Paradise Palms

Unbelievable! How long have I been going to school at UH Manoa and never knew about this place!!! Partly because I don’t have any classes anywhere near this area to have even known about Paradise Palms. A place that houses at least 5 – 6 different restauarants all under one roof! Famous L&L Barbecue, Panda Express, a couple Cafes as well as an Indian Restaurant famous for their Curry. Also, a microwave flushed against one of the walls for your convenience to heat your own food brought from home. Definitely a place I’ll be making frequent visits just to avoid the Campus Center Cafeteria’s famous Gralic Chicken!!! Our world deserves variety and Paradise Palms does exactly that!!!

**This review is for Super Gyros.**
Avoid! Eh… I should’ve known better than to order a gyro from a vendor I’ve never heard of, but I thought I’d take a chance and give the place the benefit of the doubt. Oh well, lesson learned. The meat they use for the gyro is blah in flavor and texture. The only reason I ate it at all was because I was starving! I’d rather spend my $ 7 at Subway next time.

Good food but bad service! I feel ppl over here does not have a fucking God damn integrity! Especially those rude ass workers at the India Café Express. I don’t know if these workers had education but the way they treat the customers is just terribly bad! They say like ‘what do u want’ (with a grumpy look). SHAME on these workers! If you guys don’t want your jobs, LEAVE! Don’t take ur shit out of your customers! That’s just unprofessional! Im disgusted with the management that they don’t emphasize customer service and GOOD MANNERS! Because these workers looks like they have no higher education! It’s something to think about! What a shame! Too bad they serve great food but you don’t would loose the appetite after being treated like SHIT! These ppl don’t even deserve one star!

Nothing really special about this place. I mean it has a lot of food options. But that’s about it. It’s essentially a hub. I’ll need to give individual reviews for each vender that’s inside.
So this place it not a restaurant, it hosts them though. It is however, spacious. It has a lot of indoor and out door seating. They also have a few televisions for people to watch. But the place is a bit messy. It’s not terrible, it’s essentially like a mall food court, with some trash around, birds sneaking in, and a greasy atmosphere. The restrooms are okay… I say it should be cleaner, but it has soap, water, and paper towels, so at least it has the basics.
So what’s in here? They have a coffee shop, an indian food vendor, L&L vender, Panda Express vendor, gyro vendor, Domino’s vender, and another vender that has an assortment of stuff in the middle of all the vendors. That vendor has yogurt, poke bowls, sandwiches, and other small kind of items.
Anyway, restrooms play a big part on how I rate a place. So if the restrooms were maintained with better cleanliness, I’d give 4 stars. Another down side is that the A/​C doesn’t always work so it feels more hot a greasy sometimes.
But for students, with home lunch, and a laptop, it’s perfect for some shelter from the elements and outlets for power.

Lots of good options but the hours are limited and they don’t give napkins or forks like at campus center. Only to paying customers. Sounds like I’m being stingy but I’m a poor college student oh well. Microwave available which I love

Paradise palms has a variety of vendors. The main drawback is that it’s usually very crowded at or near lunch time. The food is okay but, can be a little pricey! The selection could also be improved! Also, the vendors here do not have bags to carry takeout in. You must bring your own!

Since I’ve recently veered completely away from soda, the curb has really quenched my thirst with their variety of tea selection.
I used to always stick to what I knew (iced peach green tea) but one of the baristas recently introduced me to the passion pineapple and I am so happy that she did.
It was just the right amount of pineapple juice and you even have the option of having black or green tea. Today I decided to try the black and it was just absolutely splendid. On top of that, the large was only $ 3.66 with tax! WHAT A DEAL!
I gave this cute little café a 5 out of 5 because they have overall friendly customer service, delicious and thirst quenching drinks, and the best part is that is so cheap!

1.15.13
It’s late & I almost forgot to write a post for today so this one will probably be short… (although if you haven’t noticed I tend to get carried away and usually write novels).
I have to say that Paradise Palms has come a long way since I first became a UH student a couple years ago. In hindsight, I didn’t really like going to PP because it didn’t really offer much food selection before; the only benefit of the place was that it offered a lot of tables/​chairs and a place to meet or get some work done without having to sneak eating food.
During it’s renovation I loved how UH brought some food truck vendors on board to service Upper Campus students’ food needs. It was slightly inconvenient though since they closed all of PP’s indoor seating area. Now that it’s reopened, the seating area is still the same (UH why couldn’t you upgrade the tables and chairs?! Note of caution, make sure you check your table before you sit down, there’s a lot of wobblers!). However, food selection is better; there’s The Curb if you’re in need of a coffee fix, L&L, India Café (beware: the mild is STILL hot! and they also serve gyros!), Panda Express, Domino’s, a yogurt bar and an area that sells various sandwiches/​wraps/​pizza breads. My go to’s are usually The Curb and Domino’s (yet another guilty pleasure – their crust is SO good!!).
I love coming here since I can eat and get work done at the same time. I feel like the lighting in there could be brighter/​more natural and the temperature is pretty chilly, but sometimes thats nice on those hot days. Another thing to take note of, it can get pretty crowded so try to get there before peak hours (i.e. before lunch around 11:00) to grab a seat or come with friends to save yourself a table! Overall, nice upgrade PP!
Unilocal 365 Challenge: #015/​365

I usually meet a few friends at paradise palms a couple times a week and I enjoy coming here. There’s a pretty decent selection of food and drink available here. I especially love that they have a Panda Express!
The unfortunate thing is that it can get very crowded at peak hours. Be prepared to wait for your food/​in line for up to 20 minutes.
There’s lots of seating in and outside and there are also restrooms located in the building.

Alright so this isn’t exactly one of those glamorous dining halls or anything but there are a lot of seats. It fills up during the middle of the day between classes but it’s air conditioned. I don’t care for most of the food places there but they have The Curb coffee and L&L express definitely places that are a must for lunch if you visit. They have gone through some rennovations in the past few years hopefully it’s done changing for now.
Oh! Before I forget there are pigeons walking around INSIDE… =[ that’s the main reasons for the low marks. I’ve only noticed this recently so hopefully it will be taken care of and soon. I think part of the problem is that people going in and out don’t close the doors. (they do automatically close but a few people open it all the way to lock position and don’t close them)

Paradise Palms has reopened its doors to their students with new vendors that catches the student’s eye.
From frozen yogurt to pizza, students can order their favorite meals and chill out at the dining room.
The reality?
It’s a maze! I know there are lines that lead to the vendors, but is it going towards one direction (oh gawd not the group) or no direction? There have been times when I felt so confused I had no idea where the line’s starting point is. A perfect example is the Panda Express and Dominoes lines. Sometimes, the Panda Express line collides with the Dominoes line, so standing in the wrong line by accident is bound to happen.
There’s also a coffee shop (The Curb), L&L (more like HELL&HELL *check out my November update*), India Café, Super Gyros, sorry I forgot your name yogurt bar, Panda Express, and Dominoes. I’ve never tried the other places yet probably because the lines are long or they just don’t appeal to me. It just deserves three stars because the outdoor seating areas need more umbrellas due to the sun’s harmful rays.
Other than that, Paradise Palms accepts cash and credit cards.

When I first transferred to UH 3 years ago, I quickly took a liking to this place because I felt the food was 10x better than anything else being sold on campus. And although I continued to feel that way as time went on, I slowly got tired of eating here because it was always so crowded and the service (lack for a better word) pretty much sucked. Since the renovation however, I am pleasantly surprised. At the same time though, I still think they could have done a little more cleaning up (& I’m talking about getting rid of the old registers that were in the middle) instead of just covering it with green tarp.
The food options have greatly improved. When I found out that they were re-​opening Paradise Palms this Fall semester, I was most excited to hear that The Curb was given a permanent contract, especially considering I (as well as a few other students) urged dining services via email (s) to keep their truck on campus as a vendor. Little did we know they were going to let them go brick & mortar.
In addition to The Curb… There is also L&L Hawaiian BBQ, India Café & Super Gyros (yes, they moved from their previous location in front of Webster Hall), Panda Express, Dominos Pizza, & Honolulu Gourmet Foods. All of which are great by the way. Other than The Curb, the other vendor I especially like here is Honolulu Gourmet. They have a ton of healthy organic options! I really like their focaccia sandwiches, they’re good to grab & go. They also have some really good salads & not to mention, FROZEN YOGURT! Who doesn’t love frozen yogurt? Especially after a long, hot day of classes.
The only downfall is (& I know pretty much every college student can relate) that it can get pretty pricey. If there’s one thing I dislike most about the new setup at Paradise Palms is that they did away with the acceptance of meal plans…& trust me, for us students who dorm, it’s a real bummer!
31 Unilocal Review Challenge: #10/​31

The newly renovated Paradise Palms has certainly improved in dining options and variety. However, these improvements also brought more problems into the situation.
I used to avoid Paradise Palms like the plague because of how overpriced the food was and how lacking the options were. With the new renovations, Paradise Palms has expanded their options to establishments such as Panda Express, L&L, The Curb, India Café Curry, Domino’s, and more. The variety makes it so that students can enjoy a different meal everyday without having to leave campus grounds.
However, because of these renovations, Paradise Palms has also become overcrowded and is difficult to maneuver. Lines for every establishment sloppily collide with one another and students (including myself) are often confused with where a line starts and where it ends. How every establishment has their own cash register is also a problem if you want to buy different items from different areas. Have fun lining up twice (or more)!
In the end, I’m happy with the variety but frustrated with the lack of organization.

Now that I’ve been going to UHM for a few years, I’ve never took the initiative to go to the old Paradise Palms and the new Paradise Palms until I’ve been seeing the Curb’s macaroons and iced coffee drinks all over Instagram and Unilocal.
Came here yesterday for lunch because I was on my weekly Pizza crave… Headed over to Domino’s with no line unlike the Curb, L&L and Panda Express. I got me a slice of the vegetable pizza for a little over $ 3.I like how they have a huge bottle of the Parmesan cheese and chili pepper flakes at the end of the register. The pizza slice was really good, soft, cheesy and a fairly good size.
I also got the iced chai latte from the curb which wasn’t the greatest. I do like how there are other options now at UH other than the cafeteria and Subway. I also like how there are a lot of tables inside Paradise palms as well as outside.

2012 RENOVATION! WOW!
5 stars for the new line up — but 1 star for organization!
they now house The Curb, India Café Curry, Honolulu Gourmet, L&L, Panda Express, Super Gyros, and Dominoes pizza…
while the new vendors are a GREAT and needed upgrade to UH campus dining options, the layout is way too clustered and too close together.
also, why is there a separate cashier for every vendor? — OK, so this might be a good and a bad thing…
good b/​c then there will be no huge long lines to wait in to pay for your food…
but bad b/​c what if you want to get different things from different vendors? what if i want a salad from Honolulu Gourmet, and then a bottled soda from the Dominoes fridges? i would then have to stand and pay in 2 different lines.
also, b/​c they didnt actually move any thing (i’m talking about the center area where Honolulu Gourmet is now located), the lines run into each other, causing more chaos during peak hours.
it makes sense for The Curb to have their own separate line and cashier b/​c if someone is just grabbing a coffee, then ok… but for all the food vendors? there has to be a better system than this…

The newly renovated Paradise Palms is awesome. What an improvement to UH’s culinary scene (if you can call it that). So far I’ve tried the chicken pasta salad and fro-​yo from Honolulu Gourmet Company. Both were excellent. It’s nice to see UH step it up a notch as far as the dining options go. Now if only they could clean up the administration… lol

Wow.
Paradise Palms is under new management and you can definitely tell. Honestly, the old Paradise Palms kind of sucked! They always had the same food, which wasn’t really good.
The «new» Paradise Palms now has Super Gyros, The Curb (once a coffee lunch wagon), Domino’s Pizza Express, L&L (more of an express style L&L with limited menu), Honolulu Gourmet, India Café, and Panda Express! Honolulu Gourmet has a frozen yogurt bar. ;)
I’m really happy for the new lineup. When Paradise Palms was closed, it was such a hassle for me to get food because Campus Center is farther away AND so busy all the time. It’s about time that this place had a makeover. Hopefully time will tell if the new management is doing a good job, but I’m definitely excited for the change since my workplace is nearby.
Suggestions for improvement: one of the vendors needs to start selling Pepsi Max bottles (or cans – whatever). Wish they accepted the meal plan/​points as well.

Paradise Palms is one of the few cafeteria-​like eateries on campus.
This is my favorite spot on campus to chill and grab a bite between classes. Paradise Palms does breakfast, pastries, lunch, Chinese, Local, and a lot more. Plus, toast your own bagels! They even have a pseudo-​café that serves up various types of specialty coffees and blended beverages. I appreciate the fact that I can get my coffee relatively fast without having to wait in the ridiculous We-​Proudly-​Serve-​Starbucks line at Campus Center. Also, Paradise Palms is very open and well-​lit. There’s also covered outdoor seating available.
Unilocal 365 — #102/​365

I am always here on my breaks.
I would give this place FOUR stars, so read why it’s only gonna get THREE.
The Good
* Food is good
* Good enough selection to stop whatever it is your craving for
* Lines are shorter than the Campus Center Cafeteria
* The Hawaiian guy that works at the burger place is always so nice! :) He’s awesome
* Hawaiian cashier lady with all the bracelets is a sweetheart
* Free water cups
The Bad
* The…
* Smell…
* Of
* B. O…
The Weird
* Okay literally, I thought this place smelled like BO because SOMEONE smelled like BO, right? that’s normal to think that.
Day-​by-​day, the smell was always there. like in the eating area… yeah the smell of damn B.O. is probably STUCK onto the walls, chairs, and tables of this place because it will NOT go away.
AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT SMELLS IT!
and omg, this is a place to eat your food! why can someone febreze the place, or clean it completely. wipe it down!
either than ORRRRR Paradise Palms should give out free deodorant!
I don’t know but… IT’S NASTY!!!
* and that’s why they are only getting three stars.

Unilocal 365: ⁰⁰⁵⁄₃₆₅
I thought that this place deserves a bit more credit.
The selection of food here may not be great, but sufficient; especially when you are in a rush or do not have much time to dine. So far, all I know about this place is that it houses a Chinese place, Leo’s Taverna, and a coffeeshop. I admit that I haven’t really explored this place as well as I would like to; yet.
I have only tried the coffeeshop so far and the coffee it serves are from Starbucks. They also make lattes and other coffee creations. That’s…okay. However, they sell salads and sandwiches among many other things at this place at an affordable price.
They open really early and I love hanging out here. It’s a good, quiet place to study and relax; watching the news. It’s also has great outdoor seats if you want to sit outside and relax; enjoying the sun. In either case, this place is sometimes better than campus center since it has less foot traffic.
That is review number five! Unilocal POWER!!!