KJ’s Local Grindz

I had the Garlic Chicken. It was excellent!
The serving portion was plenty. The food quality was great. The price was not bad either.
I also ordered the sweet potato fries. I’m a fan of sweet potato fries and these fries was indeed 5 stars!
I would highly recommend this place TO EVERYONE!
If you’re around Kaneohe, and hungry, stop by KJ’S!

When I first moved to Kaneohe from Honolulu, my baby sister took advantage of me and asked me to bring KJ’s «famous chicken» to her birthday party. (I let her win because it was her birthday and because I’m a good elder sister.) The chicken was a hit! However, I somehow didn’t make it back.
Fast forward about five years… my Unilocal friend, Danny N. of West Covina, CA, asked if I liked KJ’s chicken since he had had it while on vacation in Hawaii last year, and it’s in my city of Kaneohe Town…
Oh, oh…
I could be a better Hawaii resident. I should go check it out and have an educated answer, right? (Especially since Krysten I. had ROTD in September 2014; and Emi, Nat, Claire, Aimee, Grace, Ariana, and Bruddahs Fran and Eric Robert gave it 5 stars…)
KJ’s Local Grinz is located in the Windward City Shopping Center, sharing the same parking lot as Longs, Foodland, and 24 Hour Fitness. It’s wedged in the middle of the strip of shops, between Genki Sushi and American Savings Bank.
As soon as I walked in, the fragrance of fresh lau lau greeted me. The air conditioner was on full blast. There was a small group of diners in the bright and clean restaurant. I ordered easily at the counter — «May I have a combination of Garlic Chicken and Furikake Chicken?» Sure! I got 2 pieces of each with 2 scoops of rice. I chose a green salad for my side, with Thousand Island Dressing.
Driving home with my treasure, the smell was killing me because I was dying of hunger! I could hardly wait to dig in! Mustering up all of my discipline (learned from private school), I took a photo of my plate lunch before I devoured it! I think it only lasted a few minutes! The taste was fantastic! The sauces of both kinds of chicken were so potent that I had to eat rice with it! The garlic sauce had a bit of sweetness to it, but I could still feel a slight kick of the fresh garlic. The Furikake sauce was a little more on the savory side, so I was so happy that I had chosen both!
I’m really looking forward to my next visit — maybe in a couple of days! I’d like to try the Fried Chicken — supposedly, there are 5 generous pieces of goodness for just $ 9.00!
Perhaps I will get the lau lau plate since the fragrance is still in my mind.
I should just get both!!! Right, Danny? Happy «special» birthday today, buddy!

The furikake chicken is delicious. Cash only. I got the fried chicken last time I was there, it was good, but I do have one complaint. From what I could tell they make the fried chicken in bulk and then serve it by order, which is understandable considering frying chicken per order would take forever. But they didn’t even throw it in the dryer to warm it up or anything. It was still good jut wish it would have been heated up a little.

I’ve heard many great things about KJ’s, a lot of people say it’s their go to place for grindz on the east side. Finally Decided to try it out for myself recently, since I moved out to this side a few years ago.
I’m not picky on how places look, because everyone knows, sometimes the hole in the wall places beat out some of the high end restaurants.
This place is very simple, definitely hasn’t been updated in a while. Small dining area for eat ins. Seems like it’d be a little crowded when it’s a full house.
Anyways, upon entering, it was slow. After the lunch rush for sure, a little on the empty side, no line, and the employees working look as I’m entering and have their look on their face like I just came at closing time (which it was maybe 230 in the afternoon). So I walk up, take a look at the menu to see what I’d like to order, and no even 5 seconds and they want to take my order, and it felt like they were trying to rush me to get something out of me.
As I’m ordering my food, the guy had a restless tone, and wasn’t very helpful, on what comes on a plate, or if I had options of rice or starch in general, I was going to order a plate for myself to eat there, and two for my family I would be seeing shortly after, but after ordering my first plate, I get the «is that all» with attitude. So yep, that’s all. One plate.
I get my plate (mochiko chicken), and it looks GREAT! Decided to dig in and get on my way.
But upon eating it, more than half of the mochiko chicken was batter. I had pieces of chicken, and some that looked like had meat inside. Turned out to be just batter. And I had to throw away most of it, because who wants to eat just fried batter???
I decided to give three stars instead of two, because the food came out fast (I’m on a timed schedule), and the girl ended up smiling and saying thank you when I got the food from her, and when I left.
Ill try it again sometime, and hope it’s better.
I have hope for them deep inside, because I try and support local and mom n pop places rather than large food chains.
Until next time KJ’s.

At the recommendation of a co-​worker, I got a dozen pieces of KJ’s fried chicken for an office potluck. No bucket here. Just a couple of clam-​shell styrofoam plates filled with the best fried chicken I’ve had in a while.
All thigh’s, a beautiful golden-​brown. With crackly-​crispy skin, and moist meat. And just the right amount of salt. ONO! Reasonably priced at $ 1.69/piece + tax.
KJ’s moa moa bettah. Check ‘em out.

I can safely say that my bf is a fried chicken connoisseur. No matter where we go, if they sell fried chicken, THAT’S what he’ll have. This is one place where he really likes the fried chicken so when he suggested it for a light lunch, we had to go try it. We got the 5 piece fried chicken plate with mac as our side. The fried chicken here is perfection. The skin has so much flavor and is perfectly crispy and the meat inside is perfectly juicy. Paired with the spaghetti-​tuna salad, this makes a nice lunch! That one plate fed our little family of four perfectly. We also had their sweet potato fries and regular fries. Both were very good. I liked that the regular fries were cut thin so they stayed crispy. Now I can see why the bf likes this place so much. One of the best fried chicken i’ve ever had AND our 5-​pc plate was only $ 9! Can’t go wrong with that!

I was in Kaneohe and had to eat at KJ’s. They are known for their fried chicken. The chicken is nicely fried, crispy, and moist. I had the mini plate which was only $ 6.00. It came with 2 pieces of chicken, rice, and mac salad. What I like is their mac salad, which is a spaghetti noodle type. If you are in the area this is a place to go.

Good food, huge portions, and super nice staff. What more can you ask for?
This place is cash only so make sure you bring yo dollars.

My Brother asked me last week,
have you tried the chicken place in Kaneohe?
They are know for their chicken!
& he doesn’t know exact name of restaurant.
Got me SO curious, I Unilocaled it.
Thank goodness for Unilocal!
searched: Chicken Location: Kaneohe, HI
& Yay! found it, KJ’s Local Grindz.
I’m so happy I solved the puzzle!
I told my brother the name of business & then he said Oh Yeah!
That’s the place!
As I am reading the Unilocal reviews & seeing all the pictures of the chicken,
it got me so excited that I made a stop here along the way to Windward Mall.
The outcome:
the chicken plate sure is huge. 5 piece of chicken for 9.00, DEAL!
This was enough for my family. (just me, my other half, & son)
chicken taste like any other chicken, but more on the salty side and soggy!
I was disappointed that my chicken wasn’t HOT! & not fresh from the fryer HOT!
It was already pre-​cooked as I saw the guy packing my plate in front.
I wonder if I am able to request for this– to be cooked fresh.
In a way, I feel that going out to KJ was a waste of my time and money.
We took our food to go (to the mall) & didn’t bother to inform KJ.
The plate comes with 2 scoops rice & choice of one side.
I got the mac. salad.
it taste good in a weird way.
The mac salad was pasta instead of macaroni & there is tuna in mac salad.
That made it taste even better.
Note: CASH only! & they are next to Little Saigon & Genki Sushi side.
I parked near Mcdonald’s & walked around looking for KJ’s.

Pros
Fast service
Fast workers
Good food
Cons
Cash only
Would come back here again!

Mmmmmm winner winner chicken dinner! I love me some good chicken since I’ve a chicken lover, it was pretty tasty. We ordered the regular furukake chicken and 5-​piece fried chicken. The fried chicken was so big that it couldn’t fit in the plate. They wrapped 2 chicken in foil along with our plate lunch. It was like $ 8 each, and portions were a lot! We had left overs for the next morning. The macaroni salad wasn’t all that great but everything else made up for it! I wish they served brown rice though, since I’m not a big fan of white rice too much. I’d definitely come back if I’m ever in the area. CASH ONLY!

I specifically come here for the Furikake Chicken!
Really awesome, comes with rice and a side (you can pick from green beans, corn, tossed salad, or mac salad).
However, their fried chicken plate is average plate-​lunch price, and they PILE it on! The serving size of this is ridiculously big. Great for sharing (but you will need more rice, etc.).
Such a popular restaurant that has been around forever, BUT sometimes it’s hard to get in touch with them for phone orders. This has happened to me a few times. Also, they are cash only, which can be an inconvenience because a lot of people pay with cards, Apple Pay, etc. All kinds of ways to pay now other than cash.

Love their furikake chicken! Paired nicely with their Mac! Spaghetti noodles with tuna Mac salad is soooo good with their furikake chicken!
We drive from Mililani and now salt lake to eat their chicken. Usually there’s a grouchy lady working but she was not there today. Besides the grouchy lady, the food is
and brings us coming back for more.

Chicken furikake, the sauce is the bomb. Order the combo and it comes with 2 scoops of rice and a side. It takes about 10 minutes for your order to be ready, but it wasn’t that bad. Everything was 8.50! Great deal!

Location:
They are located in an older shopping center which has Foodland, Genki Sushi and ATT. There is plentiful parking at this shopping center.
Food:
The fried chicken is delicious and they have large serving sizes. The furikake chicken Musubi was ono. The macaroni salad was not very good.
Price:
Cash Only! The chicken plate with big pieces of chicken was well worth the price. Musubi was around $ 2.
Seating:
There are a few table and chairs and it does get crowded during lunch hours.
Overall, the chicken was good but it is far for me to travel for fried chicken.

Can you say winner winner chicken dinnah? I’m in love and obsessed with this furikake chicken. My bf introduced me to it almost five years ago and sometimes I wish he hadn’t since I get these intense cravings for them all the time. It is a bit out of the way for me but I’m always down to make the trip before heading to the beach.
The first time I tried it, I thought the sauce/​glaze on the furi chicken was a bit salty. However, it was perfect on the more recent visits. Two mini furikake chicken plates were ~$ 13 and it was filling enough for us. I really want to try the fried chicken but I hear it takes a while and most of the time I just want my food right away. Next time I’ll have to test my patience and try the fried chicken. I saw someone else eating it while I was there and they looked like they were enjoying themselves immensely.
I don’t even really care for chicken. My go to has always been beef. But if you buy me a furi chicken plate from KJs, I’ll break up with my steaks any day. Not to mention that mac salad made with spaghetti noodles – freaking awesome.
Definition of a tiny little local gem but without a doubt better than some of the fanciest restaurants on island. I’m in loooooooove and you can’t stop me.

In the mood for some down home cooked fried chicken… just like mama’s? Well, KJ’s Local Grindz is the place for that. Chowing down on their fried chicken brought me back to da’ hunnabutta days? Omg… I felt like I was at Kam Drive-​In in Pearl City watching a movie with my family. My mom would make musubi’s and unreal fried chicken! Her chicken was onolicious! KJ’s chicken is onolicious, too. Just like mom’s…only without her musubi. Actually, take that back… they make musubis, too. I didn’t get to try their musubis. I’m sure it tastes… just like mamas!
Here at KJ’s, the portions are GIGANTIC! Each regular fried chicken plate comes with 5 pieces thighs, two scoops of rice and 1 scoop of spaghetti salad. Two people could share this plate.
I also tried the garlic shrimp. It was very tasty, too. Loved it!
You gotta try dis’ place. Dea’ chicken is way betta den’ anyweah’ else. It’s finga’ lickin’ ono!

Just had this for lunch and I hate to agree with another reviewer that if you’re not local, you might get cold and tiny pieces of fried chicken.
I called in my order since I read another review that said there’s a wait for the fried chicken, when I gave my name and number, the lady on the phone pointed out that it was not a local number — I do live here, but kept my California number. Weird, but no big deal.
When I arrived, the place wasn’t too busy, a couple of people waiting on their food. Was told 10 minutes on the phone, however, I waited another 10 minutes on arrival before my order was finally up. I had ordered the the fried chicken plate, spam musubi, furi chicken musubi, and the French fries.
I immediately started on the fries as soon as I got in my car, they were DELICIOUS and perfectly fried to perfection. I was excited to get home to try everything else if the fries were any indication of how good the food was. The musubis were still hot — I haven’t gotten to the spam, but tried half of the furi chicken and it’s pretty tasty.
Where it goes down two stars: I opened up the fried chicken plate and was surprised at not only how small the pieces were compared to the other pictures I saw on here, but also cold when I poked it (considering the musubis were piping hot). I also only received ⁴⁄₅ pieces. The skin was still good (cold, but still crispy and well-​seasoned), however the meat was dry and pasty — like how typical cold chicken tastes.
Since the fries were so good, I would give this place another shot — however, will be ordering up front since I had to wait anyways.

Without a doubt, when I am in Kaneohe, I must have some KJ’s furikake chicken. I have been a fan of their furikake chicken for eons so it’s beyond me why it’s taken this long to write a review. The chicken is flavorful, moist, and so yummy — I say they put magic sauce on there. Let me also not forget the mac salad. This is not your ordinary mac salad, peeps. Till this day, there is not one place that does mac salad right (for me) like how KJ’s does it. It’s funny when they ask, «Mac Salad?» I’m like, «duh!» but not in a rude way. I mean, who in their right mind would say NO to KJ’s mac salad?!
KJ’s is located in Windward City Shopping Center. They are tucked away in a corner near Genki Sushi. I almost think it’s nice that they are kind of hidden, because only the people that REALLY know about KJ’s can easily find the place. Imagine if they were located on Kamehameha Hwy — the parking lot and line would be even longer than it is now! Phew!
I’ve heard the friend chicken is also amazing here — but me, I’m a ONE DISH WONDER!

Nestled in the back of Windward Shopping Center is a hidden gem. I was told of KJ’s Local Grindz by a friend raving over their furikake chicken, but after reading Unilocal reviews, I KNEW I had to try the fried chicken!
5 or 6 crispy, juicy chicken thighs for $ 9, it’s actually quite comical how much they give in this plate lunch. They can only include 3 or 4 of the pieces in the styrofoam plate lunch, and must wrap the remaining 2 pieces in tin foil since it simply doesn’t fit in the plate! The chicken skin is so crispy and flavorful that I actually indulge in eating most of it (hardly ever happens), and the meat is so juicy and tender, I had to stop myself after 3 pieces from eating the whole plate! Definitely a two-​meal deal.
The plate lunch also comes with two scoops of rice and your choice of side. My recommendation? The MAC SALAD. Trust me. I’m usually NOT a mac salad fan at all; usually it grosses me out with how much mayo is used and potatoes aren’t my fave. But this mac salad is definitely good. It’s made with spaghetti noodles mixed with some tuna, lightly mayoed and flavored just right. Sounding weird to you? Just try it!
I’m dreaming about this über greasy luxury as we speak.