Castro’s

The gist: This family-owned restaurant serves Cuban classics alongside an espresso bar in a colorful dining room.
The food: Owner Luis Castro, who has worked in many high-profile kitchens in Honolulu for several years, developed the menu for his self-named restaurant. Sandwiches like the cubano or the choripan (with linguica, mushroom chimichurri and roasted garlic aioli) are great for first timers, but for a real treat, get the ropa vieja (filled with 12-hour slow cooked grass-fed brisket, grilled onions, and green goddess aioli). The tres leches French toast with local fruits is also a must-have. Castro also interprets avocado toast in his own way, with parsley mojo sauce, pickled red jalapenos, and local radishes on olive bread. If all of that weren’t fabulous enough, about 90% of the ingredients used are local and from family-owned farms.
The cost: Items are between $14 to $18.
How to book: Walk-ins only. Seating is first-come, first-served.