MISSION Social Hall & Cafe

Service was friendly, food was very tasty (opah BLT), and better portions and quality than get downtown for this price point. Space inviting. Will be back.

Yup. Amazing. The staff is so nice and the food is unique, decently priced, and soooooooo delicious!

Conveniently located across the street from Honolulu Hale, Mission Social House/​Café has been a go-​to place for quite some time. They have daily soup and desert specials and often have a special dish weekly. Only issue i had ran into is them forgetting a few items if we place a large phone order in. (Understandable since it does get pretty busy) Just make sure to check your order before you leave!

We stopped by for lunch. Parking on the street was easy. The staff was really friendly. You can eat inside or out. We chose out (after all, why live in Hawaii and eat in?). That was a bit of a mistake. Several flies decide to eat lunch with us. My main self said «Yuck, flies!» but my other self said «They don’t eat much.» The «Yuck» self won.
We both had the mahi BLT sandwich, soup, salad and taro chips. The sandwich was more like mahi salad (like chicken salad or crab salad), so not grilled mahi like we expected. The soup was a potato soup, and good, but a little bland. Overall, a nice but not memorable lunch.

Disappointed! After reading other reviews, I was excited to try this place. We made the trek during the blazing noon heat today (9÷1÷15). When we entered the restaurant, it was super hot, even though the ceiling fans were on. My friend & I both ordered the turkey cranberry sandwich & I got an iced tea & a cookie. After about 25 minutes, we were informed that turkey was no longer available & they offered ham instead, which was fine for me but my friend doesn’t eat pork or beef so she opted for fish. Another 20 minutes pass & my order was ready for pick up. I can’t believe that it took almost 45 minutes to make a ham & cheese sandwich. We ate outside in the shade since was hot as Hades inside.
My sandwich was just ok, nothing special. The iced tea was ok & cookie was dry. My friend originally chose the sandwich with salad combo (she saw the salad options on the serving plates in the refrigerator display), where the salad ran out AFTER her order was placed since orders that were placed after hers were served first since those customers didn’t choose a sandwich, just a salad or soup/​salad combo. My friend expressed her unhappiness with the situation & was given a cookie, lemonade & haupia to make up for the experience. Lastly, a guy (maybe a manager?) returned my friend’s payment. She said that her meal was not memorable & the haupia had no coconut flavor at all (I tried a bite too). I’m not sure I’ll try this place again. Bummer.

Mission Social Hall & Café is located where the historic Mission Houses museum is. For those who are unfamiliar with where that is, its on the corner of King Street and Kawaiahao Street. There street parking available on Kawaiahao street, meter only.
The Café offers seating inside and outside. We decided to sit outside because we wanted some fresh air. Plus with the trees and umbrellas there was plenty of shade.
The staff was friendly and helpful with my questions regarding the menu. However the food did take sometime to come out, but that’s probably because it was lunch time.
The Grub.
[[ COMBINATION #1 $ 11 ]]
This combination comes with your choice of sandwich, antipasti, salad and chips. For the sandwich I went with the Kajiki BLT (slow roasted kajiki, bacon, lettus and tomato) and for antipasti I decided to try the Kale & Barley.
Overall I was very happy with my meal, it was very yummy and healthy!

I never made it out to He’eia Kea Pier General Store when Gooch was in charge over there, so I was stoked when I heard he’d be opening a new base of operations at the Mission House Museum.
When I finally went, probably about a week after they opened, I knew I had to try the Luau Stew… and it didn’t disappoint! It was like eating laulau, but WAY better, with the gingery, liquid-​y luau leaf over the chewy, nutty hapa rice and topped with salty, melty roasted pork? WOW!
The wife decided to go with the poke bowl that day, which had black rice, shoyu poke and a sprinkling of assmaster 2000. This was great!
For dessert, we both got a slice of tart. I ordered the calamansi with a sprinkling of assmaster 2000, and the wife had the lilikoi with li hing. Both were awesome! Buttery, sour, fruity perfection! And what’d ya know, the Gooch dropped by our table to thank us for coming and gave us a haole brownie. I don’t like sprinkles and I don’t like brownies, but this thing was KILLER!

We found our new favorite «eat local» lunch spot in town!
Great location with easy parking on the weekend.
The outside seating is perfect – quiet and shady under the umbrellas and trees. The décor is simple and shabby chic.
The pasta fagioli soup was tasty, just would have liked it served hot rather than warm.
The green salad, chips and antipasto were a perfect complement to the soup. The ulu with yogurt and beets was excellent, by far the best part of the meal.
My husband had a cold brew iced coffee which was also refreshing and yummy! Not bitter at all!
We will definitely be back!

Overpriced for a sandwich I can make! It was $ 8 for half a baguette! All the reviews say comes with salad and chips, and my poor naked sandwich laid alone in the recyclable container! I called asking and the very nice worker said chips only if we ate there cause it’s bonus… I’m sorry but bonus for surviving the 100 degree humidity without any air or AC circulating in that place?!! I asked why I’m paying same price and getting less, apparently I can pay extra to get chips but sit in the comfort of my own house!

This cozy little café in the historic Mission Houses museum is relatively new– I had come here a few years back for tea, but that was a different establishment.
I picked up some lunch to go, the combo of sandwich, simple salad and soup. I got the BLT which was quite good but messy to eat. The salad was fresh and the dressing light, and the soup (curry vegetable) was rich and had a kick to it. Very good, fresh food for $ 11. If I knew they’d have specials or what they had on the menu for the day, I might make the journey over again.
#100in2015 (#54)

So this is a little hidden gem. I went there for lunch, it was a little warm, but its summer and I think they rely on tradewinds and fans to cool off the seating area inside. But there’s also seating outside. It was during lunch time but there wasn’t too much of a crowd.
The food uses local ingredients that are fresh and tasty. It reminded me of when I worked a nature park and had the pleasure to eat from the ‘aina daily. Its Hawaiian food (and I don’t mean plate lunch) and just plain old good food.
If you’re looking for a nice relaxed lunch this is a great place to go for a bite. The staff is gracious.
Parking may be an issue, but if you work downtown, its really a very short walk to the mission homes.

Awesome new lunch spot by Pili Group! Gooch is so talented at turning simple items into something so great!
Location is where the Mission houses are. There is lots of street parking. You can’t see the spot from the street so you’ll have to walk in, and it’s right next to the little souvenir shop.
Combos are the best bang for your buck! You can choose a sandwich, side, and it comes with salad and taro/​sweet potato chips. My friend and I split two special items: the chicken curry salad sandwich and the swordfish BLT sandwich. Both of them soooooo delicious!!!
I can’t wait to go back to try more!

I have only ordered their iced coffee which in my opinion is very very very strong but good. :) If you like your coffee strong then give it a try! I probably will be getting my coffee somewhere else since I don’t really like how strong it tastes BUT my co-​workers love their food!
The workers are very friendly and the café has a nice view. I thought it was a very chill and lax vibe — which is always good with a cup of coffee.

Mission Social Hall and Café is perfectly suited for the museum. Open air and relaxing, the café puts a modern spin on familiar sandwiches, antipasti, desserts and daily specials.
The Pulled Pork Tacos had potential, the filling was great – tender pork, guacamole, salsa – but it was served on cold, right out of the package flour tortilla that was a let down.
Sandwiches are served with salad and taro chips. The Kajiki is a fish salad rather than a fillet. Served on a white bun, this is a soft and mild sandwich. The Turkey-​Cranberry is a classic paring, made with store bought deli turkey.
For sides we tried the Roasted Root Vegetables and Shaved Fennel antipasti, and the Rotini Vegetable soup. Both antipasti were fine, the Shaved Fennel was fresh and blended into the salad. The Root Vegetables were tender. The soup was a total let down. The pasta was overcooked and soggy, the broth was just salty water.
If you are looking for a break for the usual lunch hustle, take a time out at Mission Social Hall and Café.

Since I am a closet food nerd and a follower of most of the celebrity chefs on Oahu, I had to check out Mission.
The vibe of this place is right on point. Casual, crisp, and clean. I was greeted right away, had my order taken, and took a seat inside.
Since it was the lunch rush, it did take a while for the food to come out of the kitchen, but hey, no worries. I could see Chef Mark back there rocking and rolling in his signature weft and warp apron.
I ordered the teriyaki chicken salad sandwich, the side of beef soup since the other antipasti were sold out. It came with a side salad and some taro chips. It was amazing. Not too much mayo, no one flavor overpowered the other. It was worth the 15 minute wait.
The menu changes, follow them on Instagram to know what’s being served up that day.

Recently saw that this place had opened up and decided to try it out with my mom for lunch on one of my days off. We parked along the street and made our way through the gated fence.
There is seating available outdoors, but we decided to enjoy our lunch inside. You order your food from the counter where you can also check out the various anti pasti available that day. They also have a menu board of their specials, including sandwiches, soups and plate options. All very simple menu items, all made with local fresh ingredients.
Our food came out quick (luau stew for my mom and kajiki BLT with a side of taro chips for me). They came on aluminum trays which was a nice throwback to the olden days. A combination of the historic atmosphere and the food, our dining experience is probably best described as quaint and unique.
So glad I could come out here! Looking for a lunch escape and good wholesome food? This is your place. Kudos to Chef Gooch on his new venture.

I ate here twice in 2 days last week and both times I give them 5 stars. Mind = blown! Can’t go wrong with fresh ingredients and thoughtful care put into everything into the food and around it. It is surely an eating experience executed close to perfection.
Seems like they have a revolving menu based on what ingredients they are able to get fresh. a concept I highly admire and love. On both days I went, I tried a daily special.
Last week Thursday:
+ LUAU STEW bowl, over slow roasted pork and brown rice, topped with ogo ($ 8.50). Not only was their luau stew flavorful, but it had a wonderful consistency and NOT made with coconut milk. I ate the entire bowl and every grain of rice. not something I normally do, but it was that delicious.
+ side of simple green salad ($ 3), made with some wonderfully rich greens and colorful carrot slices (not plain lackluster lettuce). I was impressed.
The next day:
+ KULANA BEEF LASAGNA SOUP combo ($ 11). I smiled to myself as I read their description for it, «exactly as it sounds». (haha!) Think of a delicious lasagna, a nice saucy/​wet lasagna with herby flavor, in a bowl! Yummers. I was impressed. Again. (uploading pics)
The portions are perfect. So I ate the whole thing. Both times. If you are more about quantity than quality, you may still be a little hungry after eating your meal. However, if you’re someone who enjoys the richness of the eating experience, I truly believe you’ll be able to easily satiate your hunger with a visit here.
There are tables inside, as well as environment-​friendly cutlery and free iced water. It may be a little warm inside thanks to our wonderful it’s-always-summer weather, so you can sit outside at one the tables decorated with simple succulent plants. all nestled under wide table umbrellas and trees, or help yourself to rolled up mats that you can lay out onto the beautiful lawn to have a picnic. Very cute. Everything is simple yet thoughtfully laid out, for sure.
It’s located behind the Mission Houses Museum, behind Kawaiahao Plaza and the Kawaiahao Church. Parking can be difficult (only metered parking closeby) but lucky for me it’s only a few steps away from work. yay.

You need to do some walking if to get to this place. Unless you are lucky enough to find some street parking around.
The menu is pretty limited in what you can order, but the options that you get sounds delicious. It makes you really want you have a sample of everything.
They have some really good chili pepper water that goes great with all of your food. So really splash it on. It went great with the BLT burger.
Seating is very limited on the inside. but it is also kinda muggy so outside seating is probably better anyways.

We had lunch here today and with the chef’s reputation I had very high expectations. The setting is really nice with comfortable seating inside and out. When you walk in you see the salads and desserts on display and although the variety is less it reminded me of Downtown that used to be in the state museum. There are a lot of local ingredients and it looks like it’s all farm to table fresh.
I had a kajiki BLT and my wife had the turkey sandwich. The turkey was sliced thin and the cranberry sauce was flavorful but my wife was disappointed with the white bread. It looked like it has some wheat flour mixed in but it’d be better if it was heartier.
The kajiki was like tuna salad, not filet. It was moist with subtle flavor but I would have liked it more if it was made with some smoked fish.
The spring salad was fresh, crisp, and flavorful, with nice radishes and spicy dressing. The side of kalo was good with sesame oil and salt — it’s super filling.
We got kulolo and haupia for dessert but we’re too full now so we’re saving them for later! The brownies and cookies looked good, too, but we’ll have to try those next time.
It’s a little pricey, over $ 30 for the 2 lunches. They have a lot of potential and hopefully some adjustments will help. It seems like the selections change daily and there may be some other choices that we like better. I’m sure we’ll go back again and give it another try. Maybe they’ll get higher marks then.

Guess who’s back? Well he was always around for some people like me who get to eat at LunchBox. But yes, it’s Gooch… I mean Mark Noguchi. This is the perfect place for him to be, at Mission House. He finally has his own place that he can run how he wants to and what better place to serve food made with local ingredients made by local people than here. At Mission House, it’s super chill and relaxing. You feel like you’re eating at a friend’s place, enjoying comfort food and talking story.
There’s meter street parking but it’s not too far of a walk from downtown as well. It’s open during the week for lunch and on Saturdays for lunch for people like me who can’t get down there during the week. The staff is super friendly just like Gooch himself.
Luau stew. That’s all you need to know. It’s what Gooch is known for and is delicious. I feel like if Hawaii was a dish, this would be it. It’s made with luau leaves and pork shoulder. Definite must try. It is a special so it’s not always available. They have daily specials. He also does make sandwiches and sides with tons of local ingredients. If you’re like me, you won’t know a lot of them so it will help you broaden your vegetable knowledge.
There’s always usually some kind of sweet treat there to complete your meal. The desserts are made from scratch and as locals say «winnahs!» Don’t be surprised if you have a kanak attack after eating here.
So if you’re nearby, you should stop by… grab a cup of luau stew, a haole brownie and say hi!