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/