Big Island Grinds

Here it is, the County Fair… one of the bigger events in Hilo. We don’t get much happening around here!

Below is the entertainment tent where you can listen to live music and eat da grinds.

The main reason I went was for the food. I’ve heard a lot of people say that they have the best fried rice loco moco here. Some of my friends even said that that’s the only reason they go! I was excited to go… first stop was the food/entertainment tent, of course!

Here’s a sampling of what was offered… sorry about the blurry pics.

Spareribs, Hawaiian Plate, Manong’s Filipino Food… they even had Zippy’s curry. Eagerly we searched for the loco moco tent… until…

Way at the end of the booths, the booth was there! Along with a long line… longer than any of the other lines, by far. It had to be good, right?

Here’s the Waiakea Pirate’s loco moco/fried rice menu.

Double Loco ($5.00), Fried Rice w/Egg ($4.00), Jaycee’s Special - fried rice, 1 egg, 1 hamburger patty ($5.50), Pirate’s Special - fried rice, 2 eggs, 2 hamburger patties ($6.50).

The eggs frying…

They use a huge wok to make the fried rice…

The condiments…

So, what to choose? Since I came all the way this way for the food, I had to get the biggest thing on the menu, the Pirate’s Special!

A huge serving of fried rice, 2 hamburger patties, 2 eggs, and gravy all over.

Here’s a closeup of the patties…

The Verdict?

Well, I had high expectations for this, and I tried to judge this loco moco fairly. I’ve also tried my best to enjoy it, but honestly, this was one of the worst loco mocos I’ve had!

The thing that brought it down the most was the burger patties. They were absolutely dry and crumbly, and the taste was bland and artificial tasting. It tasted almost like dog food (and yes, I’ve tried dog food before when I was little)! Why can’t they use homemade patties? The gravy was standard brown gravy - nothing special. The fried rice was just OK - a bit bland and mushy.

My friends said that this year was bad, but in the past years, it was better… so I really hope the loco mocos shape up next year. The Fair cannot continue like this! This is Hilo… we must represent with the loco mocos.

I’m glad I had a pepsi to wash it all down. *sigh*

I’m very sorry guys, I just had to do this again. I woke up this morning craving for a loco moco, not just any loco moco… it had to be a Blane’s loco moco. I’ve featured their loco bowl in the past at the Industrial location, but this time I got the loco plate at the Downtown location.

I was thinking of getting a mix plate with katsu for sake of variety, but I could not deny my loco moco craving (sorry kelly!). There must be something in the gravy that makes it addicting.

The plate ($6.25) is a double loco moco with mac salad and miso soup. It’s a small price to pay for a happy stomach all day long.

All of their take-out plates are served this way, with a styrofoam cup of miso soup anchored to the top of the plate with a thin rubber band. Brilliant idea, I think! The miso soup looks like it could fall easily, but the rubber band actually does support it fairly well and can withstand the bumps and turns on the seat of my car.

And without further ado, here it is in all it’s gravy glory!

*gives you a few minutes to stare and drool*

Here’s the miso soup.

And one more closeup.

This loco may be even a little better than the Industrial location, based on this experience. Or maybe it was because I was craving it so much?

In any case, the loco moco plate is just amazing. The two burgers were very tender and had a great taste; gravy was plentiful and soothing to the soul; eggs were well cooked; mac salad was good and mayonaissey, which went really well eaten with the loco moco.. and the miso soup was nice for in between bites.

I’m so happy right now.

Blane’s Drive Inn
217 Waianuenue Ave
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Menu Hotline: (808) 969-6677, Phone: 969-9494

Ken’s House of Pancakes is a legend in Hilo. Located on the corner of a busy intersection near the hotels and the airport, locals and tourists alike flock to this seemingly always busy restaurant for their huge fluffy 3-egg omelettes, sumo sized saimins and loco mocos, burgers, oxtail stew, and a whole array of local and American foods. Also, where else can you go for a sit-down meal at 3am in the morning in Hilo? Ken’s is the only place!

Here is a sampling of their menu. Notice the Sumo Moco at the bottom!

From the menu:
“Sumo” Moco - This is a serious “bell ringer”. 6 scoops rice, choice of spam (4), 5 oz. Lean “Home Grown” beef patty (2), or 6 oz. mahi-mahi. Gravy + 3 eggs any style. *drool*

Ken’s has a relatively new thing going on that when anyone orders a “Sumo” menu item such as the Sumo Moco or the Sumo Min (a huge amount of saimin and garnishes), they ring this bell really loud…

…and all the waitresses/waiters yell a resounding, “SUMO”!!!!!!! They seem to have gotten it down to a science already, with perfect timing. Even the regulars join in and yell “SUMO”!!!! It gets especially louder as the clubbing-folk stumble in after the night is over.

The people at Ken’s are very warm and full of the aloha spirit. Even at the most crowded times, you can see that they are under pressure, but they still keep their cool and are nice and attentive. It feels like a big family in there.

On this visit, we sat at the counter since there were no seats available. The cooks and waitresses were going at it full blast.

Here’s their counter setup. The ketchup and tabasco is offered when the food comes.

I ordered the “Pocho” (under $7).

3 eggs with portuguese sausage, onions, and cheddar cheese. Don’t mistake this for one of their omelettes… their omelettes are bigger and fluffier. I ordered this since I wasn’t feeling hungry enough for their huge omelettes. The eggs were soft and the portuguese sausage was tasty. I put shoyu and tabasco all over.

It also came with pancakes.

Ken’s pancakes are deliciously fluffy and yummy. They also have coconut and lilikoi syrup by request, which is a great option! Although these aren’t the best pancakes I’ve had, they are still very good.

Also ordered was their Oxtail Stew (~$10).

The oxtails are extremely tender and the tomato-based stew has a deep, rich flavor. The serving is very generous, with lots of oxtail. Carrots and celery accompany the oxtails. On the side is mac salad and 2 scoops rice. Tabasco is highly recommended for dis one! I know you guys stay drooling already!

On another visit, I had a loco moco, which I just have to include here!

Ken’s loco moco is one of the better loco mocos in Hilo. The hamburger patty is big and freshly grilled. The gravy is homemade and is lighter (in color) than the regular packaged brown gravy used by most places, but it also tastes better than most places. The gravy matches the loco really well. The eggs (it came with two, but you can’t really tell in the picture) were cooked just right. At $5.45, it’s a more expensive loco moco, but still a good deal for a nice sit-down place.

Also really good are Ken’s fries, served by the basket (shown halfway eaten already).

The fries are really crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Excellent.

A pancake house has to have good coffee, and Ken’s coffee is always hot, fresh, and rich.

They keep a thermos container full of coffee at your table so that you can drink as much as you like.

Hilo is very lucky to have Ken’s House of Pancakes and I couldn’t wait to feature them on here.

Ken’s House of Pancakes
1730 Kamehameha Ave.
Hilo , HI 96720
(808) 538-1877
Open 24 hours.

Hungry? Got two bucks? Well take a look at this:

Yes, a hamburger loco moco for $1.90. Freddy’s has got to have the best loco moco value in Hilo!

Freddy’s has a nice eating area with big windows providing lots of natural light.

The service was very friendly and quick.

“One hamburga loco. Sunny side up. Thanks. :)”

Isn’t it a beauty?

Slide your plate a little to the right and the loco moco condiments are right there.

You gotta put on da shoyu, ketchup, and tabasco, or you’re not having the full loco moco experience!

Overall, this loco moco is very satisfying and tastes very good, but for the picky details…

• Burger: Good size and taste was good. Based on the texture I could tell this was a premade burger, but it still tasted good in the overall picture.
• Gravy: Standard brown gravy. Good amount given. Flavor was nothing special, but it was just right.
• Egg: Perfectly cooked nice quality egg.
• Rice: Good rice! Cooked just right.

Freddy’s loco moco is a very decent loco moco. They cut some corners to make it cheaper (like the burger), but the beauty of a loco moco is that it is a cheap, fast, and satisfying meal. So, this is a perfect representation of the essence of a true loco moco.

For those who want to dine in, Freddy’s has a restaurant area on the side.

Freddy’s is also famous for their sandwiches, which are very big, fresh and delicious. Their plate lunches are also very good. I hope to feature more food from here in the future.

Freddy’s Restaurant/Drive-In
454 Manono St
Hilo, Hawaii
(808) 935-1108

Yet another loco moco review from Big Island Grinds!

This time, I went to K’s Drive In since it’s right down the street from me. K’s looks like an old-fashioned type of drive in with lots of open seating. I’m pretty sure K’s has been here for a long time.

Sorry about the photo quality… it was night time.

Here is the order window with specials on the side. They are famous for their fried rice w/korean chicken (first item on menu), which I can say is very good!

Here’s their loco moco!

Another view…

Loco Moco essentials… minus the Tabasco!

Da Review

• Burger: A bit disappointing. The texture was mushy and the flavor was not that great.
• Gravy: Taste like standard loco moco gravy, but it was a little too salty. It was too thin too.
• Eggs: Just ok. They were a little tough since they overcooked it too much.
• Rice: A little mushy.
• Price: $2.20

Beer run? How convenient. Kadota Liquors has an excellent wine selection as well!

K’s Drive In’s loco moco isn’t a good measure to judge their food by. I would definitely recommend the Fried Rice w/Korean Chicken and also any of their Filipino specials. They get plenny ono local kine style plate lunches! I’ll review again.

K’s Drive In
194 Hualalai Street
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-5573

Today I went to Cafe 100 for lunch. It was really crowded. Most of the people were already sitting down eating, so luckily there was not much of a line. I go to Cafe 100 every so often since they have a great variety of food and nice, fast service. The eating area is open-aired and breezy.

(I am temporarily borrowing this pic, and will get a new one up soon)

The menu includes daily plate lunch specials and all the local favorites, but what is most impressive is their loco moco menu. They have the most extensive loco moco menu I’ve ever seen! This is where many say the loco moco started, so the menu was no surprise. But how does it compare with other loco mocos in Hilo?

I ordered the Super Loco!

2 eggs, 1 beef patty, 1 slice spam, 2 pc. portuguese sausage, loads of rice, mac salad, gravy all over, and kimchi (supposedly) on the side. It’s huge. It only costs $4.45.

First thing I thought was… “where’s my kimchi!?” All the other times I’ve ordered this they gave a small container of kimchi. *sigh* It’s ok…

Here’s a closeup.

HooooOO brah!! Look good ah?

No forget da loco moco essentials.

Start grinding already!

• Burger: Tender and tasty, but way too thin and too small.
• Gravy: Taste like good ol’ regular brown gravy made from the gravy powder. It was just enough to bring everything together, but it could’ve used more. I do wish it were thicker with richer flavor.
• Eggs: Done really well! Perfectly cooked. I could taste the flavor of butter as I ate a piece of egg.
• SPAM: It’s SPAM, how can anyone go wrong?
• Portuguese Sausage: Ono. Nice and crisp.
• Mac Salad: Cafe 100 makes excellent mac salad. It’s actually a mac/potato salad served on finely shredded cabbage. It has a great consistency and taste.
• Rice: Good, but for me, there was way too much compared to the amount of meat and gravy given, but if I was super hungry, I guess I wouldn’t complain.

I often see tourists come to Cafe 100 to try a loco moco for their very first time, and while Cafe 100’s loco moco is ok, there are many other places that serve better versions. I would recommend Blane’s Drive Inn or Ken’s House of Pancakes. Their burgers are much bigger and the gravy is much tastier. Yet, there’s still something special about Cafe 100 that makes me come back.

I will get more pictures of Cafe 100 very soon. My camera should be in tommorow or the day after!

Cafe 100
969 Kilauea Ave
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
(808) 935-8683
(808) 935-6368 Menu Hotline