Barbecue Chuck Wagon

It is not a smoker. I believe they pre-​broiled the ribs and re-​heat them on grill before serving. The fat was not really well rendered and all aroma was from the sauce which is meh.
The roast corns, on the other hand, are worth the trip.

Taco truck style food. Boiled and then lightly smoked ribs nothing to rave about. Pulled pork was very good, moist tender and well sauced.

Love the cue here. Had the rib plate and a piece of corn. Sammy doesn’t set any speed records getting your food out but just chill and know it’s worth the wait. Serving is generous. Ribs were outstanding. A sweet, tasty, finger licking good bbq sauce on the perfectly done ribs. Hawaiian slant on the slaw with the pineapple and apple unexpected but appreciated after a few bites. Beans were legit and gone in a flash. I think they might have generated a flash later… but I digress. Corn was really good. Tender with butter and Parmesan. At risk of being a pig I almost ordered another piece of corn. In fairness my wife did more than a taste test on my corn. Will be back multiple times on future trips for sure.

Looks are deceiving — trust the wonderful aroma! Don’t let looks stop you from having an amazing plate of BBQ Pulled Pork! Huge juicy and tender portions! Excellent! Will definitely stop again! Sammy is so warm and friendly!

I don’t want to know how much butter and salt and Parmesan they put on their corn cob, but OMG I had to order a second one! Slaw is good, ribs are good enough we’d trade our beloved dog for more. Pulled Pork sammich was also moist, drippy and saucy. Wonderful. We will be back!

This place is awesome! The pulled pork was amazing. I certainly recommend it. We accidentally found it while walking through the town, and we weren’t even hungry. An extra bonus for celiac people like me, his BBQ sauce is gluten free.
The owner, Sammy is such a nice guy! A must try if you’re in Hawi!

Absurdly good barbecue, which is a ridiculous finding in this tiny Hawaiian paradise. The guy who runs it is living the dream — apparently he quit his job in the food service industry because there was always «someone younger than him bossing him around.» Now he makes near-​perfect barbecue in Hawi and jokes around with his customers all day long. Highly recommend the caesar salad with fresh grilled fish and the pulled pork, I imagine the ribs are great too.

The place: has the surprise element, unique enough to love it
The people: Very friendly
price: pocket friendly
The food: one of the best bbq ive had outside Texas… period
service: it sucks! I know its Hawaii and pace is slow. but it took an hour to get our food and in that hour they ran out of stuff… and it was not crowded or anything…
tips: best gelato few steps away, bathroom at a gift store few steps away

Sorry, Hank Hill, no propane grill here!!! I thought I would have to wait for my next trip to the mainland for great BBQ. No airplane needed!!! This place serves the best pulled pork and ribs I ever had! I’ll tell my carnivore friends on the mainland to come here for BBQ.
Sorry, Ma, my taste buds are happy so I won’t be flying to the mainland any time soon!

Yum! Yum! Yum!!! Generous portions, tasty food! Super cute place and easy to find. Service was exceptional. The ribs were tender and delicious. The roasted corn was sweet and tasty. Drinks in can but enough to find something you like. They have picnic tables to eat at. Definitely a great find.

FOOD: I ordered the BBQ pulled pork sandwich and it was amazing! Really messy but worth it
SERVICE: the lady who took our order was so sweet and funny. She took the time to just chit chat with us and the chef would come out and say hi to us
FAVORITE DISH: the pulled pork sandwich
PRICE: the plate was around $ 11 and it came with cole slaw and chips
DIETARY OPTIONS: I don’t think there is much available if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or gluten free

Good, solid pulled pork sandwich and barbecued– grilled fish. Great slaw. Very low key place for a great, inexpensive and non touristy lunch.

What’s not to like about this place? Ribs rock. Pulled pork rocks. Only thing that needs some improvement are the baked beans — bland and not much flavor.
I love that this place is a shack and a few picnic tables. Makes it all the more authentic.
There are a few great food joints in Hawi. This is one of them.

Amazing BBQ, I’m just sad that they are not open all the time.

The Bamboo Restaurant was closed so we tried the Barbecue Chuckwagon. We weren’t disappointed and it was certainly less expensive. Try the grilled Caesar with fish — yum! And the barbecued meats were great, too. Friendly owner and server… you can’t go wrong here, even with paper plates and canned drinks.

Great BBQ! Wife and I split the pulled pork sandwich, very tender and filling. Owner was in back doing the cooking and slinging jokes. Would definitely go back if we ever find ourselves in the neighborhood again.

We loved this place. I had the ribs and my girlfriend had the chicken sandwich. Both were delicious. The ribs were tender with a great sauce. The tropical slaw with pineapple and apples was a highlight. Other reviews are wrong about the slaw however… the owner told us it has mayo and not buttermilk. Make sure to try the grilled corn… yum. Great service from the owner operator.

Pilgrimage worthy, so 5 stars, … but not perfect. Ehh, you’re there for the meat. They fully delivered on that account. Friendly service.
They’ve been sold out of ribs both times I’ve gotten there in the late afternoon.
Pulled pork was a substantial serving, really luscious (translation: they left the fat in it), topped with barbecue sauce. My friend picked out his fat. I ate mine. Yep.
Slaw… amazing, with pineapple and buttermilk. Wished there was more of it.
Beans… interesting and good, with a variety of beans AND hominy, which is NOT garbanzo beans, it’s nixtamalized corn. I kid you not
.
Cornbread, it was there, I ate it, it could be improved.
Tables… grimy. Seating area… shabby. Free water pitcher… a little grimy where everybody puts their finger, and water tasted nasty.
Bought a Hawaiian sun juice, $ 1.50.
Not sure if they accept credit cards or not. The first time I went, they said no, so I went and got cash and came back. While I was eating, some lady paid with a credit card. It was one of those WTF? moments, but I let it go. Now I just take cash.

Off the beaten path in hawi… awesome fish, pulled pork and fall off the bone ribs :)
Coleslaw with apples and pineapples is wonderful and a great new take on a classic side dish.
Something for everyone here and friendly staff. Felt welcomed and full!

Ribs were «punch your mama» good. The BBQ sauce had a depth to it that I can’t place, it’s spicy but smokey, sweet but not too sweet. The beans are full of other veggies which was good. I’ve experienced really good bar b que here, in hawaii, at road side stands. The slaw was crazy good– there’s apple and pineapple (I may have to add this to my recipe box.) and the jug-​o-​water is the down home no frills that makes Hawi’s chuck wagon a country experience. The ribs aren’t boiled, they are bbq’d so there’s a nice meaty-​ness to them. I licked the plate… and ate my dad’s scraps of pulled pork.
Like any lunch spot, go there at lunch time because selection can be limited later. My parents ate the corn and they really liked it!