Da Spot

Thank you for agreeing to cater the Hawai’i Craftmen’s 44^th Annual Statewide Juried Exhibition’s Artist’s Reception on Oct. 6^th at the Linekona!
I know they will love your stuffed grape leaves and chicken as much as I did in Kailua.
When I went to sample your food at the restaurant I was surprised to see that it was really a converted car garage, but I really liked the renovations. I thought your staff was very helpful in explaining the different dishes. I also appreciated the smoothie samples they served me. Very tasty!
I can hardly wait to try the other things on the menu.

I just wanted to update! Food still awesome. They are closed for now but moving locations… they will be back with their ono food!

Well I think this place has closed down, It’s true about all the reviews THIS PLACE FILTHY. I used to eat at their kiosk on campus, but never again!!! This is some place you find i’n some third world country. Dirty dirty dirty!!! When I visited the actual site they make the food I was surprised to see roaches and ants all over the place not to mention the unsanitary conditions of the kitchen. Staff is friendly but it’s like kids are running this place. WARNING — there is no clean up crew — - looks like nobody cleaned there since they opened up shop! I saw one of their cooks who looked like he had a cold, sneezing directly i’n the food he was preparing and hold one nostril to blow his snot out of the other and after that… Can u believe it? Not even wash his hands! Kept continuing to keep mixing some food that was i’n the pan. My wife and I almost threw up at the entrance. Makes me wonder how they pass the health inspections. My suggestion is. If u ever plan on eating their food on Campus, you should check out the real deal where the food is actually made.

If only I could give this place a zero — it would make me so happy. I’ve been a fan of the UH lunch cart for quite some time. The food has always been good. The selection is nice. The prices are cheap and the people are friendly. In fact, i’ve recommended it to many people. NEVER AGAIN.
I stopped by the Da Spot kitchen to grab a plate lunch a few months ago and was amazed at how disgusting the facility is. I’m queasy just thinking about it right now as I write. It would give a health inspector jollies just to see it.
*The kitchen/​prep room/​ordering station is an absolute mess. Dirty clothes litter the floor and counter space.
*Cooks in the back were working without their shirts on and without gloves to handle the food they are working with.
*There was a gentleman smoking weed inside the front door.
*Roaches are running all over the floor, walls, and INSIDE the chafing dishes with food! I got baklava and the kid working brushed the roaches off the baklava and then served it to me.
*Chicken bones were strewn on the floor and ants and roaches were picking the bare pieces of flesh off. It smelled like rotting produce and the peppers in my chicken parm were decaying before they were cooked.
There in no excuse for anyone to eat food that is prepared in this fashion. This place, one of my old favorites, needs to be shut down and heavily fined. I wouldn’t recommend this place to stray dogs.

I can only speak to my experience of their booth at the Saturday morning KCC. I’ve just finished reading the reviews of their poor sanitary conditions and I’m going to investigate this week and issue a revised review if necessary.
That said, I had –without question — the very best dolmas (stuffed grapes leaves) that I have ever had in my life. I’m fairly well-​travelled, and I have many, many points of comparison. So to say that these were the best grape leaves I’ve ever had is really a huge compliment. Even my husband, who normally won’t even eat dolmas liked them.

In the tone I correct my dog in I want to say «no» over and over again. I had a combination curry plate with the little salad and brown rice. The salad had some sort of disgusting dressing which he called a vinaigrette. No, that wasn’t, it tasted like dried herbs and canola oil. The curry was so oversalted I threw my plate away about 2 minutes after sitting down. The oil actually began to pool on the curry. I didn’t eat much but I felt like I had a dirty-​oil-​coating on my tongue for half an hour after.

I felt compelled to write a review after seeing some of the terrible reviews on here. I must admit that I haven’t been to Da Spot in over a year because I returned to the mainland. But, I still think about this place and crave the coconut shake.
First off: Is it for everyone? The answer is simply NO. If you don’t mind going a little earthy-​crunchy, this place is for you. If you’re expecting white table cloths and well dressed servers, try the Thai restaurant down the street.
I love this place because you can tell that this couple is in business to feed people, not to make a crap load of money and sell a franchise to McD’s. And, they have Vegan food. I have not tried any of the meat dishes, so I can’t comment on those.
The shakes and vegan dishes are delicious. They always have some sort of non-​dairy ice cream. And the prices are GREAT for Hawaii. It’s really reasonable to eat here, and you won’t leave hungry.
Yes it is a family owned establishment and this young couple does not have a nanny to take care of their kids, so it’s a bit crazy at times. But that is also the beauty of this place, that a young couple can start a business in Hawaii and manage to get by. While I was living on the island, whenever I went to eat there I usually gave them more than they charged. It just seemed like the right thing to do.
If I owned it, would I paint the place and clean it up? Certainly. But, it is what it is. Good, cheap healthy eats. Very hard to find on the island, so you have to give them credit for that. If the place bothers you, place an order to go. Whenever I get back to Honolulu, I’ll certainly stop by Da Spot again.

I haven’t gone to the actual restaurant, and the reviews here confound me, because the food they serve up at the Farmer’s Markets totally OWNS. I mean you can’t get curries and lamb dishes this good anywhere else on the island…
I got lamb curry today at the Kailua market and JUST beat the crowd. They get a line going so strong it’s hard to pass by.
I’ve spoken with the couple that run the place on several occasions, and I find it very hard to believe they would keep unsanitary conditions. The food quality certainly doesn’t suggest it. On the contrary! I can still taste the baklava…

I came here for the 1^st time yesterday and only had their Strawberry-​Hopia (not sure if i spelled that right) smoothie. It was about 3.50 for a large. MMMM… my boyfriend and I shared it and it was gone within 15 minutes. Soo Good.
I did not try any of their plate lunches but next time when I’m in Hawaii I’m going to have to try it. Like other reviewers the place isn’t that nice but I think they will be moving to a new, bigger place soon. (BF’s sister was talking to the owners and I over heard)
Next time when I’m in Hawaii I’m going to have to definitely come back to this place! YUMM!

I saw the Da Spot booth at the open market at KCC this past weekend. The food looked delicious and the couple serving (I presumed were the owners) seemed nice. So today, I convinced a couple of co-​workers to join me at the Pumehana restaurant for lunch.
When we arrived, the place looked like a complete dump. Two employees, one wearing a tank top and another in a sleeveless shirt, were sweating profusely inside, while children in diapiers played in the doorway. I just could not bring myself to go in, so we left. Sorry for this post, because I like a good ”greasy spoon’ place as much as the next guy. The first impression of that place, however, just scared me away.

I always just thought this business existed only on the UH campus and at stands during the farmer’s markets at KCC or in Kailua. Thanks to Unilocal,I realized that this place actually had a store (albeit in a back alley shady area)
The couple running the place was so friendly and accommodating. They seriously do rock. Each plate comes with entrée, salad, rice, and dessert for only 7 bucks. I asked for two vegan plates, and they gave me two plates filled with rice and three kinds of curry — a malaysian curry, a panang curry, and a garlic veggie curry. (They also have non-​vegetarian entrees, sandwiches, and smoothies) They even made potato salad for us, since I didn’t just want mixed greens. And the containers were stuffed to the brim with food. There must have been a few pounds in each.
My only criticism was that the curries tasted a little too similar, and also needed some more potato. Veggies are good, but not that many!
If you’re in the mood for a different lunch, try out this place!

Flavorful Egyptian food at plate lunch prices, great smoothies, and just totally awesome owners (Ahmad and Ako really do rock). While I love the usual local menu items, its refreshing to go somewhere in the same price range serving something other than Katsu Curry, BBQ Chicken, or Teri Beef. The epicurious will be delighted to venture beyond pedestrian shoyu-​sugar seasonings and start exercising some of their under utilized taste buds. The food styles here even travel beyond the boundaries of Egyptian cuisine venturing across the globe to give Da Spot a very chill world vibe (note: I’m not totally sure what I meant by that last sentence. I think I was just trying to say that the food’s really diverse and the place has a laid back atmosphere, but… um yeah now i guess I translating myself… I’m so ADD: P)
For your first visit you might start with the always excellent melt in your mouth Egyptian Baked chicken, but don’t be scared to trust the whims of the chef and explore their daily specials. As mentioned in another review don’t forget the smoothies. Sometimes you can also find them at the farmer’s markets and I think they recently opened a spot at UH.
Check out Da Spot for their combination of value, service, food, and uniqueness.

THIS IS DA SPOT!!! This is a beautiful, family run, healthy plate lunch paradise. It is cheap, Ako and Ahmad (the owners) are super friendly, and the price is un-​beatable! and DO NOT FORGET THE SMOOTHIE! I recently tried a avocado-​coconut smoothie (im trying to put on some weight) and it was AMAZING! This is a must if you have not been yet. Da spot would most def be a 5 if they did not use styrofoam :(

Delicious food and a welcome respite from the sweet barbecued meats common to many plate lunch places. Look on the board next to the door for the daily specials, which usually include gyros and the Egyptian chicken. In addition to the baklava, the smoothies are also quite good. For those on a budget, Da Spot has a «dollar menu,» which includes tacos, PBJ, and corn dogs. Keep in mind that the kitchen is very small — you may be waiting at least 10 minutes if you order at the counter, so it’s usually better to call ahead and pick up.

This is a greatest little find. Owned and run by the cutest little couple you’ve ever met. The food is really cheap, you get alot and it all tastes great. Most of the menu is under $ 10, they have vegetarian food and succulent Egyptian food. Their baklava is amazing, get your own (we fought over the last bite). The neighborhood is dirty and you wouldn’t believe such a great little place would be found there, but you walk in and there are murals on the walls and a friendly atmosphere. If the door is shut they are closed.