#4 Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop, Ward Centers

Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop
Ward Centers

Category: Gourmet Burgers

Menu Item: 1/3 lb Cheeseburger, Small French Fries

Price: $7.50 Cheeseburger, $2.25 Fries

Burger Size: 1/3 lb (~5.3 oz.)

Bun: Kaiser Roll (Also available in Multi-Grain Wheat or Heart Rye)

Cheese: Cheddar (also available in Swiss, American, Monterey Jack and Provolone)

Toppings: Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Mayonnaise

Description:

Although you can phone order from Kua 'Aina's menu (for take-out I assume), I categorized Kua 'Aina as a "Gourmet Burger" place because I haven't really seen anyone order food "to go" from here and the environment seems built for the dine-in burger experience. After you walk in and place your order, they give you your drink and call your name when your order is ready. While I was waiting I took a picture of the table setup.

Shouldn't all burger restaurants have this setup?

As you can probably tell from my other posts, I am not a huge fan of condiments, but I found it interesting that they have a roll of paper towels on every table. It turned out to be very convenient as I usually just dive into my burgers head first and create a huge thunderstorm of a mess. Definitely a plus for those.

Kua 'Aina 1/3 lb Cheeseburger

For this review I ordered a 1/3 lb cheeseburger and a small order of fries. The burger came on a kaiser roll and was topped with lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, and cheddar cheese. It also came with a carrot stick. The burger was good, but the bun was hard to bite into and chewing it was a bit of a jaw workout. The toppings were fresh and the burger patty was cooked medium and was very juicy. You can tell that the burger was cooked on a gas grill though, as it didn't have that smoky flavor like Kiawe Grill did. The carrot stick seemed a little out of place, but it was nice to have somethin different with my burger.

Look at those... fries?

Ah, the Kua 'Aina french fries. The fries are shoe string style and I love french fries any way you make em, so they aren't a big deal to me. However, a lot of people are opinionated on this topic so I'll leave it up to you to decide if you like them or not. So far, people I have spoken with are split 50/50 on the fries from Kua 'Aina. Half of them hate it and the other half like it, or don't really mind. They aren't my favorite, but I don't think they're as bad as everyone says they are. Plus, they don't come with the burger, so if you don't like them, you don't have to order them.

Verdict:

Kua 'Aina is a very unique burger place to eat at. The local environment, paper towels at the table and carrot stick with your burger are all pluses while the shoe string fries and kaiser roll bun are a little questionable. While I don't think this is the best cheeseburger and fries I've ever eaten, it is far from the worst. I left my table very full and satisfied and at a decent price. This is definitely a place you should try at least once to see if you like it.

Grade: B

Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop

1200 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu
808-591-9133

Mon-Thu,Sun 10:30am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 10:30am-11pm

http://www.kua-aina.com/

#3 Kiawe Grill BBQ & Burgers, McCully

Kiawe Grill BBQ & Burgers

South King Street, McCully

Category: Fast food / Take-out burger

Menu Item: Kiawe Grill Cheese Burger, French Fries (Steak Cut)

Price: $6.45 Cheeseburger, $2.95 Fries

Burger Size: 6 oz.

Bun: White (also available in wheat)

Cheese: American

Toppings: Lettuce, Tomato, Onions, Pickles, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise

Description:

When I began writing this blog, I wanted the comparisons of the cheeseburgers and fries to be as even as possible, so I made a rule that I would only purchase the cheeseburger and french fries from the menu. Naturally, I knew that this would eliminate the specialty burgers from the menus, and this review was no exception. I mean, looking at the Kiawe Grill menu which includes Buffalo Burgers and Ostrich Burgers, I wasn't too excited that I was about to order the cheapest, simplest item on the menu: A regular cheeseburger. However, this place did not disappoint.

The first thing you notice when you arrive at Kiawe Grill is the smell of the burning Kiawe wood that fills the restaurant. The second is the large selection of burger meat that they grill here. The burgers range from Venison to Ostrich, and they also serve plate lunches. As I mentioned earlier, I ordered the regular cheeseburger and a side of french fries and was kinda disappointed that I couldn't try somethin else, like a Deluxe Kobe Burger. After a quick wait, this is what I got.

Look at those Fries!

Yes, look at those fries. Those things are huge! And good! Seriously, probably the best french fries that I have ever eaten. They were large, thick and crispy. But on to the burger. The burger was a basic cheeseburger with a ton of toppings. It makes me wonder what extra toppings would have been on the deluxe cheeseburger if lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, mustard, mayo, ketchup and two slices of cheese weren't enough. What was really surprising though was how good the burger patty was. The burger patty was cooked perfectly and tasted great. The kiawe wood gives it a unique smokey flavor. My only complaint would be that there was a little too much ketchup and mustard for my taste, but not really a big deal. It was still very good for what I thought would be another average burger.

Verdict:

For a take-out burger and plate lunch place, Kiawe Grill does not disappoint. I ordered the cheapest and simplest burger on the menu and was very satisfied. This place also has the best french fries that I have tried so far, but that's probably because not many places offer steak cut fries. I definitely recommend trying this place if you get a chance. They have some unique foods to try if you don't mind your clothes smelling like kiawe wood smoke afterwards. If I had eaten any other burger (Venison, Angus, Kobe, 10 oz. Super "Prime"...), this place probably would have gotten a better grade, but for the basic cheeseburger and fries, a "B" feels right.

Grade: B

Kiawe Grill BBQ & Burgers2334 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96826
Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 10AM-8PM(808) 955-5500‎
http://www.kiawegrill.com/

#2: Cheeseburger Factory, Ala Moana Center

Cheeseburger Factory
Ala Moana Center


Category: Fast food / Take-out burger

Menu Item: Combo 2 (Regular Cheeseburger, French Fries, 22 oz. drink)

Price: $6.39

Burger Size: Unknown

Bun: White

Cheese: American

Toppings: Lettuce, Tomato, "Sauce"

Description:

Sup bloggers. Allow me to introduce the second category of burgers in the burger blog: The fast food / take-out burger. Unlike the first post on Islands, which I considered a "Gourmet Burger", this category is dedicated to the faster, on-the-go type of places. After all, comparing a Kua Aina burger to a Burger King burger wouldn't be fair. Aight, on to the review.

Not exactly what's shown on the menu...

To be honest, I didn't even know this place existed until a little while ago. It's in the far corner of the Ala Moana food court and most of you would probably never walk there. I just remember thinkin, Hey, I like cheeseburgers. Why they gotta stick the burger place all the way over here? It should be in the main area! But then I ordered this thing and everything made sense. For $6.39, I wasn't really expecting much, but this cheeseburger was pretty bad. The burger itself was probably a cheap frozen patty that you could buy from any supermarket, and I am 90% sure the "sauce" is thousand island dressing or something similar. I probably could have made this burger myself, except faster and better tasting. The burger patty was dry and the whole thing was drenched in "sauce." Oh, and another thing. Despite the picture of the meal showing a decent amount of onions inside the burger, there are none. It's just lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sauce. The only good thing about the meal was the fries. Again, probably store bought frozen, but they didn't screw those up.



Verdict: Don't be fooled by the burger shown on the giant light up menu behind the counter. This burger is not that big and juicy and there are no onions. Honestly, I probably would have preferred any fast food burger over this place. For the same price you could get something faster and better tasting. This place is located in the dark corner of the food court for a reason.

Grade: D


Cheeseburger Factory
1450 Ala Moana Blvd
Mon-Sat 9AM-9PM, Sun 10AM-7PM
808-941-1388
http://www.alamoanacenter.com/cheeseburger_factory.htm

#1: Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks, Ala Moana Center

Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks
Ala Moana Center

Category: Gourmet Burger

Menu Item: "Big Wave" w/Cheese

Price: $10.95 w/ Endless Fries

Burger Size: Unknown

Bun: White (Also available in wheat)

Cheese: American

Toppings: Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickles, Mustard

Description:

For a place called "Islands" they sure have a ton of locations outside of the islands. Just by looking at the takeout menu, there are over 50 mainland locations and only one here on Oahu. Anyway, on to the review. The restaurant and bar have a nice "island" theme with good music

and tv's. The environment is very laid back and feels like a place you would go to kick back and grab a beer. For this review I kept it simple and ordered the "Big Wave" with cheese which was, basically, a cheeseburger and fries.

The "Big Wave" w/Cheese

My first impression of the meal was that the burger looked good... but wheres the fries?! Apparently, the strategy here is to demolish the amount of french fries that they provide with the burger and ask for more. After all, they are endless and you get another "basket" full of em the next time. As for the burger, it doesn't get any simpler than this. It's a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and mustard. That's it. Nothin special. No secret sauces or special buns. Very simple. The burger was cooked medium and was juicy, yet light, unlike other burgers that just bleed grease when you bite into them. Definitely a good, simple cheeseburger and fries. My only complaint would be the fries which were covered in a ton of seasoned salt that was a little too much for me.

I got to stare at the second half of the burger while waiting for the second order of fries...

Verdict:

Islands was a nice place with a good atmosphere. The "Big Wave" cheeseburger was average. Not bad, not amazing. Just simple and good. The endless fries make up for the $10.95 price although they are a bit salty. If I came here again it would probably be to chill, grab a beer, a burger, and endless fries. Auryte!

Grade: C

Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks
1450 Ala Moana Blvd
Sun-Sat 11AM-11PM (808) 943-6670
www.islandsrestaurants.com