Bogart's Cafe & Espresso Bar

Breakfast Bagel

Bogart's Cafe & Espresso bar sits at the foot of Diamondhead with a view over Kapiolani Park to rising hotels; close to the hustle of Waikiki but not too too close. It's the small kind of place you'd find up on the North Shore, right down to the surfboards and local artwork decorating the walls.. A few tourists make their way here but the constant parade of people comes mostly from the surrounding neighborhoods, stopping for coffee and breakfast before (or after) catching a few waves.

A long menu offers everything from Asparagus Benedict ($13.75) to Taro Banana Pancakes ($10) to Mango Açai Smoothies ($6.50). The Michael's Scramble ($8.50) is especially good, combining asparagus, mushrooms, parmesan and sundried tomatoes over top of an omelette. It comes with choice of toast or potatoes, but there really is no choice in the matter: go with the potatoes. They're cubed, baked, fried to a golden crisp then simply dusted with salted and pepper.

Bogart's also serves lunch--sandwiches mostly--but at its heart this is about the breakfasts. According to the staff, the most popular item on the menu is the bagel sandwich ($4.50), a bagel with egg, spinach, tomato and mozarella. By itself, it can be on the bland side. Adding meat or mushrooms for an extra $1.75 elevates this into the sandwich it wants to be.

The main drawback to Bogart's is it's popularity. Parking is limited. The lines can be long. Service is slow as just a couple friendly staff run the entire operation. To top it off, tables are tight, with more patrons than places to sit. And yet the locals keep coming back despite the minor inconveniences for the good food. Elbow-to-elbow, I overhear snatches of conversations about surfing conditions, real estate deals and how kids are doing in school. Just another day in the neighborhood cafe.

Bogart's Cafe & Espresso Bar
3045 Monsarrat Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 739-0999