Back Home In Lahaina

Love the Saimin soup and their combination platters. Good food! I’ve been there many times and all experiences have been good, the wait staff is always checking up on their tables. I only have one complaint and it’s not related to the food, or staff, it’s the live music — don’t sit too close, as you will not be able to have a conversation with your party. Everything else is great!

Went there on a today (Sunday) with my wife and kids. We were pretty excited based on all the good reviews but left disappointed. I got the luau platter which was supposed to come with lomi salmon but they ran out. Instead they offered me potato mac salad or chicken long grain. Chose the mac but in my opinion, the meal should’ve been discounted because of that. Oh well. Kalua and lau lau was OK. Mac potato salad was bland and basic. Didn’t taste Hawaiian. My wife got the Lahaina #1 platter. Beef was dry, fried chicken was good. We also got so am masubi. Presentation was better than the masubi. It was basically a large brick if rice with a thin piece of spam in the middle. Too much rice. The haupia cheesecake saved this review. That was really good. Might give this place another try but not sure and not in a hurry to.

It was a sad day when their old location closed… and then finally they opened a new brick and mortar with dine in seating!!! Yay! So of course away we went to eat some good Hawaiian cooking.
Alas the new location isn’t quite as fun as the old with the big giant tree in the middle, but I have to say it’s hard to top. It’s done up beautifully from floor to wall to ceiling all of course in a Hawaiian theme. The ceilings are painted to look like blue skies with just enough cloud in them. The walls have landscapes of the Hawaiian sea and plants and there’s some intermixed signage and areas for a market, a second floor «balcony» area of the outside of some quaint building. It’s not forest lush as the old location but it definitely has a different unique charm of its own.
We got to try out the food again on a Sunday lunch afternoon. Service was lackluster and the dining area was ¾ full of families for the most part. Definitely a good place for small kids as they have coloring sheets and crayons to grab their attention.
As for the food… I’m hoping it was an off day because so far it wasn’t as good as I remembered it. Just by itself also it was good enough but not great.
LAU LAU
My fave and go to when I eat Hawaiian because I love the tasty of fatty succulent pork. What can I say? I’m true to my Asian roots centered around pork as the winning food item. Today the lau lau wasn’t so fatty or succulent. In fact pretty lean and kinda dry. Neither was the flavor quite there. Big heaping portions of rice, macaroni salad, and cabbage ramen salad were solid though. The chicken long rice (which I thought was rice but was noodle soup) was a nice side dish that came with my entrée that I did enjoy.
Hoping beyond hope that it was just an off day for the lau lau!

Best place ever the Hawaiian BBQ pork is the best, everything on the menu is awesome. Everyone I ever brought here loves it

When I’m jonesin for some Hawaiian food and want something better than just L&L, this is one of my go to places. Today I got the Platter #2 which comes with Korean BBQ beef, Teriyaki Chicken, and Lahaina Fried Chicken. Also with the platter you get white rice, Macaroni Salad and cabbage salad. Along with my platter I got a side of Spam fried rice. The KBBQ Beef was super tender and flavorful, not like so many places where it’s just slices of plain overcooked beef, this had really good flavor and cooked to perfection. The Teriyaki Chicken was good, not great, but I must admit I’m just not a chicken teriyaki fan, the chicken wasn’t overcooked which is a huge plus for me, so often that seems to be the case at most places, but not here. The Lahaina Fried Chicken was really good, it was a perfect chicken to breading blend, so you got to actually taste the chicken and not just the breading. The macaroni salad, was ok, needed more pepper and maybe something else, it just wasn’t super flavorful, kinda plain. Although I do tend to mix it in with my rice and some meat, it helped a lot. The Spam fried rice was so good, it was cooked perfectly, the Spam was cooked to where it had a nice crispy outer texture, and the inside was still moist, and just the right amount of seasoning and best of all, it wasn’t greasy like you find so many times at other places. While there, I always have to get me some snacks, which they have plenty of. They have a small snack and bakery section with cakes, pudding and lots of cookies. I got a piece of the Haupia Cheesecake which had great flavor and was so moist and delicious. For later I got 2 small tubs of cookies, the shortbread with corn flakes and the shortbread with chocolate chips. Both of the cookies were super yummy too. All in all, Back Home In Lahaina is just a really good place to get your Hawaiian food fix on.

Such great food!!! Attentive and humbling staff! Came here with family and all their plates looked and smelled good! Sharing is caring… try their Nachos also. Their Lahaina style Fried chicken so flavorful and juicy! Will definitely be back!

I’ve ordered here several times in the past, and on today. Each time I order here, I try to order differetly or different variations of a dish I favor alot. The food here is pretty good and definitely delicious. Out of a pretty good amount of things I’ve ordered, only one stands out as something I didn’t particularly like. The kalua pork lumpias fell short with me. They come in 6 pieces, but the first piece I ate was dry. So I thought I’d try a second piece, and then a third. They all seemed too dry. If it wasn’t for the sweet n sour sauce, I don’t think I could have eaten them. Perhaps others who order have had better luck.
The calbee ribs are tremendously the best! So full of taste and leaves you finger-​licking happy!
I felt the Portuguese sausage patties were too salty for my tastes. I love flavor, but I can appreciate flavor but not too much salt.
A few other favorites are the bacon fried rice, spam musubi, macaroni salad, and the best ever shredded cabbage salad.
As for dessert, regardless if you think you have room or not, you MUST order a slice of coconut cream cheese cake! You’ll never want plain cheesecake again! This is just so decadent, creamy, and not too sweet. I believe the crust even has crushed macadamia nuts. You’ll want to lick your fork (or spoon, if you choose) after each bite. So good!
So you’re probably wondering why only 3 stars, after all my glorification of the food? Well, I give only 3 stars because of the prices! The food is delicious and maybe some of the menu items match their prices (because of how good they taste), but still. An 8oz of kim chee should not need to cost more than $ 2, not $ 3.59! Now the price for a slice of the coconut cream cheesecake, is totally worth paying for. Like I said, some of the food is worth it to me, but others are just a bit steep.
So anyway, food is fantastic, fresh, somewhat generous in portion, big on taste and their menu offers a whole lot! The staff is very friendly. The restaurant is pretty cool. Also in the front, they have like a mini Hawaiian marketplace to pick up some goodies and take-​out orders. If you plan on take-​out, I suggest phoning in your order (it’s much quicker that way, in case they get busy), but make sure to check your order thoroughly! One time, I ordered over the phone. When I got there, I quickly paid with my card and left. Got home and discovered a miscommunication. I got too much food and naturally paid more than I wanted to. Whatever, I just ate more good food! LOL
Credit card accepted. Not too much parking in the back. Be sure to check for operating hours. They vary a bit.

I haven’t had much Hawaiian food. I’ve had lnl and some food when I was once in Hawaii but it’s all new to me.
On that note I really loved the loco moco I got here. I was a little surprised at the price because I’ve never paid so much for a loco moco but it was well worth the extra moolah! The patties are thick and flavorful and have hidden pieces of veggies in them. They’re delicious! The white rice is just white rice aha. I don’t really like gravy but it was very good with the patties. The macaroni salad is not too special but it’s still good.
The haupai cheesecake was very good! It was very creamy and soft. I would love to get it again.
I ordered take out so I can’t tell you how service is here.
I parked in the parking lot across the street mostly because I couldn’t find the place and got lost lol however there is a small lot out back. There’s just signs that say private property on it so I was a little too paranoid to park there. Also Lahaina has signs that point you towards the entrance once you get near it.
I will definitely be back!

I enjoy this place a lot! I’ve been here for lunch and dinner multiple of times with family. Also, they do take-​outs which is very convenient. It’s always packed nicely and still hot when it gets home.
The overall ambiance and interior decors of the place is amazing! It’ll make you look around a lot and even make you want to go to Hawaii! The service is always good too, our server today was very sweet and quick. She gets an A+ for sense of urgency. Thank you, Marlene!
My fam and I always order the infamous fried chicken! The plates are huge portions and are great for sharing. Don’t be surprised if you have leftovers. I suggest ordering the appetizer platter to share too. Feeds a lot.
My fave is the Hawaiian classic plate and the Saimin noodle soup. You can’t go wrong with those two.
Location, location, location! Heart of Carson. Seriously. Parking is always available. I can’t say it’s better than L&L because they’re both good. -.-

Came here for lunch during a weekday and there was plenty of seating. The place was larger than I thought as most Hawaiian food places are pretty small. Food was a bit pricey, but portions were large at least. For example, the Ahi Salad was $ 14, which my friend ordered. It came with two sauces, both wasabi based, so it’s good I did not order this since I can’t really take spicy. One was a creamy sauce and the other was a more liquid, dark sauce. My other friend got the two fish taco plate, which she enjoyed. It came with fries, which weren’t that great — I wish they cooked them more. I ordered the Hawaiian Fried Chicken, which I think was better than the Loft’s. I like the Loft’s because it’s crispier, but I liked that the Chicken here was sweeter and more flavored. I just wish the pieces were crunchier. Cabbage salad is pretty much the same at both places, though I think it’s a tad bit better at the Loft. Same with the Mac Salad. Mine was $ 10.50 (vs $ 8.50 at the Loft, but then again, the portions were a lot bigger here). Service was good, and I’d eat here again if I were in the area!

I had the ahi salad. The mustard wasabi dressing gave a nice kick to the salad. I think that was the seasoning. It was a simple, straightforward salad. The only thing I would have preferred, would have been if the lettuce was romaine or any of the greener, leafy kinds.

This place gets an A+ for ambiance, but I honestly wasn’t too impressed with the food. I was really excited to visit this place because I’ve had it bookmarked for some time.
Once you walk in, you know you are in a Hawaiian restaurant. There are murals, photos, and all kinds k kitschy decorations to remind you of Hawaii. Not reminded me of some of the kitschy spots we visited when we lived in Hawaii. We went on a Saturday, night and there was a live band playing. They were great, and provided some nice sounds to accompany our dinner.
My husband and I ordered chicken long rice, kalua pork lumpia, and a mixed plate which came with their famous fried chicken, kalua pork, and teriyaki beef. Of the three meats on the plate, the chicken was the most tasty. The pork was just alright, and the beef was cold… like they just took it out of the fridge. It was strange. It was just thin strips of beef with teriyaki sauce on it. It wasn’t actually cooked with the sauce. The lumpia was a mistake to order because it is only filled with kalua pork, which we already had on our mixed plate. For some reason, we really wanted lumpia, but don’t get this one, just get the Filipino lumpia, it’s probably better.
At the end of the meal, I wanted a haupia, but they only sell it as a pudding, or on cheesecake. I decided to opt for the pudding. It was also alright, but not great. I would come back here, but if probably try some other items on their menu.

Located in Carson, this local spot offers island style grinds in mammoth portions. Plenty of parking in back and in the parking structure. This spot also has an attached bakery.
I have been coming here for ages and honestly, the quality of the food has been declining. Is it just me? Their signature dish is probably their island style fried chicken, which is pretty darn good when you get chicken that has been thoroughly cooked through, or when your order doesn’t come out with deep fried batter mixed in with the chicken. This happened a few times within the last 6-​months.
Recently, my order came with rice that must have been sitting in the rice cooker for hours — I got the bottom of the cooker, burnt smelling rice. I wasn’t planning to eat the rice because it was a non-​carb loading day, but the server brought out a side dish of rice. The ramen cabbage was less than desirable and the mac salad tasted bland.
My buddy ordered the Hawaiian nachos, and it looked horrible. Sorry, but it really did. A few bites and the dried out pork made him lose his appetite. Not even interested in taking the dish home SMH.
Oh wells. I’ve definitely had better Hawaiian food elsewhere. This used to be our go-​to spot since it’s relatively close to my office. I think the guys are now going to drive into Torrance/​Gardena area when they want to get their plate lunch fix.
Enjoy!

We were watching my niece play basketball at the school down the street and we decided to come here for an early dinner. This place is great, the staff is friendly and the food is yummo!
We shared the fried chicken as an app, it was crispy and delicious! I decided to order the poke plate, no rice, double ramen salad and macaroni salad. The poke was fresh and came with a spicy dipping sauce. My sister got the somen salad which was just okay. The kids meals came with drinks and ice cream at the end, which was cool.
Overall I really like this place!

A great place to get the flavor of Hawaii. After spending a wonderful weekend at Disneyland we needed a good breaky to finish our weekend.
Started out with guava juice. Nice and pulpy the way I like it. I ordered the fried rice with Portuguese sausage. Drool — I love me some Portuguese sausage. Very flavorful and a nice meat to rice ratio. The leftovers made a nice breakfast for the next day.
I also ordered a side of fried spam. Nice and crispy.
Overall a pretty good meal to remind me of the Hawaiian Islands. A nice little hidden island gem in Carson.

VERDICT: Great place since the Loft, that was closer to my place, had closed down
QUALIFIER: Live Polynesian bands play laid-​back, sing-​along tunes on the popular nights. Kids eat free Wednesdays!
FOOD: Had a pleasant platter of nachos which had real melted cheese and lean pork. The accompanying chipotle-​style salsa was tasty. Lahiana fried chicken was battered in a satisfyingly crispy sweet coating on skinless dark meat. Hawaiian iced tea was a bit watered down.
SERVICE: Great tag team servers attentive to even the hoards of screaming children running around all over the restaurant

Lahaina Fried Chicken.
Seriously, nuff said. 130 people loved this chicken.
We had this place cater our engagement luau party. I can’t recommend them enough. And others know this because we waited almost 40 mins with how many people were making reservations for their parties as well.
I gotta say, I’m NOT a fan of Hawaiian food in general, but I thought we need to go with our luau theme. We sampled the scores of HI food around the Gardena Torrance area over 2 weeks and this place was by far the top on our list. I don’t like macaroni salad, this one was delicious. I think hawaiian pork is too heavy, this one is not. Kalbi beef is too tough, this one was tender and not rock hard.
We were a little concerned about getting the food on time and if we ordered enough, but it was perfect. about $ 945 covered 130 people, with food left over. I’m sure we should have gotten more fried chicken as that was the first to go out. (side note: we had other food besides the catering)
If you’re having a luau party, this was good.

I was so bummed when the Manhattan Beach location closed. It was the perfect meal after spending the whole day hanging and surfing by the pier. It was nice to hear that the former The Loft location in Carson was now a Back Home in Lahaina. The 2 restaurants always had similar menus but I was so used to going to Back Home because of its proximity to the beaches we frequented.
I ordered my favorite lahaina fried chicken, no mac salad, extra ramen cabbage salad with bacon fried rice. It’s so good. The marinade on the fried chicken is so tasty. It’s one of my favorite things to eat in this world. The bacon fried rice is plenty and delicious. The ramen cabbage salad is also very good and the sweet sesame dressing is plentiful. Just the way I like it. And even though the fried chicken is flavorful enough, I still ask for katsu sauce for dipping on the side. And if you havent been to any of these restaurants, just know that the portions are BIG. I usually squeeze 2 meals from my order. For that, it’s worth it. I have to order the requisite Hawaiian iced tea with my meal. It just wouldnt be complete without. It’s refreshing, sweet and I guzzle it like water.
The decoration inside this Back Home is very much like Lahaina in that the mural depicts Front St and the old whaling town that it was. Beautiful Maui… My favorite island so I always smile when I see the mural because it takes me back.
Service was good. Our server was friendly. She checked in on us and made sure we had everything we needed. I even saw one former server from the Manhattan Beach location. He’s a tall dude. You cant miss him… So it’s like it never left, in a way.
Great Hawaiian food. Definitely check them out when you’re in Carson next. I’m looking forward to going back soon. Wish they had the haupia cheesecake when we went. Hopefully on the next.

When you feel like getting some authentic Hawaiian food there is not place like Back Home in Lahaina. Located right next door to Hole Mole its situated right in the corner of the plaza.
My favorite things to order is the Lahaina fried chicken and the Loco Moco.
The Lahaina fried chicken comes super crispy and tender and juicy on the inside. In each bite you can taste the sweet BBQ seasoning they marinate the chicken with before tossing them in the friar. The dish comes with a side of rice, macaroni salad, and a small side salad.
My favorite is the Loco Moco, but I always ask to upgrade the dish with either spam, bacon, or Portuguese sausage fried rice. Sometimes the patty itself is a hit or miss depending on the chef of the day. I prefer the patty on the medium side but if they don’t pay attention it comes out well done and a little dry. I always get my order with over easy eggs on top.
Overall the combination of the two dishes above usually puts a smile to my face and a happy stomach.

I came here for lunch with coworkers during a weekday. It was pretty busy when we walked in, almost every table taken. The décor was very festive and Hawaiian themed, which I loved. It definitely added to the food and restaurant environment. I ordered the barbecue pork entrée with macaroni salad, salad, and white rice with terriyaki sauce on the side. It was so delicious! I couldn’t even finish it since the portions were pretty large, lots of pork leftover.
The only reason I gave four stars was because it took about 30 minutes for the food to come out. Pretty long time, but service was good. Our waitress asked us every now and then if everything was okay and she refilled our waters pretty frequently. I would definitely come back to try a different dish!