Prince Kuhio Cafe

This was an interesting find. I used to work about 5 minutes away from this location and had no idea until after I left that job! Located in the US District Court, District of Hawaii building on the 5th floor, this cafeteria has a lot of items to choose from. You don't have to be going to court to have lunch here, all you need to do is to show your ID at the entrance of the building and let them know you're here to have some lunch. It might get a little confusing on where to go but if you ask the security guards upon check in, they'll direct you on where to go.Once you get there, as mentioned, there are a lot of options for you to choose from. You can get a burger with fries, a plate lunch, have some breakfast for lunch, make your own salad from the salad bar, or even just make yourself a little snack bag from the snack bar. On this particular (and my first) visit, I opted for the daily special which was a chicken enchilada plate. For $14.95, it was packed with rice and 3 fully stuffed chicken enchilada with red sauce. This meal was so filling that I had to save the rest for another meal! Since this is a cafeteria setting, there are many places for you to sit. You can eat outdoors or inside. It doesn't get too busy either so it's pretty nice to enjoy your lunch with some peace and quiet.

This is located in a federal building but it is open to the public! Take the elevator to the 5th floor and follow the same. They're open for breakfast until 10 and open for lunch until 2:00 PM. They have weekly specials, so make sure to check their website. In addition to their daily specials (for breakfast and lunch), they have their permanent items in case you are not feeling their daily specials. Salad bar is also an option and it goes by weight. Pretty good variety of desserts that changes; and all made in-house. Coffee available for breakfast or lunch. Includes soda fountain or bottled drinks. Seatings are plentiful, inside or outside. The staff here are extremely friendly and hardworking. Make sure to give them some alohas and mahalos on your way in and out. Portions are huge and price is affordable -- probably the best place to get good quality food for your buck. Just be careful, they do charge for sauce packets and disposable utensils to make up for their cheap prices.

Great food and so many options, including a large salad bar. They have fantastic specials - like steak & shrimp - around the holidays. They do have lighter fare options as well.

A cafeteria-style dining option... Super convenient if you don't have to look for parking and you already have to pass the security screening to get in the federal building for some reason. The cafeteria always has a salad bar, plate lunch/hot grill made-to-order options, in addition to their daily specials (that are quick since they are already prepared and on the hot service line). They also have boba, smoothies and sandwiches that are made to order. I am a soup person, so I usually get one of their soups (super quick). The selection changes daily. Thursdays they always have Portuguese bean soup. And Fridays are usually some sort of chowder. Check out their website for the specials for the week.

Located on the fifth floor of the federal building, this place is the go to when you don't know what you want to eat. My coworkers and I love going here when we can't decide what to eat for lunch.The workers are really nice and they have a rotating menu every day. Make sure to check out their website for the menu of the day. During a recent trip there for lunch they had a beef stew and shepard's pie combo. The beef stew was good and reminds me of school beef stew which was pretty tasty. The shepard's pie on the other hand had a lot of meat and mashed potatoes. There's a bunch of seating here too! There's views of aloha tower and restaurant row so it's a nice change of scenery and totally worth going through the security check point. If you're in a rush, you can also get the food to go! :)

Who would have thought there would be a random cafeteria in the federal building? Not me! I'm kinda glad it's here and I get to enjoy this in the mean time while I'm serving my American duties as a juror. Lol! Parking may be a hassle due to the location but there's street parking. Just watch the posted signs they tow around certain hours. They're on the 5th floor but to get in you'd have to go through security and show your id. Don't be intimidated even tho it looks kinda scary. They're nice to even inform you where to go when you're there. But partially cause they want to know what you're doing there too. Lol! Once you get through that point go down the hall and up the elevator and down another hall and there it is! Actually once you're up there then follow the smell of food down the hallway! Once there, there's separate lines. Ones for salad, burger and daily specials. Check the daily specials board first before making your decision. That day I opted for a burger and fries and so did everyone else. It made the guy behind the counter flustered a little. Once you get your food, head toward the cashier. Then to the next station for your utensils and foil for take out. Or you can just dine in there if you want. Everything was also under $10 and super affordable. I'll be back again!

Although this cafeteria is at the edge of downtown and there's a security area to be wanded through..the breakfasts are worth a visit. For under $6 you can get a delicious breakfast sandwich with your choice of bread, cheese, egg and meat all made to order. Everything is piping hot and sure there is small wait but it gives you time to look at the daily fresh baked goods! The cafeteria staff cares about this little eatery and there are individually packaged gummy bears, chocolates, nuts and other little snacks. On taco Tuesday for $9.20 you get a choice of 3 crunchy tacos or soft shell...so good loaded with fresh veggies, sour cream and taco sauce. The cafeteria also offers special holiday lunches featuring turkey or pot roast loaded with sides. For an eatery located in a federal facility the offerings are extensive even with boba and special smoothies loaded with fruit and kale. Definitely worth a try!

On another episode of "Hidden Restaurant, Cheap Eats," we find ourselves on the 5th floor of the Federal Prince Kuhio Court building. Now, you're thinking, "why does a court building have a cafeteria?" When you should be asking, "why doesn't my building have a cafeteria?" Which the answer is because you probably don't work for Google, Facebook, or Apple. Sorry.Any who, the Prince Kuhio Café serves both breakfast and lunch. The grill at lunch handles the made to order hot sandwiches, burgers, fries, and onion rings. There's a DIY salad and sandwich bar that charge by the ounce. In addition, the other hot entrees include specials of the day which are posted on their websites, in addition to multiple combo plate options. Sandwiches include coleslaw, soup, or French fries, which is pretty good for under $8 these days. Most of the items are $7.5 or less, with very few items over $10. The no frills grilled sandwiches and burgers are under $4. I got the pastrami panini special which came with fries for $7.5. Decent amount of tender, tasty pastrami, but not all the cheese was melted. Could be the worker was rushed as the line was backing up. Good crunch on the bread though. Fries could have been crispier, but they did pile them on. I think next time I'll try one of their other specials.Coworker one got the $11 poke bowl special over all salad and they loaded up the fish. Somewhat irregular cuts, but decent quality without an overpowering sauce. Coworker two got the turkey, bacon, and avocado sandwich. She thought it was going to be a wrap, but sometimes the universe likes to play jokes on us. Nevertheless, she ate it all, including the fries. Breakfast is the standard high carb/high fat diet of hot cakes, toast, sausage, eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Not much locally oriented breakfast foods aside from Portuguese sausage and spam. Cold cereal is available in dispensers along with fruit. I did find it strange that a place that doesn't really cater breakfast to local tastes has Halo-Halo as a dessert item. I guess you could eat your Kansas Midwest breakfast while noshing on a Filipino cold dessert. Life's short: be weird. Check out their weekly specials here:https://www.pkcafe.net/weeklyspecials.phpWord of warning, you do need to go through airport like security, so bring your ID with you. As it's a Federal court house, there's no parking onsite. There's a vast amount of clean indoor seating and tables with a few outdoor seats, and lots of condiments to spice up your food. They did seem short staffed when I visited. Tentative 3.75 stars

Prince Kuhio Café is a hidden gem in Downtown Honolulu. They're located on the 5th floor of the Prince Kuhio Federal Building (same building that the Social Security office is in). The café is basically an upscale cafeteria with a ton of options including warm pre-made entrees, a salad bar and a grill that offers burgers, fries, etc. The even offer smoothies, bubble drinks and ice cream.The setbacks are the parking (no public parking unless you park elsewhere on the street or in another structure), and going through security. If you have a few extra minutes to empty your pockets and go through the metal detector, the trip to the café is worth it and will save you a few bucks. On the plus side, prices are pretty reasonable for most items. For breakfast one morning, I ordered eggs, toast and a pancake and swear I paid less than 5 bucks for it. How does the food fair? Not bad for cafeteria food but keep in mind, it IS cafeteria food. The bubble drink I tried came with overcooked tapioca balls, the garlic ahi I once ordered was overcooked and dry but the chicken salad sandwich I usually order makes for a nice lunch. Can't forget to mention the seating, amenities and ambiance. Seating is plentiful with both indoor and outdoor tables and chairs. Outdoor seating is on a balcony that overlooks Kaka`ako. Indoors you can watch some TV with your meal. Around the cashier area, many condiments, utensils and even foil and paper bags are available. Food-wise, PKC is worth 3 stars. Selection and price-wise, PKC is worth 4 stars. You can sign up for email updates with their weekly specials. No spam mail included!

Not bad for a workplace cafeteria. You can't beat the price and size of their wrap combos which come with a large wrap (different selections) and a side (e.g., french fries). But hands down, my favorite has always been turkey Wednesdays. Their turkey plates, and especially their turkey and gravy is so delicious.