. I was probably 2/3 of the way through my burger before he even got his (I was starving so I started eating haha). The burger was good, but pretty messy. I don't know if it was really worth the 40 minute wait considering how hungry I was by the time I got my food. The polenta fries were interesting. They were crunchy on the outside, but mushy on the inside with very little seasoning. You really needed to use the aioli they gave you with the fries to flavor them. ~June 4, 2014~ Came here again with coworkers. I had already eaten lunch, so I thought I'd get something small or something I could take home. I decided upon the Flatbread "Pizza" thinking I could eat a slice and then take the rest home. I should have taken those quotations seriously, because it's not really a pizza. It's just one piece of flatbread with a few slices of salami, red onion, tomato, mozzarella and like a leaf of lettuce with some sauce sprinkled over. NOT WORTH $4.99! I was so disappointed. It was more like a snack than a meal. The description was so misleading. And again, it took forever to make our food and someone's order was forgotten and was even missing ingredients... ~OVERALL~ Overall, they get 2 stars. One star taken for the wait, another for the okay food, and another for forgetting orders not once, but twice. They really need to work on their kitchen efficiency and organization. If you plan to eat here, I'd suggest calling ahead of time so you don't have to wait so long, and make sure to check up on your order so they don't forget. read more

Food IS amazing! I recommend the turkey cream cheese sandwich.

My boyfriend and I found this place through Yelp. We were in the area and wanted to try something new. From the main road you go into a private, very open parking lot. You're in the right place when you see the sign "Na Lama Kukui". The cafe is located on left once you go inside the building. The ambience is casual with mostly business people going in and out. The wait for the food was pretty long. It was semi busy, but no line. After maybe 10 minutes we finally got our food. I got the turkey sandwich with a cup size soup and my boyfriend got a regular burger with Polenta fries. The turkey sandwich was ok. I did like my boyfriends burger and fries more, and the soup was pretty good too (broccoli cream soup). Overall, it's a good place to grab lunch if you're in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way just to come here. It's like a regular cafe. Foods good, wait time..no good. On the other hand, I do give them a 5/5 for service. The lady at the cashier was nice, and from the looks of it, the guys making the food in the back looked like they were putting lots of effort into preparing their food. Big plus. read more

EAT wasn't what I was expecting, but it was a delicious easy lunch. My husband ordered the soft crab sandwich- really great. I was a little boring and went for the club- it was a club. Their pickles were really fantastic. Great place for a quick lunch. read more

Cute place. Slow service. Portions are small for the price though. I got the BLT with avocado and polenta fries. There were FOUR "fries." The aioli for the fries was not that flavorful and was pretty salty. The BLT was good. There was enough of everything and I was glad I got the avocado. read more

I had high expectations for this place and it was just alright. You must read the menu very careful. I ordered the soft shell crab sandwich and it said something about bacon, so I was thinking it came with their delicious bacon. However, it said "w avocado and/or our sugar spice bacon", it didn't come with either unless you paid for it and the sandwich alone was $9.99. It was dry, but tasted better with a little ketchup. It was little pricy and left a lot to be desired. The restaurant does have awesome chocolate covered bacon though! read more

Best caterer in town? Could be. The wife & husband team (sommelier/manager & chef) are cool, come up with great menu options, work with my (limited) budget, deliver on time, have nice platters & wine glasses, are reasonably priced, and do their best to be available even on such short notice that others said they couldn't do it (yes, I've done this several times). Their food gets rave reviews and is creative & different enough that everyone wants to know where it comes from. I haven't eaten in the cafe at Gentry Pacific so I can't say how it compares, but certainly their custom menus are excellent. I originally came to them when Indigo wasn't available a few times (don't do Sunday or Monday, don'tcha know) and now just straight to EAT. read more

I ordered a burger without the bun and it tasted like fish, it was not edible and had to throw away an expensive meal. Never again will I eat there read more

Thank you for the delicious, healthful veggie burger!!! So good!!!