Sam’s Delicatessen

Reviews

• Bryan T.

  star star star star star_border 23 June 2026

  i love the ladies in the front, they always remember my name (which maybe i shouldn't be proud of) and are friendly.  The food is amazing, i most often get the Oahu Special which is like a bbq mixed plate.  the mac salad is one of the best!.  They're a little more expensive for the amount of food given compared to other places but the taste and quality is definitely worth it.

• Anela A.

  star star star star_border star_border 21 June 2026

  PLEASANTLY SUPRISED
  I did not have high hopes for the food here, but it was on the way home so I stopped in. The staff is so incredibly rude I almost walked out. I ordered the bbq chicken and fish jun- prices here are reasonable. I've been notice Korean BBQ plate lunch prices at other places have increased to $15/$16 a plate. Here it was about $12 for a combo so not bad. The chicken had a nice dark shoyu glaze with a little char- really nice looking. Pieces are a little thin but didn't have a lot of fat. The chicken tasted more like a shoyu sauce- not too sweet or gingery. The fish jun is the best I've tasted in a long while. The other item I was impressed with was the shoyu potato. This was really good!

• Nadine C.

  star star star star star_border 19 June 2026

  Korean food in Nu'uanu...
  
  Four small tables compose this hole-in-the-wall eatery. I haven't dined in, but have enjoyed their food at family potlucks. This is the first time I experienced Sam's Delicatessen myself.
  
  First off, there are a few free parking stalls right in the front. The parking seems to be shared with Bangkok Chef next door. Otherwise, there's free street parking.
  
  Inside, the decor is plain and simple. Empty boxes line the walls of the place, with a single air conditioning unit providing adequate relief from the warm Hawaiian weather.
  
  I ordered the Oahu Special: Kalbi, BBQ Chicken, Beef teriyaki, and Mandoo with four choices of banchan. I liked the variety!  Surprisingly, the teri beef was my favorite because it was easier to eat - less chewing and no bones!  Yum!  The kalbi and mandoo were tasty!
  
  If I see an empty parking stall again, I'd stop in again!

• Darren Y.

  star star star star star_border 10 June 2026

  Got our New Year's Eve grinds from Sams. My sister loves this place - particularly their wings. It's super convenient - located on nuuanu. Easy parking just call in your order and in and out with boxes of Korean belly therapy.
  
  We got the family pack 1 and 2 side orders of the wings. The family pack was rocking. Excellent meat jun - seems like you only see this in Hawaii - I'm told that in Korea its more of a home cooked dish something you don't get in restaurants.  For those unfamiliar w da jun it's marinated beef slices that are battered in egg and fried, and served with a sweet dipping sauce. Family pack also has kalbi - thick beef slices w no bone, and bbq chicken - just clip with scissors into bite sized pieces and you're good to go.
  
  Their sides.... they get a bonus for giving us extra veges since we asked for no rice. But their jap Chae... it had good flavor but was just noodles!!! The rest of the sides were standard fare.
  
  Everyone likes the wings here - I think they're fine. Basically breaded drumettes - not flavored like typical kfc. Thats said this is still a great place for Korean eats

• John H.

  star star star star star_border 6 June 2026

  Sam's is a Korean restaurant located about 1/2 mile from downtown Honolulu. It is not what you would think of as a "deli." Maybe it was a deli years ago and changed over time? They don't have deli food so don't be disappointed that you can't order lox on a bagel or pastrami on rye. However, what they do have is some really tasty fried chicken wings. I think they are marinated in soy sauce, garlic and sugar, then battered and deep fried. I drive from my workplace 10 minutes away just to pick up these wings. They are that good.
  
  The rest of the menu is the typical Korean plate lunch type choices. I haven't eaten anything here except the fried chicken wings. The place is usually busy with people eating in or taking food to go. There is very limited parking in front of the restaurant but there is metered street parking in the area.