Waiting outside to meet up with a friend there for dinner, but had to use the restroom in the meantime. No host at the door, so went to the restroom. When I got out, a server followed me outside scolding me (couldn't understand what he was saying; didn't speak English well). I tried to explain twice that I was on the phone, and waiting for a friend to dine there. Being chased out for using their restroom, and not listening to your customers is not good business-- especially since I had every good intention of dining there tonight (was well dressed and polite). I notice local restaurants are hurting for business, so my suggestion for the owners of Auntie Pasto's is to treat EVERYONE who enters your door as a potential customer, and be ready to serve with a smile :-) Ask questions if you must, but never accuse. P.S. We still like the food (even after new owners/ management), but please have a hostess at the door to properly assist your patrons. read more

Here for Happy Hour at 5pm! There are NO happy hour pupu! Yup! They have happy hour drinks with no happy hour food! WTH? Anyways, this review is for their Hapoy hour, hour, only. $5 Dark Horse wine. Not the best. Pour is okay. Not fab. Beer is $4. Good choices of beer. Way better than the wine. Korean owner. Does this matter? For the Italian snob, yes, it matters. But for those that don't care and just want good food, it sure DOES NOT MATTER. That said... Food- ordered the Margherita for pupu for us three. See pic. When having drinks, you just want a pupu and everything tastes good. Unlike my co-eaters that are saying yummy, I have to say the red sauce is a bit runny. The fresh basil made this pie. Service- ANDY is the best . This restaurant is lucky to have such a well rounded server who knows his menu and bar. Seriously lucky, since we were the only ones here for happy hour! After about 30 minutes, 2 couples came in. read more

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I think the lunch specials are not only reasonable but a good way to try out this establishment.. it's got an old style "hole in the wall" (if you are familiar with that expression) (and what it's from) Italian feel to it. The service is a little slow but it's a laid back approach and feel I think so if you are in a hurry or expect more consider this your heads up. read more

Auntie Pasto's - Lunch specials daily - Italian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Food: 4 (salad, garlic/artichoke/cheese pizza, peppers/sausage spaghetti). Salad was basic. Pizza was thin crust type, crispy w/no burnt edges. Great spaghetti topped w/skinny sausages w/small diced peppers mixed in spaghetti. A 2nd serving of house bread is charged $1.50 Service: 5 Quick & attentive Ambiance: 4 Open kitchen, quaint home style decor (unchanged since opening in the 80's) Price: $$$ Parking: Street metered only read more

Chef Lee was most hospitable and the shrimp scampi pizza and lobster raviolis were delicious. The location is prone and in a mai street--but Chef Lee and his family are working to make this place a great place, again! We also held a private event here on a Sunday afternoon and are grateful for Chef Lee and his adaptability and care for the details of our event. Cost was around $35 plus tax and tips for 50 people--and first time they've done an event this size and for our group. Good learnings in that next time would be good to have 2-3 servers instead of one. Air conditioning can also be updated to provide a more comfortable and pleasant dining experience. Will make enjoying the onolicious food even more pleasant. Great spot and great atmosphere for an intimate and small group celebrations! Mahalo nui and thanks again Chef Lee!!! read more

Auntie Pasto's - 24. Shrimp Scampi Pizza - Italian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It's really like Italian food. I love their Madeline salad. Their pasta is really prepared fresh and tastes so uno. Their service s is excellent and the place looks clean. read more

Not for locals only! The prices are so reasonable but come for the pure flavors and the passion that your chef puts into the meal! Enjoy it! read more

Auntie Pasto's - Creamy Pesto with chicken - Italian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The service was excellent, and their house cabernet was tasty. I went craving a basic pesto pasta dish, but their pesto is the creamy kind, which is too rich for me. I do wish they had a non-creamy pesto, with the ingredient emphasis on basil, garlic & pine nut, and only hint of romano or parm, but maybe someday they will! We opted for an absolutely delicious vegetarian pizza, with a delicious thinnish crust that we were told they make and hand toss fresh, and it certainly tasted like it. All around a good dining experience and a really cute place! read more

Monday 1:29 (lunch time), everything was just perfect!!! Food and service and was so good, environment is so relaxing, service is great, food is tasty!!!! I will definitely be back! read more

Exceeded expectations! Affordable and delicious. I had the Greek salad, Caeser salad, the. 'artichoke, spinach, and garlic' pizza, a cheese pizza, shrimp scampi, bolognese, and a couple of Italian sodas. They were all good. One by one I was happier and happier with every dish our kind server would bring out. The rustic look of the restaurant is very special and I wouldn't change a thing. Gorgeous! read more

We made a reservation so we did not have to wait to get seated. Coming early around 6-7pm was good because there was parking up front. Otherwise you'd have to drive around to find street parking. It is a cute restaurant and smaller than I expected. The server was nice, but it did take awhile to get our water and we had to ask for the house bread. The bread was good. It came with oil and butter. Kind of disappointed that it didn't come with the vinegar also. The food was kind of big portions however, you'd have to pay extra for add ins. I got the seafood pasta and it was okay. Not the marinara I'm used to. I wished they added more seafood. read more

The host was nice but otherwise sausage burnt and dry and the onions and peppers were pretty much raw with bad taste SUCKS!!! And on top of it cost $16.00 WTF ??????!!!!! whoever the cook was tonight should be ashamed this sucks!! I will never go back I'm so irritated and mad about the money I spent on this shit! That I ended up here writing this review feeling kinda better. Auntie pasto cook and staff, owner etc. Thanks for nothing!!!! AARGH!!! Open the pasta just now and it's not even the right fucking pasta I ordered not to mention taste like a. Jar was opened heated and dumped on the overcooked fucking noodles comeon you guys really should give me back my money but keep the salad that is pretty good but then how can you really screw up salad this place SUCKS!! On top of other all they charge for table bread! read more

Service was good, fast and attentive. Food was fine and parking was easy to get. Good for a casual night out.

I've been driving past this place for so many years and finally found some time to try it. I found street parking nearby and walked, be sure to walk with others since it was a little scary if your alone. They have both a lunch and dinner menu. We went for dinner and tried 3 different pastas and got 2 appetizers. We ordered the home made lasagna roll, pasta primavera, and the fresh fettuccine Alfredo. For appetizers we got the escargot and the garlic bread. You also get one free roll of bread with your meal. The primavera and fettuccine were more on the garlic side, especially the primavera which burned a little while eating it because of the garlic. The lasagna roll on the other hand could have used a little more cheese in the layers but was very flavorful and filling. The escargot was more on the drier side but the crisp cheese made it very tasty. The menu has a lot to choose from, so I will be back to taste more of the menu. read more

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Going back to the late 90s Auntie Pasto's entered the restaurant scene with a bang. The formula was simple and very effective, generous portions, decent food for a really affordable price (no dishes were priced above $10). Looking at the crowded restaurant back then and you can see the formula worked. Unfortunately, the restaurant has faded and this is a review written in the hope these suggestions so it can go back to it's glory days. The restrooms had a really strong smell of urine, not a good impression to begin with. Not a pleasant environment and reminds me of some dirty streets in Chinatown. The pizza was the high point of the meal, the right amount of cheese and toppings, and was baked so the crust was crispy. You can't go wrong ordering this with your favorite combinations. The pasta with fresh clams ($16) was a pretty good dish, the noodles were cooked perfectly, the garlic sauce was tasty. But... the clams had so much sand, I wonder if it was washed at all. The sand ruined almost all of the positives mentioned above. The lasagna roll ($17) was overwhelmed by thyme. It was really hard to get past that flavor masking the tomato sauce which btw was a bit too acidic, cheese, garlic and other flavors. Not a good idea to order this dish next thyme. The spaghetti with meatballs was ok but the meatball had a weird mystery meat taste. It was dry and too dense. My brother in law was gracious enough to invite us for dinner so I can't complain too loudly. The service is slow and on a Friday night, restaurant was only 1/4 full. This would never be the case in it's glory days. read more

Auntie Pasto's - Lasagna roll - Italian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I use to pass by this place everytime I came to town and I never thought anything of it. It's very unassuming and in an area where you wouldn't think had amazing food....but oh how wrong I was. We stopped by one day out of curiosity, now I find myself daydreaming about their amazing lobster ravioli. The sauce has to be one of the best Alfredo sauces I've ever had. I didn't even like Alfredo sauce before. They have other really great choices but the ravioli is my favorite. Also, the service is great especially Angela. She's always sweet and friendly. Parking is on the street but it's usually open. read more

I come here a lot. Very awesome service. Food is on mark. Very good atmosphere. Chicken Alfredo is my go to.

Food was delicious and the service was great. We came in and were immediately helped by this amazing young woman. The ambiance was super cute and there were plenty of seats open. No cocktails but there was a wine bar. I'll definitely go back! Mahalo Auntie Pasto's! read more

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WAIT! There's a parking spot!!! Let's do an early lunch since parking is readily available. Promptly 11 am the OPEN lighted sign was turned on and directly in front of the door opening on Pensacola came an open parking spot. This must be an omen as its been YEARS since I've dined at Auntie Pasto's. This review is of the lunch, its food and quality For $12-15 you can get a complete meal for lunch inclusive of a salad or soup. You get complimentary bread with their special dip made with olive oil, parsley and basil pesto. Beverages (other than water) are reasonably priced in the $2-$5 range. Safe to say for under $20 you can get a decent meal at a sit down restaurant. I know its a popular place as I see diners lining up and waiting outside during the dinner hour. But for this lunch experience, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased as I was the first one to be seated upon their opening and by the time I left (approximately $45 minutes later), Auntie Pasto's had a crowd of at least 20 people. Our server (she did everything from seat the guests to busing tables) was pleasant and very accommodating. IMHO service is 50% of the meal. The establishment is older and has not been renovated or updated in YEARS. Sadly, it shows on the floors as it looks old and worn. But some may think it is that which adds to the personality of the establishment and the most important thing is they are clean (old and clean OK in my book) Now you may ask why 2 stars? BECAUSE the food was horrible. I ordered shrimp scampi and the shrimps were swimming in some sweet broth along with the linguine. The garlic used to season the shrimp and pasta was raw! Raw garlic has a bitter taste to the food and it did not help the overall dish. The linquine was cold, warmed only by that broth and sauteed shrimp. The bread was yesterday's bread I'm sure, if I dropped it on the floor it would crack. I don't know... maybe that's what $12 for a meal represents? No bueno in my book 80/100 Yelp Review Challenge Los Angeles read more

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This place has been around super long and has been through many owners but this time this new owner has got it right! His dishes are authentic Italian dishes and for some reason it better than the big names. I only found out that he is a famous chef over at the 5star hotel, which I cannot mention. So you'll just have to try it yourself I promise you will be surprised. read more

Have not been to this location for a while now, but since the Kunia location seems to be slipping in regards to food quality, we decided to try here since we were in town anyway. The food was noticeably better than Kunia and although the servers at Kunia are pretty good, it just seemed so much better to have good food with the good service. Not outstanding when compared to some of the other Italian eateries in town, but it just shows that the competition has gotten way more stiff in this genre. Had the basic spaghetti bolonaise, garlic bread, and a Caesar salad. Overall experience was okay, and we may come back again if in the area. read more

Auntie Pasto's - Better than the Kunia location! - Italian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This was some of the best Italian food I've ever had!!! My boyfriend and I came for date night & were blown away. The atmosphere was adorable and we had a wonderful time read more

I was excited to see this place seemed authentic so I was really looking forward to their Carbonara. Bacon instead of Pancetta or Guanciale. on top of that, the bacon was cooked IN THE SAUCE... so, boiled. Wasn't made with egg yolk nor peppercorns. Instead it was a heavy-cream american type. Overall it was very hard to eat it so i barely touched it. Still was charged the $20 it costs but was given a $4 discount... thanks I guess? read more

Auntie Pasto's - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Terrible! If you use the Slice app to order, the prices are much higher than the dine in or phone order. It is about $6-$8 difference for the entrees. When I contact the Slice app customer support, they spoke with the restaurant manager and was told they will not refund the difference. The manager said they did this to encourage people to dine in. I then called and spoke to someone at the restaurant. Same thing. The food is watery and oily. The clam linguine is drenched in oil and is watery, with old clams. Do not eat here. It used to be good back in the days, before the new management. read more

Not a traditional Thanksgiving meal and that is by choice.  In-laws wanted pasta and Auntie Pasto's filled their tummies with extreme delight.  Ordered - Cheese Bread w/ Marinara, Caesar Salad and Chopped Salad, Shrimp Scampi pasta and pizza, Fettuccini Alfredo and Carbonara Pasta.  Everything was ONO!!!  I am so contented and not heavy where I have to take a nap!  What adds to this awesome experience is the cashier Angela who took the phone order.  She was friendly, and courteous, over the phone and when we came to pick up the order.  She totally exemplifies that Aloha experience.  The restaurant looked inviting and we shall dine in to support this local establishment when we return. I have been here many years ago, it's good to have these dining landmarks stay open.  Mahalo to Angela and her team on this Thanksgiving Day! read more

Took out dinner on Valentine's Day 2024. It was terrible. So oily, small portion, it was definitely rushed. No complimentary bread. read more

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I can't believe I am doing this..this is truly heartbreaking. I grew up with this place and it was amazing. In the mid 90's I would come here for lunch as a treat to myself. I also use to do date night with my wife here and always left happy......well......that is not the case anymore. After months of being inside due to this corona crap, I finally said hey, let's make Auntie Pastos our first restaurant to go to..man I wish I didn't. First when we got in, I noticed that we were the only people there which was cool but it was hot as heck. They had no fans on or ac. Not a pleasant dining experience when eating hot food. Then there is the issue of the food. Historically there would be pans flying off the stove with huge fires and clanging which was awesome. Unfortunately I knew we were in big trouble the minute I heard a microwave! A MICROWAVE! And when the food appeared, it was an absolute travesty. I ordered my normal seafood pasta...and I had exactly one calamari and a couple of small mussels. The sauce use to have a delicious wine taste, but now it's simply ragu! And the straw that broke the camel's back, was the bathroom! Dirty, smelly and being chased around by a B-52 roach while sitting on the throne doesn't make me want to come back. So in the end, if it's all about social distancing tight now, I am permanently distancing. Good bye Auntie! read more

Auntie Pasto's - Italian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Vowed to someday visit this restaurant everytime is pass by it. Finally went for lunch. First impression was great. Had a pain pepperoni pizza. Reminded me just a tad bit of Sicily the way the pizza crust tasted. Want to go again to try something else. Price was reasonable. Can't wait to taste one of their signature meals. Only thing that ruins the authenticity is the menus under the plexiglass. Don't care for that touch of practicality. read more

My husband and I used to go to Auntie Pasto's regularly years ago, when we lived in Honolulu. We've always loved the decor, service, food, and ambience. We hadn't been there for some time but took the opportunity for a late lunch after visiting the Honolulu Museum of Art. Since it was about 4pm, we were the only customers in the restaurant. The high-ceilinged establishment was clean, with fans running. There is a brick wall, wooden floor, and red and white tablecloths. Bottles of wine were used as decoration along with a specials board. Bathrooms are clean. The man that greeted us was friendly, welcoming and attentive, and my husband remembered him from years ago when we used to frequent this spot more. Menus are right on the table under a clear plastic cover, making cleanup a breeze. We split a chopped salad and eggplant Parmesan in a bolognese sauce, and everything was timely and delicious. The complimentary bread was served warm and was delicious dipped in the remaining sauce. We were able to hear each other talk and had a nice corner book all to ourselves. Wonderful experience! We'll be back (maybe for ladies night - I remember years ago they used to have a night with wine discounts for women...?!) read more

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Went their on a Friday night, not that packed. I'd say about half full. There was one waitress and one waiter doing the job of server and host/ hostess. Took about 10 minutes for them to come to our table, another 10-15 minutes to get our drinks! Ordered our food, Lobster Ravioli and Spaghetti Bolognese with the cheese bread as a appetizer. Food was a 4/5, pretty good actually, the plantation tea tasted like pineapple juice out the can with a hint of iced tea. We asked the waitress for some Parmesan cheese for the bolognese sauce, never got it! The service was a 2/5 and makes me not want to ever go back. We had Lobster Ravioli, Penne Pasta bolognese, Cheese Pizza, Pepsi and Plantation tea. read more

This is the worst restaurant I've ever been to. I should have known to leave the second I walked in there on a sunday night and there were 3 people there. The server is definitely overworked. They have him handling everything. I don't blame him for his performance. The food is absolute trash. They literally gave us 1/4 of a chicken breast and it was terrible and tasted spoiled. When I complained the cook thanked me for my feedback then gave me the bill with all the items I rejected still on it. I told him "I'm not paying for these items they are rotten." He stood there like a deer in the headlights arguing with me about removing them from my bill. I took 1 bite of the food and spit it out. The fact that he was arguing with me about why I didn't like the food was shocking. I told him I'm never coming back and that if he was going to charge me for this food he's wrong for it. He removed the items but it was awkward. I do not recommend eating here. I left hungry after paying for the items that my kids ate. This place needs to be on Hell's Kitchen. read more

Had a $100 gift certificate that is going to expire in April so I called to place a take out order. They asked for a credit card for payment (the order was $98 and some change) so I told them I was redeeming a gift certificate. The person on the phone was confused saying they don't really have gift certificates, just these hand written paper certificates - which is exactly what I had. They asked how I got it and when. They made me feel like I was trying to use a fake gift certificate. Then the chef got on the phone. He said that the restaurant is under new ownership and cannot accept the gift certificate that was sold under the previous owner. How is a customer supposed to know it's a new owner? It's still Auntie Pasto's. Their website says "since 1983" But they won't accept my gift certificate from 2020. Then he said something about hard times due to covid and he can't just give away $100 worth of food. I agreed with the hard times and said I couldn't just spend $100 on lunch. so I'm out $100 and will never go to Auntie Pasto's again read more

Excellent!! I do not like spicey food and this was flavorful and just right! The muscles were amazing and the meatballs were huge. I enjoyed the Ceasar salad very much! read more

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Was looking for some Italian food, well look no farther, this place is a gem. I had the eggplant parmesan and my husband had the lasagna rolls, both delicious. Price is reasonable, service was great, chef came out to ask how was everything. Wonderful experience, highly recommend. Eggplant Parm,Lasagna Roll read more

Auntie Pasto's - Nice selection of wine - Italian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Cute, family friendly, quaint pasta shop near Ala Moana Mall! There's usually street parking right out front. They give you lots of pasta there, so one order is usually good enough for two meals! I'm not a big fan or red sauces, but theirs is awesome - not too tomatoey for me. Friendly workers and fast service. read more

Amazingly authentic and fresh Italian food! We had a vegetarian pizza and a creamy pesto pasta which was totally worth it. I'd love to come back again to this place to have the creamy pesto pasta. Calvin (the chef) was very kind enough to drop by and give food suggestions, great service and too good food, thanks Calvin and team! I just wish they had some more beer options, wine collection is also good! read more

Auntie Pasto's - Creamy pesto with penne, olives and mushrooms and a slightly customised vegetarian pizza! - Italian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Decided to check out this place on Friday, a little before 6pm. Walked in, was greeted, so we asked for a table for 4. The guy then asked if we had reservations, so we told him no. He then went to the kitchen without saying a thing. The place wasn't crowded, there were empty tables. There was a slight pause as to where he went, then we decided to leave. If it's reservations only they should have a sign. read more

We got the $12 salad/soup and pasta special. It is ripped up iceberg lettuce, 2 cuke slices, wedge of tomato and slivers of red onions. It seems like a dinner sized salad. It also had pepperocino peppers. The meatball linguine was, ONE (smaller than a billiard) meatball. Tomato sauce was light and sauce could've been tastier/zestier. This comment is from Mr. Bland. The spinach cream tube pasta was rich and creamy. Very filling, but didn't feel bad after eating it. We both took left over pasta home. Good service. Small loaf of baked bread with herbed olive oil given as starter. Metered street parking. Lots of wine. read more

Auntie Pasto's - Lunch salad from combo - Italian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Service is fantastic. The staff is so kind and accommodating -- they even offered to make me pink sauce (which isn't on the menu!) Def recommend for those looking for a affordable, quaint, pasta spot in island. read more

Cheese bread with marinara sauce is so satisfying as finger food appetizer love robust bold Italian