Ronnie’s Kitchen

Ronnie’s Kitchen is located at the Sand Island Center building along with two other breakfast and lunch eateries that cater mainly to blue collar works in the area.
What distinguishes this place from the other food vendors is that their menu is few – around 10 selections or less– and the menu is written on a white board that changes either daily or weekly. As a consumer, I am releived that they made room in their low priced menu ($ 7.75 to 8.75 no tax) for variety and a bit of unpredictability.
Upon walking into Ronnie’s Kitchen, I was pleasantly greeted by a cheery, energetic, and attentive host, who later turned out to be the cashier and the expediter of my order. She knew everyone by name without missing a beat – I experienced service at its most excellent.
I ordered beef curry with a second choice of beef lasagna. Mind you, this place – the dining area and the type of foods offered are utilitarian due to the majority of customers frequenting this place. That said, the lasagna was hearty with a charred layer of cheese skin. The curry was typical – consisted of stewing beef, carrots, and potato. I know of no where else on the island or on the mainland where my combination plate lunch could exist – it was a tasty existence at $ 8.75 total.
If I ever again find free time between 10am to 2pm, I will be back.

I’ve actually been to Ronnie’s a few times. The company I used to work for would pick up lunch from there quite often. They are located on Sand Island Access Rd by L&L and is run by the cutest couple ever!
The wife is the cashier and is the sweetest lady I’ve met in a long time. Really gives you that homey feeling when she chit chats with you while you wait for your food.
They don’t really have a set menu besides their sandwiches so its best to call ahead to see what daily specials are because they are always changing. They are also only open till 2pm on weekdays which makes it hard to get there unless you work close by and can leave with enough time on your lunch break (hence the 4 stars).
The food tho is pretty bomb! Every thing is made to order which means there is ually a bit of a wait but I promise it is well worth it!
What I’ve tried and loved:
French Dip sandwich
hot pastrami sandwich
kalua pig and cabbage
pastele stew
this catch of the day fish plate with a cream sauce (sorry cant remember the specifics lol)

First time eating here, great service! And the lady taking orders is the Sweetest lady iv ever met, very helpful and great vibe… and the food is amazing! I will be here again for sure!

This is a great place known for their cheap eat plate lunches! Good for take out or for a casual dine in there.
Catering primarily to the Sand Island industry, anytime I’m in the area or craving a good plate lunch for under $ 8, I gotta hit up RONNIE’s Kitchen!
I always check out their daily specials, but my backup go to is their cheesesteak or French Dip w/​au ju
They used to have lobster/​steak plates on Fridays, which they need to bring back :)

I havent written a review in a while but becsuse I had such a great time here, I just had to say a few good words about this place. Great customer service and the food was so yummy! I got the cheeseburger deluxe with fries and everything was so tasty. They said the menu changes daily so that’s pretty awesome! I will totally be back when I’m in the area again!

I’m a retuning employee to the area after 9 years of working on the leeward side.
I live in central Oahu, and despite the commute, town is the place to work…
So on the nuts and bolts… since the beginning of March I’ve eater here a multitude of times. never disappointed.
Go hungry, leave happy!

Was in the neighborhood, so thought we’d check out Ronnies kitchen for the first time today. And so glad we did, place is good! Restaurant is family owned, we walked in and were greeted quickly by the friendly staff. Oh! Also, food came out super fast which was good, we were hungry! The gf ordered the siracha salmon with roast pork, and gotta say the roast pork was really good, super tender. Salmon was good with just the right amount of kick/​spice to it. I myself had the French dip sandwich which hit the spot. Great part, all for around $ 15! If any tips I can give is parking is kinda tight, so maybe come early or later after the lunch rush (10am-​2pm btw) But heads up if you come later, they may run out of some of the lunch specials, which was the case when we came in. Looking forward to eating here again, Probably sooner than later lol

Cute little place on Sand Island Access Rd. Owner is very nice and they have a little seating area.
Food is yummy for the price. I never was into pastrami sandwiches but this place has the best pastrami sandwich on island! They also offer burgers but the best part is they use baguette bread and toast it… so yummo! My other fav is the crab crusted ahi plate, but this isn’t regularly offered so you just gonna have to keep coming back and checking for it! but you won’t be disappointed I never am.
Be advised that since this is in an industrial area that this place closes around 330 ish but is open early for breakfast.

The food here is always good, but can be a bit greasy. It’s mainland food with some local dishes incorporated. The wait staff is always accommodating and friendly.

We’ve come here tons of times for lunch. We like to stay and eat there. I forget her name, but the lady that’s up front and rings everyone up is one of the most pleasant, happy people I’ve ever met. She’s always smiling, or singing along to a great song on the radio, or joking with customers. The food is really good too! Last time I had the beef curry, and I don’t know what the cook puts in it other than curry but it’s just a bit more rich with an added flavor I can’t quite put my finger on. She was telling me about how they participate in local foodie events, and how much fun it is.
Things we have enjoyed:
Beef Curry
Pork Guisantes
Hamburger Steak
Island Roast Chicken
Chicken Katsu
Philly Cheesesteak
Pork Adobo
Meatloaf

Ronnie’s is the place to go if you want a good plate lunch. They serve a good amount of food, prices are reasonable, and the food taste great. My co workers and I eat there regularly and literally everything we’ve had from there taste great.

I went because of their new iDcard discount of $ 22 for an 8oz prime rib and whole Maine lobster dinner. However after reading some Unilocal reviews, I was like, wth, it seems like they have that special all the time. But after going there, they explained that the special that Unilocaler Michael C had quoted was their «grand opening» special and they no longer have it.
Also from Michael C’s review, Ronnie’s Kitchen does not have the «white tablecloth» fine dining experience.
So here’s what happened at dinner last night, Friday: I was running late for a get together. My friend placed my order and by the time I got there, salad had arrived. I looked around the table quickly and noticed that we were drinking water out of red plastic cups and there were no steak knives, it was just butter knives…
Salad was okay, nothing bad nor good, it’s just caesar salad.
The entrée came out and its huge! but alas, no steak knife for my juicy prime rib…
The lobster was nice and tender, a good size too, not one of those small baby ones.
Then we had red velvet cake and that was good, not dry, not bland but not great. So I had most of that.
I liked their vintage old Hawaii art collectibles on the wall — its the designs for old postcards and stuff and for some reason I like looking at them. Oh, their bathroom is in the back alley and hopefully no one plays a prank on you because the light switch is outside of the bathroom. It’s BYOB and there’s a liquor store a few steps away if you forget to bring your own beer/​wine. There’s only one server and one chef and they were both really nice people.
All in all, it was a good dinner… It seems like they are more a plate lunch restaurant and they are trying out the dinner service so I’m cutting them some slack with the butter knife and the plastic red cups. It’s a great deal so if I’m ever in the mood for Maine lobster, I will be back and I know what to expect.

First time here. Price not bad. Food right, wish they would give more. Fish a little fishy but the country fried chicken was good.

**Prime Rib and Whole Maine Lobster for $ 20. BYOB.**
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If that doesn’t grab your attention, I don’t know what will. I don’t know of any other restaurants that do this. I don’t think I’ve even seen this kind of deal in Vegas, where casinos run specials to get you in the door. And yet, Ronnie’s is stepping it up by opening on Friday and Saturday evenings featuring this and other great deals.
In the three months since I wrote my last review of Ronnie’s, I have fallen so in love with this restaurant that I eat lunch here three out of five days of my work week. If there were a way for me to give six stars, I would do it. Not only because of the great food, the incredible prices, the joyful staff, but because they keep it consistent every single day of the fifty-​or-​so times I’ve eaten here.
Tonight, I was their first customer in the door for their evening soft open, and I got to go into the kitchen and talk to the chef, Timothy McDonough, who hails from the hallowed halls of the five-​diamond Halekulani’s F&B establishment, and grew up mentoring under his father, a famed chef in the Chicagoland area well known for some of the country’s top-​rated steakhouses, who was himself mentored under and then himself later hired some of Europe’s best chefs to work for him to build his restaurant.
Ronnie’s normal hours are 10 to 2, but they plan to open into Friday and Saturday evenings until 8PM for dinner. They plan on converting Ronnie’s into a white-​tablecloth restaurant in the evenings, serving great food at an extremely good value, expanding their menu as they test the waters.
Their headline promotion is actually the most expensive thing on the menu, and it’s still only $ 20 tax included. This means you could, since they are BYOB, have a white tablecloth dinner for two, two 8oz Prime Rib and 2 1-​lb Whole Maine Lobsters and a bottle of wine from the liquor store next door (actually, a few doors down) for under $ 50. The meals all come with rice or potato, and a salad. $ 2 more for a loaded baked potato (which is what I got).
Photo:
If I could find a sensible woman who enjoys good food at a great value, this is a place I think could be a regular place we’d eat.
FOOD:
Great. The Prime Rib is actual Prime beef, seasoned perfectly and cooked perfectly (thin brown ring, deep pink throughout), which is a hallmark of experience and doing it slow and good. The Lobster was perfectly cooked, juicy and fresh, not even needing seasoning or drawn butter, with its own natural sweetness.
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Their daytime food is incredible, with a rotating menu of specials including fresh fish and various comfort foods, burgers, and one of the best Philly Cheesesteaks I’ve ever had. Also, if they are serving the Crab-​Crusted Ahi that day, and they haven’t run out yet, order it.
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VALUE:
Incredible. I don’t think you can find deals like this even in Vegas anymore. I will probably be bringing Cheap Eats here (I don’t know why I haven’t contacted Russ yet). Their daytime food pricing is unbelievable, between $ 6 and $ 7 or so, tax included.
PARKING:
In the evening, not a problem at all. There are far fewer cars blasting down Sand Island Access Road and plenty of parking.
SERVICE:
Please read my last review. It’s what drew me to love Ronnie’s so much. Chef Tim and Jamie are two of the most gracious people I have met in the restaurant business. Going to Ronnie’s is literally sometimes the only bright spot I have in my day, and I always leave with positive energy going back into my day.
VERDICT:
⁵⁄₅ — Again, Ronnie’s is truly a jewel in the rough; one of those restaurants that I feel blessed to have stumbled upon. And now that they’re opening in the evening, I now have a place to go get Prime Rib and Lobster for cheap, when I don’t want to go through the hassle of making it myself. This is a venture I want to help succeed, if not for selfish reasons of being able to eat here, but even just because the proprietors are such great people who truly care about taking care. Remember, they are only doing Prime Rib & Lobster (and the other dinner menu items) on Friday and Saturday evenings. Go any other evening and you will find them closed (for now at least).
For more information, please see my earlier review.

I’m pleasantly surprised with this place. First times e eaten here and they were great. The pastrami sandwich was excellent and the customer service was great. Our hostess was very helpful and efficient.
Two thumbs up for Ronnies! Defenately worth it!

Cheap eats!
Most of the plate lunches are $ 6.50 to $ 7. I tried the pastrami sandwich because I’m always on the lookout for good pastrami. Wasn’t the greatest pastrami, but okay. the best part was some of the pastrami was really crispy and tasted like bacon! $ 7 for the sandwich and fries. Not a bad deal. Others had the ono (fish) plate. Looked good to me, but he said needed a little bit of salt. Someone else had the stuffed cabbage and she said it was good.
Not a bad place, reasonable and pretty tasty so I’ll probably be back. Plus it’s close to the office!

pastrami sandwich – AMAZING.

Ronnie’s lunch wagon used to come near my job. I’m glad they have a shop near town. It’s on sand island access rd, east side on the road. The Pastele stew is winners. Very meaty dish. The restaurant is nice and clean.

The worst example of hole in the wall dinning. Crab crusted Ahi was cold and green leaf salad was warm. No décor or service.

Don’t ask me how the in the world I found this place. «Tim P at Sand Island Access Road» sounds so out of character! Regardless, I stumbled upon this place when I happened to be in the area and was dreading the prospect of buying a $ 7 bagel sandwich at Lox Of Bagels. Just a few hundred feet away was the answer to my prayers!
I step in with my father. They don’t completely have everything set up yet. A whiteboard menu of 5 items: Boneless Teri Chicken, Garlic Fried Chicken, Grilled Steak, Shoyu Pork, and Garlic Butter Ahi.
One item plate lunch is $ 6 and two item plate lunch is $ 7.
I sit myself on the chairs that they appears to have been purchased from some Waipahu yard sale in the 1930’s or something. I can’t determine what the deal is with these chairs, but they are a little odd and a little bit amusing. In a few minutes, our food comes out. I ordered the Garlic Butter Ahi/​Shoyu Pork and my dad ordered the Grilled Steak/​Teri Chicken (sorry fried chicken! I’ll have to order you next time!).
First thing I noticed is how generous the portions are here. I am so satisfied spending the [same amount of] money on this little mountain of food rather than a dinky sandwich from Lox Of Bagels. The shoyu pork is really tasty and juicy. The ahi was sad and overcooked. My dad’s steak was good, similar to what you would find from steak plate lunches elsewhere. My dad’s teri chicken was okay — I’ve never really been a fan of teri chicken for some strange reason, so I can’t give proper judgement.
So I mention quietly to my dad that my fish was dry dry dry, he said «well… ask for tartar sauce.» I told my dad «I don’t think a place with only 5 menu items, and only one of them being fish sold WITHOUT tartar, would carry tartar.» My dad has a knack for proving me wrong and enjoying it, as he managed to get tartar sauce from the woman working here.
The tartar sauce was surprisingly good, believe it or not! Almost redeeming of the fish. Emphasis on Almost though.
If I’m ever forced to be in the area again, this will definitely be an option I’d consider, but nothing I wanna go out of my way for.