When scouting out a dose of comfort food in a friendly setting, Hawaii patrons tend to flock to places like New Eagle Cafe. There’s something about the quiet charm of a local-style diner filled with regulars that hits the spot like nothing else.
Despite its name, New Eagle is actually an old-favorite with roots going back to the 1960s, when the Teruya family took over downtown’s former Eagles Cafe. After a location change in 1976, the restaurant settled into the Nimitz area in 1988.
Even with a new owner and an updated look in tow, the eatery’s warm atmosphere and menu maintain a certain feel from the past – a piece of older local culture that has remained amid today’s constantly changing dining scene. For that reason, it continues to be cherished, as do many of its classic eats such as oxtail soup or prime rib.
Owner Tae Im suggests trying something really old-school, such as Beef Liver ($11.75).
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- Oxtail Soup ($12.95) Nathalie Walker file photo
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- Beef Liver ($11.75)
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- Spicy Pork ($12.75) Lawrence Tabudlo photos
“I know people would think its not exactly the most popular item,” he says with a laugh, “but we actually sell a lot of liver because we’re one of the few places that has it on the menu.”
Love it or hate it, the incomparable menu item is popular among older patrons who grew up eating it. At New Eagle, thin pieces of liver are grilled and served with a string of bacon and onions. Its flavor is so distinctly liverish that the only way to understand it is to try it yourself. AliCarte can convey, though, that when combined with some bacon and onion in one bite, the liver dish is slightly, sort-of reminiscent of meatloaf in taste and texture.
To complete the meal, each entree is served with a choice of white rice, brown rice, mashed potatoes or fries, and hot vegetables.
After acquiring the diner last November, the new owner decided to dress up the menu with a few additions as well. Spicy Pork ($12.75) has taken flight among customers who love its thinly sliced pieces of pork marinated in a spicy Korean-style sauce. The dish is generously presented on a hot plate with onions, which allows the pork to take on a glorious sizzle.
So when it comes to local comfort food, New Eagle Cafe’s menu soars.
New Eagle Cafe
1130 N. Nimitz Hwy. Ste. A-100, Honolulu
545-2233
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday: 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
Honolulu, HI 96817
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