Hog Island BBQ

I used to live with the couple who owns this little BBQ joint. They were always feeding me their leftover, which I thoroughly enjoyed! You know a place is good when you like their few day old leftovers!
They have wonderful pulled pork sandwiches, and the brisket is amazing!
They also have juicy, fall off the bone ribs!
– All the meats are smoked in their smoker (unlike anywhere else on the island)
And their coleslaw, although made with raisins is my favorite!
Go check em out!

IMPORTANT NOTE: They are now located at 201a Hamakua Dr, Kailua, HI inside of Boardriders Bar & Grill. It looks like they have took over the kitchen. Also it looks like they have expanded their menu which I have upload pictures of.
We tried two of the sandwiches and we liked it to the point that we are already looking forward to going back again to try other things on the menu. Will update my review after we go back.

Okay… Office Lunch Adventure that FLOPPED!!!
We waited all week to eat some BBQ because we called on Tuesday (2/12)they were closed… So the build up to eat some BBQ just increased. Just reading the menu made all our mouths water with anticipation…
Bad Points…
–The baked beans-​awful. The beans weren’t even cooked all the way through. One of my co-​workers dropped one of his beans on the desk and is BOUNCED. If it was a true baked bean, that bean would have mushed…
–Brisket-​Awful!!! Really fatty. There is a vein of fat that ran through the meat and my boss is from the South and he said real BBQ that vein would have been cooked out in true BBQ style.
–We ordered TAKE OUT-​FOOD COLD!!! The fat coagulated around my scalloped potatoes. Ewwwwww…
Good Points…
The sauce was good and the scalloped potatoes were also (after I warmed it up)
That is how I gave them the ONE STAR.
Is this a place we’re going to go back to??? Um, that would be a unanimous NO… Sorry just not what we had thought it would be…

I am a hog island fan… and they would get five stars if their food was consistent. I have been to hog island about 5 times since my first time and I love it but nothing is consistent but the key lime pie. I love their brisket.
My last visit food was okay a little bland on my sides of mac n cheese and scalloped potatoes. My brisket was decent and my ribs were good. But I only got 1 sauce. Usually I got 2 so that was kind of sad because I like both sauces. But key lime was excellent

We had this place catered to one of our work events earlier this year and I remember the food being absolutely delicious. Aside from the fact that the food I ate was cold (even if the food was over burners), but if something tastes good cold, I could only imagine what it would taste like hot. I don’t think they came prepared or early enough for our event so I didn’t knock down any points since I really enjoyed their food.
Made the drive down here today and ordered the beef beef brisket, ribs, mac & cheese, baked beans, & jasmine rice. The mac & cheese I deemed being the best I ever tasted was not even close to what I recalled. It was lacking in flavor. It tasted like the portion we were given wasn’t mixed well enough in the pot when they made it. There wasn’t much cheese in there and I would have much more preferred eating a bowl of Kraft mac & cheese made from the box. The ribs were okay, it didn’t fall off the bone and it was lacking in taste as well. Everything else was alright. Their saving grace was probably the beef brisket. It was tender and they gave a side of barbecue sauce for extra flavor.
We got lost trying to find the place, the address is on 11^th avenue. You need to park in the public parking lot and they’re in the same vicinity as Himalayan Kitchen. It’s located in between the pillbox pharmacy and big city diner. There is no seating here but the owner did say we could take our food upstairs where Himalayan Kitchen is and bring our trash back down when we were finished.
I’m not sure if we just got a bad batch of food, but it was a total disappointment, I know they can whip up a better meal than what we were served today. I just don’t know if the consistency is there.

Had a craving for ribs…
Nice service, good food

«…more sandiwiches!»
Despite lack of seating, and a long wait — HIB delivers the slow roasted sandwiches like champs.
While this was not our original destination it quickly became a happy coincidence that resulted — in possibly — the best sandwich i had on the island so far.
So if its slow roasted memphis style bbq you crave — Hog Island is definitely the place to get it.

1^st time at Hog Island! Waited rather long for two sandwiches, but definitely well worth the wait! The brisket was down right amazing! the scallop potatoes were a great compliment to the Uncle’s Fav sandwich I had. My suggestion would be to spend the extra $$ and go for the brisket as your meat.
The down side of this place is that I didn’t notice anywhere that you could sit and eat so you pretty much have to get it to go. It would be very helpful to call your order in ahead of time.
The staff is awesome, the owner knew that he took a long time to get my order so he threw in my drink for free. He also explained very well in detail their catering options.
I would definitely come again when I am craving some good BBQ!

When I want to scratch my bbq ribs itch in Honolulu, I go to Hog Island. Dry rubbed, smoked, and with bbq sauce on the side, it’s the bbq joint in town that reminds me that most of some of the classic bbq joints I visited in Memphis! When you order a dish, you can get a small side of meat (rib, brisket, chicken, pulled pork) for a few dollars more. The full rack of ribs, extra meat, an extra side, and a key lime pie for dessert set me back nearly $ 40– an indulgence thats worthwhile infrequently for sure! The ribs are outstanding, the brisket is tasty– almost burnt ends. Someplace to press the repeat button again and again.

WOW.
The boyfriend and I tried this place last week and nomnomnom-​ed our plates in literally 5 minutes. I kid you not, this place is that good. I seriously recommend the brisket and the ribs, you won’t be disappointed! Their BBQ sauce is legit, I could eat it like a bowl of soup.
I WANT IT NOW!
Side note: the lady with the Harry Potter glasses behind this counter is super rad!

Hog Island BBQ is a small take-​out BBQ shop in the 11^th Ave. Atrium in Kaimuki that serves the best Southern-​style BBQ I’ve had in Hawaii and among the best I’ve had in the US.
In every city I travel to in the US, one of the first things I ask my local contacts is, «where is your city’s best BBQ?» I have been on a hunt for the best BBQ in the country. While trying all the regional styles and variations of BBQ across the country, I’ve realized is that it’s not necessarily *where* you are or where you are from (though it certainly helps); but *how much* heart and soul and care that’s put into doing it right, for the sake of doing it *right* no matter what.
Hog Island BBQ does it right.
Even better, they’re right here in Honolulu. So while I still travel to Tennessee several times a year, I don’t have to wait for months to pass anymore before I can have great Memphis-​style BBQ.
Here’s what you need to know about Hog Island BBQ:
PARKING:
Parking is shared in a large city lot with all the other great restaurants in the area bordered by 11^th, Waialae, 12^th. and Harding, with the entrance to the parking lot on 12^th. Rates are 75-​cents per hour or fraction thereof for the first 3 hours; but you can usually get in-​and-​out of Hog Island BBQ under the 20 minute grace period for free parking. Hog Island BBQ is located on the 11^th Ave side of the parking lot, with its entrance facing the parking lot. One important thing to note is that they are only open from Wednesday through Sunday.
FOOD:
The menu is not large, but what they do they do very well. Beef Brisket, Chicken Breast, Pulled Pork, Baby Back Ribs. These four meats are used in a variety of different ways; but mostly in sandwiches and plates. Your choices of sides are: Baked beans, Coleslaw, Dirty Rice, Mac & Cheese, Scalloped Potatoes, and Jasmine Rice. Hog Island BBQ also makes an award-​winning Key Lime pie and cheesecake that comes highly recommended.
The meats are dry-​rubbed and slow-​cooked with imported Oak in a specialty W’ham smoker that cooks with just pure hot smoke (no gas, no electricity involved) over hours and hours the old-​fashioned way. For example, the Beef Brisket, which I love, is dry-​rubbed and slow-​cooked for 12-​hours at 225 degrees to produce the tenderest, most juicy pink-​ringed meat with a charred, flavorful crust all around. Like another reviewer mentioned, I used to work a few blocks from Everett & Jones back in the day; which has won «Best Brisket in the USA» many years, and this is just as good if not better. Great BBQ does not need sauce, and Hog Island’s BBQ does not need sauce (and is not sauced by default). They provide you a cup of really good house-​made Guinness and Molasses based sauce if you choose to use it though.
The Baby Back Ribs are AMAZING. Literally, one of the top-​5 in the country I’ve ever had (to my taste preference). Make sure you eat it hot, ribs in general don’t do well once they cool down. Thick meat with a perfect crust. A deep smoke flavor, tender and pink throughout, juicy with excellent mouthfeel and perfectly pulls away from the bone with just the right amount of chew.
ORDERING:
The space is tiny, with no seating. Go to the counter, order your food. It’s all take-​out. Your plate will come with either 5oz, 8oz or 11oz of the meat you choose and two sides to select from (except for the ribs, which come in ½ rack and full rack). Combos are not listed explicitly as such; but they are made by adding «extra» servings to your plate in ¼-​pound increments of the other meats. For example, you can order a Brisket plate and add a ¼ serving of Pulled Pork to make your combo.
SEATING:
None inside. Himalayan Kitchen, which is currently not open for lunch, has been gracious enough to allow Hog Island BBQ customers use of one of their tables upstairs on their deck (corner table as you come up the stairs). Otherwise, take-​out only.
SERVICE:
Wayne is probably one of the friendliest purveyors of BBQ meat I’ve ever met in my life, following a great tradition of pit-​masters who are passionate about what they do and love to share what they do with people. He takes the time to make customers feel more than welcome; and watching him talking to and interacting with other customers and their kids is a heartwarming pleasure. It’s no wonder his BBQ is award winning. With this kind of heart and soul and care, you can’t help but do it right.
DECOR:
Too small to really have any. Sparse, this used to be the deli counter for a NY-​style deli years ago. Only about 8 feet by 4 feet inside. Odd little statuettes and figurines on the counter.
COST:
Starting around $ 8, can get extravagant the more meat you add. Add roughly $ 4 – 5 for additional ¼ servings of BBQ meat. Pricey, but worth it.
⁵⁄₅ — straight up. Maybe Wayne and I share the same concept of perfect BBQ, maybe it IS just THAT good.

3.5 stars. Been searching for a place for southern bbq & Hog Island is the closest so far. Yes, a little pricey for the portions but I liked the food.
Note: this is primarily a take away spot. There were a few tables upstairs available for use during lunch (borrowed from the Himalayan Kitchen). Not sure where you sit during dinner.
I got the ½ rack of baby back ribs w/​dirty rice & scalloped potatoes. The ribs were fairly meaty with a nice smoky taste. Downside, they were pretty short — perhaps the very end of the rack? I really enjoyed the scalloped potatoes bc no cheese — I know wierd to prefer non-​cheesy but I do. Wanted more flavor from the dirty rice. Will try the baked beans next time.
Tasted friend’s beef brisket which was very tender. The bbq sauce which comes on the side is good. Not overly spicy.
Loved the key lime pie! MMMMM with a thick graham cracker crust (I’m a pie crust aficionado) & tart key lime flavor. The best I’ve tasted on Oahu.

Give me good pork and I’m happy! My husband and I went yesterday for lunch. I had a pulled pork sandwich with a small side of mac & cheese. The pork was soft and tender with a nice smokey taste. I poured some bbq sauce in it that complimented the sandwich. In every bite, I was content wanting more. Because they were out of the scalloped potatoes, the owner noticed our disappointment and offered us a complimentary side of mac & cheese on the house. This showed us their sincerity to their customers. Kudos to them! The mac & cheese is not your ordinary stuff from the orange & blue box. It’s difficult to explain the taste because the flavors are complicated, but I really enjoyed eating it. The pasta was soft. The sauce wasn’t runny but it adhered to the pasta that gave it its’ unique taste. So, whenever I’m in the mood for a good pork sandwich, this is my first stop!

I’ve never been to the South so I don’t know a thing about southern BBQ. But what I do know is that I like Hog Island & I’m kind of in love with their barbeque sauce. Alright, alright, let’s be honest, I’m infatuated with their BBQ sauce. My only complaint about it is that they don’t give you enough. In an ideal world I’d get buckets of the stuff but instead I have to settle for a small cup.
My favorite here is the wood fired chicken breast; the chicken is perfectly seasoned & moist. Top it off with the aforementioned heavenly barbeque sauce & you’re set. I’ve also tried the beef brisket but didn’t find it as anything special.
Each plate comes with two sides. I prefer the scallop potatoes & mac & cheese. Although they use the fact that there’s no cheese in their scallop potatoes as a selling point, it’s kind of a bummer for me. I like my scallop potatoes oozing with cream & melted cheese. Scallop potatoes without cheesy goodness is like eating a musubi with no ume; it’s just not right! The mac & cheese could be a little creamier & cheesier (if you haven’t noticed, there’s an underlying theme to my complaints: when I’m splurging on rich foods I want to SPLURGE!) but I do like that it’s topped with a sprinkling of bread crumbs.
Parking is great because they’re located in a paid lot. I recommend calling in your order so that it’s ready for you when you pick it up, then you avoid having to pay for parking at all (There’s what I’m assuming is a 15 minute grace period).
The owner here is super friendly & you can tell that he’s very proud of the food he puts out. He’s a bit of a talker but I can appreciate someone who shows so much pride in his culinary craft, even if I’m usually a shut-up-&-give-me-my-food-so-I-can-get-to-stuffing-my-face kind of gal.
If you’re tired of the usual two scoop rice plate lunch & sandwich/​salad combo, Hog Island is definitely worth a visit. Just make sure you ask for extra barbeque sauce. You’ll thank me later.

I decided to try this place when I found out Kaimuki Grill was closed for lunch (weird, right?). Anyways, Hog Island was not busy at all. But the guy taking orders was really nice and helpful. I had the pork and brisket combo plate with dirty rice and cole slaw ($ 8.65). I was pretty impressed, the meat and sauce were delicious. I wasn’t a fan of the rice… it reminded me of spanish rice. I loved the cole slaw though! They also have sandwiches.
There is no inside seating, its mostly a to-​go place. But the guy working there said we could sit upstairs… we decided to opt out and take the food to-​go. I will definitely come again to try the other sides and sit upstairs on a less windy day.

I ordered the half rack baby back ribs. The smoked flavor was good, wasn’t fall off the bone tender, but it was good.
The dry rub is there, but the owner seemed persistent in me having to try the bbq sauce that they automatically have on the side. I figured it was dry rub and by adding the bbq sauce would ruin the taste, no? After a couple of bites, the dry rub didn’t do it for me, so the sauce was slathered on.
My husband’s chicken was dry, but he didn’t seem to mind it. I like how they offered the plates to be mixed up with two different types of meat. So we were able to try the beef brisket too.
The owner seemed pretty against Unilocal and thinks all Unilocalers «have nothing better to do, but to write their opinions». No reason to be offended, so I just let her rant. I suppose her customer’s opinions doesn’t really matter to her?
Do not order the mac and cheese, it’s a sorry side dish where the cheese are clumpy and not melted. How does that happen? Their jasmine rice cooked with black beans has a nice kick and very pleasing flavor.
At any rate, even with the best smoker in town, the flavors and end results of the products is what gets me to come back. I guess I’ll have to try other items on the menu. It was just a nice change that it wasn’t Korean BBQ.

First I have to preface my review by saying I’m from Kansas City, and Kansas City BBQ is the best. That being said, this is Memphis style BBQ. The brisket is good, very tender, Pork is divine — super tender, melts in your mouth. .. . the ribs however, were lackluster. A little tough, and not enough bbq sauce and they didn’t have a smokey taste, they appear to have been boiled then baked.
However the sides are to die for. Dirty rice and scallop potatoes. .. . can’t get much better than that. If you go here, be sure to get these sides and the mac & cheese. The beans taste right out of the can.. .. steer clear of those.…If you like Memphis style, this is a good place.. .. don’t go here looking for spicy BBQ (KC style) you won’t find it. But for decent BBQ for a fair price, its A-​Ok.

I have to say this is a pretty awesome place for a take-​out dinner. They don’t really have a place to eat on-​site, but the food is definitely worth checking out.
We got a combo of the Brisket and the Pulled Pork, as well a ½ rack of the Baby Back Ribs. All of the meat was tender with a nice smokey flavor.
All the sides dishes we got were great as well. One of the better coleslaws I’ve had. I usually hate baked beans, but these had a rich flavor to it. They use 4 cheeses in the Macaroni & Cheese to create a nice fondue-​like consistency and taste.
Definitely worth finding parking for. Even on a Friday, we were able to park, get our order, and get out within the 15-​minute grace period for parking (i.e. free parking in Waialae)

I consider myself to be very lucky living in Kaimuki. There are restaurants everywhere, but I can’t say I even tried a third of the restaurants around my neighborhood.
Today was pretty rainy, yet I decided I would just waltz around finding a good take out place that will please my appetite. It was perfect weather for phở or ramen, but I’m not a fan of neither Hale Vietnam nor Hokkaido Ramen. I was going to settle for a healthy half foot from Subway but as I was walking there, I smelled real bbq.
Walking in, it is pretty much a small joint with what looks like the majority of the front being a kitchen and rest just a small counter. The man (the owner I presume) was extremely friendly and introduced me to the various types of food they had.
This isn’t your normal Hawaii «bbq» joint where they are not slow cooked over a fire, they are just grilled like the millions of Korean «BBQ» places. This is REAL bar-​b-​que. Even if they serve beef in the form of brisket and real bar-​b-​qued chicken, I can’t help myself to deviate from pork.
So I ordered a half rack of baby back pork ribs decently priced at $ 14 for a plate of half rack and two sides. Most places that serve ribs in a dine-​in environment sell about this price also. The owner then meticulously explained what each sides were and how they were made and all of them sound delicious. I eventually played the safe «local boy» route and took the dirty rice and scalloped potatoes.
How did it taste? Well, I’d like to add that I walked in the rain for about 15 minutes back to work while smelling the bar-​b-​que emanate from the bag. I would also like to add that I never like to get my hands dirty from eating. I developed a very efficient way to peel shrimp and crab cleanly without even using my fingers. It can’t be done with the food from here. Not only did my hands get dirty, my mouth did too. The ribs were dry, but add in the Guiness and molasses based sauce, the ono dirty rice and the awesome scalloped potatoes, and it all combined into one of the best lunches I’ve had in a while.
Now excuse me while I go to nap and maybe later tonight, I will head to the gym to work off all that sin.

How well these did guys do on the meter of local BBQ-​ology?
This place is a bit hard to find if you’re driving and looking around aimlessly. To make it easy, just remember it’s in the same municipal lot as the Kaimuki Big City Diner, next to the New York deli and under the Himalayan Restaurant.
The moment I walked in, I already knew the owner was slightly off-​her-​rocker. As another reviewer said, «Too much». No, screw it; I think this lady is freakin’ nuts! First thing she asked was why we didn’t phone in our order (earlier I called for directions but the phone went straight to voice mail), kept on giving us plastic utensils and napkins, for why, I don’t know AND asked if I had self-​esteem issues because I politely declined the free bottle of water she offered. She has the presence of a really wired and mouthy English college professor. The kind that dresses tacky, is most likely a Jesus freak and sucks all the energy from out the room. Fine, I can get over the crazy lady if the food is exceptional. Though was it?
I’ll admit there was a line when we got there, which is usually a good sign. Already doing my research on this place both from local reviews and their site (
), I had the chicken/​brisket combination plate with scalloped potatoes and baked beans (she also gave us free cole slaw) for $nine ninety something. Their menu also offers baby back ribs, pulled pork and sandwiches (where you can try their brisket in the form of a Philly cheesteak). Hog Island doesn’t have a dining room but offers alfresco dining upstairs of the building. Funny thing is that the tables are mainly for the Himalayan Restaurant and not for Hog Island. DOH!
First in with their cole slaw, which is chopped into huge, crude chunks. It’s sweet, vinegary and tastes like it’s mixed heavily with French dressing and raisins (though it’s actually cranberries). NEXT! The baked beans were also a tad sweet but okay. As for the scalloped potatoes, they were delicious! Soft and done just right. Strange as it sounds, it tasted like a potato curry I had at an Indian restaurant once. How that’s integrated in with Hog Island’s (claimed) Memphis style of BBQ? Who cares, so long as it’s good.
Now onto the beef brisket: it was very tender, smoky and had that slow cooked yum. Though I only wished they seasoned it a little more. Good, just a bit bland. The chicken was alright but a little too dry for my taste. And finally, how was the BBQ sauce you ask? I hate to say it’s effin’ horrible. In fact, unforgivable. I’m not one to boast having a trained pallet but it tastes like the «secret ingreediments» to their sauce is French dressing, nail polish and cheap wine. Not THAT toxic but still pretty bad. I’m so glad they put it on the side rather than on meat, which is the way I like it anyway.
Even if there was more bad than good in this food excursion, I’ll be back for the brisket, potatoes and maybe next time I’ll try the ribs. Though I wish these guys weren’t so stingy with the meat portions. For the price, they’re pretty small.
2 ½ stars
Hog Island BBQ in Kaimuki