Hawaiian Island Barbecue

*** Hawaiian Island BBQ has closed

This clone of L&L is located pretty close to where we live and is the most accessible "plate lunch" place for us. So I usually head on down to Pacific Beach now and then for a plate lunch.

Hawaiian Island Barbecue is located in Pacific Plaza next to a Von's Supermarket, the local "foodies" will know the mall as the location of the Great News cooking store. I've never really ever seen this place full, but there seems to be a steady trickle of customers flowing in and out. The restaurant interior goes for a Hawaiian Hut/surfer kitschy type feel.

The menu features all the usual suspects; Chicken Katsu ($6.29), Loco Moco ($6.39), BBQ Beef ($6.39), BBQ Mix ($6.99), you get the picture. You can also get some items not usually served in many of these places like Lau Lau ($6.99 - previously frozen kine), Limu Poke ($7.99), and Manapua ($1.79 - also previously frozen kine). Mini plates are available from $4.29 - $4.99 featuring 1 scoop rice, 1 scoop Mac, and your chosen protein.

I placed my order, waited a few minutes, and went home, ready to grind!

The first thing I ordered was the BBQ Chicken ($6.29), all rice, which they got right. The thing I forgot to do was to tell them to "86" the pineapple ring. For some reason this pineapple ring sends me into a bout of terrible flashbacks....of when Hawaiian Food was thought to be a Ham steak with a pineapple ring on it! Ugh, just the sight of a little ol' pineapple ring on top of certain foods send these waves of nausea associated with all those negative connotations! So I removed the pineapple ring and all traces of it's existence. Oh yeah, the chicken, back to the chicken. In this case it was under marinated, but still ok. I've had the same dish here when it's been perfectly marinated, and I've had them almost "white". It's sort of a crap-shoot, when it's good, it's pretty good, when it's not, well.......it deserves the pineapple ring!

I opened the next dish and it was a beautiful little Mini-Chicken Katsu Plate ($4.29). Only problem was, I ORDERED a CHICKEN CUTLET! Where's the gravy? The gal as she handed me my package even said "chicken cutlet", I guess she didn't pass her plate lunch identification test yet? Well back to the problem at hand - the chicken katsu was cooked to a perfect golden brown, crisp state, and had a nice crunch to it. The problem was what to do with the icky, terrible, sweet, mistake of katsu sauce this place and all the L&L's serve for that matter. That's the reason that I order chicken cutlet instead of chicken katsu. If I wanted sweet sour I'd pour some La Choy on it, gimme some "katsu sauce" fer chrissake! Katsu sauce into square receptacle, ketchup, Worcestershire, shoyu, and horseradish, here I come. Whoever made the macaroni salad on this day forgot the salt and put in a little too much mayo, but it was edible.

So why did I come here? Usually the foods ok, I usually like the Chicken Cutlet, when they remember to make it right, and the gravy fries ($1.99) and Loco Moco are usually pretty good. Looks like today wasn't my day......

Hawaiian Island Barbecue
1768 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
858-483-9830

Located in the Pacific Plaza Mall - Pacific Beach

Comments

[clare eats]

oh that sucks!
I think ham steak and pineapple is still pretty much considered hawain food to many Aussies!(ie the pizza ;) )

But not me no more, I am up on the hawain ono grindz *grin*

[Kirk]

Hi Clare - Yes you are! And it's a shorter "swim"! LOL! And don't get me started on that pizza!

[clare eats]

ha ha ha

much shorter swim. Perhaps we should meet there for some grindz instead?

[milgwimper]

Oh Kirk I am so sorry it was a dissapointment today. The pictures looked great but I guess looks were decieving.

[Jo]

So umm... what is the cutlet gravy SUPPOSED to be? More like a cream gravy? You know what I miss? The rice & brown gravy they served at Fleming Jr. High down in Lomita. I'm sure it was technically nasty stuff, but the rice was sticky and the gravy was oh so yummo. I think it cost a dime.

[Kirk]

Hi Clare - We'll need to fill up on some grindz for the swim back, so I;m in agreement.

Hi Milly - It's not so much the food - it was the gross pineapple and screwing up my order that kind got me discombobulated...the Katsu was actually done very well - but it wasn't what I ordered.

Hi Jo - It's more of a brown type gravy, you can check out the pic on my L&L post - http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/05/l_l_hawaiian_ba.html I'd go for gravy and rice for a dime!

[Jo]

So the same as the locomoco gravy? Yea, I've searched and searched for a similar gravy, nada. I can make the rice & I do bacon cream gravy instead.

By the way you swimming folk, eat enough fat and you'll stay nice & warm on that swim!! ;o)

[Kirk]

Hi Jo - Yes the same as the loco moco gravy. If you swim you'll need the thermalgenic effect right (of course I know what I'm talking about...)....

[Jack]

I've only been here a few times, usually when I "needed" a gadget at Great News and haven't really been impressed. Not bad, not great, just ok. And what's up with the Pineapple ring?!!?

As much as I love going to the upscale restaurants in Hawaii, the places I crave the most are the local type/okazuyas that you take for granted when you are there.

[Kirk]

Hey Jack - I agree, it's the "everyday grinds" that I really miss. I hate the pineapple ring, totally grosses me out, they should lose it...

[Reid]

Hi Kirk,

I don't like the association of pineapples/ham and Hawaii. But then again, we have the best pineapples here. I had some of the juicy ones from Sarawak when I was in Singapore and they don't compare to the sweet juicy ones we get here.

Now, this place serves food that could pass for L&L. The barbecue chicken at L&L has very little marinade on it these days. In fact, I don't even order it anymore. My favorite is the loco moco, but I do think the gravy can be a little to "thin" depending on which location you visit.

I wonder -- what do these people think makes a barbecue "Hawaiian".

[Kirk]

Hi Reid - Let me tell you that canned pineapple really disgusts me - the whole ham/pineapple thing...I didn't know that the BBQ chicken at L&L is now so bland - that's kind of sad. I'll be doing a multi part "Loco" showdown soon - at the risk of personal arterial damage. :)

[Jo]

SWIM KIRK SWIM!! ok, so you think that canned pineapple rings are, gross, disgusting, yoso-yucko. Am I clear on this? Now the question is, why? I can totally come together with you on the ham association thing. It doesn't work for me either. But what about pineapple upside down cake? Or just scarfing it straight from the can? I prefer fresh, but sometimes it just ain't economically happening...

[clare eats]

ha ha "yoso yucko" I think you need to claim that one Kirk! Perfect for those stinker restaurants! *Grin*

[kyle]

Nice site been reading ever since Reid posted your link. Just had to comment that you are a 100% right...L&L don't know how to make katsu sauce.

[Kirk]

Hi Jo - Nothing personal against canned pineapple, but in this context. I love fresh pineapple - I miss the small sugar pineapple, to me the tastiest. And I like pineapple juice.

Hey Clare - Yeah, LOL! BTW, I think Jo's thinking about the swimming thing too!

Hi Kyle - L&L's "sauce", is just not Katsu sauce, I don't know who had the idea for it, but I think it's terrible. And thanks for taking time out to check out this humble little site!

[Jo]

OK, I totally understand how you feel now. Actually, Mike is of a like mind. He worked at the Dole plant after (maybe before?) his stint at the Ala Moana McD's.

[clare eats]

Jo and Milly Should join us, aren't we having lunch at Reids now??

[Jo]

Hey Mills! Got a spare bathing cap?

[milgwimper]

Jo,

Sure I have an extra cap. *hands Jo the cap* **doing the back stroke**