best burgers in town

Kiawe Grill. Those are the only two words you need to know when looking for a delicious cheeseburger.
Skip the overpriced and underwhelming burger joints on Waikiki like Cheeseburger in Paradise or Teddy's Bigger Burgers, which is a popular local chain but overrated in my opinion.

I fancy myself a burger aficionado so trust me on this. Kiawe Grill has the best burgers in all of Honolulu, maybe even Hawaii.
Choose from regular ground beef, angus, kobe beef, buffalo, ostrich, venison, salmon, pork or chicken. And yes they're all called burgers, it's a salmon burger not sandwich. So far I've only tried the double cheeseburger(make it a combo for 8.99) and it's amazing, better than Five Guys and probably In-N-Out as well. The fries won't blow your mind but they're pretty good too once they cool down. Big, thick wedges.
There are of course other menu options besides burgers, like BBQ chicken and shrimp as well as some local Asian dishes. There are four locations to chose from, the one I frequent is on King St.
Located in a nondescript plaza, seating is limited, only like 5 tables in the small dining area. The kitchen isn't much bigger. I only found out about this place through the Yelp app on my iPhone when I was looking for somewhere good to eat near Wal-Mart when I was done shopping. Now I go there every time I after grab something from Wally World. If you know me, you know I despise Wal-Mart and their evil empire, but there are limited places to buy certain things here so I have no choice.

Much like North Shore Grinds, Kiawe Grill is very mom and pop. The first time I went was around 3:30 pm on a weekday, and the lady taking the order woke up the grill cook who was napping at one of the booths to cook my burger. I love supporting local places like this. About three to five times a week I ate a place next to my home in Fort Worth called Pak-A-Pocket that serves the best gyros in Texas. I sent them a postcard last month telling them how much I missed their food. You can see it posted on their bulletin board.

What makes their burgers so tasty? The patties are cooked on a wood burning grill. The wood is Kiawe(pronounced kee-ah-vey), the name used in Hawaii for what is known as Mesquite wood on the mainland. It adds a nice smokey flavor. The meat itself is tender yet not too chewy. The toasted homemade bun strikes a nice balance between soft and crispy. The melted slices of American and Swiss cheese are heavenly gooey.

Local places are great. I didn't go to North Shore grinds for a good two weeks when I started my new job, because I usually ate their for lunch and they close at seven. I've since been back a few times for dinner, and the couple asked where I had been. They were happy to see me back and congratulated me on getting a job. Little things like that mean a lot when you're alone so far away from home. The first time I went to NSG I thought the wife was extremely unfriendly but it's just her demeanor, she's actually really nice to me now and I've even gotten her to smile. Many of the Yelp reviews mention her. She's quite a character.

Hopefully dear reader you enjoy good local eateries as much as I. Now you have two to try on your next visit to Hawaii.

A professional review of Kiawe Grill http://archives.midweek.com/content/columns/foodfinds_article/the_best_burgers_in_town/

Their website
http://www.kiawegrill.com/

march 22

I started my new job almost three weeks ago, and I'm really enjoying it.

I couldn't have asked for a better work family, everyone here is extremely nice. Last weekend I joined the company in a diabetes benefit walk around Kapiolani Park next to Waikiki.  Sand volleyball recently became an official NCAA sport, and the UH and HPU women's teams were nearby having at tournament at Queen's Beach Sandbox.

Shortly after I started my job, I woke up feeling a little dizzy one day. Eventually the dizziness progressed into an almost debilitating condition. I've had three doctors appointments since, and haven't been able to enjoy surfing, snorkeling, working out or even just going to the beach. The dizzy spells are awful and I don't wish them upon anyone. I'll spare you the medical details, but it makes it very hard to function sometimes and it can be scary traveling through a big city by yourself when you're disoriented, especially when you don't really know anyone. 

Last week I was so out of it I left my backpack at a bus stop. The backpack contained my passport, checks, bike chain, a poncho, my best sweater, and medicine. 

Luckily, a person with a good heart found it, and found a receipt with my phone number on it that I just happened to have in the bottom of one of the pockets. When I bought my new iPhone here, the service rep had written my account # and phone # on a blank slip of receipt paper. I met the girl that found my backpack the next day at her work a few blocks over from mine. That night she called me around 11 to ask me if I was single. 

There are many things I plan on doing soon that will make great blog entries with great pictures. 

First I plan on heading up to check out the north shore of Oahu for a weekend, hopefully next.

Then I would like to hop over to Maui and spend a weekend there on their north shore. Maui has a little bit of everything, and probably the nicest beaches in Hawaii. It has been rated "The Best Island in the World" by numerous publications.

People keep telling me if I'm not a fan of the big city life style, then I would love Maui. I'm looking forward to that experience. 

Kauia, known for its tropical rainforests, rivers, cliffs, canyons, and waterfalls, is next on the agenda. 

Then maybe I come home to visit Texas. Lots of things I miss about that great state, too many to list now, maybe for another entry. 

Fun Fact: Alaska and Hawaii both have the same record high temperature, 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

thunderstorms and rain in hawaii

Today is the first time in many days the sun has shown itself.
Last Saturday or Sunday, a big thunderstorm hit the area, and the rain lasted all week.
I feel really bad for anyone that booked their vacation for last week.
I can't imagine spending thousands to vacation at a tropical paradise only for it to be cloudy and rainy every single day

Storms like this are very rare here, I'm told. And since I've been here, the only rain I had experienced were light afternoon showers, and days were almost always sunny and hot.
I live in Kaimuki near Diamond Head, which is especially dry and hot.
It rained so much several areas flooded, being on top of a hill I didn't have to worry about it.
It even hailed in parts of the windward side near Kailua and supposedly on this side in Hawaii Kai too.
I also heard that there was supposed to be some snow on the biggest mountain on Big Island.
Apparently people try to ride sleds and stuff when it does this.

There was so much runoff from the rain that Hanuama Bay has been closed, where I went snorkeling a couple of weeks ago. I'm glad I went when I did because I imagine the visibility is not what it was now and won't be for awhile til all the rain, mud, and debris washes out.

Lightning is also a pretty rare sight in Hawaii, but when it strikes, you know.
A few strikes woke me wide awake during the first couple of nights of the storm.
My window was open and my apartments faces the mountains. The clap seems to boom twice, not sure if it is the echo off the mountains or what, but it is especially loud. Another strike I saw as I was waiting for the bus to go home after work was followed 5 seconds later by a loud clap that sounded like someone shooting a gun off near my ear.



A place near work called "Kava" has good sandwiches made with pink "Guava Bread".



The buses ran extremely slow and were extra packed during rush hour this week.
It can get so packed you can barely move, very unpleasant.







Note the rescue surfboard.

a little update

I officially start my job tomorrow, finally. 

Last Friday was the original start date, but they were too busy to train, so the start date was postponed til Monday.

No problem, since they insisted on paying me for a day's work anyway. 

I put the extra time to good use by spending the day at the beach. 

Hardest money I've ever earned. 

There's a little church in the neighborhood of Kahala down the hill south of me called Wesley United Methodist that I've gone to two weeks in a row. 

Only in Hawaii will you see people at church in board shorts.