Catania Ristorante Italiano
1111 Bishop St, Honolulu, HI, 96813
Catania Ristorante Italiano Menu
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Address :
1111 Bishop St
Honolulu, HI, 96813 - Phone (808) 528-4588
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:30 am - 7:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Maggie T.
I've been wanting to try this place for a few months now. My mother looooves pasta, so I thought I'd treat her to some delicious-looking pasta, where the portions are generous and the prices seemed decent. I had business in downtown and parked in the Ali'i Place. Since that was close to Catania, it was the perfect opportunity to check out the place. I ordered the Lasagna and the Shrimp Anchovy Olio (I had them substitute shrimp for the chicken -- extra charge). I also ordered two garlic breads at $1.25 each. They said it would take a lil while to make my order so I paid for everything and waited. There seemed to be a steady stream of customers so I assumed the food must be good. Half an hr later my order was finally done...it took that much longer because they had to make more garlic bread. The lasagna had a pretty good taste to it but the noodles were a bit overcooked in my opinion. The garlic bread was ok. The Anchovy Olio, was the worst I have ever had! The whole plate just reeked of fishy smell and the entire thing was way too salty. I was truly disappointed! I had to doctor it up to make it palatable. Maybe they had an off day. I've only tried two of their plates, but sadly, I feel I can only give them three stars for now. I don't foresee myself rushing back anytime soon.
(3)Shruti J.
I got the chicken vegetable linguini with garlic sauce. It had barely any garlic and was wayyyy too bland. I had to sprinkle a lott of oregano and red pepper so it had some spice and flavor. Not worth $12, although the portions are huge. With a tiny appetite like mine, I could easily make three portions out of this.
(3)Jo Z.
An awesome place to get your pasta on for lunch. They also have salads (bean salad, pea n bacon salad, chicken curry, etc). My usuals are the salad/sandwhich combo, which is the chicken parm with white bean salad. Or the chicken picatta...sooo goood. If you want a tasty carb load, get it here.
(5)Jordan S.
The quantity of food makes up for it being mostly "meh" as far as flavors good. I like their chicken parm and sausage sandwiches. The small combos are plenty of food, the flavors are ok, nothing great, service is quick, and prices are fairly cheap.
(3)Trisha G.
I've been here before, but I didn't remember it. The best part about this place is the amount of food that you get for the price. You get enough food for two meals. I ordered the Putanesca without protein (which is chicken on the menu). In the pound of pasta and sauce was probably a whole onion. First of all, putanesca doesn't traditionally have onions in it. No prob for an onion lover - WRONG. It was so excessive, I had to start picking them out. Don't get me wrong, the flavor is decent - it just was a bit much. Go here if you crave italian, are nearby and want leftovers.
(2)Masato I.
Had the anchovy olio, and was OK. The anchovies are ground and way over salted like it was a preservative. It's cooked with a heaping of garlic and not over coated with olive oil. It's tossed in the sauce right before it's served, but I have to echo Kyle H.'s sentiment that it's a bit overwhelming and you'll taste your lunch for hours... The portions are good and price is fair. Not gourmet by any means, nor do they seem to claim to be so... If you're going back to work, skip the anchovies.
(3)Val D.
This restaurant is my friend's favorite place, so because I'm a fellow foodie of hers, she brought me here to try this restaurant out. If you're really hungry, this is the place to go because they give you a heaping serving that can be shared by two for a very reasonable price: Eggplant Parmasiana - 3.5 stars - for $9.25 they gave a heapful of spaghetti with 3 large fried eggplant with tomato sauce. The eggplants were very thick. Although they were a little undercooked, I can't complain having so much of it that I felt like a blowfish ready to burst after eating the entire plate. Plus, it's not a simple dish to make, so it's very reasonable to order from here. Lasagne - 4 stars - I tried my friend's dish and I think it was a tastier dish. It also came with roasted vegetables. I think I'm going to order this dish next time since it's more time consuming to make as well. Service - 5 stars - the lady at the counter was very friendly and personable. They also had an array of vegetables to order, but I wanted to try the eggplant dish instead. The dish comes with a piece of bread that I took home to eat for breakfast the next day since there was already so much to eat They have a few tables to eat in the restaurant, and also tables outside for some fresh air..
(4)Jovie R.
Customer Service is great, food looks appealing in pictures but the taste could have been better. On my first (and last visit) I ordered the chicken sorrentino. The price was great for the amount of food received, it smelled delicious but the taste was not there. The noodles were semi-aldente, bland and overall tasted as if the entire meal was soaked (not cooked) in wine. Maybe the other entrees were good...maybe not.
(2)Anela A.
IF YOU CAN GET PAST THE BLANKET OF CHEESE I wanted a slice of pizza and salad from Harpos, but I didn't have any cash. So I went here, looking to satisfy my Italian food craving. They have a little salad bar, where you can choose different pasta salads for their sandwich combos. Also out is the lasagna and marinara sauces. Because those things looked decent, I opted for Pasta Anna, which is marinara pasta with breaded chicken breast and eggplant. This plate is huge- a mound of spaghetti with another mound of mozzarella cheese. The first couple bites were fine, but the cheese was too heavy and ruined it. I barely dented the plate but after I was done the heaviness of the dish gave way to a wave of guilt for eating all that cheese! I hate when that happens.
(2)Gaylynn C.
In the past i would give this place 5 stars. Recently (within the past couple of months), there are 2 new ladies working the front instead of the owner. Been coming to this place for years as i work in the area and the original owner working the front never got my order wrong, was always polite and gave generous portions which was worth the generous $$$ you pay. Since she's been gone they've gotten my order wrong twice, the portions are now "chinese" portions and the 2 ladies up front are rude. I am very disappointed with this place and they will definitely lose my regular business. I hesistate going in already if i walk past and see one of the ladies there.
(3)Lisa C.
I love this place!!! Their large salad sampler is my fave, as well as their clam linguine!! I probably eat here at least 3x a week. Consistently great food that is well worth the price.
(5)Annie Kim H.
My friend and I have been here before, but we had a decent experience last time. It's about $10 a plate, but the portions are huge and can feed two. I am writing this review because of our experience today, Saturday, and we went there around 12:30 p.m. They closed at 2:00. They only had penne and spaghetti noodles available when we got there. I prefer thicker noodles such as linguine or fettuccine, but ok...the penne is fine. My friend ordered a penne with tomato sauce (i forgot what hers was called) and I was going through the menu and I asked what was in their chicken anchovy olio. They told me it was "chicken, anchovies, and garlic tossed with a butter cream sauce--very good!!!" I have been here before so trusted what they said and I went with it. My friend's tomato pasta came out a creamy saucy, too mozzarella-cheesy for her liking, and the sauce was sugary-sweet. On top of that, they offered her Parmesan in case she needed it! (ok, offering her more parmesan is not such a bad thing--i just thought it was funny on top of all that cheese!) My pasta came out dry. Anchovies made the dish salty (expected) but I was also expecting there to be a "butter cream sauce" and maybe that would've balanced the saltiness! The chicken was dry as well. Again, having sauce would've helped it. Then we noticed--we weren't given any bread this time. My friend wanted bread with her pasta. I didn't need the bread since my pasta WAS TOO DRY. She went back up to the counter to ask for garlic toast. They said they didn't give out garlic toast/bread unless you ordered in advance and you would have to order a large quantity. She asked "ok, so you don't have any kind of bread at all??!" It didn't have to be garlic toast, she just wanted bread. The lady at the counter said no, so my friend came back to sit down and was over it BUT the lady came back to us and told us they didn't want to turn on the oven. That is when we lost it. What?! It's lunch hour! We can understand if we came in 30 minutes before closing, but it was still lunch time! And how can you be an Italian restaurant and not have bread for the pasta!!! AND we could've made these pasta plates at home and make it taste better than what we were served. In fact, i hate wasting food so I'll redo my pasta and make sauce for it! Soooo....we are never going back again because they are too cheap to turn on the oven to make us garlic toast and they actually told us that haha
(1)Carly H.
1.3.13 I realized today that most of my Yelp challenge will be dependent on whether or not I find a cool lunch spot during the work/school day...because really, I cannot afford to go out to eat every night! Today I found myself craving something warm & yummy to deter the cold, chilly feeling in the air and of course I end up wandering to Catania. Not only is Italian my FAV type of cuisine but I also have had a long time love affair with CHEESE, yes cheese! So, in typical Carly fashion I order the same as usual--the Penne Ricotta ($8.64)--a meatless, pasta-cheese-marinara delight that suffices for two meals! I know, I know, $8+ for a meatless dish? But trust me, the portions here are huge and I am never left hungry (the PR really does last for two meals). Again, the PR has plenty of cheese and the marinara sauce has a unique kick that leaves my mouth numb and watering for more even when my tummy protests "no more food"!! I've been to Catania a handful of times and SURPRISE I actually have tried another thing on their menu. Their salad runs for about ~$5-6 and you can choose your antipastas, which always look delectable! I did try their pasta salad which is more tomato-vinegar based than the Harpo's one and has a lot more veggies (i.e. bell peppers, onions, etc). However, there's just something about the Harpo's salad that just edges this one out (perhaps its the cheese cubes haha). Overall, I LOVE Catania! Def my fav Italian place in town thus far. The couple who runs this place is always super friendly too! I noticed that the lasagna looks ENORMOUS and AHHHmazing and there seems to be a lot of raving on Yelp about it so I will have to try that out the next time I head over there. Well, I'm off to finish this yummy meal--Ciao! :) Yelp 365 Challenge: #003/365
(4)Charlie C.
If I'm having a pasta craving, I come here for lunch. They give you BIG portions. It usually lasts me two days worth of lunch. Not surprisingly, this Italian joint is own by Chinese, but I think the pasta dishes I have eaten so far have been really good.
(4)Carlee P.
Pasta is soo delicious! Their daily specials always flavorful and hearty. The staff is also very friendly. This is also a BYOB restaurant. Wish I knew this before coming, I would have brought a bottle of wine :) I will definitely visit here again!!
(5)Kira K.
Cheap, quick and delicious!! The chicken Marsala mini portion is SO good, and extremely filling.. Only about $7!
(5)Erica W.
I am docking a star due to my experience today. The employees are friendly and the place is always clean but for some reason today the cook was slightly off on the pasta noodles. I ordered my usual of spaghetti with meat sauce and this is the first time in history where my pasta noodles was not al dente. It was mushy to the point that I couldn't finish my dish. Those that know me know that I hate to waste food but had no choice and after about 10 bites I gave up and threw it out. I'll give them a few more tries but I hope this was just an isolated incident.
(4)Jordana F.
It's not the best Italian food spot around, but it's good particularly for the cost and location. It's located on Bishop street in that little restaurant area next to Hawaiian Telcom. They have your typical Italian cuisine items (pastas, salads, garlic bread etc.). But they also have a salad bar! I've never actually ordered salads from here, but I've seen people pick and choose what they want for a salad. The selection is limited but still good for a small restaurant. The portions here are HUGE. So if you don't eat a lot, you might be taking home left overs.
(3)Mahina C.
When I crave pasta, i want A LOT of pasta...and now i finally realize why i was always told my eyes are always bigger than my stomach because i think i'm the hulk and put away food like i was starving for days. In actuality i'll eat maybe half of what I thought I was going to eat...with that being said, Catania definitely is up there when it comes to quantity for food. The portions for pasta is huge, but unfortunately that's the only upside to this place. I ordered the special with shrimp & chicken with a garlic alfredo sauce. I spent about 11 dollars for a huge portion of pasta so you can already imagine how excited I was... It smelled amazing and I couldn't wait to dig in when I got back to my office. As soon as i tried the pasta, i cried on the inside because there was absolutely no flavor, besides the garlic. The sauce to the pasta tasted just like watery sauce, minus the sauce. Maybe it was an off day? Maybe I ordered the wrong entree? for the price you pay, you definitely get overloaded on the portion, but lacks in the flavor big time! Quality over quantity any day!
(2)Julie E.
Not an italian place like I am used to. I got the shrimp/chicken/asparagus garlic pasta and although the portion was huge (two lunches at least) it just left me wondering "what the hell am I eating." It was like someone took leftover Chinese food and repurposed it to try and make it something else...I really don't know what else to say about it. Friendly service but I don't think I will be back.
(2)WM B.
Addicted to this place. Good portions. Good service. Good Eats!
(5)Lib A.
08/29/14 omg.. what happened to this place? Catania was our go to place when we were craving a good salad.. well not anymore.. food: I ordered the small salad [$6+] which consisted of two choices.. they have good selection of salads but I always order the chicken curry salad and the beet salad.. the chicken curry salad - after the first few bites something just didn't taste right.. as I continued to eat I realized what it was.. there was TOO MUCH mayonnaise.. it was so greasy that I felt like I was slathering my lips with lip balm.. and then I noticed there were areas where the curry powder wasn't mixed well.. ugh.. beet salad - the beets were good and the bell peppers were nice and crunchy so I know they were fresh.. portions: sad! I know that they expanded to another location but that's no reason to decrease the servings.. I didn't mind paying $6+ for a salad knowing I would be able to eat it over the course of two days.. but this time I barely got half of what it used to be.. sad and sorely disappointed! verdict: sad, disappointed and hungry.. I won't be going back which is sad because I've been going there for years.. even the girls at the office agree that the quality and quantity has changed for the worse.. oh well..
(1)Joe B.
Real quick.... Pasta, just the most basic Linguine with Marinara sauce, they do not drain the noodles!!! Not acceptable, even for fast food. Twice I have ended up with a mound of noodles in about a half in of water. There is just no need of this. It really takes away from fairly good cooking. Someone else said it is "fake Italian" on which agree because no one experienced in cooking Italian would do this to a customer. Portions are very large. Not sure how they treat their employees but that often has much to do with care put into the work. Aloha.... Works and eats in downtown Honolulu
(2)James S.
"Fake" italian food. The special of the day is the same thing everyday, just a different name. Not much flavor to the dishes. The lasagna is okay. Sloppy presentation. I have ate here maybe 5 times and by the time I get back to the office it's spilled all over the bag and leaked everywhere. I'd give this place another chance if it wasn't for the owners. They have given me and others attitude at the register. Especially at dinner time. The owner will be drinking wine and entertaining his friends, but when you go in to order, he acts as though you're inconveniencing him. Don't open if u don't want to cook.
(2)Jennifer B.
Eggplant parmigiana : the noodles are cooked well. The pasta part was actually yummy. My eggplant was slightly burned on the edges though and was also weirdly soggy all the way through. Calamari parmigiana: the calamari steak was not good. My friend forced herself to eat half of one and threw the other steak away. The way that it looked, I couldnt even touch it. Friendly staff, good service.
(3)Reid A.
I'm like Garfield. I love lasagna! I'm also lazy like Garfield. Cooking lasagna is pretty troublesome and time consuming. I usually resort to Costco frozen lasagna, which is pretty awesome. The lasagna here is good. The lasagna at Catania is huge and comes with a lot of sauce in the plate. I got take out from here and the plate was heavy. The price is pretty cheap for all the food you get. I have yet to try the other items, but I will be back.
(4)Julie H.
Wow. The lasagna here is gigantic and even with the order of garlic bread it was less than $10. I cut it in half when i got it and could barely finish that portion.... granted, i'm a little asian girl.. but i'm not one to pick at my food. I love to eat! I ate the second half for lunch the next day. it was really good too! The sauce was yummy. I highly recommend this place if you love lasagna... i have yet to try the other items on the menu. The salad bar looked good too!
(4)Tiffany A.
This is an addiction. Everyone in my office loves this place! Why? Because for what you pay, you get a ton. But that's not all... it's good food too! The owners here are super friendly and always take good care of us especially when we call in a big order. Plus, if you order 6+ plates, you get 10% off!!! Recommendations: - Lasagna - Sorentino - Shrimp Scampi - etc There really isn't anything bad here. Even the salads are good. I recommend the beet salad mixed with the pasta or the white bean.
(5)Collin W.
As you wait in line, take a peek at the specials but consider them carefully. - Ordering: Pay attention! I ordered the Shrimp and Chicken Milano special for $10.75 - Sauteed chicken, shrimp, bacon, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic and onions over spaghetti noodles. Sounds pretty good, right? What I didn't consider at the time of ordering was these kinds of specials usually take a while to cook. And at lunchtime, you might not want to order this and wait 25 minutes. That's right - 25 minutes. To be fair, they are very busy. The owner lady takes the orders, handles payments, answers the phone and does a final wrapup/handling/hand-off. There's only one guy doing all of the cooking, and I have to admit that he did a great job of managing the pans and prepwork by himself. What got my ire up (and cost them a star) was that two other people ordered the same lunch special that I did and were handed their plates before me. The owner lady had the lunch plate wrapped, looked at me and said "Milano... wait, not you" and gave it to the people who were behind me. The people who ordered AFTER ME, dammit! As I said "Uh... I ordered the Milano......." she walked off and I had to wait another couple of minutes. For a total of 25 minutes. Maybe I was more pissed at one of the guys who got my dish because he took it and went. Prick. So until they come up with a numbering system for ordering (e.g. you get handed a number for your order to prevent this sort of mess), watch for your order. Tip: Stand by the kitchen so she can't overlook you. Although I was standing there and STILL didn't get my dish, you should stand there anyway to avoid being lost in the order line that goes out the door. - Food: The food was ok for Italian fare, but pretty good for lunch. Yes, I'm very opinionated when it comes to pasta because I get very picky when I cook it, but it was ok for downtown. It did need a little bit of seasoning (e.g. pepper), but it was ok. The rest of the selections looked like a red-sauce shop, although they did have some white-sauce selections. But expect to get marinara if you can bear it (I hate marinara). My suggestion for the dishes that are served on a bed of pasta: toss the ingredients/sauce/components together with the noodles with a little olive oil to properly coat the pasta. Instead, they just pour the sauce on the noodles and hand it off. To be fair, they are busy and that would probably take longer, but I'm sure the result would be worth it. Let me shameless here: My pasta would kill theirs. But my experience earned them 2.5 stars (which means 3 on the Yelp-meter).
(3)Kat D.
I will be the first to admit that I love pasta. It's really hard to screw up, and pretty versatile. Catania has all sorts of different pastas, from chicken, to seafood, to vegetarian. They also have assorted salads that you can pick and choose to make a combo plate. And, the biggest surprise, is that the garlic bread is amazing and cheap! Only $1 per piece. I always get the linguine with garlic sauce and mushrooms. It has just the right amount of everything in it. Perfect ratio of mushrooms to noodles to sauce. The noodles are always cooked al dente, and the portion is pretty large. The garlic bread is special in that it's not a traditional french bread. It's like a Hong Kong bread with garlic butter on it. So, it's a fluffier bread, not crusty at all, and again, is just right in the flavor profile. This is what I eat when I need to carb load in order to get my cardio on at the gym...except that I probably need twice as much cardio to burn off all of the butter and olive oil! but, definitely worth every single calorie!
(4)Amy Y.
My sister has been craving Italian food, so I bought her pasta for her birthday dinner. She order the mushroom pasta with Alfredo and I ordered the meatball and sausage pasta. Both with linguine noodles. It came to $16 total. One big box of pasta...omg! It was filling. One bite of that meatball...it was amazing! I love it so much. It was so good. I didn't like the sausage..I never did fancy sausages. The marinara sauce was gooooood. I wanna order that again if I ever do go there next time. Oh yea, we also got 1 slice of bread for each order. The bread was soft and good. It's a small place right by Remington College.
(4)Tatiana W.
The salad plates are delicious and one of my favorite and healthier options near my office. I've had the spaghetti with meatballs and meat sauce and it was good, but the sauce was a bit salty. I really like their garlic bread, too. The ppl behind the counter are nice and keep things moving quickly.
(4)Lehua K.
If you love or want to eat Italian this place will not disappoint you. Big portions, good prices and delicious food.
(5)Michelle L.
I park in front of Catania almost every day and I've always wanted to try it because it stays open until pretty late for D-Town standards. The last time I attempted, I had to cancel my order and walk away in shame because it is CASH ONLY! I decided to get dinner there one evening and opted for the Penne Ricotta. My order was ready in about ten minutes. My takeout definitely had a lot of weight and when I opened the container, my mouth dropped. It was huge!!! (that's what she said...) The penne was perfectly cooked in a creamy tomato-based sauce and lots of ricotta cheese in between. I opened the little baggy for my bread and it was just a slice of white bread, I kid you not. Check photo. Surprisingly, that little slice of bread was really good for dipping into the sauce. It was soft and absorbent, yum! There was definitely leftovers. Although the price may seem small kine pricey compared to other downtown eateries, Catania is definitely a bang for your buck since one plate can be stretched over two meals or shared.
(3)Kyle H.
Who likes surprises? I do! I do! And do you want to eat for days off of one plate and taste your lunch for hours after eating it? Well friends, Cantania Ristorante is your kinda place! I was a little put-off by the price of the plates on first-glance (hey, it's downtown... you can get a nice lunch for $6 or less easy!) but after indulging during Restaurant Week, $8.50 for a meal is chump-change! A fellow yelper highly recommended their Chicken Anchovy Olio after discovering i'm a fan of Assaggio's. We decided to eat-in and when our food was ready it was brought to our table in the styrofoam container with a brown bag on top. I love surprises so I was really excited to see what was inside the mysterious brown bag! I opened it to find... yelp.com/biz_photos/HNdJ… Yes, a slice of white bread. That is all. No, not toasted. No butter. No garlic. I saved it and made pb&j with it later. Next, I opened my plate lunch, I almost fainted. There was SO MUCH food! Chicken Anchovy Olio: yelp.com/biz_photos/HNdJ… Not much chicken but a TON of noodles, garlic and anchovies. Very flavorful, almost overpoweringly so. I am usually not a huge fan of Italian because most places over-use olive oil but this pasta was not too oily and the noodles were well-seasoned throughout. My lunch partner ordered Eggplant Parmesean: yelp.com/biz_photos/HNdJ… which I tried (naturally)... again, a ton of food, their tomato sauce was sweet, I prefer something a little spicier and saltier, also the breading on the eggplant wasn't crisp at all. I heard no complaints from him though and he actually finished the entire plate ftw! This is a good inexpensive Italian option in town if you are looking for the biggest bang for your buck but as far as flavor is concerned I'd prefer quality over quantity and head to VIII 1/2.
(3)Remi M.
This place is located in the Remington College building on Bishop Street, sort of across the street from Aloha Salads. I've been meaning to check this place out based on a friend's recommendation so when the opportunity arose I jumped at my only chance to do so. I was going to order chicken anchovy olio ($9.25) but when I saw the daily special I changed my mind & got the chicken alla checca ($9.25) instead. See accompanied picture. It was HUGE! It was also rich & delicious. I stretched it into three meals. Their assorted types of salads looked interesting as well. Wish I could make this a regular on my list of places to eat but must lament the fact that visits to downtown are few & far between. If you order pasta it's made to order so there's a bit of wait involved. It's only a two person operation so when they get slammed i'm not sure how long a wait there is because I went before the lunch rush. This place reminds me of JP Serratos at Westridge Shopping Ctr in Aiea. Five stars for taste & value. One star deduction for being closed during posted hours. (Came here earlier on a Sat. & they were closed. Also if it's slow they may close before pau hana time.) I totally understand it's a mom & pop shop & WANT you to stay in business. Tip: Enunciate your order loud & clear. Lady got confused when I told her I wanted the special but stupid me didn't realize there were two daily specials. My bad.
(4)N V.
I work in town and was excited to find a small Italian joint but the egg plant parmesean was awful. The chunks of eggplant were cut too large, over cooked it was so gross I couldn't eat it. The corn salad off of the salad bar was ok I wouldn't go back with so many other good places near by. I really don't think this place qualifys as Italian.
(1)Z Z.
A hole in the wall Asian interpretation of an Italian eatery. If you are in search of tasty authentic Italian, steer clear of this place. On my one (and only) visit I paid over $11 for un-breaded chicken parm, and pasta. The portions were large, but large portions of blah Italian food does not put my wallet at ease. It's a shame that there are practically no Italian restaurants on island where the cooks are actually skilled at making Italian (Mexican as well) cuisine.
(2)L M.
Ordered the Penne Ricotta and a side of garlic bread. Garlic bread was old and stale, not hot, just barely warmed. The Penne Ricotta was terrible. The tomato sauce is straight from the can, no herbs or spices to take away the sweet aluminum tang. TONS of cheese on top made this a soupy, cheesy mess. I made it through about 3 bites before tossing it out..$12 down the drain. My advice, go someplace else.
(1)Brandon Y.
This place is right next to my workplace in downtown so I eat here quite often. I always get the same thing when I go here though...LASAGNA. It's 7.50 for the plate which comes with some vegetables and an extra dollar for a huge piece of garlic bread. The meat and cheese blend well together and I do suggest getting the garlic bread because it is a little on the rich side. If you're not a heavy eater you could eat this plate for lunch and dinner. The owners are friendly and service is fast. The Lasagna is ready to go so you can be out of here in less than 2 minutes if there's no line.
(4)Zen S.
What happened? A little interior decorating this year and next thing you know the prices crept up and the serving sizes went down at the same time. The woman that used to run the counter before would load up the containers. No more. There always used to be a line in there. No more. Listen up restaurant people... you can raise your prices, or shrink the quantity if you have to...but not at the same time for crying out loud. You just went from a regular staple, to a once-in-a-while maybe. Good luck.
(2)Little D.
I liked this place. For the price you pay, you get a lot of food. Linguine Mushroom Alfredo $7.75 Linguine Vegetable $7.75 Calamari Parmagiana $8.90 Penne Arrabiata $7.75 Chicken Sorrentino $9.25 Cash only, but ATM machine is in store. Parking is extremely challenging. You might be lucky to find a space in front of the restaurant. I had Calamari Parmagiana $8.90. The red sauce was a bit too sweet for me, but was enjoyable. Salad bar looked good. I will have some salad next time. You get slice of white bread with pasta. Plus $1.00, garlic bread. Six or more Entrées, 10% discount. YELP 365 - 70/365
(4)Dawn N.
Yay for big portions and tasty food! If you're looking for a pretty good Italian meal for a reasonable price, Catania is it. Located in downtown, a block away from Honolulu District Court, it is conveniently located if you're one of the thousands who work in downtown. As I haven't ever had to park when going to Catania, I can't comment about the parking. I've tried a bunch of different things on their menu (chicken marsala, chicken piccata, clam, lasagna, some of their specials) but the best is the lasagna! Huge slab that can serve for 2 meals and very yummy. If you love garlic, you may like some of the other dishes, but can be a bit on the garlicky side. Breath mint anyone? I also order their "salad". I put quotes because it's not really just salad but can serve as a meal (or two) in and of itself. There are two sizes a small and a large. The small, you're limited to only a couple of items, but with the large you can try a larger variety. A couple things though, the flavor changes, some days it's tasty, some days it needs more dressing as it's a little bland. Also, they only serve a select few items...and rarely serve others. For example, the pasta salad is a staple and the white bean, chicken curry, beets. Less usual are the tofu salad, tomato mozzarella, tomato & cucumber. Even rarer is the cous cous (sadness as I love cous cous). But overall, light and refreshing and makes me feel like I'm eating healthy! Finally, it can get crowded during the lunchtime rush and wait times can be on the longer side. If you have a menu and/or know what their specials are, I highly recommend a phone order. Of course, you can't REALLY complain...at least you know they're making a fresh batch for you! The lasagna is one of the items that you don't have to wait for as it's on a tray ready to be served. They do serve a slice of bread with entree orders. However, it sometimes is a hit or miss with the large salad. One time, my friend got bread and I didn't though we both ordered the salad. Another time, both of us didn't get bread. Go figure. Oh, last tip, I HEARD, but haven't experienced it myself, that if you go later (like near closing time) they give even BIGGER portions. I will need to try this and see for myself! Happy eating!
(4)Allyson H.
Check your order if you're doing take out...I ordered spaghetti w/ red clam sauce and got the plain clam and they also forgot my bread ! Totally screwed up my order !
(1)Courtney T.
***Catania now takes credit cards!!! Tell your friends!!! *** Even though it's not a sit down restaurant, Catania Ristorante Italiano's food rivals that of Che Pasta, Assagio's, and Cafe Sestina. What sets Catania apart from the rest (besides the amazing food) are its prices. The Good The food is fresh and delicious. The prices are reasonable for quality Italian food. The portions are generous. My favorite dish is the Chicken Anchovy Olio. It beats Assagio's version on every level (taste, price and portion). Some people may not like the super salty anchovies (I won't eat anchovies any other way, actually) combined with sauteed garlic. To me, it's heaven. The noodles are always cooked perfectly (not rubbery, not mushy). The chicken is tender and tasty. Other excellent choices include the Chicken Parmigiana (lots of gooey cheese and a flavorful marinara sauce) and the Pork Chop Alfredo (yummy pork chop with rich, creamy Alfredo). If you don't feel like pasta, Cataina also offers a variety of fun salads. You can get a small salad (2 choices) or a large salad (4 choices) over a bed of lettuce. My favorites are the Pea Salad (there's bacon!), Chicken Curry and Cous Cous. The salads are surprisingly filling (even the small portion) The Bad There's no parking for those who are not walking. Also, there's limited seating inside and though you're allowed to use the tables and chairs around the building, around lunch time, it gets crowded. In addition, sometimes they serve a plain piece of bead to accompany the pasta. They don't give butter and the bread isn't even toasted. I suspect this is because they want you to buy some garlic bread (which is delicious, by the way). The Verdict Wonderful choice for those working or going to school downtown.
(4)Al D.
Giant portions. At least two meals worth. This place is not "authentic" but does the trick to satisfy your italian cravings.
(3)Chrizzle D.
If I could, I'd actually rate this a 3.5. My coworkers wanted to try their fettucini alfredo, but looked as though they sold out of that. The owner was gracious and explained they didn't expect it to be that busy. Fair enough. I wanted to get the spaghetti and meatballs/sausage plate anyway, so I was pretty happy. For the $7 I paid, I got a HEAPING amount of food. It was crazy how much there was in that take out container. I was told there was only penne pasta (which I was okay with), but my friend (who ordered the same thing) got spaghetti pasta. Not a big deal to me, but just in case people here were particular about their type of pasta, make sure to ask. The sauce was pretty good. There was a bit of a bite to it that I couldn't put my finger on it, but I continued eating it anyway so it's clear that it wasn't that big of a mishap. I've seen other postings on here that compared it to Assagio's, and I strongly disagree with that. The food was good, but definitely not THAT good. If you're downtown, want your pasta fix, and want something other than Harpos, this is the place to go.
(3)Melissa A.
I love this place and try to go for lunch at least once a week. The value you get for the price is unbelievable and the service is fast and friendly. I always get the eggplant parmesan sandwich small with the tomato, cucumber, tofu salad. The sandwich is enough to fill anyone up and you get your choice of 8 different salads. I love the tomato, cucumber, tofu salad. It is very refreshing. Their regular toss salad is also good. I am not sure what they marniate their carrots in, but they have a great flavor to them. I've also tried the lasagna which is HUGE and quite tasty. I would recommend this place to anyone new to downtown or to those that have not tried it yet.
(5)Frances G.
This place is amazing. I blame this place for my freshmen 15lb. Lol. I came here my freshmen year at least twice a week just cause it was awesome. Mind you I usually get tired of eating the same thing over and over again pretty quickly. But this place never got old to me. It's amazeballs. It's a must try place if you're in town. Funny thing is that the cook and his wife (I assume) is Asian. But their pasta is bomb. (: The serving on the pasta is pretty generous for the price your paying.
(5)Tammy T.
Portions are really big; that's a lot of starch! For the price you pay, it's pretty decent. The lady there is really nice. They don't call you by numbers when your food it ready. She sort of just remembers what you got and then gives you an "excuse me, excuse me" holla. It's kinda cute. It seems like a lot to eat for lunch, especially if you are going back to work after. I had to take half of it home with me. Service is fast, food comes out hot. Not really "Italian" food seeing they are run by an Asian lady and man crew. But I can understand why people go there to eat for lunch.
(3)Elle G.
Portions are larger then necessary but do match the cost per plate. I would not call this place an authentic Italian restaurant, more a stir fry fusion with noodles in a lot of their dishes. I usually prefer white sauces but most of theirs are bland and water downed, it'll end up leaking out of the take out box. I would recommend their lasagna at least. Skip the bread.
(3)Becky T.
Wow, after reading Tammy's review and seeing her pics I had to come try this. Conveniently, I was in the area while I was waiting for my car to be serviced at the Honda dealership a block away. I ordered the combo pasta and a medium drink and it came to under $8. What I got was a container full of perfectly cooked spaghetti topped with five meatballs and an entire link of Italian sausage (not sure why they don't cut it up...) drowned in a marinara sauce. It was definitely enough for one very large and hungry person or to split for two meals. It also came with a slice of regular bread which I thought was a bit strange. Being in downtown this place is basically open for lunch and has only a couple of tables for fine-in though if you're lucky they open until 5 or 7 on certain weeknights.
(4)Kelly T.
Wow, these reviews make it sound really great, right? Well... make sure you don't get your hopes up with this spot. If you're looking for quality Italian, bypass this one for something... Italian. Ambiance is a walk-in lunch counter. This semi-fast food joint smells great but has a disappointing outcome. I've eaten here a few times always hoping for a better experience, but it is consistently mediocre. Today's Pasta Special sounded amazing with a combo of chicken, shrimp, artichokes, tomatoes, onions and capers tossed with pasta and garlic butter sauce. $10.50 sounded a bit high for take out lunch, but I went for it. Choice of pasta was spaghetti, linguine or penne. I went with penne, but the cook messed up and gave me spaghetti. I needed something easier to manage today, so I asked for it to be made how I ordered it. They complied, yet my order came back with overcooked noodles with the original mixture slapped on top. Presentation was sad. Although portion size was large and it tasted edible, I couldn't get over the mushy noodles. Are noodles that hard to get right? Apparently they are here :( In light of the error on what should've been simple for the "special of the day," I was disappointed. Garlic bread is okay if they don't give you the sandwich bread. Yes, they give out sandwich bread with a garlic butter spread. *sad trombone* What's weird is that on other occasions, I've gotten the lasagna and it's pretty good-so if you come here, steer towards that instead of the special. Maybe I wouldn't have been so disappointed if the price was right, but for $12.50 including bread...I'm not doing this again. All in all, you should get what you pay for. For $12.50 I can go to Che Pasta and have better ambiance AND quality (though not too many bars higher on the quality scale). Guess that's what I'll do next time. Honolulu is hurting for good Italian food, man. Btw, does anyone know how to make a good pizza in this city??? ...crickets....
(2)Donnie T.
I agree with a previous Yelp review, "Asian interpretation of...Italian". I ordered the lasagna this afternoon. The portion size was large but the marinara sauce is unnecessarily sweet. Someone definitely got overzealous pouring sugar into the red sauce. I won't be going back.
(2)Jill B.
A restaurant that walks the balance between quality and extreme quantity, Catania is a solid choice for italian food downtown. Their sandwiches are so big and pasta dishes contain so much food, I usually only eat here if I know I want to have whatever it is again for dinner or am going to be sharing with a friend. Everything is assembled when you order it so the food always arrives to you steaming hot (which I appreciate). Yeah, it can get kind of pricey if you order an entree and also a small salad but the entrees and even small salads are so large that unless you plan on sharing it or eating it twice, it's still not that much of an issue. Also, they take call in orders for pick-up which I appreciate. The only complaints I have about Catania is that they only accept cash which would be fine.... if I ever carried cash. We live in a plastic culture! I don't like having to go to the ATM just because I was craving their Chicken Parmesan that day. Speaking of the chicken parm, I must say, I'm a fan. I know that most chicken parmesan dishes use a breaded and fried piece of chicken with cheese atop a bed of marinara coated pasta. Not at Catania - the LARGE piece of chicken is a breast that seems to be baked to moist perfection then tossed with cheese and marinara. Mmmm... delicious! The only complaint I have about the food, though, is that they are running some kind of racket with a mushroom vendor because almost every single dish is riddled with fungi (and I mean slices of mushroom, not actual weird fungus). I am not a fan of mushrooms usually. I've always been pretty picky about how they are prepared before I would even consider eating them. I ordered the Chicken Vegetable pasta dish expecting a veritable smorgasbord of vegetables. What I actually got was perfect pasta tossed with the marinara sauce, generous strips of chicken and what seemed like a quarter pound of mushroom slices... EW. And it's not just limited to the Chicken Vegetable dish. Almost every single dish (except for the Parmesan dishes) features mushrooms and come loaded with those nasty things. So if you're as anti-mushroom as I am, stick to their sandwiches, Parm dishes, and salads, you'll be fine. If, on the other hand, you're a mushroom addict, this is DEFINITELY the Italian food for you.
(4)M. C.
Best and the cheapest Italian restaurant in downtown. Ice eaten in Italy so I know what good pasta taste like. Each dish is made to order, except the Lasagna which is equally as good as all the other pastas. The selection is delicious and wide ranging. The salad bar is also delicious. I' buy my lunch there at least once a week and buy take out dinner at least once a week. Generous serving.
(5)Chris O.
Catana's portions are generous, but it's hit or miss when it comes to flavor. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana and was disappointed. However, I was blown away from the Chicken Sorrentino. Chicken dishes are either dry or juicy. 2 stars for inconsistency.
(2)diego m.
$6.50 for their sandwich (Meatball, Sausage) with the salad is a great deal given that everything is so f*cking expensive and trust me, it will only get morer expensive in the future. Not truly authentic ITALIAN by any stretch but good enough to satisfy the Italiano craving inside you for a filling and affordable lunch Their daily specials for pasta are very decent and the lady owner is VERY nice WHICH is a rarity nowadays. Food: 3++ Customer Service: 5++ Ambience: 3++
(4)Kimberly S.
Best Eggplant Parmesan on the island that I've had. I order mine with spaghetti which is generously tossed with marinara sauce. It also comes with a slice of white bread. The meal itself is served in a styrofoam plate lunch container and you really get more than you pay for. Customer service is awesome! It seems to be a business run by husband, wife, and daughter only, but the quality of the food is beyond excellent. The wait time is about 8 minutes or less, depending on how busy they are. I work nearby and come here often on my lunch hour at 12pm and its usually busy around that time, which means your food is served hot and fresh. Overall, superior delicious food and excellent customer service. I highly recommend this restaurant if you're seeking GREAT Italian food. Seating is limited because of its little location in Downtown but there are tables and chairs outside or on the lower level.
(5)Missy S.
Place has yummy pasta. I usually order their chicken anchovy olio pasta. This is is located at the remington college building. Sucks that they don't take cards. You would think being located in the city they would get on with present times and have card machines. Oh well...
(3)Jocelyn C.
If you're looking for a quick, good Italian food for lunch, this is the place to go. It's got a wide variety of Italian specialties at reasonable prices; most entrees are under $8 My favorites are: - Salad sampler (small and large): Their selections rotate daily but you usually have like 7 or 8 selections to choose from. The staples are expected - tossed (romaine), pasta, pea, four bean - but there are a few surprises like the curried chicken salad (one of my faves) and couscous. - Lasagne: Even their small is enough to feed two or three people! It's very cheesy. - Meatball sandwich: Keep your eye out for this one, it's not on the regular menu board. I saw it as a special taped to the door as I was leaving one day. The meatballs have just enough spice which is a nice complement to the sweetness of the classic tomato sauce. The meatballs are pretty small, about the size of golf balls maybe a little smaller, so you get 5-6 on 6" roll (I think you can also get a 9"). The bread is soft on the inside, but not as crusty as I usually like my baguettes to be. If it came topped with mozzarella it would be even better. Catania Ristorante Italiano is a good place to satiate your Italian craving. Yes, there are better places out there. But for the price and location for the Downtown lunch crowd, this place will do.
(3)Carol A.
I agree, the eggplant Parmesan was ono!
(4)Mark G.
Catania is not a bad lunch option. They have quite a few salad choices to select. Their Lasagna is pretty huge. They have all the expected Italian items on the menu i.e. Spaghetti with meat sauce, meat balls or sausage. They have a few good specials but no matter what they call it they always end up tasting the same to me. The food is not bad, the people that work there are very nice. The wait for the food is a shade on the long side. It may be a matter of personal taste but the food is a little on the sweet side. Even the bread that they give with the pasta is sweetbread. The salads are good and you can get a pretty weighty salad assortment for 6.50 or a smaller one for less. All in all, a solid lunch choice but not a place that I get to excited about eating at.
(3)Lentina V.
Good and affordable (considering the huge portions can make 2 meals! even 3, depending what you get) food. Friendly people. I'm pleased with what I've had so far - pea salad, tomato/mozarella salad, eggplant parmigian sandwich and penne ricotta. Will definitely come back for more.
(4)Brian B.
The sauce here is really good. I usually come in for the lasagna because it is HUGE. The other day I tried their chicken parm sandwich and it hit the spot. I definitely recommend Catania's if you are looking for some Italian downtown.
(4)Carlee P.
Pasta is soo delicious! Their daily specials always flavorful and hearty. The staff is also very friendly. This is also a BYOB restaurant. Wish I knew this before coming, I would have brought a bottle of wine :) I will definitely visit here again!!
(5)Kira K.
Cheap, quick and delicious!! The chicken Marsala mini portion is SO good, and extremely filling.. Only about $7!
(5)Erica W.
I am docking a star due to my experience today. The employees are friendly and the place is always clean but for some reason today the cook was slightly off on the pasta noodles. I ordered my usual of spaghetti with meat sauce and this is the first time in history where my pasta noodles was not al dente. It was mushy to the point that I couldn't finish my dish. Those that know me know that I hate to waste food but had no choice and after about 10 bites I gave up and threw it out. I'll give them a few more tries but I hope this was just an isolated incident.
(4)Joe B.
Real quick.... Pasta, just the most basic Linguine with Marinara sauce, they do not drain the noodles!!! Not acceptable, even for fast food. Twice I have ended up with a mound of noodles in about a half in of water. There is just no need of this. It really takes away from fairly good cooking. Someone else said it is "fake Italian" on which agree because no one experienced in cooking Italian would do this to a customer. Portions are very large. Not sure how they treat their employees but that often has much to do with care put into the work. Aloha.... Works and eats in downtown Honolulu
(2)Maggie T.
I've been wanting to try this place for a few months now. My mother looooves pasta, so I thought I'd treat her to some delicious-looking pasta, where the portions are generous and the prices seemed decent. I had business in downtown and parked in the Ali'i Place. Since that was close to Catania, it was the perfect opportunity to check out the place. I ordered the Lasagna and the Shrimp Anchovy Olio (I had them substitute shrimp for the chicken -- extra charge). I also ordered two garlic breads at $1.25 each. They said it would take a lil while to make my order so I paid for everything and waited. There seemed to be a steady stream of customers so I assumed the food must be good. Half an hr later my order was finally done...it took that much longer because they had to make more garlic bread. The lasagna had a pretty good taste to it but the noodles were a bit overcooked in my opinion. The garlic bread was ok. The Anchovy Olio, was the worst I have ever had! The whole plate just reeked of fishy smell and the entire thing was way too salty. I was truly disappointed! I had to doctor it up to make it palatable. Maybe they had an off day. I've only tried two of their plates, but sadly, I feel I can only give them three stars for now. I don't foresee myself rushing back anytime soon.
(3)Shruti J.
I got the chicken vegetable linguini with garlic sauce. It had barely any garlic and was wayyyy too bland. I had to sprinkle a lott of oregano and red pepper so it had some spice and flavor. Not worth $12, although the portions are huge. With a tiny appetite like mine, I could easily make three portions out of this.
(3)Jo Z.
An awesome place to get your pasta on for lunch. They also have salads (bean salad, pea n bacon salad, chicken curry, etc). My usuals are the salad/sandwhich combo, which is the chicken parm with white bean salad. Or the chicken picatta...sooo goood. If you want a tasty carb load, get it here.
(5)Jordan S.
The quantity of food makes up for it being mostly "meh" as far as flavors good. I like their chicken parm and sausage sandwiches. The small combos are plenty of food, the flavors are ok, nothing great, service is quick, and prices are fairly cheap.
(3)Trisha G.
I've been here before, but I didn't remember it. The best part about this place is the amount of food that you get for the price. You get enough food for two meals. I ordered the Putanesca without protein (which is chicken on the menu). In the pound of pasta and sauce was probably a whole onion. First of all, putanesca doesn't traditionally have onions in it. No prob for an onion lover - WRONG. It was so excessive, I had to start picking them out. Don't get me wrong, the flavor is decent - it just was a bit much. Go here if you crave italian, are nearby and want leftovers.
(2)Mahina C.
When I crave pasta, i want A LOT of pasta...and now i finally realize why i was always told my eyes are always bigger than my stomach because i think i'm the hulk and put away food like i was starving for days. In actuality i'll eat maybe half of what I thought I was going to eat...with that being said, Catania definitely is up there when it comes to quantity for food. The portions for pasta is huge, but unfortunately that's the only upside to this place. I ordered the special with shrimp & chicken with a garlic alfredo sauce. I spent about 11 dollars for a huge portion of pasta so you can already imagine how excited I was... It smelled amazing and I couldn't wait to dig in when I got back to my office. As soon as i tried the pasta, i cried on the inside because there was absolutely no flavor, besides the garlic. The sauce to the pasta tasted just like watery sauce, minus the sauce. Maybe it was an off day? Maybe I ordered the wrong entree? for the price you pay, you definitely get overloaded on the portion, but lacks in the flavor big time! Quality over quantity any day!
(2)Julie E.
Not an italian place like I am used to. I got the shrimp/chicken/asparagus garlic pasta and although the portion was huge (two lunches at least) it just left me wondering "what the hell am I eating." It was like someone took leftover Chinese food and repurposed it to try and make it something else...I really don't know what else to say about it. Friendly service but I don't think I will be back.
(2)WM B.
Addicted to this place. Good portions. Good service. Good Eats!
(5)Lib A.
08/29/14 omg.. what happened to this place? Catania was our go to place when we were craving a good salad.. well not anymore.. food: I ordered the small salad [$6+] which consisted of two choices.. they have good selection of salads but I always order the chicken curry salad and the beet salad.. the chicken curry salad - after the first few bites something just didn't taste right.. as I continued to eat I realized what it was.. there was TOO MUCH mayonnaise.. it was so greasy that I felt like I was slathering my lips with lip balm.. and then I noticed there were areas where the curry powder wasn't mixed well.. ugh.. beet salad - the beets were good and the bell peppers were nice and crunchy so I know they were fresh.. portions: sad! I know that they expanded to another location but that's no reason to decrease the servings.. I didn't mind paying $6+ for a salad knowing I would be able to eat it over the course of two days.. but this time I barely got half of what it used to be.. sad and sorely disappointed! verdict: sad, disappointed and hungry.. I won't be going back which is sad because I've been going there for years.. even the girls at the office agree that the quality and quantity has changed for the worse.. oh well..
(1)Jordana F.
It's not the best Italian food spot around, but it's good particularly for the cost and location. It's located on Bishop street in that little restaurant area next to Hawaiian Telcom. They have your typical Italian cuisine items (pastas, salads, garlic bread etc.). But they also have a salad bar! I've never actually ordered salads from here, but I've seen people pick and choose what they want for a salad. The selection is limited but still good for a small restaurant. The portions here are HUGE. So if you don't eat a lot, you might be taking home left overs.
(3)Masato I.
Had the anchovy olio, and was OK. The anchovies are ground and way over salted like it was a preservative. It's cooked with a heaping of garlic and not over coated with olive oil. It's tossed in the sauce right before it's served, but I have to echo Kyle H.'s sentiment that it's a bit overwhelming and you'll taste your lunch for hours... The portions are good and price is fair. Not gourmet by any means, nor do they seem to claim to be so... If you're going back to work, skip the anchovies.
(3)Val D.
This restaurant is my friend's favorite place, so because I'm a fellow foodie of hers, she brought me here to try this restaurant out. If you're really hungry, this is the place to go because they give you a heaping serving that can be shared by two for a very reasonable price: Eggplant Parmasiana - 3.5 stars - for $9.25 they gave a heapful of spaghetti with 3 large fried eggplant with tomato sauce. The eggplants were very thick. Although they were a little undercooked, I can't complain having so much of it that I felt like a blowfish ready to burst after eating the entire plate. Plus, it's not a simple dish to make, so it's very reasonable to order from here. Lasagne - 4 stars - I tried my friend's dish and I think it was a tastier dish. It also came with roasted vegetables. I think I'm going to order this dish next time since it's more time consuming to make as well. Service - 5 stars - the lady at the counter was very friendly and personable. They also had an array of vegetables to order, but I wanted to try the eggplant dish instead. The dish comes with a piece of bread that I took home to eat for breakfast the next day since there was already so much to eat They have a few tables to eat in the restaurant, and also tables outside for some fresh air..
(4)Jovie R.
Customer Service is great, food looks appealing in pictures but the taste could have been better. On my first (and last visit) I ordered the chicken sorrentino. The price was great for the amount of food received, it smelled delicious but the taste was not there. The noodles were semi-aldente, bland and overall tasted as if the entire meal was soaked (not cooked) in wine. Maybe the other entrees were good...maybe not.
(2)Anela A.
IF YOU CAN GET PAST THE BLANKET OF CHEESE I wanted a slice of pizza and salad from Harpos, but I didn't have any cash. So I went here, looking to satisfy my Italian food craving. They have a little salad bar, where you can choose different pasta salads for their sandwich combos. Also out is the lasagna and marinara sauces. Because those things looked decent, I opted for Pasta Anna, which is marinara pasta with breaded chicken breast and eggplant. This plate is huge- a mound of spaghetti with another mound of mozzarella cheese. The first couple bites were fine, but the cheese was too heavy and ruined it. I barely dented the plate but after I was done the heaviness of the dish gave way to a wave of guilt for eating all that cheese! I hate when that happens.
(2)Gaylynn C.
In the past i would give this place 5 stars. Recently (within the past couple of months), there are 2 new ladies working the front instead of the owner. Been coming to this place for years as i work in the area and the original owner working the front never got my order wrong, was always polite and gave generous portions which was worth the generous $$$ you pay. Since she's been gone they've gotten my order wrong twice, the portions are now "chinese" portions and the 2 ladies up front are rude. I am very disappointed with this place and they will definitely lose my regular business. I hesistate going in already if i walk past and see one of the ladies there.
(3)Lisa C.
I love this place!!! Their large salad sampler is my fave, as well as their clam linguine!! I probably eat here at least 3x a week. Consistently great food that is well worth the price.
(5)Lehua K.
If you love or want to eat Italian this place will not disappoint you. Big portions, good prices and delicious food.
(5)Reid A.
I'm like Garfield. I love lasagna! I'm also lazy like Garfield. Cooking lasagna is pretty troublesome and time consuming. I usually resort to Costco frozen lasagna, which is pretty awesome. The lasagna here is good. The lasagna at Catania is huge and comes with a lot of sauce in the plate. I got take out from here and the plate was heavy. The price is pretty cheap for all the food you get. I have yet to try the other items, but I will be back.
(4)Z Z.
A hole in the wall Asian interpretation of an Italian eatery. If you are in search of tasty authentic Italian, steer clear of this place. On my one (and only) visit I paid over $11 for un-breaded chicken parm, and pasta. The portions were large, but large portions of blah Italian food does not put my wallet at ease. It's a shame that there are practically no Italian restaurants on island where the cooks are actually skilled at making Italian (Mexican as well) cuisine.
(2)L M.
Ordered the Penne Ricotta and a side of garlic bread. Garlic bread was old and stale, not hot, just barely warmed. The Penne Ricotta was terrible. The tomato sauce is straight from the can, no herbs or spices to take away the sweet aluminum tang. TONS of cheese on top made this a soupy, cheesy mess. I made it through about 3 bites before tossing it out..$12 down the drain. My advice, go someplace else.
(1)Annie Kim H.
My friend and I have been here before, but we had a decent experience last time. It's about $10 a plate, but the portions are huge and can feed two. I am writing this review because of our experience today, Saturday, and we went there around 12:30 p.m. They closed at 2:00. They only had penne and spaghetti noodles available when we got there. I prefer thicker noodles such as linguine or fettuccine, but ok...the penne is fine. My friend ordered a penne with tomato sauce (i forgot what hers was called) and I was going through the menu and I asked what was in their chicken anchovy olio. They told me it was "chicken, anchovies, and garlic tossed with a butter cream sauce--very good!!!" I have been here before so trusted what they said and I went with it. My friend's tomato pasta came out a creamy saucy, too mozzarella-cheesy for her liking, and the sauce was sugary-sweet. On top of that, they offered her Parmesan in case she needed it! (ok, offering her more parmesan is not such a bad thing--i just thought it was funny on top of all that cheese!) My pasta came out dry. Anchovies made the dish salty (expected) but I was also expecting there to be a "butter cream sauce" and maybe that would've balanced the saltiness! The chicken was dry as well. Again, having sauce would've helped it. Then we noticed--we weren't given any bread this time. My friend wanted bread with her pasta. I didn't need the bread since my pasta WAS TOO DRY. She went back up to the counter to ask for garlic toast. They said they didn't give out garlic toast/bread unless you ordered in advance and you would have to order a large quantity. She asked "ok, so you don't have any kind of bread at all??!" It didn't have to be garlic toast, she just wanted bread. The lady at the counter said no, so my friend came back to sit down and was over it BUT the lady came back to us and told us they didn't want to turn on the oven. That is when we lost it. What?! It's lunch hour! We can understand if we came in 30 minutes before closing, but it was still lunch time! And how can you be an Italian restaurant and not have bread for the pasta!!! AND we could've made these pasta plates at home and make it taste better than what we were served. In fact, i hate wasting food so I'll redo my pasta and make sauce for it! Soooo....we are never going back again because they are too cheap to turn on the oven to make us garlic toast and they actually told us that haha
(1)Amy Y.
My sister has been craving Italian food, so I bought her pasta for her birthday dinner. She order the mushroom pasta with Alfredo and I ordered the meatball and sausage pasta. Both with linguine noodles. It came to $16 total. One big box of pasta...omg! It was filling. One bite of that meatball...it was amazing! I love it so much. It was so good. I didn't like the sausage..I never did fancy sausages. The marinara sauce was gooooood. I wanna order that again if I ever do go there next time. Oh yea, we also got 1 slice of bread for each order. The bread was soft and good. It's a small place right by Remington College.
(4)Tatiana W.
The salad plates are delicious and one of my favorite and healthier options near my office. I've had the spaghetti with meatballs and meat sauce and it was good, but the sauce was a bit salty. I really like their garlic bread, too. The ppl behind the counter are nice and keep things moving quickly.
(4)Carly H.
1.3.13 I realized today that most of my Yelp challenge will be dependent on whether or not I find a cool lunch spot during the work/school day...because really, I cannot afford to go out to eat every night! Today I found myself craving something warm & yummy to deter the cold, chilly feeling in the air and of course I end up wandering to Catania. Not only is Italian my FAV type of cuisine but I also have had a long time love affair with CHEESE, yes cheese! So, in typical Carly fashion I order the same as usual--the Penne Ricotta ($8.64)--a meatless, pasta-cheese-marinara delight that suffices for two meals! I know, I know, $8+ for a meatless dish? But trust me, the portions here are huge and I am never left hungry (the PR really does last for two meals). Again, the PR has plenty of cheese and the marinara sauce has a unique kick that leaves my mouth numb and watering for more even when my tummy protests "no more food"!! I've been to Catania a handful of times and SURPRISE I actually have tried another thing on their menu. Their salad runs for about ~$5-6 and you can choose your antipastas, which always look delectable! I did try their pasta salad which is more tomato-vinegar based than the Harpo's one and has a lot more veggies (i.e. bell peppers, onions, etc). However, there's just something about the Harpo's salad that just edges this one out (perhaps its the cheese cubes haha). Overall, I LOVE Catania! Def my fav Italian place in town thus far. The couple who runs this place is always super friendly too! I noticed that the lasagna looks ENORMOUS and AHHHmazing and there seems to be a lot of raving on Yelp about it so I will have to try that out the next time I head over there. Well, I'm off to finish this yummy meal--Ciao! :) Yelp 365 Challenge: #003/365
(4)Charlie C.
If I'm having a pasta craving, I come here for lunch. They give you BIG portions. It usually lasts me two days worth of lunch. Not surprisingly, this Italian joint is own by Chinese, but I think the pasta dishes I have eaten so far have been really good.
(4)James S.
"Fake" italian food. The special of the day is the same thing everyday, just a different name. Not much flavor to the dishes. The lasagna is okay. Sloppy presentation. I have ate here maybe 5 times and by the time I get back to the office it's spilled all over the bag and leaked everywhere. I'd give this place another chance if it wasn't for the owners. They have given me and others attitude at the register. Especially at dinner time. The owner will be drinking wine and entertaining his friends, but when you go in to order, he acts as though you're inconveniencing him. Don't open if u don't want to cook.
(2)Jennifer B.
Eggplant parmigiana : the noodles are cooked well. The pasta part was actually yummy. My eggplant was slightly burned on the edges though and was also weirdly soggy all the way through. Calamari parmigiana: the calamari steak was not good. My friend forced herself to eat half of one and threw the other steak away. The way that it looked, I couldnt even touch it. Friendly staff, good service.
(3)Courtney T.
***Catania now takes credit cards!!! Tell your friends!!! *** Even though it's not a sit down restaurant, Catania Ristorante Italiano's food rivals that of Che Pasta, Assagio's, and Cafe Sestina. What sets Catania apart from the rest (besides the amazing food) are its prices. The Good The food is fresh and delicious. The prices are reasonable for quality Italian food. The portions are generous. My favorite dish is the Chicken Anchovy Olio. It beats Assagio's version on every level (taste, price and portion). Some people may not like the super salty anchovies (I won't eat anchovies any other way, actually) combined with sauteed garlic. To me, it's heaven. The noodles are always cooked perfectly (not rubbery, not mushy). The chicken is tender and tasty. Other excellent choices include the Chicken Parmigiana (lots of gooey cheese and a flavorful marinara sauce) and the Pork Chop Alfredo (yummy pork chop with rich, creamy Alfredo). If you don't feel like pasta, Cataina also offers a variety of fun salads. You can get a small salad (2 choices) or a large salad (4 choices) over a bed of lettuce. My favorites are the Pea Salad (there's bacon!), Chicken Curry and Cous Cous. The salads are surprisingly filling (even the small portion) The Bad There's no parking for those who are not walking. Also, there's limited seating inside and though you're allowed to use the tables and chairs around the building, around lunch time, it gets crowded. In addition, sometimes they serve a plain piece of bead to accompany the pasta. They don't give butter and the bread isn't even toasted. I suspect this is because they want you to buy some garlic bread (which is delicious, by the way). The Verdict Wonderful choice for those working or going to school downtown.
(4)Al D.
Giant portions. At least two meals worth. This place is not "authentic" but does the trick to satisfy your italian cravings.
(3)Michelle L.
I park in front of Catania almost every day and I've always wanted to try it because it stays open until pretty late for D-Town standards. The last time I attempted, I had to cancel my order and walk away in shame because it is CASH ONLY! I decided to get dinner there one evening and opted for the Penne Ricotta. My order was ready in about ten minutes. My takeout definitely had a lot of weight and when I opened the container, my mouth dropped. It was huge!!! (that's what she said...) The penne was perfectly cooked in a creamy tomato-based sauce and lots of ricotta cheese in between. I opened the little baggy for my bread and it was just a slice of white bread, I kid you not. Check photo. Surprisingly, that little slice of bread was really good for dipping into the sauce. It was soft and absorbent, yum! There was definitely leftovers. Although the price may seem small kine pricey compared to other downtown eateries, Catania is definitely a bang for your buck since one plate can be stretched over two meals or shared.
(3)Kyle H.
Who likes surprises? I do! I do! And do you want to eat for days off of one plate and taste your lunch for hours after eating it? Well friends, Cantania Ristorante is your kinda place! I was a little put-off by the price of the plates on first-glance (hey, it's downtown... you can get a nice lunch for $6 or less easy!) but after indulging during Restaurant Week, $8.50 for a meal is chump-change! A fellow yelper highly recommended their Chicken Anchovy Olio after discovering i'm a fan of Assaggio's. We decided to eat-in and when our food was ready it was brought to our table in the styrofoam container with a brown bag on top. I love surprises so I was really excited to see what was inside the mysterious brown bag! I opened it to find... yelp.com/biz_photos/HNdJ… Yes, a slice of white bread. That is all. No, not toasted. No butter. No garlic. I saved it and made pb&j with it later. Next, I opened my plate lunch, I almost fainted. There was SO MUCH food! Chicken Anchovy Olio: yelp.com/biz_photos/HNdJ… Not much chicken but a TON of noodles, garlic and anchovies. Very flavorful, almost overpoweringly so. I am usually not a huge fan of Italian because most places over-use olive oil but this pasta was not too oily and the noodles were well-seasoned throughout. My lunch partner ordered Eggplant Parmesean: yelp.com/biz_photos/HNdJ… which I tried (naturally)... again, a ton of food, their tomato sauce was sweet, I prefer something a little spicier and saltier, also the breading on the eggplant wasn't crisp at all. I heard no complaints from him though and he actually finished the entire plate ftw! This is a good inexpensive Italian option in town if you are looking for the biggest bang for your buck but as far as flavor is concerned I'd prefer quality over quantity and head to VIII 1/2.
(3)Remi M.
This place is located in the Remington College building on Bishop Street, sort of across the street from Aloha Salads. I've been meaning to check this place out based on a friend's recommendation so when the opportunity arose I jumped at my only chance to do so. I was going to order chicken anchovy olio ($9.25) but when I saw the daily special I changed my mind & got the chicken alla checca ($9.25) instead. See accompanied picture. It was HUGE! It was also rich & delicious. I stretched it into three meals. Their assorted types of salads looked interesting as well. Wish I could make this a regular on my list of places to eat but must lament the fact that visits to downtown are few & far between. If you order pasta it's made to order so there's a bit of wait involved. It's only a two person operation so when they get slammed i'm not sure how long a wait there is because I went before the lunch rush. This place reminds me of JP Serratos at Westridge Shopping Ctr in Aiea. Five stars for taste & value. One star deduction for being closed during posted hours. (Came here earlier on a Sat. & they were closed. Also if it's slow they may close before pau hana time.) I totally understand it's a mom & pop shop & WANT you to stay in business. Tip: Enunciate your order loud & clear. Lady got confused when I told her I wanted the special but stupid me didn't realize there were two daily specials. My bad.
(4)N V.
I work in town and was excited to find a small Italian joint but the egg plant parmesean was awful. The chunks of eggplant were cut too large, over cooked it was so gross I couldn't eat it. The corn salad off of the salad bar was ok I wouldn't go back with so many other good places near by. I really don't think this place qualifys as Italian.
(1)Brandon Y.
This place is right next to my workplace in downtown so I eat here quite often. I always get the same thing when I go here though...LASAGNA. It's 7.50 for the plate which comes with some vegetables and an extra dollar for a huge piece of garlic bread. The meat and cheese blend well together and I do suggest getting the garlic bread because it is a little on the rich side. If you're not a heavy eater you could eat this plate for lunch and dinner. The owners are friendly and service is fast. The Lasagna is ready to go so you can be out of here in less than 2 minutes if there's no line.
(4)Zen S.
What happened? A little interior decorating this year and next thing you know the prices crept up and the serving sizes went down at the same time. The woman that used to run the counter before would load up the containers. No more. There always used to be a line in there. No more. Listen up restaurant people... you can raise your prices, or shrink the quantity if you have to...but not at the same time for crying out loud. You just went from a regular staple, to a once-in-a-while maybe. Good luck.
(2)Julie H.
Wow. The lasagna here is gigantic and even with the order of garlic bread it was less than $10. I cut it in half when i got it and could barely finish that portion.... granted, i'm a little asian girl.. but i'm not one to pick at my food. I love to eat! I ate the second half for lunch the next day. it was really good too! The sauce was yummy. I highly recommend this place if you love lasagna... i have yet to try the other items on the menu. The salad bar looked good too!
(4)Tiffany A.
This is an addiction. Everyone in my office loves this place! Why? Because for what you pay, you get a ton. But that's not all... it's good food too! The owners here are super friendly and always take good care of us especially when we call in a big order. Plus, if you order 6+ plates, you get 10% off!!! Recommendations: - Lasagna - Sorentino - Shrimp Scampi - etc There really isn't anything bad here. Even the salads are good. I recommend the beet salad mixed with the pasta or the white bean.
(5)Collin W.
As you wait in line, take a peek at the specials but consider them carefully. - Ordering: Pay attention! I ordered the Shrimp and Chicken Milano special for $10.75 - Sauteed chicken, shrimp, bacon, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic and onions over spaghetti noodles. Sounds pretty good, right? What I didn't consider at the time of ordering was these kinds of specials usually take a while to cook. And at lunchtime, you might not want to order this and wait 25 minutes. That's right - 25 minutes. To be fair, they are very busy. The owner lady takes the orders, handles payments, answers the phone and does a final wrapup/handling/hand-off. There's only one guy doing all of the cooking, and I have to admit that he did a great job of managing the pans and prepwork by himself. What got my ire up (and cost them a star) was that two other people ordered the same lunch special that I did and were handed their plates before me. The owner lady had the lunch plate wrapped, looked at me and said "Milano... wait, not you" and gave it to the people who were behind me. The people who ordered AFTER ME, dammit! As I said "Uh... I ordered the Milano......." she walked off and I had to wait another couple of minutes. For a total of 25 minutes. Maybe I was more pissed at one of the guys who got my dish because he took it and went. Prick. So until they come up with a numbering system for ordering (e.g. you get handed a number for your order to prevent this sort of mess), watch for your order. Tip: Stand by the kitchen so she can't overlook you. Although I was standing there and STILL didn't get my dish, you should stand there anyway to avoid being lost in the order line that goes out the door. - Food: The food was ok for Italian fare, but pretty good for lunch. Yes, I'm very opinionated when it comes to pasta because I get very picky when I cook it, but it was ok for downtown. It did need a little bit of seasoning (e.g. pepper), but it was ok. The rest of the selections looked like a red-sauce shop, although they did have some white-sauce selections. But expect to get marinara if you can bear it (I hate marinara). My suggestion for the dishes that are served on a bed of pasta: toss the ingredients/sauce/components together with the noodles with a little olive oil to properly coat the pasta. Instead, they just pour the sauce on the noodles and hand it off. To be fair, they are busy and that would probably take longer, but I'm sure the result would be worth it. Let me shameless here: My pasta would kill theirs. But my experience earned them 2.5 stars (which means 3 on the Yelp-meter).
(3)Little D.
I liked this place. For the price you pay, you get a lot of food. Linguine Mushroom Alfredo $7.75 Linguine Vegetable $7.75 Calamari Parmagiana $8.90 Penne Arrabiata $7.75 Chicken Sorrentino $9.25 Cash only, but ATM machine is in store. Parking is extremely challenging. You might be lucky to find a space in front of the restaurant. I had Calamari Parmagiana $8.90. The red sauce was a bit too sweet for me, but was enjoyable. Salad bar looked good. I will have some salad next time. You get slice of white bread with pasta. Plus $1.00, garlic bread. Six or more Entrées, 10% discount. YELP 365 - 70/365
(4)Becky T.
Wow, after reading Tammy's review and seeing her pics I had to come try this. Conveniently, I was in the area while I was waiting for my car to be serviced at the Honda dealership a block away. I ordered the combo pasta and a medium drink and it came to under $8. What I got was a container full of perfectly cooked spaghetti topped with five meatballs and an entire link of Italian sausage (not sure why they don't cut it up...) drowned in a marinara sauce. It was definitely enough for one very large and hungry person or to split for two meals. It also came with a slice of regular bread which I thought was a bit strange. Being in downtown this place is basically open for lunch and has only a couple of tables for fine-in though if you're lucky they open until 5 or 7 on certain weeknights.
(4)Mark G.
Catania is not a bad lunch option. They have quite a few salad choices to select. Their Lasagna is pretty huge. They have all the expected Italian items on the menu i.e. Spaghetti with meat sauce, meat balls or sausage. They have a few good specials but no matter what they call it they always end up tasting the same to me. The food is not bad, the people that work there are very nice. The wait for the food is a shade on the long side. It may be a matter of personal taste but the food is a little on the sweet side. Even the bread that they give with the pasta is sweetbread. The salads are good and you can get a pretty weighty salad assortment for 6.50 or a smaller one for less. All in all, a solid lunch choice but not a place that I get to excited about eating at.
(3)Lentina V.
Good and affordable (considering the huge portions can make 2 meals! even 3, depending what you get) food. Friendly people. I'm pleased with what I've had so far - pea salad, tomato/mozarella salad, eggplant parmigian sandwich and penne ricotta. Will definitely come back for more.
(4)Brian B.
The sauce here is really good. I usually come in for the lasagna because it is HUGE. The other day I tried their chicken parm sandwich and it hit the spot. I definitely recommend Catania's if you are looking for some Italian downtown.
(4)Kat D.
I will be the first to admit that I love pasta. It's really hard to screw up, and pretty versatile. Catania has all sorts of different pastas, from chicken, to seafood, to vegetarian. They also have assorted salads that you can pick and choose to make a combo plate. And, the biggest surprise, is that the garlic bread is amazing and cheap! Only $1 per piece. I always get the linguine with garlic sauce and mushrooms. It has just the right amount of everything in it. Perfect ratio of mushrooms to noodles to sauce. The noodles are always cooked al dente, and the portion is pretty large. The garlic bread is special in that it's not a traditional french bread. It's like a Hong Kong bread with garlic butter on it. So, it's a fluffier bread, not crusty at all, and again, is just right in the flavor profile. This is what I eat when I need to carb load in order to get my cardio on at the gym...except that I probably need twice as much cardio to burn off all of the butter and olive oil! but, definitely worth every single calorie!
(4)Kelly T.
Wow, these reviews make it sound really great, right? Well... make sure you don't get your hopes up with this spot. If you're looking for quality Italian, bypass this one for something... Italian. Ambiance is a walk-in lunch counter. This semi-fast food joint smells great but has a disappointing outcome. I've eaten here a few times always hoping for a better experience, but it is consistently mediocre. Today's Pasta Special sounded amazing with a combo of chicken, shrimp, artichokes, tomatoes, onions and capers tossed with pasta and garlic butter sauce. $10.50 sounded a bit high for take out lunch, but I went for it. Choice of pasta was spaghetti, linguine or penne. I went with penne, but the cook messed up and gave me spaghetti. I needed something easier to manage today, so I asked for it to be made how I ordered it. They complied, yet my order came back with overcooked noodles with the original mixture slapped on top. Presentation was sad. Although portion size was large and it tasted edible, I couldn't get over the mushy noodles. Are noodles that hard to get right? Apparently they are here :( In light of the error on what should've been simple for the "special of the day," I was disappointed. Garlic bread is okay if they don't give you the sandwich bread. Yes, they give out sandwich bread with a garlic butter spread. *sad trombone* What's weird is that on other occasions, I've gotten the lasagna and it's pretty good-so if you come here, steer towards that instead of the special. Maybe I wouldn't have been so disappointed if the price was right, but for $12.50 including bread...I'm not doing this again. All in all, you should get what you pay for. For $12.50 I can go to Che Pasta and have better ambiance AND quality (though not too many bars higher on the quality scale). Guess that's what I'll do next time. Honolulu is hurting for good Italian food, man. Btw, does anyone know how to make a good pizza in this city??? ...crickets....
(2)Donnie T.
I agree with a previous Yelp review, "Asian interpretation of...Italian". I ordered the lasagna this afternoon. The portion size was large but the marinara sauce is unnecessarily sweet. Someone definitely got overzealous pouring sugar into the red sauce. I won't be going back.
(2)Jill B.
A restaurant that walks the balance between quality and extreme quantity, Catania is a solid choice for italian food downtown. Their sandwiches are so big and pasta dishes contain so much food, I usually only eat here if I know I want to have whatever it is again for dinner or am going to be sharing with a friend. Everything is assembled when you order it so the food always arrives to you steaming hot (which I appreciate). Yeah, it can get kind of pricey if you order an entree and also a small salad but the entrees and even small salads are so large that unless you plan on sharing it or eating it twice, it's still not that much of an issue. Also, they take call in orders for pick-up which I appreciate. The only complaints I have about Catania is that they only accept cash which would be fine.... if I ever carried cash. We live in a plastic culture! I don't like having to go to the ATM just because I was craving their Chicken Parmesan that day. Speaking of the chicken parm, I must say, I'm a fan. I know that most chicken parmesan dishes use a breaded and fried piece of chicken with cheese atop a bed of marinara coated pasta. Not at Catania - the LARGE piece of chicken is a breast that seems to be baked to moist perfection then tossed with cheese and marinara. Mmmm... delicious! The only complaint I have about the food, though, is that they are running some kind of racket with a mushroom vendor because almost every single dish is riddled with fungi (and I mean slices of mushroom, not actual weird fungus). I am not a fan of mushrooms usually. I've always been pretty picky about how they are prepared before I would even consider eating them. I ordered the Chicken Vegetable pasta dish expecting a veritable smorgasbord of vegetables. What I actually got was perfect pasta tossed with the marinara sauce, generous strips of chicken and what seemed like a quarter pound of mushroom slices... EW. And it's not just limited to the Chicken Vegetable dish. Almost every single dish (except for the Parmesan dishes) features mushrooms and come loaded with those nasty things. So if you're as anti-mushroom as I am, stick to their sandwiches, Parm dishes, and salads, you'll be fine. If, on the other hand, you're a mushroom addict, this is DEFINITELY the Italian food for you.
(4)Allyson H.
Check your order if you're doing take out...I ordered spaghetti w/ red clam sauce and got the plain clam and they also forgot my bread ! Totally screwed up my order !
(1)Chrizzle D.
If I could, I'd actually rate this a 3.5. My coworkers wanted to try their fettucini alfredo, but looked as though they sold out of that. The owner was gracious and explained they didn't expect it to be that busy. Fair enough. I wanted to get the spaghetti and meatballs/sausage plate anyway, so I was pretty happy. For the $7 I paid, I got a HEAPING amount of food. It was crazy how much there was in that take out container. I was told there was only penne pasta (which I was okay with), but my friend (who ordered the same thing) got spaghetti pasta. Not a big deal to me, but just in case people here were particular about their type of pasta, make sure to ask. The sauce was pretty good. There was a bit of a bite to it that I couldn't put my finger on it, but I continued eating it anyway so it's clear that it wasn't that big of a mishap. I've seen other postings on here that compared it to Assagio's, and I strongly disagree with that. The food was good, but definitely not THAT good. If you're downtown, want your pasta fix, and want something other than Harpos, this is the place to go.
(3)Melissa A.
I love this place and try to go for lunch at least once a week. The value you get for the price is unbelievable and the service is fast and friendly. I always get the eggplant parmesan sandwich small with the tomato, cucumber, tofu salad. The sandwich is enough to fill anyone up and you get your choice of 8 different salads. I love the tomato, cucumber, tofu salad. It is very refreshing. Their regular toss salad is also good. I am not sure what they marniate their carrots in, but they have a great flavor to them. I've also tried the lasagna which is HUGE and quite tasty. I would recommend this place to anyone new to downtown or to those that have not tried it yet.
(5)Frances G.
This place is amazing. I blame this place for my freshmen 15lb. Lol. I came here my freshmen year at least twice a week just cause it was awesome. Mind you I usually get tired of eating the same thing over and over again pretty quickly. But this place never got old to me. It's amazeballs. It's a must try place if you're in town. Funny thing is that the cook and his wife (I assume) is Asian. But their pasta is bomb. (: The serving on the pasta is pretty generous for the price your paying.
(5)Tammy T.
Portions are really big; that's a lot of starch! For the price you pay, it's pretty decent. The lady there is really nice. They don't call you by numbers when your food it ready. She sort of just remembers what you got and then gives you an "excuse me, excuse me" holla. It's kinda cute. It seems like a lot to eat for lunch, especially if you are going back to work after. I had to take half of it home with me. Service is fast, food comes out hot. Not really "Italian" food seeing they are run by an Asian lady and man crew. But I can understand why people go there to eat for lunch.
(3)Kimberly S.
Best Eggplant Parmesan on the island that I've had. I order mine with spaghetti which is generously tossed with marinara sauce. It also comes with a slice of white bread. The meal itself is served in a styrofoam plate lunch container and you really get more than you pay for. Customer service is awesome! It seems to be a business run by husband, wife, and daughter only, but the quality of the food is beyond excellent. The wait time is about 8 minutes or less, depending on how busy they are. I work nearby and come here often on my lunch hour at 12pm and its usually busy around that time, which means your food is served hot and fresh. Overall, superior delicious food and excellent customer service. I highly recommend this restaurant if you're seeking GREAT Italian food. Seating is limited because of its little location in Downtown but there are tables and chairs outside or on the lower level.
(5)Missy S.
Place has yummy pasta. I usually order their chicken anchovy olio pasta. This is is located at the remington college building. Sucks that they don't take cards. You would think being located in the city they would get on with present times and have card machines. Oh well...
(3)Jocelyn C.
If you're looking for a quick, good Italian food for lunch, this is the place to go. It's got a wide variety of Italian specialties at reasonable prices; most entrees are under $8 My favorites are: - Salad sampler (small and large): Their selections rotate daily but you usually have like 7 or 8 selections to choose from. The staples are expected - tossed (romaine), pasta, pea, four bean - but there are a few surprises like the curried chicken salad (one of my faves) and couscous. - Lasagne: Even their small is enough to feed two or three people! It's very cheesy. - Meatball sandwich: Keep your eye out for this one, it's not on the regular menu board. I saw it as a special taped to the door as I was leaving one day. The meatballs have just enough spice which is a nice complement to the sweetness of the classic tomato sauce. The meatballs are pretty small, about the size of golf balls maybe a little smaller, so you get 5-6 on 6" roll (I think you can also get a 9"). The bread is soft on the inside, but not as crusty as I usually like my baguettes to be. If it came topped with mozzarella it would be even better. Catania Ristorante Italiano is a good place to satiate your Italian craving. Yes, there are better places out there. But for the price and location for the Downtown lunch crowd, this place will do.
(3)Carol A.
I agree, the eggplant Parmesan was ono!
(4)M. C.
Best and the cheapest Italian restaurant in downtown. Ice eaten in Italy so I know what good pasta taste like. Each dish is made to order, except the Lasagna which is equally as good as all the other pastas. The selection is delicious and wide ranging. The salad bar is also delicious. I' buy my lunch there at least once a week and buy take out dinner at least once a week. Generous serving.
(5)Chris O.
Catana's portions are generous, but it's hit or miss when it comes to flavor. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana and was disappointed. However, I was blown away from the Chicken Sorrentino. Chicken dishes are either dry or juicy. 2 stars for inconsistency.
(2)diego m.
$6.50 for their sandwich (Meatball, Sausage) with the salad is a great deal given that everything is so f*cking expensive and trust me, it will only get morer expensive in the future. Not truly authentic ITALIAN by any stretch but good enough to satisfy the Italiano craving inside you for a filling and affordable lunch Their daily specials for pasta are very decent and the lady owner is VERY nice WHICH is a rarity nowadays. Food: 3++ Customer Service: 5++ Ambience: 3++
(4)Elle G.
Portions are larger then necessary but do match the cost per plate. I would not call this place an authentic Italian restaurant, more a stir fry fusion with noodles in a lot of their dishes. I usually prefer white sauces but most of theirs are bland and water downed, it'll end up leaking out of the take out box. I would recommend their lasagna at least. Skip the bread.
(3)Dawn N.
Yay for big portions and tasty food! If you're looking for a pretty good Italian meal for a reasonable price, Catania is it. Located in downtown, a block away from Honolulu District Court, it is conveniently located if you're one of the thousands who work in downtown. As I haven't ever had to park when going to Catania, I can't comment about the parking. I've tried a bunch of different things on their menu (chicken marsala, chicken piccata, clam, lasagna, some of their specials) but the best is the lasagna! Huge slab that can serve for 2 meals and very yummy. If you love garlic, you may like some of the other dishes, but can be a bit on the garlicky side. Breath mint anyone? I also order their "salad". I put quotes because it's not really just salad but can serve as a meal (or two) in and of itself. There are two sizes a small and a large. The small, you're limited to only a couple of items, but with the large you can try a larger variety. A couple things though, the flavor changes, some days it's tasty, some days it needs more dressing as it's a little bland. Also, they only serve a select few items...and rarely serve others. For example, the pasta salad is a staple and the white bean, chicken curry, beets. Less usual are the tofu salad, tomato mozzarella, tomato & cucumber. Even rarer is the cous cous (sadness as I love cous cous). But overall, light and refreshing and makes me feel like I'm eating healthy! Finally, it can get crowded during the lunchtime rush and wait times can be on the longer side. If you have a menu and/or know what their specials are, I highly recommend a phone order. Of course, you can't REALLY complain...at least you know they're making a fresh batch for you! The lasagna is one of the items that you don't have to wait for as it's on a tray ready to be served. They do serve a slice of bread with entree orders. However, it sometimes is a hit or miss with the large salad. One time, my friend got bread and I didn't though we both ordered the salad. Another time, both of us didn't get bread. Go figure. Oh, last tip, I HEARD, but haven't experienced it myself, that if you go later (like near closing time) they give even BIGGER portions. I will need to try this and see for myself! Happy eating!
(4)