Cafe Laufer

Over priced for the amount and quality of food.
Slow service
Very nice atmosphere, aesthetic, etc., but not worth the cost

Best spot for lunch! The chinese chicken salad is delicious.

This review is only for the dessert since we didn’t order a meal here. The coffee is super strong and the coconut cake was way too sweet with no coconut flavor at all aside from the shavings on top. The atmosphere however was nice. The overall lighting was semi dim with a two lighted trees in the center giving off a kinda romantic and cozy glow. The staff was friendly but nothing over the top just average.

I posted a wonderful review last night before reviewing my receipt at home, which I always do. I had only $ 160.00 in my wallet and the dinner was $ 125.00 so I decided to use the cash instead of a CC. After giving Jeanne who waited on us on Table 8, $ 160.00 in cash, I told her to give me $ 10.00 in change, leaving a 20% tip for the waitstaff.
Later at home, I looked at the receipt and she claimed that I only gave her $ 140.00 in cash and she did give me my $ 10.00 in change, only she hooked $ 20.00 in tip for herself. I would never leave a measly tip for the wait staff to share. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and was happy to leave 20%.
Is it plausible for a satisfied customer to go back and change a review of a fine restaurant just for spite? Nope. But it is reasonable for a customer to go back and bother to change a review if they’ve been cheated and stolen from.
I hope that the management at Café Laufer regularly peruses Unilocal for reviews. This crook took the great review I wrote last night and left a bitter taste in my mouth. I will never go back and will tell all I know, never to go there, or to review their bill on the spot regardless of the discomfort of the company there, only because they have a thief among their wait staff.
I made no mistake, I counted the money when I gave it to Jeanne. Nasty, nasty witch. Your service was stellar and maybe you thought you earned it. But you stole it. There is quite a difference. NO to Café Laufer. They employ a thief.

4/10/16…Wow! It’s been over a year since I’ve been to Café Laufer… as you can see from my last review I had really given up on the place… but…
Happy to say, I’m back!
Had to meet a friend for lunch today. He likes sandwiches and salads so I thought, ok, we can go to Café Laufer and see how it is. It was delicious! Thank you Café Laufer for restoring your quality…
I had the chicken mulligatawny soup and the pastrami sandwich (heated)…a couple of my favorites. They did not disappoint.
One thing that changed is now there is table service…
My friend had the meat loaf sandwich and coffee… and we shared a fruit napoleon. He was very happy with the selection and said he’d return
The wait staff was fine… dressing good, soup delicious and sandwich good.
I’m so glad that they have restored their quality… Owner/​chef was on the floor today helping out.
We will be back!

I decided to stop by here for a sit-​down while my dog was getting groomed around the corner. The place is interesting and after taking a look at the displays of the pastries and cakes out for sale, a sign is displayed to have you sit down, for a server to take your order.
I decided to take on their Panna Cotta for about $ 7.00 already pre-​made, and a Vanilla Italian soda so I figured it’d be a quick-​run. After ordering, it took 13 minutes for the Panna Cotta, and 15 for the soda. I’m not exactly sure what the hold-​up was for a quick drink and a dessert already made, and ready to serve. Dunno if I’m supposed to act like I own the place in order to get quicker service (was it the t-​shirt and jeans?). The panna cotta was amazing and definitely earns it’s good taste marks, although the «Jar-​with-​Lid» presentation, while visually interesting, comes off awkward when you’re trying to eat out of it.
I asked for and got my check; but after waiting for about 5 minutes to get my change, I just walked up to the register to settle my bill. The clerk’s register was apparently lacking change (???) and I left my bill with the clerk and told her that I’d wait for the change back at my table. I got 9 dollars, and 70 cents = a quarter, five nickels, and two dimes (i should be glad at least I didn’t get 14 nickels)
There are some pros and cons here and at the moment, the cons were readily apparent. I’d been interested in coming here for dinner with friends with the interesting entrees. I’m sure they’d taste great, but after the experience, I’m not sure if I’d care to go.

Hmm $ 13 for the worlds tiniest cup of clam chowder and a rather large portion of chopped up iceberg lettuce without any of the fixins. Had I known, I would have added croutons or made it a Caesar salad or something. The icing on the cake? The woman who cashed me out didn’t so much as crack a smile.
Overall, this place is pretty expensive. I’ve tried a couple other salads and I’m just not feeling it.

I went here a few weeks ago just for so after dinner dessert. They have quite a selection of pastries and cakes for dessert. I had trouble deciding what I wanted to have so I asked the lady which one was good. She recommended the banana Oreo cake because she says a lot of people choose that one. My husband got the last Black Forest cake and my friend got the pear cake. I guess I had high expectations for my cake since the lady said it was popular, but it was just ok to me. It was an interesting combination with the bananas and the Oreos. There was more of a banana taste in the cake with a slight taste of chocolate. My husband’s Black Forest cake had too much whipped cream and not enough cherries inside. He didn’t even eat his whole cake because there was so much frosting at the top that he didn’t want to eat. I also tried my friends pear cake and it also was only so-​so. It was kind of dry.

This is my favorite restaurant to date on Oahu. It’s small. It’s unassuming. The desserts steal the spotlight in the large class cases near the register. But the entrees are spectacular. I’ll admit that when I sat down in what seemed to be a small diner that I was a little taken aback by the $ 26 entrees. One of the specials was Beef Stroganoff, and I have fond memories of my mom making beef stroganoff when I was a kid. As I’m wont to do, I went with the first thing I saw that seemed acceptable and ordered it. And boy was I happy with the results. Literally the best beef stroganoff of my life. The noodles were eggy and fresh, the mushrooms exploded with flavor and the beef was tender and flavorful. I was blown away. Then I tried my date’s pot roast and was shocked to find beef even more tender! Both meals were absolutely delicious, and worthy of being served in a true 5-​star establishment. We followed up the beef with some desserts. I had the chocolate raspberry cake and she had the chocolate decadence cake. The chocolate raspberry was lighter, with slices of real raspberry imbedded in the cake, and chocolate mousse between layers. The chocolate decadence was like a dense mouth full of serotonin-​releasing chocolate heaven. The kind of thing that just leaves you staring off into space for a few seconds.
The place was crowded, but I don’t think they take reservations. I’ll definitely be back. This place goes into the category of «expensive, but worth it.»

I I wish I knew lunch had a much more limited menu, and I was hoping the sandwich options were less standard (I guess restaurant name threw me off, other than café), also only 1 unappealing soup choice. Surf & turf (slightly overcooked/​tough fillet Redeemed by tasty mushroom brown gravy, and blackened Ahi with garlic aioli that was tasty). Unfortunately I didn’t try the Chinese chicken salad that had good reviews. The desserts all looked pretty good and some of the pastries we’re delicious. Service started really good, then kinda dwindled toward end, and it wasn’t even busy. If I ever came back it would be during dinner or just to grab some desserts.

A friend and I were trying to decide where to go for dinner on a Saturday night. Two of our plans had failed – the restaurants were too busy with long wait times, or we couldn’t find parking – and I was nearing the end of my patience. We had been caught in the middle of a downpour earlier that day, so not only was I cold and wet, but also starving, since it was 8:30 p.m. already.
We were deciding between Big City Diner and Café Laufer, but seeing that the latter was relatively empty, we dropped in to look at the menu. Neither of us had been here before, but I saw photos of the décor on Unilocal and it looked like a quaint place. Being that they didn’t look busy, we decided to make this our dinner destination for the night.
You order from the counter and then can seat at any of the empty tables. Of course, since there were only two other parties there, my friend and I had our prime choice of seating. He went for one of the featured dinner specials of the day, while I opted for a sandwich. The prices here are reasonable and you definitely get your money’s worth. Also, there’s a good selection of different entrees you can choose from, depending on your mood.
The girl at the register was friendly and more than willing to answer all of my questions (especially when it came to the desserts). It seems like there’s a different selection of cakes every day … the peanut butter one I had my heart on wasn’t available that night, but thankfully, my friend and I both ended up getting two different slices of cake so we could share. For dessert, you just have to go back up to the counter to order. Everything’s really casual; they didn’t bring any menus to our table but service was great. Our server made sure our waters were constantly refilled and made sure we were well taken care of.
I would definitely return to Café Laufer, based on my positive experience. Our food came out really quickly and everything tasted fresh.
Here’s what we got:
«Duck Confit Dinner Special»: My friend felt like ordering duck for his dinner. This entrée featured maple leaf duck leg confit, natural jus, lyonnaise potatoes and sautéed vegetables. He got a generous portion of duck; I had a small piece and it was tender, savory and flavorful. The entrée also came with a good-​sized portion of veggies and the potatoes looked amazing as well. Granted, this entrée was on the pricier side ($ 26.95), but you get what you pay for.
«Imitation Crab Sandwich»: All sandwiches come with your choice of side, and I already had my heart set on the pasta salad. The sandwiches on the menu are pretty standard, and I opted for the Imitation Crab, which featured the Sea Legs brand that was mixed with mayo. I tend to be wary sometimes of imitation crab because I don’t love mayo, but this blend sported a good consistency and texture. It was still light and didn’t feature an overly mayo flavor. I readily enjoyed the crab chunks throughout my sandwich and I chose rye bread (you get your choice of cheese, bread and salad). I don’t find pasta salad at many places, but I really liked the version from Café Laufer. It was light and it came with a good amount of pasta, sans other toppings (olives, etc.). All sandwiches come with mayo, lettuce, a tomato and pickles, but I got mine sans the tomato and pickles and I enjoyed it just fine.
«Sacher Torte»: In the display case, this cake looked amazing, but I didn’t like it because of one minor detail … its multiple layers were glazed with apricot. Granted, the apricot filling wasn’t really thick or plentiful, but it was spread throughout the entire layers of the cake, so if you don’t like apricot – like me – there’s absolutely no way you can avoid this. I would have liked this cake so much better if it was just straight up chocolate, because I really enjoyed the ganache toping and the density and texture of the cake itself. The subtle apricot ruined it for me, though, and my friend ended up eating most of this cake. He likes apricot, so he was thrilled with this dessert. The girl at the counter did tell me there was apricot within this cake, but I didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to get away from it! I was forewarned; now I know!
«Flourless Chocolate Cake»: After my failed dessert attempt, I was still craving something heartily chocolate, so I went up to the counter to give one of the other cakes a try. I love flourless chocolate, so I opted for the flourless chocolate option that was there. This was much better suited to my liking. It did come with a raspberry compote on the side, but I didn’t eat much of it (my friend helped himself). I like the denser flavor and consistency of chocolate cake because it reminds me of a brownie, so I would gladly get this dessert again.

This place is so cute! Great quiet place to come for lunch. I haven’t tried any of the entrees but I did try their cream cheese Danish that was pretty good! They also have coffee and espresso here too. Paid Parking lot is in the back or paid street parking. The vibe in here is very chill and cozy.

We came here for dinner — some hits, some misses.
The good:
— Portion size. Every one of us had dinner plus lunch the next day. Salads were large and good value, too. Think about splitting an entrée if you plan to get dessert…
— Dessert! Big selection, most were good. I enjoyed the black forest cake — whipped-​cream frosting, thin light chocolate layers, cherry-​pie-​filling (YUM) cherries, chocolate shavings.
— Service. Our server was attentive, never intrusive.
— Parking. Lots of cheap parking in the public lot behind the restaurant.
The not-​so-​good:
— The sausage-​shrimp paella special. I wanted to love this, but it was less paella and more jambalaya. And a bit overpriced.
— The éclair. My dining partner reported it was one of the worst he’d ever had. Chewy-​hard with a flavorless whipped cream filling.
The indifferent:
— Small room, so it fills up fast. We arrived at 630pm on a Sunday night and got a table for 5, but the room filled shortly afterward. No reservations.
— No high chairs. We brought one that straps to a chair for our keiki.
The menu (and dessert case) looks good enough for a return trip, but it won’t be top on my list.

I certainly had my share of French cuisine while in Paris last year — 2014, so I come here to Café Laufer to reminisce about my time there. I’m glad that they are in Kaimuki, which is a short walk from home.
Café Laufer has been a recent fixture within the tight knit community of Kaimuki. It’s been around for a while and grateful for an establishment that serves fine French pastries and other assorted delights, along with a simple menu of salads and entrees that would make your mouth craving for more and more. Anytime that Paris kept calling me, I would come here and pick up some fresh French desserts and my stomach would be happy. This slice of France here in Honolulu is great for those expats or locals who love Paris or want to sample the best in French cuisine, but in a simple sophisticated atmosphere that only the privileged could dine here. It felt like being in a royal club when I came here, stepping inside like being on the Champs Ellysees and needing a meal to brighten up my day. The overall experience here at Café Laufer was as satisfying as a day in Paris. If you haven’t gone (to either), it’s a good thing to go.
My favorite part of Café Laufer is the ambiance. The restaurant is quite nice, small, and definitely on the main thoroughfare of Kaimuki town. It felt like a small bakery or a very small Vietnamese restaurant. It’s located at 3565 Waialae Avenue and parking options are ample if you can find them. Basic street parking is available, if you are willing to walk a couple of blocks. Or paid parking lots nearby. If you are like me, public transit routes 1, 1L, 9, and 14 rumble through this part of Kaimuki, although you’d have to walk a block or two to get to this slice of Paris. They accept major credit cards, so that’s always a plus. The prices here are competitive, definitely well worth the price for at least the first time around. If you’d would like to say you’ve dined in Paris, but not set foot aboard an airplane, coming to Café Laufer would be the excellent alternative without having to break the bank to do so. The slice of Paris in your mouth is definitely delicious and you’d be glad you did!
For the most part, my visits to Café Laufer have been to buy majority of the decadent French pastries and other delectable deliciousness. Haven’t had the time to really indulge the better half of the menu here at Café Laufer, but soon, I should make the time to go here and feast like I’ve never done before. Among the deserts, the chocolate decadence, the cheesecake and the banana Oreo is arguably the best ones to sink your mouth into. Of course, the other options are great too. It’s just the chocolate and the cheese cake options are what I live for and definitely a worthwhile adventure in your mouth — if you live and breathe chocolate. So basically, come here for a great meal with the slice of Paris engrained in the entrees and desserts you are ordering and devouring. With a bottle of red or white wine from Tamura’s down the street, your best meal without leaving the island could be here at Café Laufer in Kaimuki.
Service here can be a hit or miss, depending on how busy it is. Don’t let it bother you. You’re in for a treat.
Support local!
A+

I’ve had this place on my radar for a long time. Years, actually! Finally went there and enjoyed it a lot. Pretty basic and unpretentious. Good food, great service. No issues with getting a table.
We had the smoked salmon and bread appetizer. The presentation was great. A rose bud of fresh tasting salmon. Lots of capers, fresh tasting slightly sweet pumpernickel bread. And onions galore. The stands were cut in super long strands, some were about 2 feet long!!! Like pasta. But it was onions.
Also shared the spinach, cranberry, Gorgonzola and candied almond salad. It was a decent sized portion but slightly overpriced IMO since there was no meat.
We got the French apple tart and it was just ok. I like my apple pie hot with ice cream and this was chilled and flakey. Not going to go there with the French/​American girl metaphor.

Pros:
(1) place is clean;
(2) employees are friendly;
(3) lovely décor;
(4) food is yummy;
(5) ample parking.
Cons:
(1) come during their busiest times be prepared to wait.
I really like their Chinese chicken salad and their split pea soup with ham.
They are known for their desserts and that is the main reason I keep coming back. Oh, and no corkage fee so bring all the alcohol you want.

Ideal for a relaxed, leisurely lunch with friends. Be sure to beat the lunch crowd because Café Laufer is always packed with little room to wait comfortably for a table in the restaurant or outside.
Hangry? Better pick someplace else because long wait times make visiting this spot a gamble. Most of my lunch engagements at Café Laufer run close to an hour and a half if dessert is ordered. The poor staff is always rushing with orders and trying to keep up with high demand.
Café Laufer offers more than sandwiches and soups. Check out their special seasonal menus for unusual offerings. Many of the dishes have a decent portion for someone who is satisfied on two servings of food, then there are others that have a generous portion fit for four.
Stay for desserts, or even better yet, take some home with you. These pastries are well worth their weight in gold. The biggest challenge is saving enough room to have dessert after a big lunch.
Café Laufer does not take reservations, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. Parking in the private lot requires payment for a parking ticket. The quickest way to get out is usually to pay at one of the ticket booths so you don’t have to wait in the long line as you exit.

Upon completion of a 4-​hour exam, my friend and I needed something to take the edge off. We needed cake. Lots of cake to celebrate the end of DSM-​5 Boot Camp. Café Laufer was an obvious choice as they have an excellent assortment of desserts that have the magical power of providing pure satisfaction.
I would have posted photos, but I was preoccupied with pressing my face against the cake case window as I selected my pieces of indulgence. Between the two of us, we ordered four cakes. It was beautiful. My favorite was the strawberry shortcake.
In addition to quality desserts, Café Laufer also has the best caprese salad. I highly recommend it!

Known for their decadent desserts and bakery items, I remember Café Laufer for their rich chocolate cakes, and buttery croissants. The last time I dined in was probably 5 – 7 years ago, before they started started full service. In the past, youd walk up to the counter, order your meal and find a seat.
Now they have servers who seat, take orders and deliver meals. Walked in on Sunday 6÷14÷2015 on a whim with a good friend around 12noon for a coffee and lunch, we’d had both had great experiences in the past so thought nothing of it.
We were sat closest to the bakery cases, given menus and promised service in just a moment. A server came around, speedily read through a dozen specials, which we barely understood and asked if we wanted any drink. Water was sufficient, which she brought right away. Then ANOTHER server came by to ask if we wanted to hear the specials, which we declined, having already heard them. She then asked if we wanted anything to drink, which we also declined.
My friend ordered the Turkey sandwich on rye with provolone and a side pasta salad ($ 12), and I had the Chinese Chicken Salad ($ 12), with dressing on the side. Our meal took about 15 – 20 minutes to prepare, which didn’t seem long considering we are two females catching up. Demoted star for my friend’s order which was completely wrong, wheat, havarti with side green salad, which she was too nice enough to say anything and just ate it. My salad was alright, about ¹⁄₃ wonton chips and very light almonds, it wasnt worth $ 12 in my opinion.
Towards the end of our meal, there were no checkups from any of the three servers. We looked noticeably done with our food, with half a sandwich ready to be boxed. When a server finally came by, we asked for our check and a box, she went behind the counter to the back and never came back with our stuff. 10 minutes later, I had had enough waiting and walked up to her at the counter to ask again, as she said, «oh yeah, sorry, Ill be right there.» The ambiance in the restaurant is very relaxed and easygoing, so it could be that it is their style to allow patrons to hangout and talk, calling for service when needed. But as a customer, it was frustrating to be sitting around with other things to do in the day, just to get a box and the bill.
All in all, a less than satisfactory visit to Café Laufer in Kaimuki Town. I wouldnt say Id never go there again, maybe just a time when I have hours to spare.

One night we were ono for dessert and didn’t know where to go. We didn’t want ice cream or froyo. We were hungry for a slice of pie or cake with a cup of good coffee. We decided to try out Café Laufer. BINGO!
It had been years since I last ate at this small and quaint eatery in the heart of Kaimuki. The décor was still the same with the twinkling lights above and the illuminated dessert case tempting you to ditch your diet and indulge. I remember the pasta salad being super delicious here, but couldn’t remember if I had dessert.
I couldn’t decide what to get for dessert. The White Wine Gel cake is always impressive to look at, but we settled on the Bread Pudding. OH-​EM-​GEE! So yummy! We enjoyed eating dessert here so much that we went back two nights later to try some more desserts. We got the French Apple Tart and were blown away and just recently, we tried the Strawberry Shortcake. Waaaaaaaaay better than Diamond Head Market and Grill and even better than Elvin’s Bakery. However, my favorite Strawberry Shortcake is from Patisserie La Palme D’Or.
We weren’t the only ones enjoying dessert here because we noticed a number of tables indulging in their yummy cakes and desserts. Oh, and the coffee here is delicious and smooth. I need to try their meals here one day in addition to having dessert.

Simple menu, reasonable price, good food and LOTS of desserts. Their menu consists of soups, salads, daily special which is usually fish and steak and pasta.
I finally found a garlic cream pasta that tasted like how CPK USED to taste. Sauce was garlicy and thick that was mixed in with and covered all the pasta. The shrimp was huge and not over cooked. Not like that runny crap cpk serves now.
Desserts are plentiful, so eat a light meal so you can indulge. I had a blueberry tart which tasted excellent.

Lassen Sie uns Oktoberfest feiern! We came here for their annual month long Oktoberfest celebration. This means you can get amazing German food at a reasonable price! We brought our Munich Spaten Oktoberfest beer and settled in for a great experience.
I ordered the Leberkäse («liver cheese»), however made with veal that came with onions and potatoes that were probably sauteed in something like duck fat because it was amazing! My side salad was dressed in a vinaigrette unlike anything I’ve tasted before; just really flavorful and complementary. The large pieces of pumpernickel bread were a nice and hearty touch.
Our other dish was the Sausage Platter that came with three different sausages: Bockwurst, Knackwurst, Maerzenbier Brat; braised red cabbage salad and divine spaetzle. If you like authentic German sausage, this platter was the real deal. Both dishes were presented beautifully and were quite large.
Dessert, of course, were: The Carmalized Almond Tart that had a thick layer of chocolate almost like fudge. Incredible! Also, the Cherry Sour Cream Tart that complimented perfectly with chocolate from the almond tart. I absolutely adore the desserts here, so it’s always difficult to decide which ones to have and those to have not. Instead I opted to take the Lemon Cream Tart home. A choice I’m glad I made as I devoured it a day later.
If you can get past the awful parking (not their fault) and the storage of boxes along the parking’s entrance to the place, you’ll be delighted by the casual, no frills atmosphere, the great service (always friendly and efficient) and the value you get for your money. We continue to come here because of this and their no corkage BYOB policy. Also, where else can you come for amazing, authentic German food?! Guten Essen!
#Yelp 365: ⁰⁷⁴⁄₃₆₅