Nickie-Café

So close by to home, and their beef phở soup is so fresh and tasty! The prices there are cheap for the quality phở you get. Definitely will be back again to try out more

The food here is awesome! Too bad they are not where I moved but will probably make a trip to get food from there again! The prices are very reasonable and the portions are great! Food so ono!!!

I’ve wanted to try this place for a while. I ordered a tofu bahn mi and veggie spring rolls to go. Both were delicious! I ended up only eating half and saving the other half for later. Super cheap as is, even more so considering it was enough for two meals.
Less one star because when I went to pick it up, the lady acknowledged I was there, said «cash only» then continued sitting there, typing away on her phone. After waiting a few moments, I said, «Where do I pay?» with my money in hand and then she got up… uhhh, clearly I’m there to pick up my food and pay.
Otherwise, yummy!

Lemon grass chicken sandwich, best on the island, perfectly crunchy bread. Call ahead for your order and they’ll have it ready to pick up.

I’m cuckoo about their Bhan Mi sandwiches. The aunties are so cute and friendly. You won’t be disappointed!

This place is the perfect whole on the wall vietnamese spot, total mom and pop. Plus they have a ton of veggie options. Love these guys.

Great place for Phở. Friendly service. The summer rolls are excellent too. This place is easy to find and serves Phở to go. I love it. I recommend it to anyone in Waikiki who doesn’t mind a short walk down Kapahulu.

Ventured down to Kapahulu to try this hole-​in-​the-​wall Vietnamese restaurant in a market with just two tables you can use to dine in. I read about the hype from other reviews, so I was a bit disappointed with my experience.
When we got there, we were informed that they no longer allow you to dine in. We politely asked if we could have our dinner there anyway since we drove a long way to get there and there was literally no one else in the establishment. No bueno for us, so we had to do take-​out.
The Summer Rolls and Phở (Combination Beef Balls, Tripe, and Tendon) were just average in taste and nothing that you couldn’t get at other Vietnamese places in town.
The Xui Mai (Pork) Banh Mi Sandwich was very flavorful and has a good combination of spices. The French bread however was a bit chewy, due to it being wrapped up for take-​out.
Other things I should mention: It’s all street parking and it can be pretty tough to find any in this dense neighborhood. Also, cash is king, so no plastic accepted here.
With all the hassles of getting down to the Nickie-​Café and not being able to eat in, not sure I’ll be back… unless I have a major craving for that tasty Xui Mai Banh Mi.

I’ve been wanting to try this place for years and today I finally got to dine here. Maybe I built up my expectations too high over the years or maybe I came on an off day but I left a little disappointed. Don’t you hate it when that happens?
This is a hole in the wall type grocery store/​restaurant off of Kapahulu Ave. You can find street parking or risk parking at Zippy’s. They sell Vietnamese groceries and serve Vietnamese cuisine. It’s very cozy and there are just two tables (one inside and one outside). They are also cash only.
Service: The two ladies there were very nice. One spoke better English than the other but they both had very friendly smiles. They don’t have dine in as an option now but they allowed us to eat there which we thought was very nice.
Food: The combination phở was decent. Noodles were soft, veggies were fresh and broth was warm with some flavor. Nickie’s sandwich w/​special homemade recipe pork char siu (Banh Mi Thit) was good. The bread was warm and crispy, veggies were cool and slightly pickled with char siu that was juicy and flavorful.

Tasty, inexpensive, local: what else do ya want? ;)

Stopped by for dinner here based on the great Unilocal reviews. I was not disappointed. The phở soup was amazing. They only do take out here but they made an exception for us and allowed my friend and I go eat inside. I totally recommend this place.

To my surprise this little whole in the wall is AMAZING!!! It’s 10pm on a Monday night. The hubby and I were driving around looking for takeout places to eat that were still open (fast food is never an option, we would rather starve). We ended up in Kapahulu and we remembered Nickie’s. The sign was still on but Unilocal said they were closed. I called and a lady answered, I asked if they were open and she politely said yes and asked if I wanted to make an order. I told her we were right across the street and would be right in. *SIDE NOTE* I read another review of a girl who called right at the time they were supposed to open and they weren’t open yet. According to Unilocal this place closes at 9pm but we called ordered our food around 10pm and they were still open. WITH THAT SAID, I don’t think they’re set on opening right away OR closing right away. Which is cool with me. I’m so grateful they were open!!!
This place would be easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. It’s located right across from the Zippy’s parking lot. It doesn’t really look like a café from the outside. Walking in it looks like a Asian foods grocery store.
As we walked in I noticed the family eating together. Whatever they had it looked DELICIOUS! There was one person in the back cooking and there was one lady that took our order. She was super friendly. All the people eating told us hi. I could have just stood there and watch them eat, but I didn’t want to be rude. Whatever they were eating, I don’t think I saw it on the menu… so I know it must have been GOOD.
We ordered 2 lemongrass chicken bahn mi and a soursop smoothie. YES! SOURSOP SMOOTHIE!!! These are seasonal so we had to order one even though we have a tree in our yard. I’ve never had it as a smoothie before. And it was all that I imagined… HEAVEN!
The sandwiches were the best bahn mi I ever had! SO MUCH FLAVOR. The sandwiches were a pretty big too! The prices are pretty cheap as well. You could taste the LOVE they put into their food. It took about 10 – 15 minutes to make and we were the only customers, so you know it wasn’t just reheated and served. I really appreciate that. Everything was FRESH.
They also have great vegetarian options I can’t wait to try.
I am definitely coming back. I can’t wait to try their other foods. Check this place out if you’re in the Kapahulu area looking for a good meal.

BEST chicken bahn mi ever!!! These Vietnamese ladies are killing it! The juiciest, spiciest Bahn Mi I have ever had. This is vietnamese store that sells the nicest sandwiches. This is a CASH only place.
The ladies were so nice, they gave me a tiny bouquet of Plumerias, which makes me love this place even more. I am definitely visiting this place again for their amazing Bahn Mi!

Had a little trouble finding this spot as its a real hole in the wall spot. When you walk in youll notice that theres only one table to eat at so its probably best to take out and find a nice park to eat at.
On the menu– Char Siu Banh Mi #12 on the menu
Flavors were on point! It most definately is one of the best Banh Mi’s ive had. However, i wish they used a thicker, lest fatty, but tender cut of char siu. If they managed to do this they might have the best Banh Mi in the World! Cant wait to try more on their menu!

Out of all of the places I ate while on Oahu, this was the best.
I’ve had banh mi in many places throughout the USA as well as in Hue and Saigon Vietnam… so when I say that the Nickie Special banh mi here was the best I’ve ever had, it is saying a lot. I wish this place and the bubble tea shop 2 doors down would move into my hometown.
NOTE: it is very small and easy to walk by without even seeing it, also it usually doesn’t open until 4−5pm and was closed on Sunday.

Five stars because this is a pretty amazing take out spot! Don’t come here expecting to be seated and have a restaurant dining experience… I don’t know if they actually do serve food there in the shop. It’s a tiny little spot that acts as a strange mix between Vietnamese convenient store and food venue.
Either way, I think I’m addicted to their tofu banh mi. Even non-​vegetarians love it. I haven’t tried ordering their phở to go yet but this seems like the spot for vegetarians as they have lots of options to substitute meat.
Hands down the best banh mi I’ve had on island.

All I did was asked Siri of where the nearest Vietnamese restaurants in Kaimuki were, and out came a list. Nickie’s Café was on that list and I was surprised that they had Phở! Yay!
Nickie’s Café is a definitively a very small mom and pop operation that you do not find very often in this day and age. Quite often, if you are searching for something, you are bound to find it. I have been on a quest to find the perfect bowl of Phở and I have yet to find it. Enter Nickie’s Café. While it wasn’t as amazing that I had hoped it would be, it definitely exceeded my expectations for sure. There was a few tables in this restaurant and it felt like it was dining in someone’s home. For real or some rustic area of town that is off the beaten path that locals know to go to. Whether or not this is your first time here at Nickie’s Café, the food is rather good and the ambiance was average. Don’t be fooled by the decadence of the décor. It is what it is. And of course, we can’t forget…
Cash only!!!
Thanks to Siri and Unilocal for helping me discover new places and tastes beyond my own neighborhood. Local or traveling, it’s always helpful to have resources and friends with you to help make important decisions, especially when it came to food! It’s great that photos came in handy! Once I saw the photo of the cash only sign, I was glad to grab money instead of being in that awkward position after the meal. And so, I came here on a Saturday early afternoon. It was Valentines Day 2015, but I didn’t care. Just another Saturday to me. The good news was that the place was empty, so I figured I beat the lunch rush. I was greeted with a smile and I got the menu while I sat down. For me, Vietnamese cuisine was basically Phở and summer rolls. That’s it, no harm or foul. For the most part, coming here to Nickie’s Café was good and positive. It was like sitting at grandma’s house and having Phở. It had that homely aspect to it.
Nickie’s Café is located at 3297 Campell Avenue, just off the main drag of Kapahulu Avenue in Kaimuki /​Kapahulu. You can miss this place, as it looks like a quintessential Asian grocery store from the outside. Looks can be deceiving, of course. Once inside, I was treated to some great Vietnamese flavors and it was a fun way to have Vietnamese food, instead of the usual go to places where I were to go get Phở. The only negative I would say about Nickie Café is the cash only policy. Everything else is good and fun. Enjoyable to be able to have homespun Vietnamese food off the main drag. Getting here can be tricky, but if you are like me, I believe bus route 14 comes through here, as well as route 2 and 3, but you may need to walk, depending on where the bus routes take you. While parking here can be a grind, street parking is king and best bet would be to find them before someone else does!
The service here was good, but the Phở itself was hovering in the middle between average and above average. It was delicious, of course, but it didn’t levitate to the point where it was insanely good. The broth was warming hot and the beef broth was slightly watered down, but still had that rich taste that I have come to know of Phở. I asked for extra bean sprouts and it was just a simple taste that made all the difference. The summer rolls here were decently good. It was freshly made and didn’t taste like it came out from the freezer. Maybe maybe not. Couldn’t tell though this time around, if it did. While the entire experience was good, I can tell that the food itself wasn’t as stellar as other Unilocalers have stated. Maybe I would need to come back sometime to redo, but for now, I will round it up to 4 stars, but it is a solid 3.5 stars for me. Recommended if you are in the mood to explore your Vietnamese palate and need to explore to find new places to try. Prices here were good. Not too high.
The search for the perfect bowl of Phở continues.
Support local!
B

First visit here and we will definitely be back. The lady who owns it was so friendly. She gave me some great advice on making phở at home.
We got the bahn mi. Fresh ingredients, good clean and authentic taste. Nice balance of meat and veggies. Price $ 6.50 which is comparable to other places. It looks sketchy but everything is very fresh and you can tell they take pride in their food. This place is owned by two nice sisters (born and raised in Vietnam… like I said lady is very nice) and they do a great job!

A friend of mine and I have been scoping this place out (partially based on the Unilocal reviews), but every time we drove by… it was closed! We had a running joke that Nickie was too lazy to work that day anyway («That bitch!»…Hi Nickie… just kidding).
Today, I drove by and it was open so I frantically searched for street parking and dashed inside before Nickie could close shop. I was a little taken aback because I was expecting a hole in the wall restaurant and not a random Asian variety store that sold dried noodles and was giving away freebie books on Buddhism.
I asked the lady in front of the shop who I assumed was Nickie herself if she was still making banh mi sandwiches. She said yes and asked me what I wanted. Ummm… can I see the menu pls? Never been here before, lady. So she handed me the menu and I asked her what she would recommend. At this point she seemed a little flustered and got another lady from inside the kitchen. Ahh… the infamous I’m-never-open-when-you-want-me-to-Nickie. She recommended #12 and #14 which she said she is «famous for». Okkkkkkurrrrr. This banh mi better taste good after that claim.
I went with the #12 Classic and an order of summer rolls. Nickie disappeared into the kitchen and I was wondering if I was even allowed to eat in the tiny shop. There were two tables in the room and one was clearly being used as a desk and the other was cleared away of miscellaneous stuff by the first woman when I arrived. If you come here, there is clearly just enough room for one person to dine in. The tiny place was filled with random noodles, flour, fish sauce, bottled water, seaweed packets… just so random… like her hours. It looked more like a storage room or a bodega. Is that why she was closed most of the time? Was she hoarding randomness the whole time?
The food itself was pretty good. The bread was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. Summer rolls were a decent size, although the sprouts were not as fresh as I’d like it to be. Overall the food was not life changing orgasmic, but very tasty and def not average. I liked it better than KCC’s Pig & the Lady.
Oh, she gave me no option of dining in because she quickly wrapped the food in a plastic bag. I went next door to the bubble tea place, ordered a watermelon drink and ate outside. If Nickie happens to be open on some random day, I wouldn’t hesitate on checking out the rest of her «famous» banh mis.

For over a year, I would drive by this little restaurant and wonder about it. I’d stare through my car window to see if there were any customers or if it was even open. Often, I’d see an older man sitting outside, sometimes the front door would be open, sometimes closed. By the time I’d get to my destination, I’d forget all about this place and it wouldn’t pop into my head again until my next drive-​by.
So a few months ago, I decided to break my useless habit. I looked the restaurant up on Unilocal and learned that they actually are OPEN and serve food! And have vegetarian phở! Now I was excited! I noticed that they opened at 10am, but it was only 9am when I did my research, so I waited patiently. I was starving by the time 10 arrived and immediately called the number… no answer. I waited another ten minutes, called again… no answer. I was starving and so I ended up eating something else. Sadly, this wasn’t the only time this un-​satiated cycle occurred.
I had nearly given up, but then I decided to try one more time, in the evening. It made more sense, maybe they’re just not punctual, morning people. And it worked! I called and placed my takeout order and drove over.
It took a bit to find street parking; I ended up high up a side street, and walked down. When I entered the door, I noticed dry goods for sale (items for soup) and a small table. To the right was the cash register. There were a few chairs to sit on and the middle aged man who was packing the takeout bags kindly offered a chair to me since my order was still being worked on. There was another older man and middle aged woman in the kitchen. A couple sat near the register and another customer waited near the door. If any more people came, they wouldn’t have fit, it was that tiny!
When my order was ready, I paid in cash (no checks or cards accepted) and drove home.
Unpacking the vegetarian phở was a feast for the eyes. In my bowl, I placed the noodles and vegetables, lemon, basil, sprouts, and poured over the broth. In front of me was a beautiful assortment of tofu, black fungus, straw mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and white potato! Ohhh it looked so good! And it was!!! The broth was so flavorful and flecked with garlic chips. You don’t even need to add the plum sauce or sriracha to boost up the vegetarian broth.
My boyfriend ordered his usual, meatball and brisket with beef broth phở, which he enjoyed, but the entire time, he kept stealing my veggies and drinking my soup!
I enjoyed every spoonful! (Well, every one I could have to myself!) I am definitely ordering from Nickie Café again! …but I’ll make sure to call a little later in the day.

CASH ONLY
I have to agree they do have one of the best Bahn Mi sandwiches. Well I can only compare them to Bale. Prices are dirt cheap for the quantity and quality of food they serve you. We ordered 3 dishes total tab was $ 19.
It’s a small dine in area that can seat maybe 10 people. Street parking can be hard to find since they’re surrounded by other food places. But definitely worth a try!

Hole-​in-​the-​wall Vietnamese restaurant located in Kaimuki just off of Kapahulu. Street parking can be a pain in the _​_​_​_​! But Nickie Café is worth the pain. One of my vegetarian friends introduced me to this place. Since then I’ve taken my visiting dad (straight up Vietnamese) and a vegan buddy; I’ve even gone solo!
Nickie Café is very vegetarian-​/​vegan– friendly; the menu highlights the many veggie options. I’m ok with the faux meat though other vegetarians/​vegans might not be. Everything I’ve tried has been tasty: the vegetarian rolls with peanut sauce, veggie vermicelli with faux meat and veggie sauce (not fish sauce — thank goodness!), the veggie phở with veggie broth (see my pictures).
Bring your cash! Next time I will try the banh mi veggie style!