Fort Street Café

Fort Street Café’s fried rice was one of my college eats when I went to college at HPU. I probably gained my «freshman 15» with their fried rice. It was one of those foods that I’d crave after catching the bus to Fort Street Mall in the morning, something I would buy for lunch almost every week, and do take-​out for dinner at home. I’ve graduated from HPU over a decade ago (damn, I’m old!) but whenever I find myself back at my old college stomping grounds, I head over to Fort Street Café for their fried rice. Something about their red-​tinged fried rice is something I’ll always crave and I haven’t found the same kind of fried rice elsewhere on this island. I’ve also had their juicy fried garlic chicken, panang curry, pad thai taking bites from other people’s orders, but for me I just am enamored with their fried rice.

I come here quite often — convenient location to work and home, can’t complain. My favorite here is the broth they make for the phở. Doesn’t matter the phở, it’s just so hearty and so good. It’s definitely one of my go to spots. You’re not going to be disappointed, no frills, just great food!

This is my go-​to place when I’m craving Thai food while at work.
This place gets crowded fast during lunch time. As always while eating lunch downtown, it’s best to go before or after the lunch time rush. But what’s great about this place is that if there’s a line, a couple of the workers will work through the line, take your order and get it started and all you have to do is make your way to the register and pay for your meal. Very quick.
I get the garlic chicken and curry combo.Yermz. Some places that serve garlic chicken, it can get hard and just kills the excitement. Not this place. Each bite has the perfect combination of crunchy outside, tender inside.
They have a lot of other dishes that I plan to try but at this moment, the garlic chicken and curry combo is perfect to help me get through the day.

This place has the best garlic chicken ever. Every time I go here, I either get vermicelli noodles with garlic chicken and spring rolls (it’s a combo), garlic shrimp with vermicelli noodles (also pretty good), summer rolls, and last time I tried the panang curry and garlic chicken combo (I was afraid it would be spicy, but it was more coconuty and sweet with only a light hint of spiciness. Yum!!)
Everything I tried here was delicious, it’s cheap for the big portions, and their customer service is VERY quick! I definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a satisfying, quick, and cheap lunch. I heard their phở is good as well, but since I’m usually always on-​the-​go, I’ve never had the chance to try it yet.

I love this place, their breakfast in the morning is a steal and the best deal for breakfast in downtown and then for lunch their garlic chicken as well as their curries are fantastic.
The owners and staff are super friendly and seem to know everyone that comes in.
Also the price is right at this place, under $ 5 for breakfast and under $ 10 for lunch.

I don’t get it. I was hooping for something mind altering, but it was pretty terrible. I got the garlic shrimp and it was cold with noodles. Heard everyone ordering the garlic chicken so I went back and orders that, it was a fried mess of skin, dark meat and tendons. It was cheap that’s about all I Can say and crowded so maybe I am just not into this place.

They had excellent service and delicious food! The food came out really quick and they even brought it outside to us. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone!
We ordered the phở, chicken and fried noodles, spring rolls, the garlic chicken and Thai curry combo. None of us had any complaints!

+ Cheap lunch for downtown
+ Generous portions
+ Friendly Staff
+ Indoor & Outdoor seating
+ Clean
+/​-​Far walk (from where I’m coming from)
Favorite = Garlic Chicken on anything (curry and rice, sticky rice or their pad thai)
Working downtown I can only make home lunch so often till I get bored. The walk may be far from the far end of Bishop St. but so worth it. Plus the walk back after eating a meal is much needed. Cheap prices ~$ 7-​$ 8 for a plate. The portions are nothing to complain about. I tend to have a very late lunch, and there hours are great for us late eaters. I hear it gets really busy during the rush out lunch so if your looking for that sticky rice you might want to head down early.
Staff is super friendly. If your eating in, they walk by and offer you water if they see you don’t have anything to drink. When it’s super busy they walk down the line and take orders to save you some time.
A definite go to for lunch.

Really happy I checked Unilocal before grabbing lunch. This place is great. Small on the inside, some seating and additional seating outside. The food came out quickly, was walked to our table and tasted very fresh. The portions were large, and the rice wasn’t the most overbearing part of the plate, which can be an issue.
I got the fried tofu and mixed vegetables plate with rice, my husband go the lemongrass chicken plate with rice, and nana got the fried egg noodle plate. We got fried chicken rolls while we waited, and they were really tasty. Our plates came out shortly after we sat down, and our food was hot. I got a chance to eat off of everyone’s plate, And I would get any of them again. I really recommend the plate I got, because I love some good tofu, but the chicken and egg noodle plates were really good too. We didn’t get anything spicy, so I can’t review the heat of their dishes, but the mild dishes were mild like they said.
There were a variety of drinks to get, including freshly made ice coffee, lemonade a and coconut water.
Give this place a try if you’re into paying less for more and getting great food. Loved it.
The reviews didn’t after us wrong, thanks Unilocal community!

Vince & Allison Chaleunxay are wonderful owners. Excellent food every time I come. I have brought their food for my company board meetings. My board loves their yummy food too. Oh and they have Diet Coke-​not Pepsi. Lunch time favorite. I just discovered they have Thai restaurants in Pearl City & Kapolei –Thai Lao. Checking them out.

Parking: Street Parking and Garage Parking.
Service: The service was quick and polite. My first time here and they recommended there notable plates. It’s a good place for quick lunches or grab’n’go when you don’t have time.
Food: The food is so delicious! I still can’t believe how cheap everything came out and how good the food tasted. The garlic chicken was spot crispy and juicy with all the right taste.
Overall: Its a great place. If you’re on the run or sit down to have lunch, this will be the place for you.

I’ve always heard such good things about this place but never went around to stopping by till recently. Now I understand what the talk is all about! Its delicious… not sure if it’s good for you but good tasting. I had the pad thai with beef and it was a HUGE portion with a lot of meat and my fiancée had the panang curry with garlic chicken. And that garlic chicken… that is what people are talking about… definitely one of the best garlic chicken I’ve eaten.

I’m going to say it: I honestly think they lace their food with crack.
I feel a bit sick and self-​loathing every time after I eat something like this. I wish I didn’t, I tell myself not to do it again, but I already am jonesing some more.
I order the pad Thai with garlic chicken. It’s greasy. It’s tasty. It’s crispy. It’s sweet. It’s sour. It’s salty. The perfect two pounds of drunk food for a great price. It’s not authentic Thai. It’s not gourmet nor clean tasting. I just don’t understand why my mouth can’t stop eating it. I am thousands of miles away, but I just want one more hit.
Parking is impossible in the square, police will get you moving pretty quickly. Have a friend drop you off and swing back around to grab you in 15 min. Also note, there are alot if crazy hobos wandering in the hood.

This is one of my go to places for lunch in downtown. I love getting their vegetarian Phở, but I’m not vegetarian! I swear it’s like endless noodles! Great prices here too! The line moves fairly quickly but if you’re coming at around noon, it’s packed and the line is out the door!

Their food is better than San Franciscos Embarcadero Pier’s «Slanted Door»!! And way cheaper too considering its in High priced Hawaii! Vincent and Alina work hard.everyday.#Perfection! I ate there almost everyday! Green Papaya Salad w Garlic Chicken, Green curry! YUMMMM!

Very nice little informal restaurant, open early for breakfast. I have wanted to try their famous garlic chicken for a while, and finally got the chance today.
The garlic chicken is served «pork chop» style. One piece, heavily breaded, and fried. It is very garlicky and sweet. You can smell the garlic right away. The breading could be less hard and thick, but it keeps the chicken inside juicy. It was what I expected, and a nice little morning treat.
My garlic chicken dish came out very fast, within 5 minutes. It is served on broken white rice. The juice of the garlic chicken seeped through the rice, making it very fragrant and tasty. I also got iceberg lettuce salad and Mac salad on the side.
Sitting at the outside table people watch at the Fortstreet mall was also pleasant.
This restaurant opens early. People are nice, food is good and they work hard. I would be delighted come back for more.

Maybe there’s something wrong with me but I thought this place was disgusting! I threw away my food, that’s how bad it was. I ordered the garlic chicken and panang chicken combo. The garlic chicken was horrible to me. I’m a picky eater when it comes to chicken and what I was eating, did NOT taste like chicken. I don’t know what part of the «chicken» they used but it didn’t resemble chicken in anyway, not even chicken thighs. So I took s bite of that and realized I was eating mysterious meat and that was it for me. The panang chicken was boring. They sauce didn’t have enough coconut milk or spice, but rather too much oil. All in all, I won’t be back here.

This Vietnamese-​Thai eatery is one of my go-​to favorites in Downtown. Taste to price ratio is extremely high here and there’s nothing that tastes BAD here… Everything I’ve tried is decent and the prices are always right! I don’t think you can go wrong.
The phở is good on a rainy day. The panang curry is very flavorful and pairs perfectly with the garlic chicken, which is a daily special. The papaya salad with shrimp is refreshing and light for those days that you feel bloated (girls know what I’m talking about). The summer rolls make an exceptional appetizer or a light lunch. The $ 4 breakfast special is a great deal (cheaper than a McDonalds breakfast platter!).
Are you sold yet? If that’s not enough, all items on the menu are less than $ 10! Affordable, tasty, filling… The owners are also really, really nice. Even when the lunch rush starts, they’ll remember your face and your order and they’ll get you your food before your hanger turns you into the Hulk. Another plus? They’re open late (relative to all the other eateries located in downtown) and open early!
It’s one of my favorite places to eat in downtown and if you work in downtown and haven’t tried this place yet… What are you waiting for?

Well, since I’m on a Garlic chicken kick right now and just reviewed Sugoi’s Garlic chicken, I guess I should talk about the Garlic chicken at Fort Street Café. Ever since the Mitsu-​ken garlic chicken started losing it’s quality I’ve been searching for a replacement. I still haven’t found it but the one at Fort Street Café is the best I’ve found so far… and I’ve had some pretty good garlic chicken at quite a few other places.
The garlic chicken here has the right amount of meat to skin to sauce ratio, and savory/​spicy/​sweet flavor is nicely balanced in the sauce. My favorite thing is having the chicken served on top of the rice so the garlicky sweet goodness soaks into the rice. The folks that work here are always fast, friendly, and efficient as well. Even when the lunch hour line looks endless, it goes by decently quick, very important for people with limited time on their lunch hour.
A couple of other things that puts this place ahead of the pack is the prices. Plates can be had for well under $ 10 and the portions are good. Another thing I like is that it’s one of a few lunch spots on Fort street that are open on Saturdays. It’s a really nice thing to be hungry in downtown on a Saturday and enjoy the garlic chicken plate with panang curry without having to stand in line and actually being able to have a seat inside the restaurant (and the A/​C) to eat it.

Update… wow I have 72 check ins here now I guess that says something. I’ve discovered the Thursday/​Friday special here (Green Curry) and it’s now my go to as a combo with the Garlic Chicken. It’s such an amazing combo and one of my favorite value lunches downtown.

Quick spot for plate lunches and phở!
Garlic chicken was served in strips rather than as a whole, but it was delicious! Great garlic sauce and yummy Mac salad!

Miss this place often when I’m away. A convenient, quick, reasonably priced lunch option for you if you’re working downtown or find yourself there. Seriously check it out if you’re already in the area (I guess it’s only convenient this way), otherwise parking in downtown can be hellacious and you will have to walk.
Really good and simple Thai + Vietnamese. What a great combo, yes? Don’t have to tell me twice.
The garlic chicken is famous here, and for good reason. Garlicky good. If you know me, I’m not a jump on the bandwagon Unilocaler. I’ll actually go out of my way to not order the most popular dish sometimes. Not here. 1 Garlic Chicken please, and what’s the other hyphy dish here? Oh yeah, Panang Curry. Damn. I have to admit, tasty you are. *White Flag* Find me on the wagon here.
Oh, oh, oh! Almost forgot. They have Vegan options :) woohoo. Vegan pad Thai, holla back!

I ordered the garlic chicken mini plate based on the reviews here on Unilocal.It was not quite what I was expecting. The chicken was okay, but not the best garlic chicken I’ve had. The plate itself consisted of a dab of ho-​hum mac salad, scoop of rice and some lettuce. A little something Vietnamese or Thai thrown in would have been nice. No spicy goodness at all.
Ambiance. It’s a plate lunch place. A little run down.
Service. Fast and friendly.
Value. About the going rate for a mini plate, but not as much food as other places.
A-​ok. A solid three stars.

Great fast food place to go to when you’re in downtown– you’ll see many college students and business workers.
Portions are very reasonable, fast and good service for the most part and it’s cheap! Only $ 7.50 tax inclusive for what I get.
I’ve come here countless times over the years for lunch and I’ve only ordered and tried their Garlic Chicken Pad Thai… just couldn’t get away from it because it’s so yummy.

There are a lot of restaurants downtown and most of them make standard dishes that are no big deal. In this scenario, one working downtown just «eats to live» at lunch hour. But there is Fort Street Café and you can’t go wrong! Everything they serve is just so Yummy! They are famous though for their garlic chicken and panang curry, and rightly so! They serve food that really reminds me of Vietnam and Thailand. There’s no adapting of cooking styles to fit the palate of people in Honolulu. Their cooking style is the real thing and that’s why they have a long line out the door, workers waiting patiently for such delicious dishes!

Holy moly I think I just found my spot for awesome Thai/​Vietnamese take out food! Thank god for Unilocal!It’s a small mom and pop eatery located on fort street with a few tables inside. The menu is plastered on the wall by the register. They are open Monday to Friday till 7pm.
I had finished my bootcamp class, and was famished. I had bookmarked this joint and had an half hour before they closed. I made it in time and gave a quick glance at the menu, before I placed my order. My eyes landed on a picture. It was the garlic chicken with panang curry over white rice. Why would I not get this?
An old quiet polite man took my order. I paid and waited a few minutes until I received my food to go. Once I got home and showered it was time to eat. I opened the container and the garlic chicken was just glistening. The aroma coming from my curry was making me salivate. I used my spoon to scoop the curry into the rice. It was delicious, creamy, and spicy. The garlic chicken was crispy, sweet, sticky, and flavorful. I could taste the wonderful coconut in the sauce along with the basil and carrots.
The meal was incredibly filling with such reasonable prices. The food is made with love, attention and care. I will be back!

Forte Street Café is a great place to eat if you work or live downtown. So far, I’ve only tried the beef phở but I love it! The broth has lots of flavor and the beef is so tender. I’ve had it multiple times and the only reason I haven’t tried something else is because I don’t want to regret not ordering the phở lol. I also always end up ordering the Thai iced tea since it goes so well with the hot soup. I love how it’s sweet and not bitter.
The customer service is pretty good, I feel like some of the girls could be a little more friendly but it’s not horrible. I like how I never have to wait long for my food, but then again I do go kind of early as it works best around my schedule. During lunch time it’s probably busier.
Also. Make sure to check your food before you leave. I went the other day and ordered my usual beef phở and when I got back to my office I noticed they gave me chicken instead of beef, which I’m not a fan of. I still think they’re worth the 5 stars but from now on I’ll be sure to check that I’m given the right order before I leave.
I think the prices are very fair and they give a good amount of food, it’s totally worth the money. I definitely recommend this place if you’re craving Thai/​Vietnamese!

This place was my spot during college at HPU. I was on a tight budget and I could go here and get a filling meal on the cheap, with really nice customer service. Their ability to make BOTH Thai and Vietnamese dishes so good is truly incredible. Lots of restaurants that try to serve multiple ethnic foods try and fail. The summer rolls are great, pad thai, garlic chicken and bbq meats are such a score for the portion size and the price.
BYOB!

This place is a perfect college food joint with vietnamese but must try the pad thai.
Atmosphere: In the Fort Street Mall right near the HPU campus. It’s only open during breakfast and lunch hours. Some seating inside and outside.
Service: Amazing service! For how busy they are they sure do take care of their customers. Receiving orders as you are waiting in line and bringing food to you at your table. Accepts credit cards mastercard and visa.
Food: The menu is all over the board in terms of local asian food but primarily vietnamese. Must try the cold noodle dish with spring rolls and shrimp and the pad thai with garlic chicken. The food is delicious and more than reasonably price.
Intangibles: Best deal in town for delicious vietnamese.

After perusing the photos and business on Unilocal my brain decided we were going there for food today. @ 7am, when I was so rudely awaken by Mr. sunshine, my brain was screaming «Garlic Chicken!» However, the rest of me thought it would be better to stay in bed where it was nice and warm. I couldn’t turn the brain off or shut it up and decided it was a
losing battle.
Parked at Walmart, free on the weekend and ran my errands. Now it’s time for some Garlic Chicken.
So far so good. Found the place at almost the opposite end of Fort Street Mall, but after a brisk walk, I arrived. I ordered quickly and had a seat outside. Those dining in ordered at the counter and were served water and food on eat-​there dishes. Clean establishment, even outside eating area.
Now for the food part. I ordered the garlic chicken as the photos people posted looked so yummy. And there are a LOT of GC photos! It is served over Jasmine rice, with tossed greens and a small scoop of potato mac salad, a very disappointing scoop. Good flavor, just not enough of it to last the whole meal. The greens have a dressing on it, I think, which is tasty. Tastebuds have woken up and seem interested after the first bite of salad. Now the chicken. Tastebuds are fully awake now and screaming for more. The garlic sauce isn’t as garlicky as I anticipated, but very nice and light. The chicken is cooked to perfection, and there is a lot of it on my plate. It is anything but greasy. Loving it a lot! I’m done with this review. I need to inhale the rest of my lunch!!! Bye!

Yummy food!
I like this downtown eatery… they have a nice mix of asian food, and I can always find something to eat… whether I need a snack or a meal.
Located on Fort St., among all the other dining spots, this restaurant looks like it would get lost, but it doesn’t…mainly because of the food. It is not the cleanest restaurant, and there is not much seating (inside or out), but I am fairly sure most people get take out here.
The service here is pretty good and the food usually comes out quickly. The people that work here are helpful and are always handy with the smiles.
Onto the food…
Pad Thai
Good. My wife likes this here. It is intense… there is no other way for me to describe it. It has a lot of flavor, unlike most pad thai I have had.
Garlic chicken
Great. I am a big fan of garlic chicken. While this may not be my pick for the best on the island, it is very good. Garlicky and crunchy… what more do you need?
Summer rolls
This is great for a snack. We usually get the shrimp and share the two rolls. Great for on the go people. It is light and fresh tasting.
Panang curry
This is probably my favorite thing to order here. Very flavorful and tasty. This curry is not too spicy and is the right amount of creamy and rich. I could eat this all… day…long!
Cant wait to try more of their food!

Browsing through the recent thread regarding best garlic chicken around, multiple people stated that Fort Street Café was #1. So given that, I added this place to my list and got around to trying it today with extremely high expectations. I could not have been more disappointed.
This review is purely for their garlic chicken which makes their highlight list with around 150 mentions in reviews (compared to the next most mentioned coming in at 50). Ordering was fast, with an employee going through the line so that food would be ready at the counter. The plate came with two flat pieces of garlic chicken and some rice/​salad/​mac.
Since we are talking about the best garlic chicken in Hawaii, I will make direct comparisons to some of the top contenders here. To me, the chicken was average at best. It was lacking in flavor and did not have much sauce on it either, certainly nowhere close to the thick sweetness you’d find in Sugoi’s chicken. It wasn’t dry, but it certainly was not moist and tender like you would find at Mitsuken. Both of the places I just mentioned give you much more chicken for your money as well in addition to having better quality. I don’t even think this place even makes my top 5 list of garlic chicken in Hawaii, let alone the top spot.
Overall, I think Fort Street Café is extremely overhyped and there are so many places that have better garlic chicken. In sum, «I’ve experienced better.»