Sabrina’s Restaurant

Risotto has onions, states this on menu, onions a bit crunchy, only person in restaurant at open, Xmas music playing end of January… it was OK. Friends gave it rave reviews. No Cesar salad, was offered melon with carpaccio wrapped around it? Not even close but good try to offer something similar. It was interesting combo, I did not care for it. Staff and or owner in parking lot smoking when I arrived, owner out again when I left. Staff maybe female owner wearing black yoga pants n tank, guess this is dinner attire here.

Food is always great, definitely the most authentic Italian on Oahu. Service is always slow, they usually have one waitress and the owner, Sabrina, serving tables. The food does come out staggered, so if you have more than two people in your party, know that everyone’s dishes will come out at different times. This place is great is you know what you’re getting into, so bring a couple bottles of wine and be prepared to wait a while for food, service, water, etc.

Came in with a party of six and was seated right away. The server was very polite and quick to take our orders. Appetizers came out on time, the problem started when we waited over two hours to get our entrees. I noticed that all the other tables were getting their food before us so I asked the server what the status of our food was. She nervously looked to the owner and told me it would be out soon. Two and a half hours later one entrée came out. I was not happy so I went over to the owner to express my dissatisfaction with the service she responded by telling me, «I know you’re mad but there is nothing you can do about it.» That was it! We were done. One entrée in two and a half hours. We paid our bill and left. I never felt so belittled in my life. They catered to all the smaller tables and left us out to dry and felt that we were not important to them. I felt the young girl serving us was excellent, unfortunately she was caught in the middle. The food was ok (considering we only had appetizers and one entrée). If you want better authentic Italian food try mediterraneos. Overall piss poor service I would recommend this place to no one…

Impromptu decision to dine here tonight. Arrived around 8:30 pm and waited for a few minutes for a table. Place fully seated to capacity (good sign right). Offers corkage fee (now we know for next time). Server was pretty quick to greet, get our drink orders, and provide complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We were informed that dinner preparation is slow and that food will come in whatever order. We received the caprese salad then the stuffed portabella mushroom shortly after. Our dinner entrees took over an hour but we were forewarned. Not sure if this is the usual pace. When food arrived the rigatoni was al dente and not drenched in sauce (my preference). The ravioli was decent. We were too tired and full to make it to dessert. The manager was thankful for our patience and apologized. The acknowledgment was super appreciated and earned. There menu differs from the usual menu items which you won’t find like fettuccine with Alfredo sauce, spaghetti meatballs, or calamari. Menu offers seafood, risotto, and lamb dishes.

Such a great dining experience! OMG !!!
A young mom and pop italian spot where pop (Steve) makes the meats and specials. Sabrina kills it at the tiramisu oh my word.
You will not regret this experience I promise you. They love their food and want to live it more.
Order family style!
Bring your own wine, no cork fee! You will never have such a great meal at such a good price!
Lots to choose from! Lobster cream sauce on whatever for specials
Great salads
To die for dessert!!! Save room
More than happy with this dinner.
It’s seriously more than just dinner. It’s an experience. Trust me. Go and see

My boss treated me and another coworker to dinner here. We started with the stuffed portabello mushroom and escargot, both were good. I picked agnolotti for my entrée, which was not that good – the flavor was bland. I got a taste of my coworker’s lobster gnocchi and artichoke risotto, which were both yummy. We finished with two desserts: tiramisu and pumpkin gelato. The titamisu was good, but the gelato was really great! It had a very strong pumpkin flavor and wasn’t too sweet. Service was good and the ambiance was quaint, although cramped.

Fresh pasta and a quaint italian restaurant on restaurant corner.
Atmosphere: dimly lit restaurant that gets a little warm as the night goes on. The décor is mixed, feels like a mom and pop restaurant but then has an old ceiling and fans in the corner.
Service: Sabrina comes out to greet the customers and is still in love with her restaurant. The small restaurant feel fills the place. Accepts all credit cards except for american express.
Food: Wow the presentation may be lacking but the taste makes up for it. We ordered the lobster fettuccine, mushroom gnocchi, ravioli, and seafood with squid ink pasta! The gnocchi was a bit overcooked and rubbery but the fresh pasta dishes were so tasty. The lobster fettuccine was especially delicious with tender lobster meat.
Intangibles: Great date restaurant. BYOB! Or better yet wine!!!

I’m usually a really generous Unilocaler when it comes to giving out stars. Went to Sabrina’s on a weeknight, made reservations got there early and they were happy to seat us early. Pretty small place, has AC but gets really hot with a full house, I was literally sweating. Byob which is nice. Service is OK simply because they get so crowded and only have like one waitor and a manager. Could of been short staffed not entirely sure. Interior decoration is pretty tacky and meh in my own personal opinion. The price of food is fair priced. The menu has some good dishes but the final product is good but not amazing. I am second generation Italian American. Have family in Sicilia and mainland Italy, I frequently make trips to see family back there each year. I am VERY critical when it comes to Italian food… And customer service.
The place was a little cramped and I was constantly having my chair bumped during my meal. Service was ok at best, again could have been a short staffed night. We got our order into the kitchen and we waited, and waited, and waited, we waited an hour and a half for out entrées… The waitress apologizes briefly enough that I didn’t get a chance to say anything I response.
Overall I was not impressed by the food, the menu, the service, the venue, décor, and timeliness.
I wouldn’t recommend this place to you unless you specifically asked somewhere you have not been yet.

Went 3 times in the last 4 months. I read about issues with parking but never had a problem finding a spot, although there isn’t much parking available. I also read issues about the air conditioning not working — not a problem for the nights I was there. And yes, I read about the long waits for meals — not a problem for me on those 3 nights either. Maybe it is not as fast as Taco Bell but sometimes people in the good ol’ USA need to relax, talk to each other and enjoy the experience!
This place is BYOB and they are very helpful in opening your wine bottle and serving with glasses so bring a nice bottle and relax. Tried many different items on the menu from Carpaccio, Bruschette, and Crostini as appetizers to Gnocchi Lobster, Squid Ink Pasta with Seafood (I think that was a «special»), Chicken breast stuffed with Asparagus, and Grilled Tiger Prawns and Scallops. Was it the best Italian food I have ever had? No it was not (I ate at some very good restaurants in New Jersey and New York that were just fantastic!). Was it better than other Italian style restaurants in Hawaii? Yes, yes it was! Of all the food we had the meals were great. The only thing I would complain about was the bread they serve at your table to dip in olive oil. The bread in the basket is pretty low quality. I know it would take a lot to bake the bread themselves in this very small place but I think they can find better bread somewhere in Hawaii.
Service is very good, they are very friendly and responsive, but yes, they have limited cooking facilities so just relax and enjoy the company you are with.

Sabrina’s is first class and exceptional. Mahalo to the chef, owner, service staffers. Honolulu is blessed to have this Italian gem of a restaurant. True relaxing, without rushed dining and welcoming.

The workers are nice but ohemgee… service is the slowest ever!!! I ordered medium filet mignon and it took more than an hour… makes you wonder if they forgot. Then it came out well done ! I did get a half hearted apology after my friend mentioned it to Sabrina. Arrghh… Don’t come here if you’re hungry, I’m not sure it’s worth the wait.

Food: ³⁄₅ stars
Service: 1.5÷5 stars
For the love of pasta, I dragged my boyfriend out to dinner on a Sunday night to try Sabrina’s Restaurant! Located on Waialae Ave, I don’t know why it took me so long to stumble across this restaurant. Reading past reviews I knew parking would be a struggle since there are only a handful of stalls available on the lot, but we lucked out with a spot right in front of The Fat Greek. For a Sunday night at 7:30PM the restaurant was quite busy… there was a party of 10 (celebrating a wedding, so might not be busy every Sunday), a party of 3, and a couple parties of 2. There were a server and Sabrina (I believe) working on the floor so it didn’t seem like they were overwhelmed. My boyfriend and I managed to snag a table for two in the corner of the restaurant. Atmosphere and décor were very cute and homey. They had a string of white Christmas lights that I thought was cute.
SO MANY OPTIONS on the menu! My boyfriend and I weren’t super hungry so we decided to only get entrees and no appetizers. I chose the riggatoni in cream sauce (~$ 17) and my boyfriend chose the gnocchi in meat sauce (~$ 17). I really wanted to try the squid ink seafood pasta that I’ve read so much about, but it wasn’t on the menu or specials board, and our server did not inform us that there were specials for the night (later on I heard her suggesting the night’s special, squid ink seafood pasta to another table –_​_​_​_​_​_​_​-​).
After ordering, Sabrina comes over to inform us that the food takes awhile, and that we should get an appetizer while we wait. We chose the bruchetta (~$ 8), which was delicious. The tomatoes were very fresh and the salt & acidity level was just to my liking. We also received house bread to munch on while waiting. The balsamic vinegar was delicious. Then… we played the waiting game. I know that good food takes time, but this was a bit too much. My boyfriend and I waited a total of 1hr & 15mins for our entrees… (yes, I timed it). I believe that the kitchen was only manned by 1 cook because there was no way that it took that long to make our food– The cook was probably already backed up on orders when we sat down. From the looks on all the other waiting customers in the dining room, it seemed like they’ve all been waiting for a long time too. What also disappointed me on service was that during that long wait, the server and Sabrina did not offer us more bread while we wait (other tables got more) nor did they refill my empty water glass and my boyfriend’s empty iced tea glass.
The food was pretty good… Riggatoni was cooked to a perfect au dente and tasted homemade which I loved. Cream sauce was delicious, but the peas that it came with were overcooked and mushy, and the pancetta that the pasta was advertised with was scarce. The gnoochi was pretty good in my opinion (it was my first time trying gnoochi though). Not super dense, and a little chewy. For the price of the entrees, the amount of pasta that we got for both dishes was really small. It doesn’t help that they serve their pastas on a huge flat dish either.
Sabrina did come out at the end and gave us a slice of free tiramisu to take home since we waited so long… but keep in mind, we got to the restaurant at 7:30PM, ordered at 7:45PM, got our entrees at 9:00PM, and asked for the check at 9:10PM… idk if free tiramisu justifies all that time we spent waiting. It was a kind gesture though.
From this experience, I do not believe that we will be returning… I really really wanted to like this restaurant, but I think that there are still a lot of kinks that need to be worked out. &for a restaurant that has been around for some time already, I don’t think that it is acceptable to be still having all these problems.
TLDR; Parking is junk, wait time for food takes forever, food is pretty good, go if you are REALLY patient /​have a good book to read while you wait for the food.

The good:
–Decent service
–Cute, semi-​bohemian ambience
The not-​so-​good:
–The AC was broken at the time we went. It was basically like a sauna with a solitary fan pushing the stuffy, humid air from one place to another.
–Cheap Costco ingredients (think Kraft parmesan cheese, «meh» bread) for Arancino at the Kahala prices.
–The cooks the night we went weren’t Italian, and boy, did it really show! I ordered the carbonara and it was basically a mushy, creamy concoction with an overload of Kraft parmesan cheese. Edible, but disappointing for the price point. The al dente gods were weeping somewhere.
–We really like the concept of slow food, but it took a very long time to get our two pasta dishes and we were basically the only ones in the restaurant.
Like a few other reviewers, I heard a few good things about Sabrina’s and was stoked to finally try it. The main draw is definitely the staff, but the food is heaps better at Mediterraneo, La Cucina, and Arancino.

Sabrina’s is a very small St. Louis neighborhood Italian restaurant that is BYOB and serves up freshly made Italian fare. Like other reviewers have commented– expect to wait a little for your food and dress light as it gets really warm in the restaurant fairly quickly.
Ambiance: 3 out of 5 stars– tables are tight– the dining room is small and can get super warm. There were only two other tables early in the night and our party all felt the heat. Nice white linen tablecloths and linen burgundy napkins were an added touch.
Food: 3 out of 5. The good– Escargot was good as it had 2 escargots per pod. There were 6 pods– so a total of 12 escargot was served! The so-​so– Sabrina’s dream that everyone raved about was just «aight.» Pasta. Tomatoes. Basil. Cheese. Not worth the $ 16.75 price tag. However, the special black ink pasta with seafood was very enjoyable! If I came back– this is the dish I would get again.
Value: 2 out of 5. Just to reiterate– everything here is expensive. Since it is BYOB. One might be lured to think that you are saving money by bringing in your own alcohol. Nah– you’re more than likely paying more for the food as a result of its BYOB policy as a result of the owners not making any money off alcohol sales.
Service: 5 out of 5. The owner of the establishment Sabrina came by to check up if we were enjoying our meals and was very nice despite our table being very close proximity to others– she did very well to accommadate our party of 5. She is a wonderful owner and person!
Overall: I give Sabrina’s a 3 ½ out of 5 star rating. I would def go back to try some of their Cioppino and other notable special entrée offerings… Just gotta remember to wear a tank top and shorts to stay cool!

Hubs went to Sabrina’s and I was fairly impressed. It’s a small restaurant, that seats (maybe) 45. We got lucky, someone cancelled their reservations, so there was a table immediately ready for us. It’s BYOB, with no corkage fees, and they do not serve alcohol. Everything is made to order, so expect some wait time.
Started with the caprese salad, which was nice and refreshing, and then it took around 15 minutes for our food to come out. I ordered the pork chop with ham and covered in mozzarella, and hubs had the cioppino. The cioppino was HUGE! It was enough for 2 people to share. It’s not on the menu, as it’s a weekend special, and it was $ 32, so you definitely could serve 2 people with it. It had muscles, scallops, shrimp, calamari, and topped with fish, served with garlic bread.
Tasty food, good portion sizes, friendly faces. We’ll be back.

My wife as been wanting to go to this place for a long time and we finally were able to make her dream a reality last night. Per everyone’s advice, we made a reservation for 6:30pm and were seated right away. There were three open tables throughout the duration of our meal, so the reservation wasn’t really needed on the night that we stopped in.
The best part about this restaurant is how cozy and intimate the interior is. Because it is late December, the restaurant sported a festive Christmas tree, lights, and music. It made me feel like I was in a cold winter cabin vice a strip mall on Waialae. The friendly service and family-​like interactions with the staff made this restaurant feel all the more cozy.
Per the advice of others, I was expecting a long wait for the food due to the made to order nature of this kitchen. We were prepared to hunker down with our bottle of wine (BYO) and bread, but we were pleasantly surprised when our food came out in about 10 – 15 minutes. The waitress managed to get our order in before the table of 10 that ordered just before us. This was a very nice gesture.
As for the food, I was very impressed with my meal. I ordered the squid ink linguini special which came with calamari, mussels, clams, shrimp, and tiny scallops. It still came with the traditional spicy red pepper sauce, which was exceptionally good. The pasta was very thick and fresh — no boxed pasta here. The flavors of the seafood invaded the sauce in the best way. At $ 30, this plate was reasonably priced for how much seafood it came with.
Overall, I was very happy with my experience at Sabrina’s. The staff were friendly and went out of their way to make the dining experience enjoyable. The food was great. The atmosphere was unique for Hawaii. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great Italian meal.

Sabrina’s Restaurant is a neighborhood, husband and wife run restaurant making each dish to order. When you come to Sabrina’s make sure you have good company, good wine (it’s BYOB) and plenty of time. They make one table’s ticket at a time so depending on how many orders there are ahead of you, you’re just going to have to sit and wait.
Starting with the Antipasto Misto, $ 11.75, which has a few slices each of store bought prosciutto, salame, mortadella, and coppa with a bit of roasted vegetables; and the Insalata Di Ricola, $ 9.75, which is a couple of handfuls of soft lettuce sprinkled with what looked like Costco parmesan cheese and prosciutto. Both were fine, but nothing special.
For pasta, the Spaghetti Alla Vongole, $ 18.75, had a generous amount of clams, garlic and oil, but came with a disappointedly small amount of noodles. The Nightly Special Seafood with Squid Ink Pasta, $ 30, was the best dish of the night in terms of flavor and size. Clams, mussels, and calamari are cooked in a slightly spicy, garlic tomato sauce and placed over pleasantly chewy squid ink pasta. If I came back, this is the dish I’d want to eat again.
For an entrée, the Agnello In Fricassea, $ 19.75, is just two thin slices of lamb roast in a tangy, eggy-​cheesy sauce with a bit of watery mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. It was much closer to an appetizer portion in size than an entrée and pretty disappointing.
Overall the food is okay, but pretty pricy for what you get. If you do want to check this place out, they do take reservations, and dress coolly, it can get pretty warm inside.

Sabrina’s is an awesome place for Italian food. It’s been in that little group of restaurants on waialae forever. That’s a good sign, as a lot of the establishments there have had a hard time staying in business. While my friend and I were there, it seemed like most of the other customers who came in were loyal, frequent patrons.
I love good Italian food. I’ve been to Italy several times and am always left disappointed at other Italian restaurants I’ve been to on the island. Good Italian food is hard to find here, but I’m happy that I’ve found a place that can satisfy my Italian cravings.
We started with the mushroom and cheese bruschetta. I might skip this appetizer next time and go for the tomato one or something else because it was almost too simple and not a ton of flavor. I ordered on of the lamb dishes as an entrée and was blown away. I love lamb, and the sauce of garlicky, lemony goodness was absolutely amazing! The entrees come with a side of mashed potato and vegetables. The protein part of the entrees definitely outweigh the side, but it was necessary to soak up all the yummy sauce. I think next time I will definitely have to try some gnocchi or pasta.
The dishes are a little more expensive, but the flavor is definitely on point. The service was also great and I love that it is family owned by this couple who have the cutest Italian accents. Parking can be a hassle, as the small parking lot is shared by several other establishments. I will definitely be back!

I’ve never experienced Italian food like this. Everything is made in the «traditional Italian way» — all freshly made AFTER you’ve ordered it. So yes, you will be waiting. As such, they recommend you get an appetizer while waiting for your food. (I suggest Sabrina’s salad.)
Anything and everything — the cioppino is great (dip your bread in the sauce afterward), their veal is great, their gnocchi is great (wouldn’t recommend the pesto though), they have SQUID INK PASTA that’s great. IT’S ALL GREAT — JUST TRY ANYTHING. I’ve been here several times, and we’ve done family style. That seems to work the best so you can get a variety of foods.
Dessert: the panna cotta is amazing — haven’t found a place with the same perfect flavor or texture (which is the hardest part with panna cotta).
Awesome mellow atmosphere. Pretty romantic, but also casual for friends. The service is great. BYOW — and one of the girls will gladly open the bottle for you and grab some glasses. Fujioka’s isn’t that far away — you can ask for their recommendation and pick something up before Sabrina’s (or you can even order your food THEN send someone to walk over and pick up some recommended wine).
The only negative thing is parking. There are all of a dozen stalls for this little area with several popular restaurants. I’d suggest to make an early reservation and get there while there’s still parking. I’ve always been lucky and found a stall in their lot, so I have no alternative parking to offer.

When you think of a traditional Italian restaurant, Sabrina’s is pretty much what springs to mind. Their menu is full of classic Italian dishes that are made from scratch each and every day. For those who know me, the dish that’s synonymous for Italian cuisine is gnocchi, and definitely Sabrina’s does not disappoint. Served in your choice of sauce, the gnocchi is delicate and perfectly sized to provide just the right amount of flavor per bite. My default choice for sauce is pesto. Pesto and gnocchi are just such a magical combination. On my most recent visit, however, we ordered the gnocchi in the vodka cream sauce, and that was just as amazing. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would order again! The other dish that’s a must at Sabrina’s is their cioppino. Just wow! There’s such a great depth of seafood flavor, and the bowl is full of assorted mussels, clams, fish, etc. I can guarantee that you will end up sopping every last drop of stew with the toasted bread that accompanies the dish, as well as ask for more. Other great dishes you should be sure to try would be the risotto and Sabrina’s Dream. But honestly, there’s so many delicious options on their menu that you should be adventurous and try something new each visit.
The interior is quite cozy… ok, it’s small. But, size does not always matter, and this is definitely one of those times. The food more than makes up for any space constraints, and hey, a little intimacy never hurt anyone ;) I also think that Sabrina’s gets a bad rap regarding their service. There are way too many unfair reviews that criticize the speed of service. And although even I must admit that if you go on a busy night you might spend a bit of time waiting for your food, my response to the critics would be, «What did you expect?!» Every thing is homemade and fresh, and orders aren’t started until placed. The staff is also very friendly and attentive to your needs. Every meal I’ve ever had at Sabrina’s has been wonderful and I can’t wait until my next meal here.