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I lived near this place for years before I ever set foot in there. I didn't know what I was missing! This is a hidden gem.
To start: coffee is outstanding and priced right.
Breakfasts are great: omelets, fried potatoes, banana french toast croissant, ham & cheese croissant, breakfast burrito. You name it, these are all awesome.
Lunch selections are also top notch: delicious homemade soups (new each day), variety of fresh-made sandwiches and salads. Brought some co-workers here and they were believers (in the great food). Staff here are warm, friendly, and eager to please.
My only cons would be that they are closed on Sunday (otherwise I'd be there) and the parking isn't great (on-street or in the lot behind Big City & Kim Chee 2).
Like all the other yelpers I think the soups & sandwiches are good ... but I end up running in for the lemonade - so fresh and perfectly done - sweet & tart but not too sweet !!!
After taking just one look at the soup menu, I felt as if I had been zapped back to Daily Soup in NYC. By Honolulu standards, the creative and ever-changing soup options are daring, different, and wonderfully refreshing. The salad and sandwich options are impressive, too. The best part of all this? You can bring your laptop or book and hunker down over some delicious and reasonably priced fare that is very fresh! Wish I could go here more often.
had clam chowder last monday and i'm still smiling from the happiness that is delicious soup and yummy sandwiches :)
i have their soup calendar on my fridge and i change it every month because I NEVER WANT TO MISS… Read more »
My coworkers have been raving about this place for the past year, but I've been resistant due to the religious overtones. But after having a taste of one of their soups, I was a believer.
I knew after tasting the soup, I had to get lunch from here one day. Luckily, I was able to do so yesterday. Parking can be a drag in the area but I was able to find parking right in front. Hallelujah!
Went in and ordered a smoked chicken pesto sandwich and a bowl of soup for $11. Not a bad deal, considering you get a big sandwich and a pretty big bowl of soup. The sandwich was decent, though the lettuce and sprouts made up at least 3/4s of it. The chicken was a really thin cutlet and I couldn't really taste the smoking, but the pesto added a lot of flavor. The soup of the day was pumpkin bisque, but the soup changes every day. They even have a nifty calendar printed out and on their website. The pumpkin bisque is heavenly. So much flavor, and almost chowder like but not as rich or heavy.
I wish I could have tasted a dessert - they looked sinfully delicious. Oh well that's for next time. I think I've been converted.
I've discovered something even better now for this place! Their coffee! Coworker and I hit this place every morning for their coffee! Sorry Starbucks, boycotting you from now on! This is the only place that I will drink my coffee black. The coffee changes daily and I haven't had one that I didn't like yet. Absolute favorite has to be the Kona Peaberry. The coffee is fragrant and goes down smooth, none of that gross sour aftertaste that I get when drinking Starbucks coffee black. The closest in taste to match the coffee here were the little cafes in Italy.
Pricewise is great. A grande coffee of the day runs less than $2. They also give a coffee card - buy 9, get one free. And they give you the most expensive coffee as the free one, not the cheapest!
Awesome!
I've passed by this place multiple times while on the way to eat at Hale Vietnam or Cafe Laufer, but… Read more »
Soups, sandwiches, pastries, coffee, tea...NO FRIED ITEMS!!! Omelets don't count, that's from the skillet. Well, I've never had breakfast here, only lunch. And their soups are great! I haven't tried all their soups, but I haven't met any that I didn't like. I typically get the soup and half sandwich or Caesar salad, depends on my mood. Lately it's been sandwiches. The half sandwiches aren't wimpy, either. Always made fresh and full.
Sometimes there is a wait for a table, but the turn around is pretty quick. You do have to get your own utensils and pour your own water, but they bring out your food to you. One time, I tried to tip the guy who brought out my food, and he said no. He said, "God Bless You," and walked away. I put extra money in the collection dish at church the next Sunday.
Killer omelette's and the stuffed banana french toast croissant, umm yeah, it's awesome. The breakfast menu is small. I think they have 4 different omelette's. A mexican with avocado, cheese, garlic chips, sour cream and salsa. An italian with spinach, mushrooms, tomato and mozarella, A Hawaiian omelette that has portugese sausage and I'm not sure what else.
But lunch is where Covenant shines till about 5 pm when they close.
God must've personally bestowed his blessings on these soups. The soups are delicious, no matter what kind, they're ALL good. The sausage chicken gumbo, the crab bisque, the seafood chowder, split pea, portugese bean, and corn chowder are some of my favorites. They have a monthly menu printed out for your convenience
You can get a 1/2 sandwich and a bowl of yummy soup for $6.95
Or they have a 1/2 sandwich and a salad. Or a salad and a soup combo.
(the oriental chicken salad is delish and refreshing)
Crab sandwich on sundried tomato foccacia is one to try, crab salad, avocado, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and sprouts.
Teriyaki chicken sandwich with the ginger mayo, their tuna salad has this garlic, caper and olive spread, the chicken pesto sandwich is also killer, I am a fan of the roastbeef sandwich with horseradish mayo.
Yes, I like Mayo, especially flavored Mayo's.
Whatever type of sandwich you desire, they'll make it, fresh and with a lil twist.
Peruse through the books if you're feeling inquisitive, spiritual, bored or give thanks to your higher power for finding a great meal in little kaimuki town. It is a christian bookstore but it doesn't have that churchy feeling, just good home cooked soups and sandwiches.
Closed Sunday, of course, they're at church.
Bookstores are cool and I make a habit of going to them. But a couple of things about this place caught me off guard when I first visited:
1)I'm used to stores marketing the latest hot books. More interesting theories/trends from Malcolm Gladwell. Anything from Obama. And than I noticed one of Covenant's small signs above a bookshelf: "Have you read the Puritans?"
2)On the way to the register to order food, I overheard a browsing patron say to her friend "I'm thinking seriously about upgrading my Bible".
Definitely not your standard bookstore! Lots of people (religious or not) understandably flock to this place for lunch because of their delicious soups and sandwiches. I had their pumpkin bisque w/garlic croutons and enjoyed it immensely. I also recommend their chicken teriyaki, chicken pesto or california crab sandwich. Nice people work here and the soup creator Dave Yoshimura (aka the Godfather of Soup per their monthly soup calendar) is da man!
I never would have thought to stop in to this little Christian bookstore off of Waialae Avenue to pick up lunch, so thankfully my coworker introduced me to this place earlier this year. We both ordered a bowl of their fresh soup of the day and a sandwich and were off on our way... She kept telling me how they made the best soup and sandwiches, and boy was she correct. Very tasty soup seasoned perfectly that went well with my turkey sandwich. Mmm!!
I will definitely be back one of these days.
Food: ****
Service: ***
Ambiance: ***
Value: ****
Sandwiches,Salads, & Desserts: Fresh, OK
Soup (regardless of what kind): Awesome!
Great little place to ponder how the universe came into being (dumb luck? loving design?). Stop in at Covenant and find nourishment for the mind, body, and soul.
And have I mentioned before that I love the soup?
Best chicken salad sandwich I have EVER had! I know that the crispy bacon they added had something to do with how good it was, but really, everything about this sandwich was just perfect: the bread was nice and crumbly without being too messy, the veggies were fresh without being overripe, and the chicken salad was moist without having too much mayo. And did I mention the bacon?! YUM.
As an added bonus, I bought myself an Akamai oatcake for dessert. It's not made by Covenant, but the company that makes it is local, which is nice.
Covenant Books doesn't make sandwiches until you order them, but you don't have to wait very long -- which is good, 'cause if you're not eating in, there isn't too much space to wait except among the aisles of books, which can get old if you've been there often enough. Good news, though: you can call ahead and order!
i've been hearing great things about this place from yelp so i finally got around to coming here.
i checked out their address this morning but i could barely remember it by noon. thinking it was on 11th ave. (is there even such an avenue?!), i snaked around 9th - 12th ave. i finally found it on 12th but it was easy to miss since a tree was blocking the sign. its right next to duck lee! parking sucked but whatevers.
inside was super cute but it was crazy since there was a lot of people. today's soup was split pea and it was my first time trying it. it was pretty good for something puke green. i will definitely look ahead of time to get some chowder :) got the half size chicken pesto sandwich. that was good too. the lemonade rocks as well.
This is one of those places I don't necessarily want to be blowing up but you know what... I'm in a good mood today.
I pick up their soup-of-the-day calendar every month. If I don't have an updated calendar I feel like there is a gaping hole in my soul.
Soup is made fresh and is always different. BEST soup in the world, in case you are wondering.
When I used to work at UH, my coworkers would stop into Covenent Books every once in a while to pick up lunch. Prices were really reasonable and the sandwiches, soups, and salads really yummy! Definitely an unexpected place to check out.
I am in love, and his name is Covenant Books & Coffee. THEY HAVE THE BEST SOUP ON THE ISLAND! Every day they have a new soup of the day (you can check their website for the monthly soup calendar). I go there specifically for their soup and roll combo. To get their soup to taste like heaven, I think they bless their soup each day or use holy water. I honestly dont know, but it does make me want to be a better Christian.
I have had the pleasure of having some sandwiches here over the past year.
The sandwiches here are very tasty, and are actually kinda big. I hastily ordered a full sandwich and soup the first time I was there. The sandwich came out to be double the size I thought it would be. The sandwiches are fresh, and so are the soups.
Have any existential or metaphysical questions of the Christian kind? After ordering, you may notice many of the religious books around you. It is a Christian bookstore as well.
Great neighborhood sandwiches to fulfill your lunch appetite.
I just had lunch at Covenant Books & Coffee and let's just say, I am a happy camper. I am just about to fall into a food-induced coma, so I will jot down my impressions before I totally succumb and pass out.
Food: Fresh, flavorful and filling (how's that for alliteration? Mrs. Nakasone from 4th grade will be so proud!) Today I had the chicken pesto on ciabatta (half sandwich) with sliced chicken breast and a healthy serving of pesto, lettuce and tomato. I also got the asparagus and beef soup, which was in a clear broth. I have liked other soups there better (their bisques are very good), but it was still yummy with lots of asparagus and tender bits of beef.
I decided to indulge and ordered coffee and the chocolate dessert with the molten center...just to see if it was as good as I remembered it. It was! So rich and decadent, but not too sweet.
I have not tried the salads, but from the look of the ones I saw around me, they also were fresh and generously portioned.
Service: You order at the counter and if you eat there, they give you a number to put on your table, so the counter staff know where to bring your order. You can spend time browsing (the rather small) store or sit and chat with friends. Water, utensils and condiments are put in a central location and you can help yourself. You can also order items to-go. The staff there are very friendly and nice.
Ambiance: I took a book to read, so I sat at the window, as it had the best natural light. However, it got a bit hot there (it probably did not help that I was drinking soup and coffee...) The chairs and tables are wooden and sturdy, yet comfortable. Lots of pairs or groups hanging out, talking story and enjoying the food. A very relaxed atmosphere, unless you go at peak times when people circle tables like sharks. Then, it's not so relaxing.
Overall: Definitely worth a try once, and then my guess is that you will most likely make an effort to return. It really makes a difference when dishes are made when ordered and with fresh produce. Plus, that chocolate melty, ooze cake thing is amazing. Their food puts a vacant, but blissful look on my face. Ok, I can feel the food coma kicking in. Time for a nap!
I liked coming here for a snack every now and then. They have a different soup everyday. This could be a good thing or a bad thing because if I found one to my liking, it probably wouldn't be served again for some time. Then again, different is good. I always wanted to try their blueberry muffins after some lady came in one day and told the cashier that she had driven all the way from (can't remember location) to buy one. I always liked browsing the water color pictures for sale.
this is one of the coolest little spots to eat in hawaii. super friendly people, free lemon water, clean, cute vibe. some people hate on the christian bookstore part of the place, but whatever. each to his or her own. i get a kick out of reading some of the titles. great marital sex and calvinism, cool. the soups are to die for...most of the time. chowders and anything with shrimp is always killer. however, the portuguese bean soup is rather lackluster. it needs more spice! sandwiches are pretty good too. i always go for the chicken salad blt. i'm usually pretty apathetic towards bacon (yeah, i know i'm strange), but here, it's amazing. like everyone else says, it's probably divine intervention that the food is so good.
The do make good sandwiches and soup here, if you can stand to be around all that religious material. Oops my atheism is showing.
LOVE the soups! Keep it up guys. Great books/materials too. yummy desserts.
The sandwiches are fresh and the soups are homemade and outstanding. This cafe is also a Christian bookstore, so if you are so inclined, you can find some good reading here, too. Highly recommended!
I like this place - the sandwiches and salads are very good, fresh, and served promptly. Their cilantro vinaigrette is so good, my mom and i were fighting over it. I like that you can do half orders here, and that everything is decently priced.
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