'Ono Kine Grindz

In-N-Out Burger - Las Vegas, Nevada

OK.  Let me start this post by saying that I'm a burger fanatic.  If I said I wasn't, I would be lying.  I've tried burgers from so many places over the years, but haven't really found another quite like the ones at In-N-Out.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting an In-N-Out Burger that is located in Las Vegas, Nevada near UNLV (University of Nevada - Las Vegas).  I was in Texas on a business trip and took a detour on the way home.  Why would I even bother to stop in Las Vegas if it were not for the amazing nightlife (i.e. casinos, nightclubs, etc.) and for In-N-Out Burger?

In-N-Out has been making burgers since 1948 and has locations throughout Arizona, California and Nevada.  They have had the same simple menu for years...no chicken sandwiches, salads or onion rings here, just good old fashioned burgers and fries.  In fact, this is the first time that I've seen a combo meal on the menu!

(Check out the prices!  Did I mention that this place was a bargain?)

Food is prepared fresh AFTER your order is placed.  No warmers used here...EVER!  The fries are not frozen and are fresh cut using a hand operated device (near the sink).

Today, I ordered the number 1:  Double-double burger®, fresh cut french fries and medium drink (US$4.80).

The double-double® is made up of two 100% beef patties, two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, spread (a special sauce), and onions (optional) which are all piled high on a toasted, fresh baked bun.  This has got to be the best fast food burger that I have ever tasted!  It's juicy and flavorful.

The fries, which are handcut, are simply amazing.  Fried in 100% vegetable oil, the french fries are so light and crisp.  No greasy taste here...and they're served un-salted!

If you're ever in Arizona, California or Nevada, and if you want the best fast food burger around, pay a visit to In-N-Out.  You'll be happy you did.

In-N-Out Burger
7905 South Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, Nevada
Telephone:  800.786.1000

MOS Burger

UPDATE:  April 2005
MOS Burger has closed.

For me, Japanese-influenced restaurants are a curious thing.  They often serve unexpected things on the menu, and at MOS Burger, it's no exception.  Located in Waikiki since 1989, I believe this is the only MOS Burger shop remaining in Hawaii (out of 4). 

The inside is clean and spacious and actually a bit crowded today.

Since the last time I was here, years ago, MOS Burger has introduced some new and interesting menu items.  The one that really caught my eye was the yakiniku MOS rice burger (US$3.59).

This rice burger is made up of thinly sliced beef that has been stir-fried with bell peppers and onions (I think) and served on compressed "rice buns" with lettuce.  While the concept was unusual, the taste was actually quite conventional.  The "rice buns" were grilled, much like the Japanese yaki-onigiri (grilled rice ball), but they had soaked up the juices from the grilled beef and had absorbed their flavor without becoming mushy.  The "rice buns" went very well with the grilled beef which had the typical teriyaki beef flavor.  It was a meal in sandwich form.

Just in case the yakiniku MOS rice burger didn't work out, I also ordered the old standby, the teriyaki burger combo (includes french fries, tossed salad and medium sized soft drink, US$5.69).

The teriyaki burger was a standard MOS offering.  In fact, it was the first burger that MOS Burger actually offered.  The teriyaki sauce was delicious and a little bit on the sweet side.  The patty was thin (maybe 2 ounces) and a bit overcooked this time.  The sandwich, though, did have loads of lettuce and lots of mayonaisse.   

And no, all of this was not eaten in one sitting, the yakiniku MOS rice burger was eaten at home.

If you're looking for something unconventional, or a simply great teriyaki burger, pay MOS Burger a visit, you won't be disappointed.  This is, in my opinion, the best fast food hamburger around.

MOS Burger
2184 Kalakaua Avenue
Telephone:  808.926.9993

Saint Louis Drive-In

In an inconspicuous pink building on Waialae Avenue stands St. Louis Drive-In.  There are no signs telling you that you are here, just the window up front where you place your order and the various pieces of paper on the windows announcing specials like Post-It® notes.

Another place from my youth, I'll always remember St. Louis Drive-In for their teriyaki burgers.  The teriyaki, which is loaded with ginger-y flavor, is one of the best.  Since I've been on a quest for bentos lately, I decided to have the KCCN bento.

Named in honor of one of the local radio stations, KCCN (FM 100.3), the bento has the following (clockwise from top left):  luncheon meat, 4 pieces hot fried chicken, 2 pieces fried scallops (with tartar sauce), egg omelet, and teriyaki beef on white rice with furikake and ume.

This bento was just OK.  The deep-fried scallops were nice and crunchy on the outside, and tender on the inside.  The teriyaki beef had a wonderful flavor full of ginger, which I liked and is something that is not so easy to find these days.  The main disappointment for me was the hot fried chicken.  The chicken itself seemed undercooked (I would have liked this a bit crunchier) and not hot (spicy) at all.  It seems as though the hot sauce (?) was added as an after thought.  I could have probably ordered a bento with fried chicken, and loaded up on the hot sauce for a similar, if not spicier, flavor.

Oh well, so much for the bento.  Next time I'll just stick to having the teriburger, which is my favorite.

St. Louis Drive-In
3145 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  808.734.3673

Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop

Located near the busy intersection of Auahi and Kamake'e stands Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop.

This is the "town" outpost of the legendary North Shore sandwich shop of the same name.  They've been in business for over 20 years, on the North Shore, serving the same huge charbroiled burgers and sandwiches that everyone loves.  In fact, they've become so popular, that in addition to this location in town, they've also set up shop in Los Angeles and Japan!

It's quite crowded when I arrive...

and before I even get my food, the place gets to be like a sardine can!  This place is extremely popular with both the locals and the tourists. 

On my last visit here, they didn't have any avocado...but today, I'm in luck...they have avocado!  I ordered a 1/3 lb. cheeseburger (with cheddar cheese) on a kaiser roll (US$6.00) and add on the avocado (US$1.10). 

The burger is served with lettuce, tomato, mayonaisse, grilled onions (none for me) and a carrot stick at no extra charge.  The burger is charbroiled to perfection and very nicely seasoned.  It's moist and juicy...and it goes so well with the fresh avocado. 

I also get a small order of home-made French fries (US$1.80).

These are of the shoestring variety, and although I normally prefer thick, wedge-type fries, these are actually quite nice.  They're very light and crisp with no added salt! 

Besides burgers, Kua 'Aina serves a wide range of sandwiches such as turkey, roast beef and mahi mahi, but it's the burgers that really put them on the map.  Now that I'm done, I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop
Ward Village Shops
1116 Auahi Street
Telephone:  808.591.9133

Big City Diner Kaimuki

Tonight, dinner was at Big City Diner in Kaimuki. 

When I arrived at about 8:00 pm, it was fairly crowded as it normally is.

(Sorry for the blurry photo.  I was trying to rush and didn't have time to take another.)

Normally the wait can be anywhere from 15-30 minutes for a table, but since I was meeting a few friends,and since they were already seated when I arrived, I bypassed those in line and took my place at the table....much to the envy of those still waiting!

Now, let me start by saying that I may be a bit prejudiced when writing about this place.  After all, I've been coming here since it first opened almost 6 years ago.  The burgers are tops, but tonight, what brought me here was...

Mamasan's monster meatloaf (US$9.95 with rice, add $1.99 to substitute garlic "smashed" potatoes)!

You get two hefty slices of meatloaf served atop sauteed spinach and smothered in rich mushroom marsala gravy!  This has got to be some of the best meatloaf I have ever tasted.  In fact, this meatloaf is so tasty, it even rivals homemade!  The meatloaf is moist and juicy, the gravy is rich and full of mushrooms, and the garlic "smashed" potatoes are well...in one word...GREAT!

My entree even came with a side salad. 

Now this is no ordinary tossed salad that looks like it came out of a generic bag.  This salad is made with mixed Upcountry greens topped with julienned carrots and beets, and served with the house dijon vinaigrette.

No trip to Big City Diner would be complete with out one of their famous desserts.  Tonight, I opt for the Big Brownie Bubbies® Pie (US$5.50). 

This is every dessert lovers dream!  Who wouldn't love the homemade brownies, Bubbies® vanilla bean ice cream, whipped cream, chopped nuts and caramel sauce?  This was a perfect ending to a great meal!  Now, who's going to roll me out of here?

Big City Diner Kaimuki
3565 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  808.738.8855

Kiawe Grill B.B.Q. & Burgers

Last night I was in the mood to have Indian food.  India Bazaar came recommended to me by some vegetarian neighbors that enjoy Indian food.  Unfortunately, when I got there, it was almost closing time.  Not wanting to drive around looking for a place to eat, I ended up across the parking lot at Kiawe Grill.

What really caught my eye, was the sign in the window advertising exotic meat burgers (i.e. ostrich and buffalo)!  So inside I go...

This place has a non-descript interior and the menu board is quite difficult to read.  My friend and I decided to try one dish each, so we ordered one ostrich plate (US$6.95)...

and one Kobe beef plate (US$6.95)...

The actual presentation of the food was quite unexpected.  What I was expecting was a burger and fries, with vegetable dishes on the side.  Instead I got an 8-ounce kiawe-grilled patty on white rice, with a choice of 3 vegetable side dishes.  The vegetables were all self-serve and there were quite a few selections...

(sorry for the blurry picture)

The vegetables were the sort that you could get in any Korean "fast food" establishment, and that was also a bit of a shock.  I enjoyed all of the ones that we sampled except for the chop chae (clear noodles with beef and vegetables).  The noodles were undercooked and almost flavorless. 

The burgers themselves were quite good!  Kiawe wood is used to grill all the meat and burgers served here.  This wood is one of the most frequently used in Hawaii for grilling.  The flavor that it imparts on the food is similar to that of mesquite.  This definitely takes the burger's flavor to the next level.  I also liked the fact that not a lot of salt was used to season the meat (as far as I could tell) although there was a generous amount of pepper and other spices used.

Next time, instead of ordering a plate, I'll order the burger and add on an order of the thick steak-cut fries!  That would have probably made this meal a lot more enjoyable.

Kiawe Grill B.B.Q. & Burgers
2334 South King Street
Telephone:  808.955.5500