La Tour Cafe

I LOVE this place!!! Aina Haina really needed a boost! I have frequented La Tour since they opened a few months ago and think all the food rocks here and the prices are so reasonable.
The food is fantastic, pastries exceptional, service is excellent!!!
For those of you who are perpetual complainers — eat somewhere else!

Stoked they moved into the valley, I have now been there at least 8 diff times. I have to say though, the service (from I think the assist mgr) is not always friendly. She has a sass and attitude, that leaves a sour taste… Especially since we go there often, are pleasant and like to try different things.
I worked in the food/​beverage industry for about 10 years and built a vast knowledge about cuisine. When ordering the Porchetta Sandwich (pronounced either porCHetta or porKEtta) she quickly and sassily corrected my pronunciation to her version porCHetta and rolled her eyes at me (on top of that they never have that item ready or in stock, I was the second person in line just yesterday at opening and again not available). I smiled and proceeded to order my goto meatball banh mi. At another visit more recently I decided to try their croque-​monsieur madame (said it just like that) Traditionally when you add madame, it’s a croque-​monsieur but topped with an egg. Same girl, sassily replies «which one do you want? they are two different things… so Monsieur or Madame? (Eyeroll again and finger tap on the counter, seriously?) I don’t mind being corrected, I love to learn, especially if I am wrong… but if you are going to correct your customer in that manner multiple times, it really gets uncomfortable and disappointing… And sister, be open to learning some too.
Note* I have never been ill toward her even with the treatment nor have I corrected her. I have worked in the industry and know how it can be sometimes… But service industry requires you to put your customer first and attitude out the window.
I will now try to order from the other sweet hostess that’s there. She has always been very pleasant, gave me a great suggestion for a panini choice and is very attentive when dining in. I will still support this establishment since the owner is an alum of my alma mater, & the food is quality and good. But, 3 stars for the review of just one bad egg that needs to be a little more customer first and friendly. Mahalo.
Highly recommend:
Meatball banh mi
Alsatian pizza
Chix tender sandwich
Chix pesto panini with tomatoes
Croque monsieur madame
La tour burger
Macarons

French onion soup was good. No encrusted gruyère cheese on top, but still delish. A little steep for a small cup at $ 3.80 though.
The spinach, mushroom and garlic pizza was ok. No sauce so good if you don’t like any. However, for my taste it lacked flavor and was a bit bland. Does have a thinner crust so u dont feel heavy when u leave. Good size to share with someone.

A La Tour Café in Aina Haina??? YES PLEASE!!! Omg I was sooooo happy when I saw this place open up. Macaroons and other yummy pastries great you in the bright display case and their menu board is filled with tasty options. It’s probably just me, but as I walk in, I find myself heading straight to the macaroon display, hoping to see my favorite in there. I can spend at least two minutes looking at everything before remembering to go to the registers to order.
I highly recommend the following macaroons: Strawberry (a classic that I just can’t resist), Salted caramel, Blueberry Cheesecake, Green Tea, and Melona (only because my nieces LOVE it). You can get them to go in either just a plain box or a gift box with cool plastic separators.
The regular food menu is quite diverse and will have something for everyone. I just looooooove their sandwiches!!! I haven’t tried the salads here yet, but their flatbread pizzas are surprisingly big and tasty!!! Oh wait… I haven’t talked about one of the other amazing things in this La Tour … their soda machine!!! It is a touch screen, and has a LOT of different flavors — it is a Coke machine, so no Pepsi products, but you can get… vanilla, cherry, regular, diet, zero, etc. There is also many Fanta flavors!!! It was mind boggling the first time I stood there.
The staff are friendly and always smiling. If you are eating in, there are a lot of seats and a cool long table in the middle for people to share. I can’t wait to go back and try something new!!!

I am ecstatic that La Tour Café opened in Aina Haina! (Mainly because the Nimitz one wasn’t the most convenient for me to go to… wahaha)
Must order: MEATBALL BANH MI ($ 9.50)
Maybe order: mint water
Meh, skip: Pastrami sandwich
The bahn mi is a more upscale version of the traditional bahn mi. The french baguette roll is a perfect blend of crispy and soft. The chicken meatballs were giant, juicy, flavorful, and tender. The pickled veggies + cilantro add the delicious crunch and extra flavor you always look forward to in a bahn mi. This sandwich will definitely fill you up; one with an average appetite probably would not be able to finish it. The mint water was refreshing, but it was pretty sweet. It was a nice accompaniment to my sandwich, but it was a lot sweeter than I expected.
My mom ordered the pastrami sandwich which was definitely inferior to my bahn mi. Despite the pastrami’s «meh» quality, the Meatball Bahn Mi was soooooooo good that it negated the negative of the soggy, overly salty pastrami sandwich.
La Tour Café offers so much variety! From a tempting goat cheese and beet salad to jalapeño burger, everything sounded delicious! Not to mention… Baked goods galore: My mom swears by their croissants. I can attest to the macarons from the Nimitz location, but didn’t try them here yet. Can’t wait to try their other stuff– cruffins, flat breads, paninis, pizza, oh my!
This was a perfect addition to Aina Haina Shopping Center… I like that it’s at the end, by Starbucks, so you don’t have to go into the heart of the center which can get chaotic with the parking situation at peak hours.

Whenever I go to La Tour, it’s always for macrons. But this time, I had some of their food and it was delicious! I tried the spinach, mushroom, and garlic flatbread pizza and the Italian flat bread pizza. And then due to their good marketing of their picture menu, I ended up ordering some garlic fries.
Let’s just say that I’m glad I went on a hike before this mea because I probably ate all the calories I burned off and more! But the pizzas were so good with so many good toppings. And what more do I need to say about garlic fries; they were delicious and no regrets about having to pop a gum after to deal with the breath situation.
And to top it off, we got 6 macrons to go for some dessert tonight. Today I left La Tour as a very full but happy girl.

Found this place somewhat by accident — and it was good. They have some french pastries as well as a salad/​sandwich menu. We tried the Crispy Goat Cheese and Beet salad — noticeably fresh and better quality than average. The fish and frites came with a huge portion of fries, but the fish, while adequate, was not special in any way. The pastry we tried was tasty, if a bit pricey (normal for french pastries).
They have dining inside the restaurant (very casual) as well as outdoors — lovely on a nice day, like the one when we were there.
The parking lot is a zoo, but if you’re patient, there should be a space. Entrance into and egress from the lot can be… slow.
Still, the experience was good enough that I hope to try it again.

I’m happy to have discovered that they opened another La Tour location in Aina Haina. No more treks to Nimitz for my Macaron cravings!
I had just had my wisdom teeth pulled a few days before so I got the Mac and cheese for easy eating, and mom got the daily soup. My mac and cheese was delicious, just the right amount of cheesy goodness with breadcrumbs on top.
They have a beautiful long wooden table sitting in the middle of the café for large parties or co-​mingling of diners. I liked this concept a lot. I’m
So happy there’s another great café/​eating option for that area now.

I have gone to la tour many times for the macarons which are to die for but this review is for the food.
Came here on a Saturday afternoon, it wasn’t busy at all so we were able to order and sit right away. I ordered the chicken pesto panini with garlic fries and a la tour iced coffee, and my friend ordered the clam chowder in a bread bowl. The panini was really great! Lots of flavor! The garlic fries were to die for. I couldn’t stop eating them… crispy garlic pieces and crispy fries I could eat them all day! The iced coffee is so amazing. I can only drink a small because it’s so rich but it is so good! My friends chowder bowl looked delicious and I was able to snag a bite. it tasted as delicious as it looked! A sour dough bread bowl with creamy delightful clam chowder! I can’t wait to go back to try the pizza! Oh and eat more garlic fries!

Was hesitant at first because of the prices I saw on Unilocal but ended up being pleasantly surprised.
Pros:
Atmosphere
Cleanliness
Coke machine– able to choose between a variety of flavors
Food quality– we got the turkey pesto panini, side fries, bacon jalapeño cheddar burger and the French onion soup in a bread bowl=$ 35
Cons: price– it’s a little on the expensive side, but given the quality and that awesome soda machine then it’s worth it.

After much anticipation, I finally got a chance to try the Aina Haina La Tour Café! I’ve been a fan ever since the Nimitz location.
Location: I love that it’s minutes away from my home, but I don’t love that it’s in the Aina Haina shopping center. The parking hassles are pretty stressful and it doesn’t matter whether you go at lunch time or dinner, the parking is always hectic.
Restaurant: It’s actually smaller than I would’ve thought. The table layout is interesting, but it works. The long table makes eating with strangers. Great way to meet others in your neighborhood. :) There are outside tables but I definitely prefer eating in.
Food/​Beverage: Taste and quality is pretty consistent to the Nimitz and Pearl City location. I always go for the mint water. I crave it on the regular. So i’m happy it’s easier for me to get my fix on this side of the island. I also love the dressing they serve with the salad. It tastes like the Swiss Inn dressing. YUM! The menu is quite slim but most of the items are very tasty. My go-​to food is the chicken pesto panini and the La Tour burger. The next visit will definitely be a pizza.
Staff: Staff are pretty friendly and helpful. They run pretty efficiently.
Macarons: Awesome. Nuff said. :P

I love the original location and was so excited to have La Tour in the neighborhood. I’ve only ordered take out so far but can’t wait to dine in. The inside is really cute and I love the long community table in the middle.
My former (when I used to eat meat) favorite was the meatball bahn mi. So good! I love this sandwich. My dad has gotten it 3x in the past week. Absolutely much try if you eat meat.
The roast beef sandwich is also delicious.
I absolutely love the Mediterranean tuna sandwich. It’s really good and you can definitely split it with a friend since it comes with a salad and you’re going to want dessert too.
Now. Desserts. They’re all good. I have to admit I’ve eaten so many of their macarons from whole foods that I’m kind of burnt out on them. But I see this as a good thing because I can finally say no to the macaron and try new things. Like the chocolate lava cake or the custard puff pastries. They’re all SO good. There are many places you can go to lunch or dinner and decline the desserts however this is not the place to do it. You need to order dessert.
I can’t wait to try more of there scrumptious selections and I’m so excited to have such a great place in the neighborhood to add to the rotation.

Unfortunately, on my recent visit to La Tour, I had a bit of a surprise when I opened my French dip: the meat was under-cooked…to the point where the bread was soaked with blood. I realize this can happen and that some people like it rare, but this isn’t exactly what I had in mind for my dinner. Plus, we had ordered take-​out. By the time we found out how under-​cooked the food was, it was past closing time and we live far from the nearest location. My fault, I should have checked before I left.
I consider this a case of growing-​pains for a new location, hence two stars.

Ok, it’s finals time and I should really Be writing papers or looking over equations, but I’ll take some time out just for Unilocal
Service: The past 3 times I’ve been in here to take out, every cashier/​helper has been super nice, friendly and talkative, so I feel service is fine. Food comes out fairly quick as well.
Foods: No different; no Better or worse than the other locations. PLEASE TRY THE CRUFFIN ITS DELICIOUS! Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any choice, I feel.
Ambiance: the mirror to the left of your entrance gives the illusion of a larger room – so nice to brighten the place but not much seating (10 tables max?)
Highlights (other than eating the cruffin): the ice machine are those little crunchy cubes of goodness, wide variety of macaroons/​baked goods, free ample parking.

In light of the recent events in Paris, I thought it would be fitting to do a review of my fave hangout that bears the name of Paree’s signature symbol.
La Tour is a spinoff from the Bale restaurant chain that dons the Eiffel Tower logo, aka La Tour Eiffel. The same family who owns Bale has created delicious sandwiches, salads, pastries, and their most famous macarons, for us to enjoy!
They recently opened their Aina Haina location about a month ago right next to Starbucks and the post office. I come here after fishing with my dad and I get the same thing: A Croque Madame and a mint water.
A croque madame is an open face sandwich (known as a tartine) that is extremely popular in Paris. It is a savory ham and cheese grilled sandwich with a fried egg on top. Yes, I repeat. Ham. Cheese. Egg. BOOM. On a healthier level, it comes with salad and their homemade pickles. The mint water has the same zesty sweetness as a mojito, but without the alcohol. It’s my go-​to the same way I would order a plantation iced tea with lunch. My dad enjoys the pastrami sandwich with fresh sauerkraut. Other enjoyables are the Bahn Mi, the French Dip, and their Chicken Pesto. The La Tour Burger is good, but a bit much for me with the caramelized onions and wagyu beef. Try it and see – everyone has their favorites!
The fountain drink machine is high tech, with flavor spritzes to make your humdrum soda into a fun, personalized concoction. Ample sitting room allows children, strollers, and friends to enjoy their meal together with no problem.
The macarons are an EXCELLENT gift option for a workplace, thank yous, or just to bring home to your family. They come in a well-​made display box with their signature color and logo, a beautiful piece in itself. Perfect for the holidays with a modern twist.

Stopped in for a quick lunch. And as usual, La Tour never disappoints! Delicious chicken pesto panini with a cup of French onion soup!
Take out service was fast and courteous.
I did like that this location has a few chairs to sit in while waiting for take out!

First time here today. We got here around 11 and right after we sat down they got slammed with a long line.
The French dip and frites were really good. The ranch dip is good. The two food runners were friendly. I’ll be back to try the burgers, pizzas and paninis.

The first thing I’ve noticed is that the staff is continually friendly, working next door at Starbucks I frequent here quite a bit and I am never disappointed, the food is sensational and I’m currently in love with their mint water. My usual go to is their Mac n Cheese, being a bit smaller than the average human I don’t eat much, but the amount is perfect for an evening meal for me. Not only that all their sandwiches are not only delicious, but constant! I appreciate tasting the consistency with each meal I purchase from them.

This is my first review in a over a year, and certainly one of the best customer service experiences I’ve had in a while.
It’s a Friday night, and I drove my new car to East Honolulu to cruise. I wanted to grab a drink from Starbucks when found this new spot next door.
Thought to myself, «mmmm Macarons… Why not?» From the outside it looked like they were fully stocked with many different flavors.
The cashier, Shina (a trainee), was the nicest person ever. I started up a small conversation that began like…
Me: «When did you guys open?» …
Her: «Not very long, about three weeks ago!»
Me: «Oh cool, I come from Ewa so I rarely come on this side of the island.»
I was indecisive over what flavors to get – they all looked yummy. Needing some help, I asked between Mango, Melona, and Pumpkin Spice… what would she recommend?
She took the time to give a recommendation… She highlighted the popularity of Mango and Pumpkin Spice as Seasonal. In the end, I grabbed Melona & Pumpkin Spice… Excellent choices, and Mango is on my list to try for next time. :)
As the other employee (another trainee — didn’t get to see his name tag) grabbed my Macarons out of the display case, Shina asked if I’ve been to the Pearl City location which was pretty cool because it shows her skill in listening — acknowledging I was from Ewa and presenting the location closest to me. After I got my Macarons in hand, she thanked me for stopping in and extended an invitation to return next time I’m in the neighborhood.
To the manager (s) of this new location, Shina is truly an asset to your team and has demonstrated that even as a trainee, she has the competencies to provide a great, personalized customer experience — listening, patience, and customer focus.
The Macarons are always amazing, but the service this visit was certainly something I had to give five stars for.

I came in last night to buy bread and some macaroons for my friends who flew in last night. I was extremely tired hence I barely slept the few hours after working overnight. I was slightly not all there but still the guy at the counter wasn’t all there himself. IAsked him what kind of olives they using in the bread he responded,” olives”! Yes I know that… But what kind of Olives? lol
Seriously… Is he not aware what I asked???
Then another guy comes in super sweet and very attentive. He grabs the macaroons I ordered in put in the box. I paid for everything $ 12.55 or something. All I received was the box of macaroons… Where was my kalamata olives bread? LoL
The non attentive guy goes did you pay for it? Lol I just paid $ 12.55 worth of stuff… OFCOURSE. I paid for it. Man idk these people need to be ready to work especially for a new opened up la tour chain café. I was super excited to go. But now I am super bummed about the service… Aiyahyah