Pioneer Saloon

We stopped by Pioneer Saloon for our last night in Oahu and wow, we were so glad this was our goodbye dinner! We heard about Pioneer from a friend's recommendation and it did not disappoint. We got their ribeye steak, miso butterfish, and sweet potato tempura. Everything was delicious! The steak was well-seasoned and a perfect medium-rare. The tempura sweet potatoes were light, but still flaky and crispy. I honestly prefer them this way instead of normal sweet potato fries. The butterfish was our standout favorite - soft and buttery, each bite melts in your mouth. Their side macaroni salad was also so good and unique compared to the traditional mac salad served at Hawaiian barbecue places. I will make it a point to come back when I visit the islands again!

The menu is extensive ranging from many land meats to seafood. There's not a lot of vegetarian options though. Our group got a variety of meals and they were delicious! The rice was also cooked perfectly and it was flavorful. Our favorites were the baby octopus and mochiko chicken. You get a good portion as well and coming from NYC, we found the food to be a great value! When you get there, you order at the window and then go inside to eat. They usually do accept cards but the day we went the machine was down so we had to pay with cash. Decor is really cool inside. Plenty of seating as well. It was clean and there is a bathroom for customers.

Enjoy my mochiko chicken every time here. It comes out just fried so it's temperature hot. The way I like it. We also got the seared Aki and it was yummy yum yum.The garlic rib eye steak is yummy made medium rare but more medium to me. Still very yummy. The wasabi aki was also delicious and recommended by me. Cooked perfect. The miso butterfish was soft but when I make it I don't cook it as long as they did. Still yummy! See my photos

Pioneer Saloon 2024 updateThe name evokes thoughts of "Gunsmoke" or "Rawhide" . Their name reminds me of memories of Miss Kitty's saloon in Dodge City in the old west but nothing could be farther from the truth. It is, in fact, a great place for plate lunches with a Japanese accent. Their meat, poultry and seafood plates are prepared different ways- our go to plate is the garlic salmon with rice and toss. Always prepared just right, usually never overcooked. There is no parking for Pioneer Saloon but it's usually not hard to find street parking in the area. There are a couple of tables to sit down to eat inside after getting your plate. Of course, if the weather is nice, Kapiolani Park is just down the street to polish off a delicious plate lunch.

The ribeye steak was very disappointing. For $22 I would not recommend this. I got 8 pieces , when compared to others pictures they look like they got double.

Came here as it was highly recommended by people we know, and it's next to my favorite shaved ice place on the island. Pioneer saloon offers a variety of Hawaiian plates. You order at the window, then you go inside and wait for your number to be called. There is not a dedicated parking lot, but there is ample street parking. We ordered the loco moco, ribeye steak (medium rare) and the honey sweet potato fries. Every dish and every bite was memorable! I would highly recommend trying this place! Inside there is plenty of seating, but it fills up fast with locals!

It's great having lunch with a friend from 60 years ago. Lunch was good! Parking spaces in the driveway or on the street. Easy ordering at the Sind for sit down or take out. I enjoyed my oysters... nice and crispy, not oily. I'll be back

Finally made the adventure...This is the OG location from it's relative in Kaka'ako and I've never quite understood the concept of the name considering it's a Japanese flair to many of the dishes that they adopted to put their own twist to like demi versus gravy to burger patty dishes though don't get me wrong there are many local faves that many come here to enjoy.Pioneer Saloon is located on busy Monsarrat Ave where parking is always the real challenge though on this day the stars just there for us as we found a spot right in front of the restaurant. As we arrived the cluelessness sets in as we enter to see a cool rustic decor like you're at an antique shop with a wall filled with various vintage items for sale is quite the conversation piece as we browsed and visit memory lane.Getting back to why we were here is to eat I noticed that there was no menu in sight whatsoever and folks was just there to pick up their food as it was casually being called...we order outside! All menu information is prominently posted right beside the window ha ha ha....aaahhhhhh! Menu items are categorized by proteins it was a matter of decision and it was "Chili Tomato Fried Chicken" because it reminded me of "Ebi Chili" a classic Japanese favorite that I'm unable to have is fascinating to use it for chicken.Chicken was fried perfectly crispy and coated in that spicy sauce was a very hearty meal which came with a scoop of rice (brown for me) and pasta salad. I really enjoyed this generous portion along with the vibe of the restaurant, the staff there are friendly and I chatted with them as I ordered, they do have a tiny bathroom outside in the back of the restaurant which you do need a key is greatly appreciated but what a lovely place for some hearty food.Thank you!

Dinner in Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii...Demi or Ponzu sauce?That's the question of the day...What kind of Hamburger Steak do I want at Pioneer Saloon?I've been to Pioneer Saloon a long time ago with the OG Yelpers. At the time, I wondered what kind of place it was because of the name. It has a cowboy or western connotation. It's a rather odd name because the menu is Asian-Fusion and Japanese. The interior had a country vibe - like old school because of the vintage merchandise. There were antique bottles and dishes for sale... as well as clothing and jewelry. I haven't been here in a while - maybe because of the parking situation. We were REALLY lucky to find a space on the street, right in front of the restaurant!Service was cheerful and efficient! After using the restroom inside (ask for the key - it's at the end of a broomstick!), we went outside and ordered at the window. Our meals were brought to our table, even though we had a number, and were ready to pick up at the counter when called.I got the Hamburger Steak with demi-glace sauce. The patty was thick and a bit peppery. It complimented the brown rice well. The pasta salad was an interesting side! Note: the air-conditioning was a bit weak, in my opinion

Ambiance: neighborhood local plate lunchService: FriendlyFood: Variety of local favorites to choose from.Street parking