This place is a bite pricy but the food is so delicious. You pay the buck and you get the awesome quality. The plate is stacked and delicious. read more

I don't think that I'll be coming here anymore unless it's just for the fried chicken wings. I still believe that they have one of the best fried chicken wings around. However, their banchan is just trash. We got the fried chicken wing plate $19.99 for 6 pieces with four sides and rice. We also got the mochiko chicken $18.99 with four sides and rice. Our sides were two orders of chap chae, two orders of choy sum, seaweed, shoyu potatoes, taegu and pickled cucumbers. The only side that was decent was the choy sum. All the others tasted off. The shoyu potatoes didn't have that sweet glaze to it. The pieces were all soaked through with shoyu. The long rice wasn't cooked long enough and the sauce was weird. The taegu and cucumbers were bland. I didn't try the seaweed, but the hubby threw it all away. If I ever come back it will just be for the friend chicken wings as a side order without the banchan. It's kind of hard justify coming here just for the chicken as there are so many Korean fried chicken spots popping up all over the place. read more

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This place USED to be my favorite Korean bbq take out spot. What happened? Portions for the price are not worth it. Unfortunately, not sure what happened to the quality of the food as well. Sides were not cold and tasteless. We ordered cabbage which had some moldy pieces, shoyu potatoes, seaweed, corn, and pickled radish. Everything had no flavor and served warm. Fish jun no spices. Mochiko chicken and rice was the best thing, still not the same as before. read more

Sam's Delicatessen is a few blocks away from my residence I told my wife let's go and pick up lunch and dinnr Now .I wished Sam's was on an outer island. It would of saved me forty-five bucks. I was doing some banking so my wife pre-ordered our lunch and dinner.When I got back to the car she said tha they ttold her It would be ready in fifteen minutes. We got there in ten minutes. She went in and I waited in the car. Fifteen minutes later she came out with our food. I asked her if it was busy, because it took so long. She said she was the only customer. Now as for the food. We shared the BBQ chicken and BBQ meat combo. For dinner we had tofu soup. The banchans which came with the plate lunch had little taste. Our plate lunch fared no better. The tofu soup also disappointed. I normally end my reviews with Enjoy, not this time. read more

Sam's Delicatessen - Bbq chicken and Bbq meat plate - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Well what can I say about this place. My husband wanted to try this place just up the street from where we live in town so after our errands we made a take out and headed home. The BBQ chicken was good their taste was ok the BBQ beef was lacking some kind of taste the pieces were alittle stringy. The banchan I chose wasnt the greatest in taste I tasted better banchan. The Kim chee was not hot or spicy kinda of bland the shoyu potato was hard and the shoyu taste wasnt there. All in all the banchan I tasted better. Now I'll see how's the tofu soup would taste like. I don't think I'll go back again. Sorry. My honest opinion.The tofu soup was watery and no taste at all. Very disappointed. read more

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Been going there since they opened in 1998. Food was amazing! But then the quality started to go downhill,(Just before Covid hit) so I stopped going there:( So just recently we celebrated my daughter and son in-law's birthday (April 2026). Asked what they wanted to eat. They said "chicken wings" from Sam's Delicatessen! I was hesitant, but I'm glad I went! The wings were SPOT ON! It reminded me why I went there at least twice a week, back in the days!!! Besides the wings, I got the family pack... which came with 8scoops rice and 6 choices of veggies, was also ON POINT!!! The food quality is back(IMO).I think Sam's has a different owner. The lady that took my order is really NICE AND FRIENDLY!(she may have been the NEW owner. I didn't ask) I'm definitely going back, not as often as I used to, but DEFINITELY going back!!! Would I recommend this place, a definite YES! read more

Ordered lunch for the family here. We got the katsu, meat Jun and bibimkoosoo plates. Honestly the best one was the meat Jun. the katsu for my son was kind of burnt or overly cooked. The bibimkoosoo is a tad bit salty. We suggest you call it in as our order took over 30 mins to be ready. Maybe they are understaffed. Also don't forget to ask for utensils or they won't give you any. Overall, we'll be back for the meat Jun only. read more

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I used to be a huge fan of Sam's chicken katsu, it was my favorite chicken katsu. The recipe changed completely. I haven't been here for about a year so I don't know when it changed. The flavor is bland and oily. The fried outer is not really crispy. Banchan was OK. Super sad day. Please change it back to the OG recipe. read more

Sam's Delicatessen - Chicken Katsu (recipe has changed for the worse) - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Decent food, horrible parking but we go to support sam...lol! Jk I don't even know sam anyway not my first choice for Korean food but we was in the area! Was Ono for shrimp tempura but the don't sell side orders of it, I already asked! lol read more

Sam's Delicatessen - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Korean plate lunch take out in the most unassuming of places. The food is fresh and I appreciate the choices of sides they offer, though I will say the mochiko chicken has few ingredients and no spices. That being said, despite the clutter, I have had less cleanly prepared food elsewhere. I'm not blown away but I would revisit to try other dishes. Parking is minimal out front, it is best to go to the adjoining lot. read more

May 12, 2025 Update review: 2 Did a phone order so that when i got to Sam's, I didn't have to wait. Upon arriving, my order wasn't placed, the prices went up a little and my Kalbi was over cooked, dry and tough with plenty fat. Disgusting. I don't think I'll be returning any time soon to the establishment because I threw away my food and left me hungry. read more

I ordered combo of meat jun and fish jun plate and what I got was 1 pc cut up into 3 pcs meat jun and 2 small pieces of fish jun. I was so disappointed that I didn't even take a photo... the servings of the sides are also very slim. For $20, I should be going to yummys who Atleast gives me 2 full pieces of meat Jun and 2 full pieces of fish Jun for $25. My friends mochiko chicken plate looked more full and value. read more

First time ordering from Sam's Delicatessen. My sister suggested picking up dinner here. Parking is angled and limited here. Be careful parking here. Interior reminds me of old time mom and pop delicatessen. Small interior. Two ladies were covering the counter area. Many options to order from and it took me a few minutes to look at the options. We ended up ordering three bentos and a plate lunch. The $10.99 bento is small for the price point. The $13.99 bento is large and has more of a variety of meats. Sadly the only vegetable that comes with the bentos is cabbage. The plate lunch was my sister's order, so I am unable to review that plate. This place has catering and many Yelpers report that the prices have skyrocketed here for catering. The food was average. 3/5 stars Ambiance is not much at all. Could be cleaner and more lit. 3/5 stars. Service was minimal and no welcome. 3/5 stars. A good point is that Sam's offers brown rice as an option. Overall, I probably wouldn't return here. read more

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Perfect little take out place for local and korean bbq plate lunch. Portions are mediocre but taste is on point read more

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Today I got to try their Yook Gae Jang, Hot Beef Soup, and it turned out good. The worker, seemed like an owner, was very nice. read more

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My parents picked up Korean food for dinner and I decided to stick with Kimchee soup to be safe. My boyfriend got the Fish jun since he's never had it before. He really liked it since the inside was moist and the outside was a little crispy. He enjoyed the banchans as well! My kimchee soup was so yummy and had the perfect kick to it! Sometimes kimchee soup isn't spicy which makes me sad because I love my spicy flavors! This soup had the perfect ratio of tofu, kimchee and meat. My soup came with rice and banchans as well. There isn't too much parking so I recommend if doing take out, have one person driving and another person hop out to grab the food. The inside of the restaurant is giving old school, mom and pop shop. Kind of pricey but if you're really craving korean food and in the area, I'd give this place a try! read more

Sam's Delicatessen - Kimchee Soup - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This next to Bangkok Chef with 3-4 angled stalls in front. Small establishment with 3 tables. Not sure if I was greeted by the cashier/order taker, may have been greeted but honestly don't remember...was already looking the menu trying to decide on what to order. Ended up ordering the Oahu Special (1 Kalbi, 1 BBQ Chicken, 1 BBQ Beef (couldn't really tell since it was all bits of meat), 2 Mandoo and 4 choices of side) and Tonkatsu (Pork). The Kalbi was good, bbq chicken was a bit salty for my taste, bbq beef was alright I guess but I really hate/dislike when the meat is kasu (small bits of pieces kind of like you you cut for a baby). Enjoyed the Mandoo with the Mandoo sauce from another Korean restaurant since they didn't give any sauce. The tonkatsu was good, crispy but not burnt. The sauce was good also. The day I decide to carry just my drivers license, 1 credit card and no cash, there would be an issue with the credit card machine. Waited patiently for the Tech to arrive but the owners I presume were talking and then he asked if they could rerun my card which was a success...he said probably internet issue. This wasn't their fault, not in their control. After I paid and just as I was sitting down to wait for my order, the other girl said here's your order. She was lacking in the customer service part....Didn't ask if wanted fork or chopsticks like the other lady did for the other customer. I guess with this girl you'd have to ask instead. read more

Sam's Delicatessen - Oahu Special - Kalbi, Bbq Chicken, Bbq Beef, Mandoo - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Yesterday, my wife and I went to the café at Sam's deli she ordered the Barada salad. I had the wedding soup and the chopped Italian salad. The burrito was excellent. The bacon was cooked properly. Had a little bit of a chew left of it. Nice the dressing was wonderful on the Bardo. The Italian wedding soup was loaded with vegetables had chicken meat in it. It was really more than I expected and a large bowl and then the Italian chop salad came with garbanzos different types of salami and hams inside red onions , cucumbers, remain lettuce, tomatoes cheese really it was so big. I couldn't finish it all my take away from all this is if you really want a nice solid meal go the food is top-notch fresh and clean excellent read more

Used to have the best mochiko chicken, but they changed the recipe. Now it's more like karaage chicken. Not the same. :(

Recently ordered bentos for a small party and everyone enjoyed it. The party platters are getting so expensive that I think the bentos were a better deal this time around. However, the mochiko chicken doesn't taste the same as it used to be, not sure if they changed the recipe but it's not the same mochiko chicken from a few years ago. The fried chicken wings is still excellent. I still like this place but just not as much as before. read more

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This place is ok if you live in the neighborhood and don't want to go far for easy korean take out food. Bought a plate for my parents who said it was ok but not as good as their go-to korean take out place - Yummy's. Given the price of about $20 for a bbq beef/chicken plate plus $2 for 4 mandoo with the plate, feels like the food quality would have been better. Service was ok - pretty attentive to the steady stream of 1-2 customers at a time that came in. Tight parking on a busy street - my husband remarked that it looked like quite the old school place. Indeed, it looks pretty dated but clean - the front employee promptly cleaned up after people finished eating - there are 2-3 small tables available for those who want to eat on site. Not horrible but there definitely are better options in the area. read more

Sam's Delicatessen - Teri Bbq Beef And Bbq Chicken plate with Mandoo - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place has gone downhill since I first started coming here. They nickle and dime you for everything including any kind of sauce (.25 cents extra), utensils cost extra if you ask for more than one (they did not even offer me any chopsticks or napkins), paper bags are .30 cents each, soda refills cost extra, $10 minimum for credit cards, etc. etc. the only thing they don't charge extra for is brown rice! The vegetable portions were really skimpy (see photos) and they were also pretty bland. I barely got any broccoli or bean sprouts. The chicken wings were pretty good, they were perfectly cooked and the batter was nice and crispy. The only drawback was how they were dry and they don't serve any sauce with them (I paid extra for the gochujang sauce and it was watery and tasted like it was rotten). The service is not friendly at all. Overall, there are better places with bigger portions in my neighborhood and sadly this little former gem won't be on my list to go back anytime soon. read more

Sam's Delicatessen - The Chicken Wing Plate - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Food is good! Only thing is restaurant is small so best for picking up and going. Service was quick, not too much waiting. read more

Sam's Delicatessen - Fish Jun with kimchi bean sprouts Mac salad and japchae - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I haven't been here for years and the family package has gotten more expensive. The food is still good. They charge for package and don't give a box to hold your order. I had to go back to my car to get a box. The meat jun was tender. The kalbi was tasty. Everyone liked the chicken wings. They still have taegu as a side but they are smaller portions. Did a take out. No takeout menus. If order min 3 same bentos get a special price. Check them out. read more

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I've been past Sam's countless times but never felt compelled to go in, mostly because the parking situation is not ideal. However, Frolic Hawaii published an article that listed Sam's as a favorite place for chicken wings. As someone who loves chicken wings, like literally crave it a few times a month, I just had to go see for myself. Like most small run shops, you might not always find the friendliest service, but doesn't bother me too much if I'm just looking to get my food and get out anyways. The lady rushed me a little bit but I knew what I wanted anyways: the chicken wing plate. The plate comes with 6 pieces and 4 sides but the ala carte comes with 8. It took roughly 10-15 mins, but the smell was mouthwatering and well worth the wait. The chicken was hot, amazingly crunchy, and undeniably juicy; literally perfection. And the pieces were huge! I was able to go turn my plate into two large meals for myself. The sides were alright, nothing amazing, but I will be dreaming of this chicken. I heard the kalbi and meat jun is amazing here too, I'll be braving the parking one day again soon. read more

Sam's Delicatessen - Chicken Wing Plate - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place used to be great value but the prices have gone up and the serving sizes have gone down. Better off to go to Pearls next to Don Quiote. I've been here so long,I'm adding to my review that it's absurdly slow. OMG I can't believe I came here again. read more

The last time I got food from here was 7 months ago. It was good. Went again today for the mochiko chicken and the recipe is totally different, looks and taste wise. It's junk. The vegetables aren't good, the broccoli tastes sour. Did they get new owners? I didn't see the same lady that's been there for years. Hard pass. I won't be visiting there again. :( read more

Simple Korean food. Lots of flavors and portion size is great. They aren't very nice on the phone, but nice in person. Looks like a family owned shop. Food was good read more

This was the second time in a row that the food had no taste. We ordered the meat jun and it was bland.

Sam's been around for ages. The food is good when you're hungry. Same lady there every time I visit. Small seating area. The store is aged but they take care. read more

Family pack is so worth it! All the meats that you like, enough veggies to fill you up. Always order it for family outings.

Catered a long time ago. Everything went well food was ready and great! Just ordered a tray of meat jhun Cost about $100. Totally worth it! She said feeds about 15 but there were 20 guests served who each had a serving with enough jhun left for take home plates. Everyone loved it! Thanks! read more

Came here to avoid traffic on the way home. We usually get our catering done here for parties and we enjoy it. The parking area is small so we just parked in the bigger lot and walked about a minute away. The inside is small and has that mom and pop feel to it. A couple tables and a few chairs. Most people come to take out here. I got the meat jun plate. You get your usual 4 choices of sides. The amount they give is decent and they give you two meat jun pieces sliced up, Into smaller pieces. Their sauce was good but I prefer a little more peppery spice. Overall it's a good spot for Korean food in the area. I'll always take the time to stop by if i'm near. read more

Son has been coming here for years before moving to the mainland so he when came back to visit this was one of the must go places. He got the tried and true mochiko chicken plate ($14.99) with 4 sides- Mac salad, seaweed and double portion of potato. The plate was HUGE! It did go up in price but for what you get, it's plenty worth it! There was a mound of the chicken sitting on rice. It fed 4 of us! The chicken was fried a little hard but not horribly dry. Mac salad was good. Overall it was a good deal. Only think parking kind of sucks. The store is located on the right side on Nuuanu Ave, as you go mauka. Next to Bangkok Chef. The parking is definitely not for large cars, you need to jump the curb and avoid the telephone pole to get in some of the spaces. read more

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Food is good but a bit over priced. Expect to pay about 20.00 per plate. Need to work on customer service. A smile wouldn't hurt. read more

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To preface, I've never been to Sam's in person, but have had their food catered a couple times. Their bentos are one of the best ones I've had and their fried chicken is also so insanely tender and flavorful, probably the best chicken I've ever had to be honest. I'll have to go again to see how their service is but the food itself has always been very tasty and solid. read more

Called in a take out on Saturday night at around 7:20pm. Ordered the combo meat jun and bbq chicken. Server wanted me to pick out vegetables because they were closing soon. Asked what time they were closing so that I can pick out my own vegetables when I get there, but was told I needed to pick them out now because they are closing soon. After I picked the vegetables, I was told to come now. Picked up my combo plate for over $21 and when I got home, there was only one small piece of meat Jun and 2 thin pieces of bbq chicken that was and overcooked. It appears the delicatessen gave me whatever left over they had sitting around. The food quality and quantity was good once upon a time, but I will never go back there again. read more

I've been going to Sam's for years now. It's consistent and standard Korean take out food but won't be knocking your socks off. If you're in the area, it's worth a stop. One of my favorite plates to get here is the mochiko chicken. I know that's not Korean food but they made a good tasty mochiko chicken and they are mostly bite sized pieces, which is nice. The portion is also big! Plus, what's not to love about mochiko chicken with sides of banchan? There are a few stalls in the front, though depending on the way people park, they are a bit hard to get to. You can also go through the building's small "tunnel" to get to the back lot (not a ton of stalls back there). read more

Sam's Delicatessen - Mochiko chicken plate (reg) - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Well first day back at work from Summer break getting ready for the new school year . Our school is getting a upgrade on electrical work throughout the campus. So no electricity so I think need to eat out lunch the whole week. I ordered Meat Jun from Sam's w/ my sides. Their meat jun is a lot 2 layers of Meat jun. Nice variety of Ba-chan they also carry Taegu. Not to much parking at this location in the back of the restaurant and 4 stalls in front of the front entrance. Support local read more

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I love their food & I live in the area, it's one of the places I can conveniently get a good quality, well rounded meal. A little pricey, but I can tell all their banchan is made in house & very good. Every once in a while i splurge on their chicken wings which are soooo ono! I also got their meat jun party platter which was a crowd pleaser at the pa'ina :) read more