When Honolulu Burger Co. opened its doors on Beretania Street in the summer of 2010, it was a ground-breaking moment. Up until then, grass-fed Big Island beef was in the exclusive domain of hotel and high-end restaurants.
Its owner Ken Takahashi was ahead of the curve, having grown up in Hilo eating the local beef and taking it for granted at a time when no one gave much thought about the provenance of their beef, or whether it was grassor grain-fed, or hormone-free.
Research since then has shown that grass-fed beef may not only contain less total fat than grain-fed beef, but a lot more omega-3 fatty acids linked to health benefits such as preventing heart disease and stroke, and controlling rheumatoid arthritis.
Honolulu Burger Co. was able to bring the ideal of 100% Big Island free-range, hormone-free, grass-fed beef burgers to the everyman in a casual, everyday setting.
But 12 years forward, many competitors have embraced the virtues of grass-fed beef, so the company has evolved by making its first foray into full-service dining with the recent opening of its Kaimuki restaurant.
There’s not a big difference between the menus at the Be retania and Waialae shops, but in Kaimuki, it’s nice to sit down and have someone step out from behind the counter to take your order.
The main additions are fresh, meal-completing options of a caprese salad ($10.40) and flavorful deep-fried Brussels sprouts ($10.40) tossed with garlic, Parmesan, a house chipotle mayo and balsamic reduction.
I wish there were a few more salad options that would make it easier for meat lovers to accommodate their veggie-eating friends.
But burgers are the main attraction and the menu has expanded from a series of six classic burgers and cheese burgers, and seven specialty burgers, to a roster that includes 16 specialty burgers that pay homage to Hawaii’s melting pot heritage. The burgers might be topped with anything from kalua pork and pineapple salsa ($14.45) to crispy mini pastele lumpia with verdant chimichurri drizzle ($13.25).
At the most basic, a one-third pound XL burger is $11.25, going up to the triple patty XXXL burger ($16.63). Classic cheeseburgers run $11.28 for a single patty to $19.75 for the triple. All burgers come with lettuce, onion, tomato and a slather of the house chipotle mayo.
Among the new additions is a caprese burger ($13.51) with grilled tomato, pesto and mozzarella. For the most part, this kind of simplicity works for me. I’m also a fan of the Mushroom Mushroom burger ($13.25), with garlic herb butter-sautéed mushrooms blanketed in melted Swiss cheese, and the Blue Hawaii burger ($13.25) also adds a reasonable combination of blue cheese and bacon.
Other burgers take-on an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach that I see as overkill, though others may be thrilled by the bombast. How else to explain the Aloha Elvis ($14.86), a tribute to the king of rock’s love of peanut butter, bacon and banana sandwiches, with guava jelly also topping this burger.
There’s also a Paniolo BBQ burger ($12.99) with jalapeño and pepper jack cheese, but someone else had ordered it so I initially thought it was a great spicy burger until I tasted the barbecue sauce, which, in my mind, was one ingredient too many. But then, I may be the only American who doesn’t care for the Kansas City-style sauce associated with mainstream barbecue.
A Mocha Java burger ($12.99) sounded interesting with its Kona coffee rub and mole sauce, but the bitterness of the rub rendered it inedible and only the slices of avocado could be salvaged.
Otherwise, you might find happiness with the Loco Moco burger ($14.86) with Spam, bacon, egg and brown gravy, or the Aa chili burger ($14.86) topped with housemade chili, cheddar-Jack cheese and red onions, the same combo that tops the chili cheese fries ($8.79).
Fries and tots are another popular component of the menu with regular fries running $5.99 and sweet potato fries priced at $7.27. You can get a hapa mix of both for $7.79. But chances are, you’ll gravitate toward the flavor-packed garlic fries ($6.99), truffle fries ($7.25) or garlic-Parmesan fries ($7.99). Loaded tater tots ($8.61) are also a draw with a south-of-the-border taste of queso, jalapeños, sour cream, onions, tomato and bacon.
If you can fit in dessert after all this, Dave’s ice cream is available in basic flavors of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, green tea, and cookies and cream. A single scoop is $4.42 and double is $7.54. Milkshakes ($5.72) made with the same ice cream are also a treat.
Honolulu Burger Co.
3583 Waialae Ave., Kaimuki
Food: **½
Service: ****
Ambiance: ***
Value: ***½
Call: 808-762-0552
Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 4-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays-Saturdays; and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays
Prices: About $40 for two
Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).
