Some people name their businesses after themselves or a location that gives the eatery a sense of history. Others choose to name their business after something about the food itself instead. The owners of Fresh Catch couldn’t have been more direct. The Fresh Catch restaurant in Kapahulu is a deli-style restaurant that serves up exactly what its name suggests, some of the freshest seafood options in the city.
Fresh Catch has become so popular that you’ll find several restaurants under this banner across the Hawaiian islands. This review is for the Fresh Catch restaurant located in Kapahulu on the island of Oahu. You’ll find their bright blue building complete with a dedicated parking lot right at the corner of Kapahulu Avenue and Harding Avenue. However, the parking lot is going to be pretty full come peak lunch and early dinner hours as this place is popular. So popular that it has been cited as among the top 10 most ordered from spots in this part of Oahu by a couple of delivery websites.
When you walk inside Fresh Catch in Kapahulu, you will most likely find yourself at the end of a line stretching out from the back counter. To the left of the counter and the line, there is a small dining area outfitted with picnic tables where you can rub elbows with locals as you enjoy your fresh meal at Fresh Catch.
Diners here have a wide selection of fresh seafood to choose from. They specialize in fresh Poke by the pound but also have a nice list of plate lunches and rotating specials and market fresh catches. Poke, for the unacquainted, is a type of seafood dish that features raw diced fish marinated in a special sauce and seasoning and typically served over a bed of rice and with select vegetables or greens. This restaurant also serves cold beer to pair with your order. Additionally, a long list of soft drinks and teas.
Not sure what to order? Some of the most frequently ordered menu items at Fresh Catch include:
Salmon Poke
The salmon poke is served well-marinated in a savory sweet sauce that really accentuates the natural flavors of the fish. You can get this served by itself, atop rice, or atop a bet of greens.
Spicy Ahi Katsu
Spicy Ahi Katsu is one of the plated lunch options at Fresh Catch that features fresh ahi breaded and lightly fried and then cut into thin strips and tossed with a spicy sauce and loaded up with seasonings. This plated lunch comes as a large helping served atop two generous scoops of rice.
Pastele Stew
This one isn’t among the highest-selling entrees at Fresh Catch. Nonetheless, its uniqueness in this part of Hawaii makes it worthy of note. Pastele Stew is a Puerto Rican-inspired dish that features chunks of pork stewed with bell peppers, onions, and olives within a tomato base. This is equal parts savory and spicy, making it a great pick for rainy middays. You can order the Pastele Stew at Fresh Catch with two scoops of rice and potato salad, or have a ladle poured over a serving of French fries.
Insider Tips:
-Fresh Catch has a lot of great lunch options for those who like seafood. However, one thing they don’t really have are desserts to put a nice bow at the end of a meal. Sometimes they have these red velvet cupcakes, but they tend to run out early on the days these are in.
-It is good to underscore that the poke is served by the pound. The marinated fish does get heavy even in small amounts. So, if this is your first time ordering Poke at Fresh Catch, and are wary of prices, we recommend going in for small sample sizes of select options first. This will help you gauge price expectations and help find exactly the right marinade to tempt your tastebuds.