The Abridged version:
- Kupros Craft House co-owners Keegan Currey and Steve Tokuhama just opened The Golden Pineapple near Midtown Sacramento.
- One side of the building is a sandwich shop; the other is a Hawaiian concept featuring plate lunches, ramen, poke and recipes from Tokuhama’s family.
- The two concepts intersect on a couple of dishes, such as sandwiches with poke salad or chicken katsu.
Looking for a French dip? How about a Hawaiian plate lunch? You’ll find them under the same roof at one of Sacramento’s newest restaurants, a long-awaited venture from established restaurateurs.
The Golden Pineapple, the dual-concept takeout operation from Kupros Craft House owners Keegan Currey and Steve Tokuhama soft-opened May 23rd. It replaced former convenience store Sunny’s Market at 28th and G streets in the Marshall School neighborhood near Midtown Sacramento.
Currey and Tokuhama bought the building years ago, waited a few years for city permits and broke ground in January 2024.
“It was a combination of things. Changes we made and waiting on permits and little things like that,” Currey said.
The duo has operated Kupros, a popular Midtown gastropub on 21st Street, since 2010. Tokuhama purchased the then-92-year-old building in 2002 and spent eight years renovating it before opening.
Read more: Kupros outsells California bars on trendy canned cocktail: ‘It goes down easy’
Like Kupros, this building has a redwood frame. They gutted it to the bones and divided it cleanly in half. The sandwich side has light blue walls, an exposed pine ceiling, polished concrete floors and a digital menu board with California-themed illustrations. The Hawaiian side is a clear contrast with yellow walls, hibiscus graphics and a poke display.
The sandwich menu covers classic deli options alongside Hawaiian-influenced sandwiches. There are clubs, BLATs and Italian subs, but the Signature Samis are where the two concepts meet.
The Poke Salad Sando uses fresh ahi poke in place of canned tuna. The Katsu Sando layers crispy chicken katsu with sweet chili mayo and cabbage slaw. Hot options include a chopped Reuben, a French dip and a Cubano.
“We’re excited. We got a really talented kitchen back there,” Tokuhama said of his staff.
Tokuhama’s family history comes through most directly on the building’s Hawaiian side. Born and raised on Oahu, he grew up around his family’s restaurant and coffee shop. At The Golden Pineapple, the menu draws on recipes from his grandmother and aunties: kalua pork and cabbage, chicken katsu, garlic mahi-mahi and garlic shrimp.
“The beef stew with the rice and the mac salad, it’s just going as well,” Tokuhama said. The dish is his grandmother’s recipe specifically, served in the traditional Hawaiian plate lunch format.
There is also a full ramen menu with tonkotsu, spicy beef and veggie options, a fresh poke menu and a build-your-own ramen option. The Hawaiian Plate ($22) includes lau lau, lomi-lomi salmon, rice and macaroni salad.
The space has one kitchen with a dedicated sandwich station. Each side has its own ordering counter, though customers can order from both concepts at either window. Seating is still on the way for the Hawaiian side, but that didn’t stop a few guests from bringing their own camp chairs and eating their takeout inside on a recent visit.
“It’s been great, honestly,” Currey said. “The neighborhood has been so welcoming and everybody that’s come in has appreciated the aesthetic and everything we did with the building.”
The drink program is still developing, with Pila Kava (a nonalcoholic drink made from the kava root), fountain drinks and coconut water currently available, and coffee and Dole Whip coming soon. The main menu is largely set with seasonal specials planned.
The Golden Pineapple
Address: 2800 G St., Sacramento
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday-Monday, closed Tuesday
Website: goldenpineapple.net
Vegetarian options: Japanese egg salad sandwich, Golden Garden salad, veggie ramen, marinated tofu poke bowl
Drinks: Kava, sodas and coconut water
Reservations: No
Keyla Vasconcellos is a food and travel journalist based in Sacramento. Her work has appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, Food & Wine, Eater, Forbes and beyond.