Vegan-friendly
Lacto
American
Buffet
Fast food
Salad bar
Inside the natural food grocery market is a deli and juice counter, and also a hot food and salad bar - pay for food by weight. Vegan baked goods available. Dairy is used in some food but no eggs. The store part is open til 10pm. Open Mon-Sun 7:00am-10:00pm.
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Last update on 05 Aug 2023 by geometric-noise
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72 Reviews
First Review by ShiraM
Jacki
Points +40
Too good to be true! - Edit
This place is like heaven for us. Every time we go to Oahu we visit Down to Earth just about every day. There is absolutely nothing like this in Australia, though fingers crossed, there will be one day! The cafe is delicious (yum mock chicken salad, potato salad, soups, thai curry, veggie dogs, burgers etc plus fab smoothies, juices etc - and let's not forget the amazing vegan chocolate pudding, cakes, cookies and so on) plus the huge range of vegan products available on the shelves and in the fridges. Our kids' eyes almost popped out of their heads - they were sooo excited (and so were we!). Highly recommended.
Read moreGuest
gr8vegan
Points +2369
All veg deli/grocery, AMAZING! - Edit
I had two soups from the Deli's salad bar this morning and two muffins. Broccoli Cashew and Split Pea, both were hands down some of the best soup I've ever had and oil-free. most of the stuff in the deli has oil, but there are oil-free rices/steamed veggies. Also, there summer roll I think it was called, was really good, too. Its rice noodles in a rice wrap with sprouts, veggies, and sauce.
Read morePros: a few oil-free options, soups, sandwiches
Guest
msblack
Points +118
Down to Earth is up there - Edit
This place was our savior in Honolulu which is not the most vegan-friendly city. Once we discovered Down to Earth on our short holiday, we caught the bus out to King St everyday for lunch and stocked up on food to cook at our hotel for dinner. Lovely staff and outdoor tables to eat lunch. I'm only giving this place four stars as the hot food and baked goods were not as delicious as other places in the US, but it the best we found in Honolulu.
Read moreGuest
eatinggreen
Points +608
Good but certainly not 5 star - Edit
We went here with high expectations, based on the happycow reviews. We'd been in transit for 24hrs and were really tired and hungry... stumbled in, searching for great food and what we found was pretty average, all things considered.
Read moreThe breads and cakes are all packed full of sugar, white flour, butter, strange ingredients like "egg replacer", and very little else. Even the things that looked wholesome on the surface were found to be junk upon closer inspection.
The deli bar consisted of some random veges, but how you are to eat them was a mystery to us. There were also some heavy looking macaronis and miscelleneous slushes, but they looked overcooked, heavy, sometimes greasy and overall not very good or healthy. The pizzas looked like a $1 midnight mistake.
A vege sandwich or wrap would have been just perfect, but unfortunately this was not available so we had to pick some wraps from the menu (which unfortunately is not customisable). We went with an avocado and a tofu wrap, neither of which contained many vegetables, so essentially we were unable to get the feed we were after.
The juices were pretty good and fully customisable which was probably the best thing about the place. We liked the fact that they had acai available too (although we had to ask them not to put in the pre-made apple strawberry juice concentrate they usually use as a base). If we were to go back, it would be for the juices and nothing more.
The lady at the deli counter seemed to be struggling with English so ordering and customising was difficult (or maybe it's just my Australian accent? haha) They have an eat-in area upstairs, which has a vibe that is somewhere between a McDonald's restaurant and a dissheveled country US canteen. We hastily moved outside, which is more comfortable.
So our first day in Hawaii was decidedly lukewarm.
Update: After a week on the island the appeal of this place began to manifest to us. In fact we ended up here every day, sometimes more than once. The quality & quantity of veg food in Hawaii is really low and the concept of health doesn't seem to have made it there yet. Against this context, DTE becomes a godsend.
We never got around to trying the raw vege buffet (those prepared sauces in ketchup squirters never grew on us), the pizza (pizza really needs to be fresh), or those overcooked slushes, we did enjoy the energy cookies, bird bars and some of the cold dishes like the rice paper wraps, tofu nori rolls and greek salad. Probably 3.5 cows.
Pros: custom juices, grocery store
Cons: not a great selection, unhealthy food, service is below standard
Guest
s_k_
Points +616
A good find - Edit
It's terrific to find an all-vegetarian store. In light of that, the bulk breakfast cereal selection was very disappointing: nothing different than I've found in numerous stores elsewhere, down to the same granola and muesli mixes, so they clearly have the same supplier. I haven't seen coconut or hemp milk before; presumably these don't make it onto the shelves of more mainstream stores. The food bar is indeed very good, and warrants the rating.
Read morePros: unusual products, good food bar, nice vibe
Cons: variety less than expected, pricey
Guest
VeggieFitness
Points +32
I Love This Market. - Edit
Before I even got to this place all of my friends were talking about how great it is for vegetarians. Everything was good from the warm buffet to the salad bar. They have an amazing selection of Lara Bars, tea drinks, chips, hummus, yogurt. Everything you like packed into a cute little store. Top notch.
Read morePros: Everything
Cons: Nothing
Guest
Noanimal
Points +100
Awesome selection - Edit
This is one of the best vegetarian grocery stores I have ever seen. You can get almost anything here from sprouted bread to raw cacao nibs (the only thing i could not find is seaweed). Their selection on food supplements and homeopatic medicine is awesome. You can get some oke takeaway from the hot buffet and have it at the outside seating area. Take bus no 4 or A from Waikiki to get there (if you keep your ticket you can use it to go back).
Read morePros: selection
Cons: no asian food
Guest
cvxmelody
Points +1606
Gobsmacking vego supermarket & hot buffet - Edit
I had been looking to buy avocadoes during my vacation in Honolulu but the prices were steep in Waikiki where, like most visitors, I was staying. Avocadoes are one of the essential vegetarian powerfoods, full of healthy fats and vitamins. Fortunately, they happen to be very cheap at Down to Earth making it the perfect place to stock up on this essential food.
Read moreBesides which they have a VERY extensive range of vegetarian supplies/groceries - anything vego-related you can probably find it here. I only bought avocadoes so can't comment on their prices for other stuff but I'm sure they are reasonable for things you definitely wouldn't find anyplace else.
Not only is "Down to Earth" a vegetarian supermarket, their other attraction is a great salad bar and hot buffet. Most selections are charged by weight (but at the same fixed rate) so you can heap them onto a single plate. Some things are priced individually. Look at my photos to get a sense of their offerings.
Some hot dishes contain dairy, but there are always some vegan items that are clearly marked as such.
They have upstairs (indoor) seating, or use the tables outside.
Across the road is the "Well Bento" (another listing on happycow), that does excellent vegan Japanese take-out.
Bus #4 from Waikiki will get you here.
* PHOTOS:
i.imagehost.org/0581/IMG_0079.jpg (salad bar & buffet)
i.imagehost.org/0174/IMG_0099.jpg (shop sign)
i.imagehost.org/0084/IMG_0100.jpg (plate of food)
i.imagehost.org/0977/IMG_0101.jpg (soup/stew)
Guest
SonjaCPA
Points +5270
Awesome store - Edit
During our vacation, we stopped by to stock up for our hotel's kitchenette and were pleasantly suprised to find so much great stuff. A vegetarian health food store with no meat! The deli area was great too. The majority of the items were marked vegan. We had lunch there before we shopped as well as taking deli stuff to go. My boyfriend really loved the vegan shakes (which weren't available at the other two locations which we tried too). I wish I had a Down to Earth in LA!
Read morePros: great deli, all veggie store, vegan shakes
Cons: parking garage not convenient with cart
Guest
HollyG
Points +13
LOVE THEM! - Edit
I find everything I need there. They always have the friendliest employees and they are always willing to help you with whatever you need.
Read morePros: friendly, knowlegable, good variety
Cons: small
Guest
Janelle
Points +81
I go every time! - Edit
Down to Earth is the coolest! Every time I'm in Waikiki, which is often, I always go to Down to Earth to stock up on all my vegan fixins. The whole store is vegetarian! Can you believe that? So nice.
Read moreMy favorite at the salad/food bar is the mock chicken (tofu), it's delicious! Not far from the beach hotels, you can actually walk, but if you get a lot, you'll need to drive! Great place, a MUST if even just for lunch, but especially if you have a kitchen/kitchenette to stock.
A tad bit pricey, but what isn't on the islands?
Pros: totally vegetarian!, variety, smoothies too!
Cons: a little expensive
Guest
Digital Ghost
Points +50
Good health food store with small cafe area - Edit
This shop has a good selection of health food - it's a bit like a whole foods store only cheaper.
Read moreThey have a small cafe area with a hot and cold buffet as well as a juice bar that serves mainly sandwiches.
The salads area of the buffet was vegan but most of the hot food had cheese or dairy in it. As a vegan it may be a better option to buy from the chilled prepared food in the store section (although they have no microwave if you want to eat them hot).
They have quite a few raw vegan prepared dishes in the store as well as a good selection of vegan ice creams.
If you go up the stairs by the buffet there is a small seating area with free water and condiments (including nutritional yeast).
Pros: good selection, small cafe, friendly
Cons: few vegan buffet options, nowhere to heat food up
Guest
Patrickx814
Points +24
A wonderful whole foods marketplace - Edit
I ate at Down to Earth four or five times while staying in Honolulu. Their hot entries are available from a buffet and are $8.99 a pound. The food was very flavorful and everything is marked as to whether or not it is vegan. They also have a number of vegan baked goods. Everything was very flavorful and delicious. Some of the food is heavy, which makes purchasing it slightly expensive.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Organic, Well labeled
Guest
jkohler2
Points +68
3 locations on the Is Oahu - Edit
The South King Street, near University avenue is but one of 3 locations on the island. A second is in Kailua, and third is in Pearl City. The decor is slightly different in each, the merchandise and service is the same. I have had food from the salad bar, the hot table (both buffet style) and the deli at each location. My favorite sandwich was the homemade veggie burger. The salads are all labeled with organic items, carrots, beets, spinach, etc. Parking at the Honolulu location is at a 2nd story garage in the same building, which is validated at the check stand of the grocery store. At Kailua, and Pearl City, ample shopping mall style parking is available.
Read morePros: friendly staff, good organic food, prepared foods and grocery
Cons: a bit pricey
Guest
bcveeg
Points +31
Great Selection - Edit
I have just returned from Honolulu and was able to visit Down to Earth and I was impressed with the selection of products. I bought some personal care products that I haven't been able to buy in our health food store back home. I wish I had visited D-to-E earlier in our stay, rather than the last day, to sample their many interesting salads and entrees in their deli section. The avocados in their produce section were amazing, like mini footballs!
Read morePros: Great selection, Friendly staff, Discount if you bring your own bag
Cons: A bit crowded
Guest
sandee
Points +41
I'm going back - Edit
I live in California and thought I would never go back to Honolulu or Oahu for that matter. I have the opportunity to go back and I fully intend to go to this store again. I loved the food and the selections. I liked that there is a natural foods store here as well. I would have eaten here every day of my stay if I could have.
Read morePros: healthy, good selection, desserts
Cons: a little pricey for some things, crowded
Guest
jbglidd
Points +71
Great Place to Shop for Groceries and Produce - Edit
I have high standards when it comes to shopping for organic groceries and produce and Down To Earth has the best selection and volume I have come across on Oahu. If you are looking to buy vegetarian and/or vegan products for a short visit to Oahu or you live here, this is the place to go.
Read morePros: Large Selection, Good Organic Produce, Good Hot/Salad Bar
Cons: Expensive even compared with Whole Foods
Guest
ShiraM
Points +36
Love this place! - Edit
This place has an awesome salad and hot bar. I went there 3 times during my stay. Tons of vegan options, including vegan desserts and baked goods. I am also gluten free, and they had a really large selection for me.
Read morePros: great vegan selection, excellent food
Cons: small seating area, busy during lunch time
Guest
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