Highly highly recommend! I ordered the mochiko chicken, miso pork, nishime, fried noodles, fried fish, veggie tempura, and namasu for a retirement party and EVERYTHING was delicious. Everyone kept asking where the food was from. Obviously it was a huge hit :) If you are looking for a great mom and pop restaurant to support that serves great food look no further. Also, working with the owners to develop the menu for the party to meet our budget was such an easy process....bonus! read more

I burst into the place knowing full well they closed in 15 minutes. A meeting lasted longer than expected and I needed food Stat! I didn't know what to get so I asked the workers there what was a popular item. They mentioned the hamburger steak, mochiko chicken, and garlic chicken. I ordered the hamburger steak and mochiko. You get a choice of salad and one other side. I got macaroni/potato salad and tofu. The tofu was mixed with a poke-like seasoning and it tasted ono. The hamburger steak was really good too. The mochiko was alright, but I'm not a huge fan of mochiko though. The restaurant is super local. The interior has the character of a old mom and pop restaurant. It was a comfortable feeling and a perfect lunch spot. When I walked into the restaurant I knew I was in for some good local food. The parking looked a bit sparse. There is street parking, but it may be hard to find. I think they mainly cater to the workers nearby. I wish this place was closer to my workplace. I would love to walk on over to Tatsuo's. read more

Tatsuo's - Contact info - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I've scheduled for delivery twice at 6-630 am. They open at 5 or 530. They canceled my order both times at the time it was supposed up be delivered. It would be nice if they canceled it as soon as they opened or not cancel my order. I tried ordering both times on Uber Eats. I contacted Uber just in case it wasn't this establishment. Uber said the restaurant is the one that canceled it both times with no explanation. read more

Home cooked food, friendly, local-style people. I usually go for the daily specials when I am lazy and don't want to pick something for lunch. The specials are always a good choice for this local boy who longs for local comfort food! read more

Been passing this place for years it's right off Sand Island Rd. Finally had a chance to have breakfast here it seems to have its own flow of regulars that came in. The food was very tasty. They had gandule rice as a choice in the morning. Place is clean, friendly service, and reasonable priced. Will be back read more

Tatsuo's - The best banana bread I ever had... very moist! It's heavy but tastes very good! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Found their food truck at a recent craft fair at Kaimuki High. Decided to place our order with Tatsuo's since the original vendor asked me to email them my request, but I never heard back. The worker at the food truck told us to call the main store to place our order. Our order was for 100 bentos to be delivered. Bentos were delivered with no isssues. Food was delicious. Highly recommended. read more

First time at Tatsuo's and I was impressed! I had the Pot Roast Pork and the buggah was Winnah's! Very tasty and delicious! The lady and the guy that served me was very nice. I definitely will be back and I encourage everyone who haven't been here come and taste! #killahgrindz read more

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The auntie in charge is such a gem. She is so accommodating, had a few large lunch orders on numerous occasions and tatsuos "rose-up to the plate" literally. Honestly such a nicely ran place, food is spectacular, from the bentos to the crack seed like snacks to the drinks. They got everything. Check-um-out read more

I saw a delicious beef stew pic on my friends IG page and been craving a homestyle beef stew so decided to try this establishment out. It's hidden in the Sand Island Access industrial area. Take a right at American Carpet and this place is shortly thereafter. They have daily specials which wasn't updated on IG so it took many times with calling before they answered the phone. You may select the type of salad you want as well as another side. The beef stew looked like it was sitting for a while but I still wanted to try it so I did a combo plate with the curry beef stew. The beef stew was quite bland for my taste buds and too soupy as I prefer a thicker sauce but the curry beef stew was yummy. My co-worker ordered the Portuguese bean soup special. Again, quite bland and the soup was too watery and not thick at all; wouldn't recommend it. My other co-worker ordered the kiawe chicken which he claimed was tasty as he bit into it but as he took another bite, it was pink and not cooked all the way through. Would we come back to this establishment again? Probably not but it was good to experiment this place. They also sell other goodies such as chips and candy. I bought a bag of chicharones which was so delish!! If anything, I'll be back for that. read more

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I had breakfast today with a long time family friend affectionately known as, Uncle Lyle. Uncle Lyle was once a rig driver at a nearby warehouse and would come here for breakfast and lunch regularly before he retired. As we headed back to town this morning after I picked him up from the airport, he said "we go go kau kau (eat) at Tatsuo's". I'd never been there before, but onward we went as I followed uncle's directions. Tatsuo's is located off of Sand Island Access Rd. on Alahao Pl., where we parked in one of the two stalls right in front of the restaurant. As soon as we walked in, we were immediately greeted by the husband and wife duo who own and operate the business. We placed our order at the counter, then went to sit in their spacious dining area and waited until our food was brought out to us. I ordered the pancakes with eggs and Portuguese sausage. The pancakes weren't all that, and I could've done without it. No wonder uncle ordered the luncheon meat, eggs and rice. His brekkie also included toast and coffee. Geez, uncle. Holding out on me, ah? The steam tables were being prepared for lunch while we were there, and several regulars stopped in to place orders for a later pick up. Uncle Lyle said the pastele stew and shoyu chicken are his two faves. Although I was disappointed with my breakfast, I would still go back to give this local business another shot. read more

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good, solid, local plate lunch place near the airport just off Sand Island Access Road. mushroom chicken ... excellent. chicharron ... excellent. shortbread chocolate chip cookies ... double excellent. service ... double excellent. highly recommended place for locals and visitors wanting to try down- to-earth local fare. read more

We pulled out of morning commute traffic to grab breakfast after coming from the airport. Convenient location right near the exit! Great food at great prices! read more

Tatsuo's - Tatsuo's Breakfast Special - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Ryan T. got my attention w/the mentioning of "kiawe-smoked chicken." That was the main reason for my wanting to make that drive out to Sand Island. The server told me that it was their "most popular" item. In fact, almost every one of those construction workers had smoked chicken in front of them on the day I stopped in. Sorry folks, their "smoked chicken" is only avail on Fridays. Tatsuo seems to cater more towards the construction/industrial workers in the area, only open Mon-Fri for breakfast (5:30am-10:30am) and lunch (10:30am-2pm). Closed on weekends & holidays. This place is literally a "hole-in-the-wall", with only a couple of parking stalls in the back (most customers do take-out). Their minis are all under $6 (one scoop rice, choice of mac or tossed salad), while their regular-sized plate lunches costs anywhere from $7-$9 (2 scoops rice & a choice of mac or tossed salad, in addition to an extra side dish item). Mixed/combo plates are also avail: 2 choice- $9.29 3 choice-10.49 Their assortment of side dishes varies daily. The day I stopped in, they were completely out of kim chee. All i was left with was sliced takuan (yellow pickled radish/daikon) and plain cubes of tofu. I regret getting the tofu because it didn't come with any sauce!! Blech! I got a mixed plate of "smoked chicken" & hamburger steak (For $9.29, you get a whole leg & one hamburger patty). Threw in a small soda ($1.39) for a total of $11.18. Try to disregard the sad cubes of plain tofu. Some sauce would've been nice......hell, I would've been a happy camper if they threw the gravy onto it: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/STZsjro_HQlV67fakD7M-Q?select=20LNcHyrsTHLc9j76JIa0g The homemade hamburger steak was tender & juicy (I tasted onion powder). I would've liked it with less breading though, some bites had chunks of white bread. The rich brown gravy was delicious! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/STZsjro_HQlV67fakD7M-Q?select=ur-zcXYlqwZHEImfwi1ZfA Their "very popular" Smoked Chicken dish was disappointing for me. Although it was tender and cooked thoroughly, it was VERY salty & over-smoked! The smokiness was so overwhelming that it took away from the chicken. I didn't really taste the chicken at all. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/STZsjro_HQlV67fakD7M-Q?select=3LCakKCsSlILxsazJLSTrQ Next time, I'm just gonna stick with the Hamburger Steak. Just thinking about the 2 juicy charred patties swimming in delicious gravy is already making my mouth water! Would've been 4 stars had it not been for the Smoked Chicken. It left an awful lingering taste in my mouth.......and stomach. Talk about stinky-disgusting burps, so not sexy...... read more

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Horrible service, the owners wife gave me attitude because i showed up 10 mins before the restaurant closed. First off why would you close at 12. Other thing is the food sucks ass. Lazy cooks, everythings salty. The kitchen looks like a mess. there's no sitting area in that place. maybe because the owners have stored so much personal items in the front. Its relly disgusting and it disappoints me that so much better places shut down. read more

Just when I thought that I had found all the great cheap eats in the industrial Kalihi area, I discovered Tatsuo's during one of my lunch breaks recently. Located on a side street right off of Sand Island Access Road, Tatsuo's is yet another good plate lunch joint and quite popular with workers in the area. Being my first time at Tatsuo's, I went with the hamburger steak plate and was thoroughly satisfied. Known for their hearty portions, I ordered the "mini" and was quite surprised to still find a huge mountain of food! The mini at Tatsuo's was more like the size of a regular plate. Besides the generous portions, what I loved most about the hamburger steak was that it was a hand made patty, which made for a very juicy piece of meat. Topped with grilled onions and a boat load of gravy, the hamburger steak at Tatsuo's was one of the better ones that I have had in a very long time. Definitely broke da mouth good! Healthy food this is not, but I am now a fan of Tatsuo's and will be back to try their special Kiawe Smoked Chicken which is only offered on Fridays. read more

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Tatsuo's is a welcome oasis in Sand Island. When you need a break from the jobsite and the summer heat, no other place is better. Step inside this Japanese-American establishment and you will immediately feel relaxed by the interior, which is air conditioned, clean and inviting. There's always someone friendly behind the counter, such as owners Wayne and Laurie Morita. The owners and staff make all customers feel at home, which is probably why so many builders seek refuge there. According to Laurie Morita, the restaurant sees practically every type of construction worker. Tatsuo's loyal customers include drywall workers, sheet metal workers, painters, plumbers, masons and A/C technicians. According to Morita, construction workers come as far as Waipio. They know Tatsuo's is a one-stop shop for an entire day's worth of meals and snacks. They can buy breakfast, lunch, cigarettes, drink, everything at one stop. Morita says lunchtime is packed with workers from the Sand Island area. Around 30 percent of Tatsuo's clientele is construction workers. Builders beware: You eat here, it's easy to forget to go back to work. Throw in the wide-screen television hovering over the dining room and you've found the ideal place to recuperate from kanak attack. Of course, the real draw here is the food. They have everything you might expect, including the ubiquitous hamburger steak, chicken katsu and teri beef meals. However, they prepare and serve these dishes home style, like tutu used to make. I tried the garlic chicken and hamburger steak specials, which cost $6.49 each. They tasted ono and looked way more tantalizing than typical lunch wagon fare. And, the portions were enormous. If you're in the mood for hamburgers, Tatsuo's has you covered. The burger combos range from $5 to $5.60 and include a drink and fries. You could order a plain hamburger, but I recommend the mochiko chicken, teri chicken and mahi mahi burgers. Tatsuo's also offers nori saimin ($2.95) and udon with shrimp tempura ($3.25) if you're looking for a less heavy meal. For your first visit, I highly recommend Tatsuo's beef tomato and lupchong with choy sum. And take a seat near the giant television so you can enjoy a nice crime drama or mystery with your meal. Monday to Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. read more

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I work close by and Tatsuo's is such a treat for lunch. I've only found out about this place recently, however I have to say that I am in love with their food. They take a lot of pride in their food and it really shows. They just celebrated their 8 year anniversary. The beef stew reminds me of the best beef stew at my grandma's house as a kid. And their chocolate chip cookies are so flaky and light. The hamburger steak is amazing too. Go here and eat everything, but be sure to bring cash because they have a $10 minimum for cards. read more

Great go to when I need to grab breakfast quick. It's right off of Sand Island Access road. Order via phone and you can jump out to grab and go. They have a great selection of sandwiches to grab as an extra snack or lunch. Nice couple that runs this spot. read more

Tatsuo's is a great place for delicious hole-in-the-wall local food. Just off Sand Island road, They have super ono plate lunches, with good prices, great sides to choose from, homemade desserts and choice of regular or mini size plates. I love the friendly service! read more

Food is excellent!! Tripe stew, katsu Curry and all the sides!!! Great service, family run. Consistently ono food!!!

Simply one of the best hamburger steaks around! The homemade patties is full of flavor and covered with generous amounts of grilled onions. The dark brown gravy is the icing on the cake! You also gotta try their "Super ono" kiawe smoked chicken, da buggah so good it's smoked to da bone!!! They only offer it as a Friday Special. I just became a regular! read more

Tatsuo's - Hamburger steak/kiawe smoked chicken mixed plate - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I drove up to this place and wasn't sure what to expect. It was off the beaten path and the parking lot in front had like 4 spots to park. They have specials of the day out in front to get and also food they are able to make in the back. They have an area to eat inside where you can also watch a movie. Luckily, I got to watch I, Robot. The regular special of the day comes with 2 sides and double main course portion. I ordered the grilled pork chops and got 2 large ones with 2 sides and a salad that came with it also. The 2 scoops of rice with the macaroni salad was really filling. As in I couldn't finish it. Everyone inside was saying hello to my wife and I and were just really welcoming. It seemed like a family owned and family run establishment that wanted to please people. Their food is served in to go boxes and they have sauces to go as well. Their menu isn't big, but the portion size for $11.99 homemade Hawaiian food was superb. read more

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Late post. Just started Yelping again. Although its been a few yrs, I recall the selection was huge and everything was great. We got there early so had seats and lots of dishes to chose from. As soon as lunch hour hit the crowd rushed in! Nearby workers, and people in the know of great places to go for lunch! Now that I'm using my Yelp again, its jogged my memory of yummy places to pick up food! See you soon! read more

My boss said get in the van we going grab lunch,so five of us got in.Boss said Wednesday they have pastele stew,a dish I never had before.They have a good selection of food like hamburger steak that is a large home made patty.Tthey also had garlic chicken,roast pork,pork adobo an many others.The sumo breakfast is a .large meal with two scoops rice,two eggs any style,breakfast meats an toast.I wanted to try the pastele stew an it was tasty.Even cafeteria style short bread cookie. Parking is limited so come with a crowd if none available an give your order to someone while you hang outside to tend the carThe plastic covered tables and chairs looks strange somehow.Friendly people,when my buddy and I ate break here the owners son sat with us to say hello an told us the place is named after him.Nice of him to share. This is a family run place with mom,nieces,sons,an sisters cooking and working here.Your food is cooked fast an you leave happy.I had food withdrawals when they renovated the place.I was glad when they finally opened. read more

Four stars. Good, honest plate lunch foods and other food items. Filling and satisfying to the opu. I need to try more foods to make a final determination of the goodness of Tatsuo's. To be continued.... read more

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food is da bomb, hamburger steak is the go to item for me, awesome! i close to the airport too for the inflight bento!!!

This place is a hidden treat. Found this place during the Okinawa FEASTival week, they are Okinawa owned and have Okinawa dishes. I picked up containers of their Shoyu Pork, Nishime and Pork Spare Rib soup. Needless to say all 3 dishes were delicious! It reminded me of my grandma's cooking, just the right amount of brown sugar and shoyu with ginger. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook for their daily specials. I will definitely be going back to eat my way through their specials! read more

We were hungry after arriving in Honolulu. I looked up places to eat and Tatsuo's was the closest place to the airport that came up with good reviews. So glad we made the stop there because the food and service were both very good! I had the mochiko chicken and my husband had the pastele stew, which were both very good. Their macaroni salad was probably my favorite though and we have yet to find a macaroni salad on the island that's as good as theirs! read more

Tried to eat here one day. Arrived at 2:10pm and they were closed. So I went to Pet Central to look around and I ended up buying a puppy. I blame this dog on Tatsuo restaurant. read more

Called in a phone order at 9:36 according to my phone and was advised it will be 15 minutes so I arrived 20min later. Counter person said just waiting on the fish bcuz it's fried and it takes a while (Really? Deep Fried fish). So after 36 minutes passed from my initial call I asked the counter person how's my plate coming - all the while I was waiting patiently bcuz it was fairly busy. Buggah never even ask the cook how long on the fish just told me we got a lot of orders that came in. I said I called in my order and he said smugly that I ordered after 10 so I replied not according to my phone it's been 36 minutes......exactly, zero response, not even one apology. Food was tasty, Teri beef good , fish was soft but I'm pretty sure it was supposed to come with tarter sauce or mayo. SUMMARY: Bad service, no follow up for someone who phone ordered and then waited patiently. I inquired and was basically advised that I'm being impatient when it took 36min for one Redondo hot dog, Teri beef and a Panko battered deep fried filleted fish. BTW: I love places like this, I'm hoping when I return things change so I can write a positive review. Alohas read more

Tatsuo's is not your typical plate lunch place. Well it is, but plus a lot more! They have everything you would expect from a local plate lunch place including chicken katsu, hamburger steak, burgers, etc. We order lunch from Tatsuo's for our office a couple times a month and we've been satisfied every time. The real kicker here is their daily specials. Their daily specials range from fried moi and pork and bittermelon to shrimp pasta and fried chicken curry. The portions here are HUGE. Their mini (around $5) is the size of a regular plate lunch and is always too much for me. They always have a few different veggie selections in addition to rice and mac or toss salad. I believe today's veggie selections were corn, coleslaw, kim chee, and warabe. They also have breakfast bentos that are cheap and really good, and since they open so early it's perfect for us Shipyard employees to pick up before work. read more

I've never ate at this place before, but I've seen posts and the food looked really good. At a recent family reunion party, I needed to bring pupus and chanced it and called them to get some information. Gavin helped me and asked me a few questions so he could get an idea of how much food to order (he didn't want me to order too much), which I thought was a good idea. He offered me a few options and told him that I'll get back to him. He told me to place the order a few days before the pick up date, so he could smoke the meat. I placed the order for teri meatballs for 50 people and 10 lbs. of smoked meat with onions, four days ahead of the party with a promised pick up time at 10am. On the day of the party, he called me around 9:30am and said that the order would be ready a little after 10am, which was okay because I was running a little late because of other errands and traffic. At exactly 10:10am, I got another call from Gavin saying that the order was done and ready for pick up. At my arrival, he had it all prepared and ready to go, payment was painless, he helped me to my car, and packed a little extra cookies as a thank you. BTW, those shortbread chocolate chip cookies he packed for me -- well it was GOOD! Now the food. The teri meatballs was good, the sauce was balanced and not too sweet. The meatballs itself was tender and soft. The smoked meat though, that got big complements from the party, in fact it was gone before anything else. The meat was smoked to perfection and the onions were plentiful and done right. I didn't realize how popular this place was until I started to tell everyone where the food was from, most of them knew Tatsuo's on Alahao St. and from what I gathered, they really like the shoyu chicken there. I guess if I ever need to cater food, Tatsuo's is the place I'll be calling in the future. You simply can't beat the price, service, and quality of food here. read more

Affordable, super ono-licious food, excellent & friendly service! Definitely a favorite!

A coworker of mine told me about this place called Tatsuo's and was raving about it being a good family run place, so I had to try it out. Tatsuo's is located right off of Nimitz highway. You have to turn into Sand Island Access Road and then make your first right turn. You can't miss it once you make that right turn. Parking is limited to 4 stalls but you can also find street parking. Since it's located in an area with only business they are open Monday to Friday from 5:30am to 2:00pm. Closed Saturday, Sundays and Holidays. Breakfast is served from 5:30am to 10:30am and lunch is from 10:30am to 2pm. The food is a mixture of local and Japanese selections. You have your hamburger steak, garlic chicken, chicken katsu, tonkatsu, curry, laulau, tripe stew, etc. The prices are within the $5.15 to $5.75 range for a mini and $6.65 to $9.99 range for a regular. Note: the $9.99 price is for a 3 choice mix plate. They also offer daily specials in addition to their normal menu. The plates come with; choice or brown or white rice, choice of toss or potato mac salad and a choice of side dish (namasu, tomato with onion, kim chee, etc) which varies. I brought along 2 of my coworkers for lunch yesterday and here's what we had: Me - regular chicken katsu ($6.95+tax) with white rice, potato mac salad and tomato and onion. The katsu was really flaky on the outside and juicy on the inside. Tasted like something mom or grandma would serve you. The portion size was good and taste just right. The katsu sauce was sweet and tangy so it complimented the katsu nicely. coworker1 - regular kim chee fried rice ($6.65) with toss salad and skipped on the side dish. It came wrapped in an egg omelet and filled the take out plate completely. Toss salad was placed on the side so the plate was full. Coworker1 said it tasted really good. Maybe even better then Big City Diner. Must have been good cause there was no leftover. coworker2 - mini hamburger steak ($5.75) with white rice, toss salad and namasu. The mini plate looked just like a full size order. They use the same size plate as the regular order. The hamburger steak was grilled with onions and a brown gravy sauce. The portion was big for a mini and filled up coworker2. One comment was that it's one of the better hamburger steaks around. There was a slight teri taste to the patty but no it wasn't a May's patty. It was homemade. There's tables as well if you decide to dine in but since there's only a few parking stalls most customers were doing take out. Price, portion and taste gives this place a solid 4 stars! read more

Great local food and atmosphere, not many places sell smoke meat and I really appreciate variety, like laulau kalua pig, steak, garlic chicken, gandule rice, etc. Love the ac, service is great, the only down fall is they're only open for brunch. read more

Tatsuo's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Went here once and never will go back ate the kimchi Fried rice and it had little to no taste at all and my Bf's potato mac which had Eggshells in it and the owner is a really mean lady and doesn't take criticism to well and her son has a real attitude problem. I don't care much for the location either. read more

I've found that some of the best plate lunch places are a bit off the beaten path. The Sand Island Access Road area is a perfect example with several good options. Tatsuo's is just off the top of Sand Island Access Road on Alahao Place. Family run, they put out some of the best home cooked plate lunches around. Laurie also has a delicious selection of baked goods daily to go with your plate lunch. From Melting Moments Cookies to Chocolate Chip to Corn Flake to Peanut Butter and even Butter Mochi once in a while. The specials for lunch are changed daily and they offer a great variety for just about any taste. On a recent visit I got the Prime Rib w/ Green Beans that was delicious. Prepared in a sort of stir fried fashion, with the meat nicely seasoned, it made for a great satisfying lunch. Friendly atmosphere along with good home cooked style food makes Tatsuo's another go to spot for lunch. read more

Tatsuo's - Lunch time!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Tatsuo's seems like a regular lunch plate establishment. They listed fried akule as one of their specials of the day. I LOVE whole fried fish. I gnaw everything down to the bone (if the bone is not edible, otherwise, the whole fish is eaten). Came with the normal sides and lemon for the fish. It was on the higher end for a plate lunch, but satisfying. read more

This place was an absolute gem and find on our trip. Hidden behind a busy industrial area and tucked in an alleyway this is where you find the heart and soul of Honolulu. It is deceivingly small and has all sorts of workers coming and going giving you a sense of authenticity as it is where the locals eat, not where the advertisements tell you to go. I was lucky enough to try a local favorite the black mushroom and pork stew served with two heaping scoops of white rice and a side of macaroni and potato salad. The only word I can use to summarize this gastronomic adventure is WOW! The flavors where as rich and genuine as the people who helped us, and the furikaki chicken I got to accompany this masterpiece left a smile on me for the rest of the day. This mom and pop shop didn't disappoint at all. What made me sad while leaving is this cultural life force and icons just like it are slowly going extinct thanks to chain restaurants and fast food. I only hope they stay strong and more people find there way to Tatsuo's so that next time we are in Hawaii they can win out hearts again. read more

This is my very first post on Yelp. I finally felt compelled to share my personal opinion. My review is based on what I received at the Mango Jam on 6/22/19. I ordered a Shoyu Pork for a friend and a Chicken Nishime for myself. My review is of my Nishime. I have included a photo of my "chicken" Nishime. There was NO CHICKEN, SO SWEET THAT IT WAS INEDIBLE and had NO CHICKEN. This wasn't at a restaurant with table service...Mango Jam, and my Nishime SANS CHICKEN cost $12.00. They had their shot at earning my interest in their restaurant but they BLEW IT read more

Tatsuo's - Chicken Nishime with IMAGINARY CHICKEN - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii