Lunch Break
C&G Lunches serves ono-licious food fast

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

The most popular meals at C&G Lunches on Merchant Street include boneless chicken, fresh roast turkey and hamburger steak. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

And trust us, you wouldn't want to.

But somehow, despite its hidden location on Merchant Street, C&G Lunches has survived for 13 years, offering its regulars broke-da-mouth plate lunches to go.

With hardly any place to sit, C&G had built its reputation on two things: quality and speed.

On any given weekday, the staffers are flying the orders through. Customers have to decide quickly from the variety of options listed all around the takeout window. Meatloaf with onions ($4.75/$3.25 for mini), shoyu chicken ($5.50/$3.80), fried saimin ($4.50 with choice of meat/$3.80 without) — you can find just about anything to satisfy your craving-for-local-food, lunchtime needs.

The shop's most popular lunches include its boneless chicken ($4.60), fresh roast turkey ($4.75) and hamburger steak ($4.60). Gravy all over.

We thoroughly enjoyed the teri chicken plate lunch ($4.60/$3.45) and beef stew ($4.75). The chicken was breaded and drowning (happily) in the sweet teri sauce. The beef stew was just like Mom makes. And you can always tell a good plate lunch place by its mac salad. Our verdict: Ono-licious.

C&G is at 212 Merchant St., next to Native Books & Beautiful Things. Hours: 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays. 538-3181.