Keneke's Plate Lunch and BBQ
- Price Range: $
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
16 Reviews for Keneke's Plate Lunch and BBQ
Ok so when you are driving around the Island and you find yourself hungry some people will just stop and settle for anything...lucky for you Keneke's is not anything it is GOOD! It was recommended to me before I leave left the mainland so you better believe that I was going to check it out. The Plate Lunch is just that plate lunch; you know that good Chicken.
Again as with other reviews here on Yelp who likes to comment on the decor, I don't eat at places because of the decor. Do not expect any white table clothes at a place like this! Enjoy the Good EATS!!!
The area, and building, are pretty sketchy, but the food is great. As far as plate lunches go, this is near the top of my list. I've had the BBQ chicken and kalbi. Both are cooked quickly, reasonably priced, and taste delicious.
My boyfriend and I always grab food here after a morning of sun, sand, and surf at Makapuu Beach. The BBQ Chicken and Kalua Pig melt in your mouth, and the shakes complement the food nicely.
The eating area scares me a little--partly for sanitation reasons and partly due to the religious paraphernalia. We always discuss buying the food and eating it elsewhere on the drive here, but we end up in the ghetto shrine anyway because we're a couple of impatient hungry pigs. The food is just that deelish!
UPDATE - 05/08/2008
I just ordered the kalbi today--it was tender, thick, and well-marinated. Definitely the best I've had in my life. The pineapple smoothie was wonderfully refreshing albeit a little on the icy side.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (3)
Cool (2)
Not a lot of peeps know about this place since it's kind of out of the way. Great food, make sure you order up some of their fries. Watch out for the huge chunks of fat.
Has to be one of the best Oahu Plate Lunch places there is. This is a pretty far drive from town, dare i say it might be worth it despite the hiked up gas prices?
My only gripe about this places is the cleanliness! What a dump! Apparently, I am told that, that was the effect the owner was going for. If i wasnt worried about getting some sort of disease from sitting down on one of their benches, I'd probably give it the full 5 stars it deserves.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
tastey food next to my favorite beach.
the religious themes on the walls were in fact a little bit freaky, and the meats in my plate were a little on the dry side, however my boyfriends plate was juicy and delicious and if you look past the religious indoctrination, you get the beautiful views that look like they jumped off a post card.
will certainly be returning next time we come out.
Ok, I may get fire-bombed by haters from the Aloha state but I'm going to give a three stars Keneke's. The reason is this: you can find better plate lunch, even in Waimanalo, and the atmosphere is not only weird, but I think it's pretty unhealthy. If you get take out, or eat in your car, or at the beach than you are fine. But sometimes you just want to sit down and eat right then because lets face it plate lunch is better hot, and at Keneke's that is just not an option for me. The dining area is a covered brick patio with benches and tables inside that are so covered with bird crap from the bird's nesting in the roof, that I think if bird flu is ever transmitted to humans, it will probably be traced back to Keneke's. The outside tables are a bit better, in at least daily rain showers clean them off occasionally, but of course, then they are usually wet. Add to that the extreme evangelical religious tracts painted on the walls, mostly about Hell and you just have an atmosphere that makes my skin crawl. And I see reading the other reviews, I'm not the only yelper skeeved out by this. Seriously, Keneke, get yourself a big bottle of 409 and paint some marginally less hostile psalms on the walls and I will automatically up you a star.
As for the food, as I said, I've had better plate lunch in Waimanalo. L&L's BBQ next to the feed store is just as good at Kalua pig and I don't feel like I'm going to die, if I'm just too hungry to carry my plate lunch out. There used to be an awesome lunch truck that parked next to the gift store and the McDonald's but apparently that guy was so good and so popular he opened a restaurant in Waikiki.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
This is for sure my favorite plate lunch on the island. I dream about it, and yes I even have "Fear God Powerlifters" sticker on the back window of my truck. It's a local gem just off Waimanalo beach, really not by much else but a gas station and a McDonald's nearby. It's worth the drive to this quirky little spot where you will find the menu written on the wall, and psalms, religious quotes and artwork covering the dining area. The food is authentic, the folks are friendly- and the Kalua Pig is the absolute best on the island!
Note: Yes they do also cater- and it's equally delicious when it's cooked up fresh in your home!!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Keneke's is like Hawaii's version of a drive-in country bbq or fried chicken stand. Authentic style that you can only find at an original dive. We drove from Honolulu to try the Lau Lau and Loco Moco. The pork in my Lau Lau was soooo tender and flavorful. Loco Moco was an enormous heaping serving flooded in their lipsmacking gravy. Must say it was well worth the drive which was scenic both ways.
a rousing afternoon at makapu'u is only improved upon by a stop at keneke's afterwards! their mochiko chicken, or kalua pork will surely keep you going (or at least standing) for the rest of the day!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
The wife is leaving for the motherland in a few days, so I can't help thinking of this spot.
Mama loves the silky white sand and calm waters of 'Nalo, so we're usually down this side a lot when we're back on vacation.
This means of course, at least once on our trip, we're hitting up Kenekes.
The other reviews give you the specifics, and they're all true.
This place is all 808.
Good tasting local comfort food, big portions, served with aloha.
Perfect after surfing Sandys or Makapu'u.
Perfect after roasting on the beach in Waimanalo with the wife.
Perfect after driving all the way back to Mililani to eat.
This place has the best Hawaiian grindz no doubt. The good thing is that they support the local weight lifting program which is great. The building looks like an old school shack but the food is great and the shave ice (coconut with coconut icecream) is the best.
A local gem w/ grubbin' plate lunch! I tried the Lau Lau - pork steamed in taro leaves - which was simple & super flavorful. Keneke's is completely understated & unassuming & authentically Hawaiian & delicious! And don't even get me started on the shaved ice! Try the lilikoi & the li hing mui - surprisingly good & ssssoooo refreshing.
The undenibly mackin' food aside, this place is truly local, from the low-key, handwritten menu board to the plethora of Bible quotes on the walls to yes, company sponsorship of the Fear God Powerlifting Team! Local passion for Christianity was something unexpected to someone visiting from the mainland, but I give Keneke's props for keepin' it real & lettin' the local flavor shine!
i'm craving LOCO MOCO...
this place arguably has the best plate lunches on the island. their plate lunches are infused with real hawaiian love and their handwritten menu is rad. the entire place is one big poetic piece of art. also added to the experience are the many writings and quotes on the walls. read them while you gorge on Lau Lau. the next time i go back i'm planning on ordering a different plate lunch each day.
Their mantra is "divine grinds" and i love that they are the proud sponsor of the "Fear God Powerlifting Team"!
oh and while you are at keneke's, MAKE SURE you run over to 7-11 next door and grab some delicious SPAM MUSUBI for a late afternoon snack.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
I always come here for a late lunch after a morning of body boarding and sun bathing at Waimanalo Campgrounds (not the Beach park). My favorites are the Lau Lau, Kalbi BBQ, and Kalua Pig. Those are the local plate lunches and they're good. It's a hole in the wall, but who cares- the food is good!
cheap eats. awesome place. great food. i got the mixed plate with the kalbi, pork adobo, and bbq chicken. not exactly a place to take a hot date, but definitely a place for solid local food. right next to waimanalo beach, close to sandy beach - both great beaches to visit as well. Shaka brah!
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
I Wanna go Back to my…
Best spots to visit when in Hawaii! (Island of… -
hawai'i no ka 'oi!
a small sampling of places i've visited in the… -
Get Lei'd in Oahu
The things I love to do when I'm on the island of… -
Fast, cheap, easy, and…
Life wouldn't be the same without these old…
Hot and New
- Food Company the
1 review
Kailua, HI
- Jimbo Restaurant
39 reviews
Honolulu, HI
- Sansei Seafood Restaurant &…
53 reviews
Honolulu, HI
- Goma Ichi Ramen
19 reviews
Honolulu, HI
- Moke's Bread and Breakfast
4 reviews
Kailua, HI