'Ono Kine Grindz

Taylor's Automatic Refresher - San Francisco, California

I really wanted to visit the original Taylor's location in St. Helena on this trip, but time was not on my side since there were so many other things that I wanted to do on this short hop to San Francisco.  I did manage to visit Taylor's at the Ferry Building and while it was not the best burger that I have had, it certainly was enjoyable.  The most interesting part of the meal was the side order of fluorescent green garlic fries!

Blue cheese burger (US$7.49)

Virginia-style BBQ pulled pork sandwich (US$8.99)

Taylor's Automatic Refresher
One Ferry Building, Space 6
San Francisco, California
Telephone: 866.328.3663

Bubba Burgers - Hanalei, Hawaii

Bubba Burgers
5-5183 Kuhio Highway
Hanalei, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.826.7893

Pink's

POST IN PROGRESS

I LOVE Pink's!  Nuff said.

Chicago Polish dog (US$3.55).

Bacon chili cheese dog (US$3.95).

French fries (US$1.95).

Onion rings (US$2.25).

Pink's
709 North La Brea Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
Telephone: 323.931.4223
website

Carney's - Los Angeles, California

POST IN PROGRESS

I've been coming here for a while now and while Carney's doesn't serve my favorite burgers, or my favorite hot dogs, a visit here is a trip down memory lane.

Chili fries (small, US$2.55; large, US$3.40).

Cheeseburger (US$3.55)

Carney's
8351 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
Telephone:  323.654.8300
website

H & T Burgers

I don't often get out to the Windward side of the island, but when I do, I usually make a stop at Windward Mall.  There isn't really a great selection of stores there, but I do like to stop in for a bite to eat at one of the many small restaurants that one can find there.  One of these is H & T Burgers.

The shop is fairly small with 5 tables along the left side of the shop.  On the right, is the counter where you place your order, tender payment and pick up your food.  Everything is prepared to order (although I think some of the food might be pre-cooked) so it's usually quite fresh.  And even when it's busy, I've never had to wait for more than 5 minutes.  Looking over the menu, I usually skip the plate lunches and head right for the combo meals.  For a decent price, you'll get a burger or hot dog, french fries and a medium drink.  There are four combo meals to choose from...

After I made my selection and paid for my food, I watched as my food was prepared.

This time, I had the teriburger with french fries (US$4.90).

The teriburger is seasoned with teriyaki sauce before being cooked.  The sweet, slightly salty sauce is not as good as what you'll get at W & M, but it's decent.  The french fries were light and crisp and unsalted!

On another occasion, I sampled the chili hot dog with french fries (US$4.90).

The hot dog was a little over done.  It's possible that they don't sell many of these so it was sitting for a while.  The chili was a little spicy, but it tasted like it was from a can, rather than homemade.

The food here is a departure from the usual mall type of eatery (i.e. McDonald's, Pizza Hut, etc.) and the food is decent.  The prices are right, which is why this place is quite popular.  If you do happen to visit Windward Mall and find yourself at H & T Burgers, try the teri fries -- french fries covered with teriyaki sauce.  They are delicious.

H & T Burgers
Windward Mall
46-056 Kamehameha Highway
Telephone:  808.235.1311

Cheeseburger Waikiki

This time last year, there were signs indicating the opening of a new Cheeseburgers in Paradise location at the corner of Ala Moana Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue.  Open since December of 2004, Cheeseburger Waikiki has tried to fill the shoes of the previous tenant here -- a Sizzlers restaurant that had been in this same location for more than 20 years.  This restaurant joins another Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant which is located at the opposite end of Waikiki and has been open since 1997.

While being taken to my seat outdoors, I snapped a few photos of the restaurant's interior.  The inside of the restaurant is fun and playful, and there are strings of lights hanging everywhere.

There are a lot of knickknacks, tchotchkes, doo dads, or whatever you want to call them.  In any case, there's a whole lot of clutter in here, which I guess makes it great.

For some reason, the waitstaff all wear grass skirts around their waists.  I wonder if this is only done in the Hawaii stores.  When I visited the original location in Hawaii, our server had on a a grass skirt as well.  See the waiter at the bar in the grass skirt? 

My seat was out near the sidewalk under an umbrella.  The lighting was provided by these gas torches.  If Waikiki weren't so crowded, this might have been really nice.  It was much better than sitting indoors though -- at least it was cool and breezy.

After looking over the menu, I placed my order.  The waitress advised that the food would take about 20 minutes to arrive.  It actually came in 10.  Good thing because I was quite hungry.  It was already past 9:00 pm.  Since the burgers come with no sides, I decided to get an order of the 'ono onion rings^TM (US$4.95).

The onion rings were made with real onions and a different sort of batter and coating.  According to the menu, this was a "flaky crumb breading that you (I) will love". Did I love 'em?  Of course.  The crunchiness was just amazing and surprisingly these weren't oily either. 

Now for the burger.  According to the menu, all the burgers are made from "100% Natural Meyer Angus Beef.  Served Hot and Juicy with 1000 Island Dressing, Fresh Lettuce, Tomatoes and Sautéed Onions.  Our Sesame Seed and Whole Wheat Buns are baked Island Fresh every day!"

I decided to order the Black N Blue Cheeseburger^TM (US$9.95).

After I placed my order, I realized that I had ordered this same burger in Lahaina more than a year ago.  Oh well, maybe it was subconcious.  The burger arrived a little pink even though I ordered it well done.  I had half a mind to send it back, but decided I was too hungry to do so.  The burger came topped with three strips of bacon and lots of crumbled blue cheese, but surprisingly, no sautéed onions.  That was perfectly OK because I wouldn't have eaten the onions anyway.  Inside the basket that the burger was served in was a pineapple wedge, a pickle, and a bamboo umbrella.

Open wide....

The burger was indeed juicy, though not really hot for some reason.  The blue cheese and bacon went very well together and I was quite happy that there wasn't too much dressing on this sandwich.  The menu also states that the burgers served here are "5 napkin cheeseburgers" and on this occasion, it was no lie.  After the first couple of bites, I ended up using a napkin to hold the burger.

The burgers here are juicy and flavorful, but in my opinion, just a little too expensive.  Then again, this is Waikiki right?  If I were in the area, and in the mood for a gourmet type of burger, I would definitely consider coming back  here for the Black N Blue Cheeseburger^TM and definitely the onion rings.

Cheeseburger Waikiki
1945 Kalakaua Avenue
Telephone:  808.941.2400

Bob's Bar-B-Que

Tonight, since I wasn't completely cured of my cold yet, and because I was craving a burger, I decided to go to Bob's Bar-B-Que in Kalihi.

Normally, I don't drive this far out of my way to eat, especially at night, but it was getting late and most of the better burger places were already closed.  The good about Bob's is that it's open a bit later than most places (10:00 pm) and they have decent teri burgers.

When I got there at about 8:00 pm, there were quite a few people in line. 

So I sat down and looked at the menu.  I decided on what I was going to order, placed my order at the counter and then waited...

I waited about 5 minutes before my number was called.  While waiting, I took the opportunity to take a picture of the cook hard at work.  He was working the grill and the fryer at the same time, AND prepped the sandwiches and plate lunches too!  Talk about multi-tasking! 

The one I ate first, was what I actually came here to eat, the teri cheeseburger deluxe (teri cheeseburger, US$2.35; deluxe, additional US$.40).

The deluxe comes with onions, lettuce and tomato.  The teri cheeseburgers here are quite good, not as good as those at W & M Bar-B-Q Burgers, but in my opinion, these are a close second.  The teriyaki sauce was sweet, the burger was juicy, and most importantly, the burger was cooked on an actual grill.  I only wish that I didn't have to pay to get the veggies on the sandwich.

To go along with my teri cheeseburger, I ordered Bob's signature, giant fries (US$2.45).

Though the giant fries are a bit pricey, I got what seemed like the equivalent of a whole potato.  There were six huge wedges here, all lightly seasoned, batter coated (I think) and then deep-fried until they were crunchy and golden brown.  They were soft and moist in the middle and quite delicious.

Finally, the second sandwich that I ordered, was the large kalua pig sandwich (US$2.25).

After eating the teri cheeseburger and a couple of the giant fries, I barely had room to eat this.  The kalua pig was better than average - smoky and juicy.  I was actually quite surprised at how good the kalua pig was and how good it actually tasted in a sandwich.  I need to start making this at home! 

When I was done, I was stuffed.  The food here at Bob's is moderately priced and quite tasty.  The one thing this place has over fast food is that the food is prepared fresh when you order it.  I guess that's what makes this a popular place that's enjoyed by many, including me.

Bob's Bar-B-Que
1366 Dillingham Boulevard
Telephone:  808.842.3663

W & M Bar-B-Q Burgers

Everyone knows that I like burgers.  I especially like barbecue burgers, or teriyaki burgers (or teri burgers) as we sometimes call them.  Today, I decided to go to the place that I think serves the best B.B.Q. burgers, W & M Bar-B-Q Burger.  If you're wondering just how good this place is, it's been in business since the early 1950's and in it's current location since the 80's!

Driving down, or up, Waialae Avenue, it's located near City Mill.  You may even be able to make out their sign when you're driving by...if you have good eyesight!

Actually, the sign is very small.  If you don't know where to turn, you may just miss the entrance to the small parking lot.  All of the spaces in the parking lot were full (there are 6 or 7 spaces), but I was lucky that someone was leaving as I was entering.  It was lunch time so it was crowded, but then again, every time I've been here, it's been crowded. 

I ordered the B.B.Q. Royal (US$2.95) and an order of french fries (US$1.65) and since there's no seating anywhere, this meal was to go.  While I was waiting for my food, like all these others, I took a quick peek at the food preparation. 

There was one woman who manned the grill.  She would dip a burger into the B.B.Q. sauce, then place it on the grill.  When it was time to flip the burger over, she would dip it into the B.B.Q. sauce again before putting it back on the grill.  The cheese was also dipped into the B.B.Q. sauce before being placed on the burger which was still on the grill.  Maybe this was being done to give the burger more B.B.Q flavor, but it certainly helped the cheese to begin melting.

A second woman was assembling all the burgers.  She had to work quickly as there was only a limited amount of counter space and lots of hungry customers!

About 10 minutes later, my name was called and I was off with my lunch.  Since it was a nice day, I decided to have lunch near the beach.  And here it is....

The B.B.Q. Royal is topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese (I opted for no onions).  The burgers are dressed with your choice of mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and mustard (I opted for no mustard). 

The flame-broiled burger was delicious and juicy.  The B.B.Q. sauce was nice and sweet.  I'm glad I ate this right away, otherwise, more of the bun would have been soaked by all that sauce.  The repeated "dipping" of the patty in the barbecue sauce is why this burger had so much flavor.

The french fries were crisp and crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside.  These were just lightly salted (I should have asked for unsalted) and not too greasy.  They must have been drained quite well.  Even the paper bag that this was given to me in was free of grease spots.

W & M only serves B.B.Q. burgers and B.B.Q. steak (teriyaki steak) sandwiches, so if you're in the mood for one, your best would be to come here.  And oh, look closely for the sign, you don't want to miss it!

W & M Bar-B-Q Burgers
3104 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  808.734.3350

Art's Hideaway

Last week I was fortunate enough to eat out twice.  The first time was on Monday, and then again on my regular eat out day, Friday.  A friend of mine in the office decided to pick up lunch at Art's Hideaway.

Normally, I have the burger with french fries, but this time, I was encouraged to have the steak with garlic mashed potatoes.  I thought it would be a bit too much for lunch, and it was....

The steak was cooked to order, and for a well done steak, this one was still a bit moist and tender.  There wasn't too much fat on this piece of New York steak, and it had just the right amount of flavor.  Not too salty, with just the right amount of garlic and pepper.  This steak was just as good as any steak that I would put on the grill at home.  The salad was comprised of fresh mixed greens, and I ate them without the dressing.  The garlic mashed potatoes were fine, but nothing spectacular. 

After eating the steak, the garlic mashed potatoes, the sautéed mushrooms and the tossed salad, I was stuffed.  I seriously needed a nap!  While the steak was good, I think I'll order the burger the next time.  The food at Art's is quite good, and just like homemade.  Maybe that's why I keep on coming back.

Art's Hideaway
1110 Bishop Street
Telephone:  808.531.1775

Teddy's Bigger Burgers Express

Update:  April 2005
Teddy's Bigger Burgers Express has closed.

Normally, I bring lunch from home during the week, saving my dining out days for Fridays.  Well, today, a friend of mine who used to work with me invited me out to lunch.  Since I haven't seen her in a while, I said OK.  So here I am, buying my lunch from Teddy's Bigger Burgers Express.

Teddy's is a small shop and is located about 5 minutes away from the office.  The bright yellow space, calls to mind a 50's diner theme.  The shop has a limited amount of seating, 4 stools near the window and 3 along the side wall, so we order ours to go.

The menu is quite short, which in my opinion is good.  When you focus on a specific product, and not try to offer something for everyone, you're bound to be good at it.  (Think In-N-Out Burger.)

I decided on the #1 Big Combo (US$6.75) with cheese (additional, US$.40).  The combo consists of a 5 ounce burger topped with super sauce, lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles, an order of thick cut fries and a 16 ounce drink.

When the burger arrived, it was hot and freshly prepared.  The cheese had just started to melt by the time I was ready to bite into the burger.  The super sauce is what made this burger delicious.  To me, it tasted like a combination of mustard and mayonaisse and also other flavors, that I couldn't put my finger on.  The burger was nice and juicy, although still a bit pink in some places, even though I had ordered it well done.  The fries were cut thick, and done just right.  Hot and fresh, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.  And, I was able to order them no salt!

In my opinion, Teddy's has one of the better burgers in the state.  Although this one wasn't cooked to order like it should have been, it won't stop me from coming here again.  While it's certainly not cheap, it is better than most "fast food" burgers, which makes this a pretty good value.

Teddy's Bigger Burgers Express
801 Alakea Street
Telephone:  808.599.8770