Bubba Burgers
Categories: Restaurants Burgers Restaurants American (Traditional) Burgers, American (Traditional)
Hanalei, HI 96714(808) 891-2600
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
163 reviews for Bubba Burgers
Review Highlights
-
"The onion rings were delicious and crisp." In 36 reviews -
"I like that it's grass fed beef as well." In 5 reviews -
"Had the Teri Burger with cheese and a side of frings." In 14 reviews
Loading...
163 reviews in English
-
Review from Rashid M.
3/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here while visiting Princeville.
Really cool place. There's seating indoor and outdoor. Had the Bubba Burger and it was very good. Totally didn't expect tasty burgers in the middle of nowhere in Kauai!
I highly recommend trying their burgers if you're in the area. -
Review from Travis F.
Tacoma, WA
4/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Looong wait in line after catching waves on Hanalei Bay. Even after ordering, it took another 20 minutes to get the grub. So, if you want fast food, go to MickyD's.
I was starving, so I think sawdust in a bun would've been tasty. Otherwise, the burgers were just ok. They don't recommend tomatoes or lettuce as it detracts from the burger and prolongs the wait for everyone else. So you feel like an ass if you order lettuce and tomatoes even though I personally LIKE having veggies on my burger.
The fries were good and the onion rings were tasty as well
The shake was a bit chalky.
Luckily Im a Red Sox fan, cause its Red Sox nation in there. -
Review from Brian B.
Waltham, MA
2/27/2012
Good Fast food type burger.
As many reviewer comment, this place is very similar to In N Out or Five Guys. I would say much closer to In N Out. The burgers are good, the Fries are good but not great and the Onion Rings are Solid.
For your basic burgers and fries joint this is a good choice, and probably the fastest place to get a meal in town. -
Review from Victoria M.
San Jose, CA
5/24/2012
The best part of the burger was the cheese. I was grateful for my molars and incisors, as this burger required a lot of chew time. Not because it was cooked to death, but because it was a strange grind of beef parts. Who knows who was in there.
If you're starving, get a shave ice to hold you over and drive south to Duane's Ono Burger, much much better. Bubba's banana shake was good, although it was made with soft serve and not "ice cream" as they advertised.... -
Review from Jessica M.
Novato, CA
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
A good burger and fries when you are in for mood for a quick, casual bite.
-
Review from Bob C.
5/23/2012
The website says it's open until 8, it closed today at 7, glad we went a little bit early.
This is likely the best burger place on Kauai, I had the double open faced slopper. It lived up to its name. The onion rings were good, the fries are nothing special, they seemed like normal "freezer fries". The onion rings were definitely factory/mechanically produced but were excellent.
Wife had a Teryiaki Cheeseburger with fried onions. It was very good. I cheated on my non-dairy diet and had a bite. I may pay for it later, but it was worth it.
Meat is very tasty, patties are not particularly large. If you're expecting a 3/4 pound mega patty, you'll be disappointed. (Order a double.)
I would definitely eat here again and would recommend that any burger fan try the food here. -
Review from Ralph R.
Ewa Beach, HI
5/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Brought some friends here based on its reputation, but three teenagers cooking and serving? One guy cooked and plated, meaning he cooked burgers ordered by customers, and when they were done, he would plate them and take them to the window. Only then would he throw more burgers of the grill. A very long wait for the food. Too long for what they serve when they discourage customization of burgers.
-
Review from Tonny V.
Sparks, NV
5/20/2012
Reading some of the reviews on here makes me wonder where these people were. I'm a burger junkie. Granted, I enjoy good basic food that isn't overpriced. The uppity restaurants don't impress me. That said, these burgers were awesome. Reminded me of the old burger stands in Laguna Beach in the 60's! If I lived in Kauai, I'd eat here all the time and weigh 300 lbs! Great food, great atmosphere, and great staff. Not a place for yuppies.
-
Review from Tom C.
Chino Hills, CA
5/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great double teriyaki burger (w/cheese and pineapple) and onion rings.
-
Review from Heather T.
Austin, TX
5/2/2012
The line here is always long, but goes quickly. Has a good veggie burger. I like looking at the celebrity pics inside.
-
Review from Amy D.
2/15/2012
After a hard (see: liquor-filled) Super Bowl Sunday, our group needed some sustenance before heading out to explore the beauty that is Kauai. One of us needed new swim trunks and while he was perusing the shops, the rest of us spotted Bubba's Burgers.
Thank you, Bubba. Thank you for making a wonderfully fresh, delicious, greasy, cheesy, yummy double Bubba burger. And for fantastic onion rights and a-ok fries. And cold Cokes. And thick shakes.
Hungover or not, this place has made its way to my top 10 burger places. Even if it is an 8+ hour plane ride away.
. -
Review from Elissa D.
Berkeley, CA
2/22/2012
The In N Out of Kauai.
I tried both these and the famous Duane's Ono Char burgers. Honestly (and this is based on a basic cheeseburger) I liked both, but Bubba might have a slight edge taste and fries wise. Just get it the way they tell you. Don't try to add lettuce or tomato, they don't do that. American cheese, dude. Let's be authentic about this.
I think this place is better than a lot of people seem to be giving it credit for. Honestly, I didn't expect to find a good cheeseburger in Hanalei, so I was impressed.
Expectations, people. -
Review from Jean W.
1/17/2012
Disclosure: I am not a fan of In-N-Out or Five Guys, but I really like Bubba's. We all do.
The burgers, fries, hot dogs (grilled or steamed), onion rings, and shakes are all good, and the chili that they smother all over anything you want is fantastic. They recommend against adding lettuce and tomato to their burgers because they're not terribly fresh by the time they arrive from the mainland, and Bubba's doesn't like to include any ingredients that aren't fresh. They use exclusively grass-fed Kauai beef, too.
If you're feeling both hungry and adventurous, get the Hubba Bubba. It's a burger patty, a sliced grilled dog, smothered in chili and served over a huge plate of rice. Man, oh man, it's a local treat! We've witnessed more than a few laaarge local boys chowing down on this plate.
Look, Bubba's is located in one of the most beautiful locations on all of planet earth, and there is fantastic food everywhere you turn. Hanalei offers some of the best fresh fish and seafood anywhere. Of course, we're blissful partakers of all that, but we also never miss a single visit to Bubba's when we're on the island. This location is by far the best. The Kapaa location just isn't the same for us.
I say this about all of my regular places all over the islands, and it's particularly true for Bubba's: if you are in a hurry, keep driving. Orders at Bubba's are slow to be taken, slow to be cooked, and slow to come out to you. This is an inevitability. We've waited 30 minutes for our burgers on occasion, and even a bit longer when they're uber-busy.
It's housed in a .. well, house. You can eat at the few tables inside (which, c'mon, why would anyone do that?), or out on the porch, which is the bar and looks out over the main drag of Hanalei town; or you can take your respite at one of the few picnic tables they provide in the "front yard." It's a priceless experience, and you'll no doubt love the people-watching here. Grab one of their for-sale t-shirts if you like. You'll get stopped like we do when we wear it, "Oh, I LOVE Bubba's!"
Bubba's - get some.Listed in: Po'okela, Kamana'wanaleia, Paradise Found
-
Review from Linda M.
Stockton, CA
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
What great burgers they have and the price will blow your mind all the burger fast food places charge twice as much as this and this is local beef and you can have a small burger or a giant burger and the order of fries is big chili cheese fries are excellent .
they have limited inside seating we sat outside and just enjoyed the patio seating . -
Review from Julie R.
12/3/2011
We liked our Bubba Burgers! Heck..for $4 for a juicy teryaki patty with soft grilled bread, it was the perfect late lunch before venturing around Hanalei, which is GORGEOUS by the way. Hubby had the double and put it down equally as fast.
It's a dive but at least a memorable one. Snag a picnic table before you order..they go fast. -
Review from Richard D.
Santa Clara, CA
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you're swinging through Hanalei during your visit to Kaua'i, you really have no excuse not to stop by Bubba Burgers.
Take a moment to step inside and look at the wall. There's a reason so many famous musicians, actors, chefs, etc have eaten here. It's GOOD!!
Bubba Burgers does it right. No frills: lettuce and tomato optional. The owners clearly have good taste: onions come standard on every burger! We ordered the teriyaki double bubba burger, corn dog, frings, a pickle, and soda. We were on our way up to the beach and were really hungry. The burger was really delicious and hit the spot. As someone mentioned, if you're into In & Out or Five Guys, this place is for you. The onion rings were delicious and crisp. The onions were fresh and were not stringy (don't you hate when the onion comes out of the onion ring because it's just way too stringy?).
There's always a little line here, but the wait is worth it. We considered coming here a 2nd time, but really wanted to venture out and explore other places. If we're back up in Hanalei, I'm pretty sure we will be back.
Delicious burgers!Listed in: Whyy'd (it take so long to…
-
Review from Kristin T.
Kirkland, WA
2/17/2012
Don't eat here often, but recently had a yummy, greasy burger and frings. LOVE the frings even though you feel a hundred pound heavier after eating a burger and those things. Yummmz!
-
Review from Ray D.
Seattle, WA
3/19/2012
The place is cool - the staff is helpful - but my Bubba Burger was a drag. Some reviewers seem to compare to In&Out - NO WAY! I would say this was closer to McD's 99-cent special. Nothing particularly good about it.
BUT - next day we went to nearby Hanalei Gourmet (stuffy name for a very fun tavern and eatery) and had one of the Best Burgers ever - and live entertainment from the Mango Brothers (3 incredible guys - play every Sunday night).
If you enjoy a good burger, skip Bubba's and go straight for the Gourmet. -
Review from John B.
San Francisco, CA
11/28/2011
Bubba's in Princeville was 2 stars, just okay, for an overpriced flat top fried burger like at Mickey Dee's but for $6bucks and $2.50 or so for some flat coke with no refills. This place is only popular because it's really the only place in town that's not either super expensive or a taco stand. You'd think that this place would love tourists because tourists are the sole basis for their existence, especially in Hanalei but everyone except the kid at the counter had a chip on their shoulder towards us.
Maybe it was an off day but in any case 2 stars. -
Review from ashley s.
Arroyo Grande, CA
8/29/2011
Poor quality food that is over priced - even for Hawaiian standards.
Go next door Hanalei Gourmet for the best burgers on Kaua'i! -
Review from scott o.
San Francisco, CA
3/3/2012
Good basic burger. Nothing to write home about but filling.
-
Review from Adina K.
Baltimore, MD
8/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
In a word, underwhelming.
Our entire group ordered double bubbas. We were excited that they use Kauai grassfed beef, but the patties were so thin, dry, and under seasoned that we could discern no difference between what we were eating and a burger from McDonald's.
For what you get, it's fairly expensive. I regret that I waited in a 15 minute line just to order this burger, let alone the additional 15 minutes I spent waiting for them to cook it for me.
That being said, the pickle was good (an additional $1). -
Review from Mike S.
Glendale, CA
8/23/2011
How could we NOT check out Bubba's Burgers? Whether it was the one in Kapaa or Hanalei, we never passed by and saw it empty. Had the Teri Burger with cheese and a side of frings.
The cheese and onions metled so deliciosly together and the sweetness of the teriyaki sauce was a great compliment.
Points deducted for the long time it took for the food to be done - about twenty minutes - and the frings only had three small onion rings. The fries were OK. nothing special. Wish i'd tried the chili.Listed in: burgers
-
Review from Seema M.
10/7/2011
My husband's favourite meal on the whole island. Anytime we saw a Bubba's we had to stop. We stopped at this Hanalei location a few times as we were staying close by in Princeville and it was always quick and consistent in taste. He would always get the double bubba with a coke.. the fries are dry and can easily be skipped. Also, the onion rings were overfried- skip those too.
If you love In n Out burger or Five Guys, Bubba's might just be a fave of yours too!
Beware- they close at 7pm! So early! -
Review from Pete F.
8/7/2011
The burger patties are small, equal to a MickyD hamburger patty I would guess so you might need to get a double or triple patty burger to feel satisfied. The burgers comes with relish, mayo and mustard. Tomato and lettuce cost a buck more and the sign says they don't recommend the addition. Their beef is from Kauai raised cows but the patties tasted dry. Their fries are also very average but the onion rings are very good.
Bubba is conveniently located and there are pictures of celebrity customers adorning the wall inside. I'd say it is a good choice for a quick and inexpensive bite but don't expect too much. -
Review from Lee P.
San Diego, CA
2/11/2012
Mega tourist trap, but a good greaseburger. I prefer the location in Kapaa better. This location is always packed, has little seating and parking.
-
Review from M C.
Hayward, CA
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nice little place to grab some burgers in Hanalei! If you look around at the walls of bubba burger you will see lots of super stars that you may know, such as Ben Stiller, Alyssa Milano, Adam Sandler, Colbie Callet, Jack Black, Jennifer Garner, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Bill Clinton, etc, on photos when they visited the place - pretty cool! Great burger, I had the bubba burger with cheese, and my husband had the double bubba burger with cheese and we also got chili fries, and frings (onion rings/fries)! Soooooo good and tasty!
-
Review from Tatiana C.
Santa Cruz, CA
6/13/2011
People, pay attention!!! the slogan below their logo says "We cheat drunks and tourists" TOTALLY TRUE!!!
Pretty damn disgusting, the meat was chewy....needless to say more. -
Review from Dana L.
San Jose, CA
5/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
We only tried their frings. Which are fries and rings put together. I was a little disappointed that we only got 4 o-rings to eat.
The fries were hot, fried nicely, and not oily. They are thinly cut, but all in all tasty. The rings were battered lightly and tasted nice as well. I wish we had more rings, but the fries were just as tasty.
They serve burgers and shakes as well, but we didn't get a chance to taste them. I also noticed they had a veggie burger which is a must for me when I eat at a burger joint.
I would definitely be back for the frings and to try the veggie burger. -
Review from Phil C.
5/31/2011 2 photos
Saw this place driving by to our resort in Hanalei. After yelping and reading mixed reviews I had to try it out for myself.
Loved the local feel, yet a little "touristy". Chill seating areas with many options to eat outdoors in the plaza. Got a seat inside and it was fun checking out the decor and the celebrity photos on the walls.
Food:
Bubba burger - a bit small yet tasty. didn't get the lettuce and tomato, liked the relish sauce.
Kalua pulled pork - i really liked this sandwich, tender pork, got the two sauces on the side, my personal fav was the bbq sauce.
Frings - hot french fries and onion rings combo. both tasty. the rings had a thin crunchy batter, fries were skinny and crispy. portions were "small" but i personally liked it.
Prices:
A little pricey for what you get, but fair.
Experienced no line at all (11am Sunday) and the service was fast and friendly. Cash only.
If ever I'm in Hawaii again, I'd check out this place again.Listed in: Burger Time, Aloha! Kauai, HI
-
Review from Jeff K.
Henderson, NV
10/22/2011
I am a adventure eater and when I saw the "Hubba Bubba", I had to try it. It's gross, rice, hamburger patty, sliced hot dog, smothered in chili, but I had to try it. Wife had the Teriyaki burger and it was tiny and not that good. There is a shave it and shake place to the right of Bubba's and they have a great Macadamia nut shake, go and have that for dessert, it's the bomb! Man, I'm in Kauai and eating weird expensive fast food, got seasick on the boat trip to the Napali Coast! what's this life for? ha ha!
-
Review from Michael M.
Scottsdale, AZ
5/4/2011
The Double Bubba with Cheese was one of the highlights of my trip to Kauai. This is Hawaii's version of In-N-Out. Very good, friendly staff and fair prices for the Island.
Not only was the food good the ambiance was even better. It was a beautiful day to sit out in front on the picnic table with the nice tropical breeze keeping us cool!
A must for anyone that visits the Island!!! -
Review from David S.
Carmel by the Sea, CA
6/3/2011
Stop comparing Bubba's to In-N-Out - In-N-Out is far far better than this place. I haven't eaten at McDonald's or Burger King in 10+ years but as I remember them, Bubba's tastes pretty reminiscent.
The service is horrendously slow which is annoying since burgers do not take very long to make. Any other burger place in the world can demonstrate this.
The double-Bubba supposedly has 1/3rd lbs of meat, but as most decent burger places would consider cooked weight, Bubba's seemingly does their weighing prior to cooking. We had burgers last week at a burger place on the North Shore of Oahu that were "also" 1/3rd and the patties, cooked, were 2X the size of Bubbas.
The onion rings were pretty good, I'll give them credit for that.
This place is truly not very good. The only thing they have going is their location and prices aren't half bad. They're even assholes enough to charge for lettuce and tomato if you want it; $1 for lettuce and tomato? Really?
Part of their slogan is "We cheat drunks and tourists" and that is the truth. I'd never eat their McDonald's burgers again. -
Review from Rebecca D.
Bellingham, WA
1/13/2012
Like everything else in Kauai the burgers are over priced for what they are. You could get the same burger at McDonalds for $1 that they sell here for $4, but after a long day on the beach they taste fantastic. The fries are ok, not fantastic but not bad.
You get your food quick and when you are really hungry that is what really counts. -
Review from Susanna W.
Palo Alto, CA
4/19/2011
CASH ONLY.
J and I wanted a reasonably priced snack. We ended up at Bubba Burgers after being appalled by the prices of the neighboring Shave Ice Paradise ($7.50 for a milkshake?! REALLY? $4 for a SMALL shave ice?! Good god).
We shared some chili fries. Hot chili over fries fresh out of the fryer. The girls working the shop were friendly and quick. I'd be willing to try their burgers.Listed in: KAUAI 2011
-
Review from merissa b.
Santa Cruz, CA
10/15/2011
This place had the worst burger I've had. Thin, burned patty covered in processed american cheese. It was cheap, but burger king is cheaper and would have been better. We also had the pork sandwich which was pretty ok.
-
Review from Nikki K.
12/4/2010
The people at this Bubba Burger in Hanalei are super friendly! It was relatively quick for a lunch even with a little bit of a line. My husband got the double Bubba, I opted for the single regular Bubba and we were both pleased with our choices. I did add lettuce and tomato and even with their sign explaining that it can be at times not fresh, it tasted and looked just fine but I appreciated the honesty (apparently it is shipped over from the mainland so they don't automatically add it to their burgers you have to request it and pay 1$).
The meat is local grass fed beef on Kauai which is cool. They don't have very much seating, so that's my knock on a star although we found adequate seats so take that for what it's worth...Listed in: Kickin' it in Kaua'i (Hawaii)
-
Review from Alan C.
8/18/2011
Everytime we drove past this place, there was a line. A line usually means its pretty good right? Meh. I mean its not bad but I wasn't blown away or anything. Compared to other burger places around the island, I'm sure it's one of the better ones. I think I'm just spoiled by In-N-Out.
-
Review from Donny K.
Kapaa, HI
2/10/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I don't get it. For some reason they are against lettuce and tomatoes in thier burgers. other than that it's a burger, better than McDonalds also more expensive. After a day of surfing I really don't have much to complain about, it hit the spot.
Also fun to sit and watch all the weirdo hippies walk by. -
Review from Eva R.
Brooklyn, NY
3/16/2011
I think my we ate a bubba burger every day we were in Hanalei Bay. Grass fed beef burgers on one of the most magical islands in Hawaii. It was the best!
Had the frings, we only wished we got more than two onion rings.
Get the shaved ice next door.
