Pioneer Saloon Kaka'ako

Only via GrubHub order so can't comment on store ambiance. Top quality of food and care of packaging.

I love Pioneer Saloon on Monserrat. The Kaka'ako location is centrally located at SALT. Parking at SALT is free for the first hour! Pioneer saloon is Japanese style bento/comfort food. The menu here is overwhelming for me because so many options look and sound good. I recommend the Menchi katsu, the furikake salmon, or the ebi fry (fried shrimp) burger. Side of rice or shiso rice! The side of fries is extra $4 but a lot. My husband loves the curry katsu here. Portions are filling and pricing is reasonable! Food comes out pretty quickly. The inside is small but you can also eat on the tables outside .

Located in a food center. Relatively small venue but tons of outdoor space to eat. Reminds me of hole in the wall restaurants you would get in Japan, especially with the staff and semi-open kitchen style where you can see them prepping your food.Food was prepared relatively quickly. We ordered the chicken katsu with demi sauce. It was fried just right and the sauce was subtle and not overpowering. However, I wished they provided more greens.I was also super excited they had the matcha IPA. I went all over Kyoto looking for it with no luck but was so glad they had it. Def give this place a try.

First time coming here after seeing it online a bunch as well as lots of friends recommendations. We came in a big group during lunch and were luckily able to snag an outside table. But there is also plenty of i for seating too. I got the ribeye with garlic which was perfectly cooked. The salad special was tofu salad, 100/10. I wanted to initially get the garlic ahi but they ran out :( Will have to come back again to order that.

I've been to both locations and am a fan of both. I think they also have the same menu if not very similar. I guess you could say it's a plate lunch place with a hint of Japanese. So far I've tried the oyster fry, the mahi mahi and the fried chicken and probably more but can't remember. The food is always good, certain things could use a touch more seasoning but besides that it's pretty good. It's always fresh and clean. It's counter service so you order up front and then they call you when your food is ready. The service is nice and friendly. There are tables inside and outside. It can get busy around lunch time but you can usually snag a table. There is pay street parking out front. Can't wait to be back............

1st time visiting this location at SALT. Never actually knew where it was but found it! Out of baby tako for at least another month. What are we doing eating the babies anyways...we should let them get all bambucha and then grind um. But man o man are the babies ono. Since no more I got the salmon Kama. THey were pretty small kama, and choke bones. So was good, but really not that huge a dish. For an upcharge, can get shiso wakame rice. Got that...good but could use more shiso and wakame. I got the ginger tofu as my side. I thought would be regular fresh tofu and not fried. So was okay. Overall pretty good. Same same food as the original location, but I didn't like the paper menus plastered on the windows. Just had that little bit messy feel to it. Workers suuuuuuuper nice though. Suuuuper nice. And didnt seem phony baloney (balogna?)...

Our family's go-to place for nebaneba and fresh fish. Vibe is a little different from the Monsarrat location but the food and service is great at both locations. Love the garlic salmon, chicken katsu with demi glacé and definitely the nebaneba. Small dining area inside and 5 metal picnic tables if you like dining alfresco. Food is made to order and it comes out nice and hot, or cold if you're into the nebaneba. They validate parking if you choose to park in the SALT parking structure. Great selection, fair prices, tasty preparation and good sized servings all with friendly service.

Great plate lunches! I tried the garlic butterfish ($20) and garlic Mahi Mahi (on special for $17). I like the garlic butterfish more. The Mahi Mahi would've been better if I picked a different sauce or way of cooking it. Nothing spectacular. The inside is very cute and feels like a little Japanese house. They also had an outside area to eat so that I could eat with my dog with me. Friendly service!

Enjoyed the furikake salmon topped with creamy sauce and shiso wakame rice with green salad. The fish was tender and perfectly cooked. They even gave a ponzu sauce on the side. The furikake salmon katsu was good, but the meat was not as moist and overall heavier with the breading. The chicken nanban was a little disappointing as it was cutlet style. The cream sauce on top was overpowering and made the batter soggy.The posted menus are a bit overwhelming, but there is surely something for everyone. Seating throughout SALT is easy and there are many things to check out while you wait for your order.

The fish is top tier for plate lunches, especially the fresh grilled mahi mahi (get the garlic one)! The katsu is so fresh and texture is *chef's kiss*.The sweet chili chicken is also tasty and a little different. I really like that you get a bunch of random veggies with the chicken, like onion, qsparagaus, and I think some green beans. And the serving is so generous!They have a real talent for packing a lot of toss salad with just the right amount of dressing into the small section of the plate lunch container lol. I also like their pasta salad and they usually have a special rice option upgrade for a dollar upcharge, like salmon rice or shio-wakame. I love the options.The only thing I've tried so far that I wouldn't recommend is the shrimp burger. It was not bad and I liked the fries that came with it, but it's just not the best shrimp burger I've had.The menu is extensive so there's lots more I'd still like to try!Service is great and food comes out quickly.Tables inside and outside.They're located in SALT so validate parking there.