We Pick Our Top 5 Lobster Rolls on O‘ahu
It was a difficult job, but we had to do it.
January 18, 2021
The lobster roll at Jolene’s Market made our list of top five places on O‘ahu. Photo: Kelli Shiroma Braiotta
What makes a good lobster roll? If you’re an East Coast diehard, you’d look for cold Maine lobster meat mixed with mayonnaise, celery or scallions and tarragon piled onto a New England bun. You’ll find some of this in Hawai‘i, but local variations can get pretty significant.
I ranked O‘ahu’s lobster rolls based on amount of lobster, the bun, bread-to-filling ratio and overall taste. Besides the restaurants below, I tried lobster rolls from The Espresso Bar at Neiman Marcus Hawai‘i, Merriman’s Honolulu, Fat Cheeks Hawai‘i and Chocolate + Vanilla Bakery’s Savory Saturdays.
Kaimukī’s New Sandwich Cafe Has a Familiar Name
12th Ave Grill DeliCafe is an indoor-outdoor reboot of the long-shuttered restaurant.
December 23, 2020
It started on Instagram, where photos of meaty sandwiches and lobster eggs benedicts at the new 12th Ave Grill DeliCafe caught my attention especially since 12th Ave Grill had been closed through much of the pandemic. So it was news when the longtime Kaimukī eatery re-emerged last month with a new format, a new menu and for the first time, outdoor dining.
Your first question is probably the same one I had: Where’s the outdoor seating? It turns out the DeliCafe has set up a covered open-air space in the municipal parking lot adjacent to the restaurant. Inside and outside, tables are spaced well apart. You order at the counter, find a table and they’ll bring your food and drinks, but there’s no restaurant-style table service. Or you can get your order to go.