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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, May 11, 2001

Dining Sceme
Sbarro answers craving for pizza

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Sometimes you have that craving.

For something greasy. For something fattening. For something cheesy.

Laura Parker of Viata Online, a downtown company, takes a phone call and a lunch break at Cafe Sbarro.

Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser.

Answer your stomach's call at Café Sbarro, the chain Italian eatery on the ground level of the First Hawaiian Bank building at 999 Bishop St.

Ah, fast food.

But not everything on the menu is an artery-clogger. Sbarro's salad bar is surprisingly good, with a refreshing pasta salad and classic Caesar.

But that's almost like going to Greece and not eating a gyro, or to Ireland and ordering a Heineken.

In other words, eat what the place specializes in: pizza. Favorites include thin-slice veggie pizza ($3.25); gourmet BBQ chicken ($3.50); and the loaded-up supreme pizza ($3.25). Spinach calzones ($3.50) are hot sellers, too.

We tried the new Philly cheese-steak stuffed pizza ($4.25) and the meat lovers' gourmet pizza ($3.50). The meaty pizza was fit for the most ardent of carnivores, as it was overflowing with sausage and pepperoni. And the stuffed pizza oozed with cheese and grease and bell peppers and grease and grease. Tasty and plentiful. Our advice: One slice is big enough to share.

And if you need a moment away from the office, skip takeout and enjoy the calories at one of the outdoor tables. Or eat in. Sbarro is surprisingly spacious, with a pleasing decor.

Hey, it may not be authentic Italian pizza, but it does satisfy the urge for messy pizza sauce and melted mozzarella. Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays- Saturdays. 585-0277.