Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Palama Express

    4.8 (9 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Palama Express Photos

    You might also consider

    More like Palama Express

    Recommended Reviews - Palama Express

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Banchan!
    Li Y.

    Loved meandering through this mini mart while waiting for Honolulu Seafood Restaurant to open as was meeting a group there for dim sum brunch/breakfast. Pleasantly surprised at the nice variety of drinks, snacks, and little knick knacks Palama Express has. Need a pick me up in the middle of the day? Located in the heart of downtown, this location even had face masks! Or stop in for a Korean bento for lunch. Want to pre-order for an office lunch? No problem, just give them 48 hours advance notice. Located on Alakea Street between King and Hotel makes this place easy to find. Will be back for some of my favorite Korean drinks and snacks. Regretfully, no parking so, convenience for those working nearby... or dining at Honolulu Seafood right next door!

    No Brand Hazelnut Dip & Bread Sticks.  My son loves these more than the Nutella version.
    Glen A.

    I've been coming to this "new" Palama Express on Alakea Street (next to Subway) for a few months now. I was waiting for someone to post info about this place so that I could add some photos. Ha ha. If you need a quick and relatively cheap lunch this is the place to come. They have pre-packed bento-style dishes (spicy pork, bbq chicken, bulgogi, kim chee fried rice, etc), kimbap "sushi" rolls, fried man doo, pickled veggies, and lots of Korean products (chips, packaged ramen, snacks, ice cream, drinks). I needed a really quick lunch today so I grabbed a gobo & meat kimbap and vegetable man doo. In and out in less than 5 minutes. I recommend that you get there before 12:00 as the bento items disappear quickly.

    Old Starbucks location (they moved just down the street), very convenient!

    See all

    2 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 12
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Glen A.
    190
    151
    5535

    4 years ago

    Helpful 21
    Thanks 2
    Love this 21
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Palama Express

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Convenience Stores 5,671 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Pioneer Pantry - mini plate ($8.25 i believe), fried rice, honey minus walnut shrimp, and mushroom chicken

    Pioneer Pantry

    5.0(7 reviews)
    0.2 miDowntown
    $

    I've come to know Pioneer Pantry for a while now. It's a small little convenience store that can be…read morea lifesaver and a place where life can restore some meaning in the universe. It's a place where you can be yourself. I've come to value Pioneer Pantry for what it is. They've been here for 20 years and I'm just noticing for a month or so now in June 2026. I recently relocated jobs and now work in the downtown Honolulu area. After discovering Pioneer Pantry, I feel like its been a good thing to have when you're running late and didn't have breakfast. Its nice to come here and score some breakfast muffins or those bag of chips, or even cold drinks to have during drab office hours during the day. Pioneer Pantry functions like a 7-Eleven with an actual live kitchen in the back. Pioneer Pantry is a small functioning convenience store that carries most things that many people enjoy on a daily basis. On most mornings, I would enter the store running late to the office and stumble through here. I would pick up a couple of items and a cold drink and be on my way. I wasn't sure if the fountain drink machine was operational or not, so I just grabbed a cold bottle from one of their refrigerators. The prices here can be a bit more than other places, but I was in a rush - most days anyway. The overall experience here at the Pioneer Pantry is good and blessed that they are here. It's nice to have them here for those of us who are rushing to work and have this oasis on the way there for breakfast and other necessities. During the early morning though, they are open along with the Wiki Wiki Drive Inn before 8am. During the lunch hours, they are open along with the other restaurants in the Pioneer Plaza food court fully open for business. The ladies in the back of the store are very friendly and are awesome. Small business owners are amazing for sure. I try to stop by every day here to pick up something for breakfast. Knowing my schedule, I tend to sleep in and rush to work anyway and having Pioneer Pantry here to help is a big boost for me. Majority of my experiences here are happy ones and don't intend on changing. For the most part though, it's always nice to have this place here. While people have their Starbucks or McDonald's in the morning, I rely on Pioneer Pantry for my cold morning beverage of choice, which incidentally includes a cold soda with or without ice. Most people love hot or iced coffee to start their day. I prefer cold soda. Not healthy, but its my thing and it's pretty good. The Pioneer Pantry is located inside Pioneer Plaza building on the 1st floor food court. It's physically located at 900 Fort Street Mall in downtown Honolulu. They accept major credit cards as well as cash. It's next to the taco place and the Subway restaurant. As far as parking is concerned, best bet would be either street parking or paid parking garages nearby. If you are like me, public transportation is good and there's a bunch of bus routes that traverse thru the downtown corridor. Pick the ones that stop off at either Bishop Street or Fort Street Mall and walk on over. And of course, there's always Uber and Lyft and even Tauro, if you need their services. For now though, if you work or pass thru downtown Honolulu and don't like what the others are offering you, consider Pioneer Pantry at the Pioneer Plaza building. It's a nice trip here to grab something on the way to work every morning. Or a quick snack for lunch too. Its definitely a lifesaver when you're running late and you can support local businesses too. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+

    My co-workers and I have been frequenting this tiny convenience store in Pioneer Plaza for years…read more Joanne, the owner, is the sweetest lady you'll meet. She is so personable and a joy to speak with. She offers inexpensive breakfast bentos featuring white or fried rice, a fried egg and pieces of Portuguese sausage, bacon or frankfurter. The meat varies. It used to sell for $3 but now costs $4.50 (I think). It's still a deal and the containers are great! (We use them to hold leftovers.) During lunch she sets up an array of entrees ... Honey Walnut shrimp, Beef with Vegetables, Meat Jun, Spicy Chicken, Choi Sum, Vegetable Pancake ... the selection varies by day and she offers two or three starches. A two-choice plate ($9.75) comes with a choice of white rice, fried rice or noodles. You have to go early; she can run out of food by 12:30pm. I usually choose one chicken dish and a vegetable with fried rice or noodles. A co-worker always gets the Honey-Walnut shrimp. It's hard to find a better deal in a plate lunch in downtown Honolulu. Her drinks are "the deal", $1.25, $1.50 and $1.75, for large, larger and humongous. Add in the personable service and you have a winner! Hey, stay away, we don't want any more competition for her food. Highly recommended!

    Photos
    Pioneer Pantry - Fried rice, zucchini & mushrooms and meat (or fish) jun

    Fried rice, zucchini & mushrooms and meat (or fish) jun

    Pioneer Pantry - Entrance to shop

    Entrance to shop

    Pioneer Pantry - Noodles, beef broccoli and spicy chicken

    See all

    Noodles, beef broccoli and spicy chicken

    Kukui Convenience - Spam musubi and spam and egg musubi   IG: @fooddeclassified

    Kukui Convenience

    4.0(43 reviews)
    0.3 miDowntown
    $

    My fave spam musubi spot is in this little convenience store located in Kukui Plaza! The sauce they…read moreuse for cooking the spam is superior and so good!

    Best Musubi in Hawaii, I know there's tons of musubi available in Hawaii but I would say it is the…read moreBest musubi in Downtown, Honolulu! Whenever I am in the area or wanting to grab musubi for family or just ME, I make a stop here. Bonus, you get those musubi hot & fresh, if you don't see them on counter or the musubi you want is not available in egg with spam or just spam, only 2 varieties, mom or pop will make it right there for you. @$2.00 for spam only and I believe $2.45 for egg with spam. Located at Kukui Plaza tucked away in the back, you will have to walk pass few shops, to see the handwritten sign of " Best Musubi in Hawaii" posted on the door. Although there are bentos available & other goodies, I am mostly here for the delicious musubi. Why so good? My opinion, lets start with spam, perfectly cooked, with secret sauce, love the umami taste while I took my first bite, and the rice is hot & moist, not watery & not premium rice but it is still good, along with the nori. I loved everything about this musubi. Great spam to rice ratio. The only thing that I need is some of my chili spices! Mom & Pop is super friendly, I remember asking how many musubi's they sell a day and owner mentioned they make and sell over 100 a day. I usually park quick at the loading zone of Kukui Plaza, let the security know and walk over real quick to load up on my musubi(s). Don't forget cash only! Recommend, check it out and get your musubi fix or a quick and convenient lunch!

    Photos
    Kukui Convenience
    Kukui Convenience - 2 left.

    2 left.

    Kukui Convenience - Piece of spam is thin and overall rice is flat.

    See all

    Piece of spam is thin and overall rice is flat.

    Longs Drugs

    Longs Drugs

    2.9(153 reviews)
    0.3 miDowntown
    $$

    I've been going to this Longs for years, and I honestly don't know what happened to it, but the…read morecurrent experience is hard to ignore. Every time I walk inside, there's a strong, unpleasant odor that smells like sewage or fecal matter. It's consistent enough that it doesn't feel like a one-off issue--it's something you notice immediately when you enter the store. At times it seems stronger in certain areas, which makes me wonder if it's coming from plumbing, floor drains, or possibly even outside air getting pulled in. What's frustrating is that this location used to feel like one of the better-run stores on the island. Now, the overall impression is very different. Even if the shelves are stocked and the staff is doing their job, the environment itself really affects the experience of shopping there. What stands out is the comparison with nearby stores like Safeway, which don't seem to have the same issue, even though they serve the same general area. That contrast makes the problem at this location even more noticeable. I hope management takes a serious look at it, because this doesn't feel like a minor cleanliness issue--it feels like an infrastructure or maintenance problem that's been left unresolved for too long. It's a shame, because the store has a lot of potential and used to be a go-to spot.

    It's about time I do an update if this Longs Drugs as this location is near my home. I've avoided…read morethis location for multiple reasons. But the main reason was a previous bad experience that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Earlier in the day I went to the doctor's office for some relief to a cold that I've been battling for about 10 days now. OTC remedies were not doing the trick and I was miserable staying at home not wanting to pass my germs to my colleagues. When asked where I wanted to pick up my medications, I usually go to the one in Kaneohe Bay Shopping Center as I'm in Kaneohe a lot for my part time job. But because I wanted to take the medication immediately and for convenience I selected this store next to Pali Hwy. After my doctor's appointment I made a few errands and just after picking up some lunch I received a text advising my two prescriptions were ready for pick up. I originally had planned on going before my 340pm dentist's appointment that's in the See Dai Doo Building. Howeve, I was desperate for relief so I drove here. To my delight the parking lot was not that congested at 1130am. I immediately found an empty parking stall near the entrance. I made a beeline to their pharmacy where there were about 5 people queuing. All 5 were senior citizens and regardless they all had questions to ask the pharmacy staff, the line moved quickly. When it came to my turn my transaction was quick. Replied to the staff's question by providing my DOB and name, she confirmed my 2 prescriptions. I paid for them and then returned to my car. So why only 4-stars? I'm sure you have noticed the undesirable foot traffic of homeless and the mentally unstable in this area. I have witnessed them many times in the past and today was no different. There was a female who was laying down on the pavement and yelling out loud. So sad to witness such incidents in broad daylight. Overall, this Longs Drugs is clean, bright and well organized with its products and displays. I also appreciate the coupons you receive as there are considerable savings that encourages you for repeat visits within the time frame. I hope the management or landlord of this area can clean up the area so that consumers feel safe to shop at either Long's Drugs or Safeway.

    Photos
    Longs Drugs
    Longs Drugs
    Longs Drugs

    See all

    Palama Express - convenience - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...