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    Barbecue Kai

    3.9 (184 reviews)
    InexpensiveBarbeque
    Closed 9:00 am - 8:45 pm

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    Business Info

    BARBECUE KAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Fried rice
    Kristin S.

    More 3.5 stars in my book but we haven't been here long enough to try other locations so it will get the 4 stars for now. The bill for our family of 7 and 8 plates was $94 and change. The rice portions are plentiful for all the plates. My family isn't a Mac salad fan so we substituted for an extra scoop of rice for the meals. The spare ribs were tender, slightly chewy but pretty good. The show stoppers were the Katsu curry and the black bean chicken. Flavors were delicious. I'll definitely order them both again. The noodles are a never again order item. They tasted burned and there was no flavor. My mother in law had the shrimp plate and she said it was delicious. The combo of the spare ribs and chicken were good. The chicken is not fatty, chicken thighs are not usually my fav but they do a. Good job with them here. We also ordered the Loco Moco small plate and it was pretty good but not the best I've had on the island. The service was nothing to right home about but they are pretty quick. I did try to call to order ahead and no one answered. There are a few outdoor tables but there is not inside seating or restrooms.

    the front of the restaurant
    Jon L.

    On a recent trip to hawaii...had an airbnb away from waikiki....close to the beach and less people. On my way to the beach, stumbled upon this local joint. Hawaii bbq and it finest. Huge portions and tasty dishes. All local. Talked to a few locals and they sing praises for this place. The locomo is apparently homemade. Wish i knew before i ordered. Anyhow, had the BBQ chicken large size - ( came with 3 huge pieces) and the Hawaiian ribs of course. Came with scoops of rice and macaroni...authentic hawaiian. Lol. 1 meal can feed 2...if you went with the small Order, you get 1 big piece Of chicken instead of 3. Lol. I like how the meat is not drenched in sauce Or teriyaki syrup. Its marinaded just right and grilled to perfection. So filling and delicious. Will be back for sure when in Hawaii. Service was quick and easy and with a smile. Fyi..,take out option only! :) Cheers! Happy eating!

    Mixed Combo with side of Chicken Katsu. Huge portions!!
    Jeff N.

    Being our last night on Oahu, having stayed a week at the Hawaiian Princess, we decided to get a local style combo plate. Barbecue Kai did not disappoint. We ordered the mix combo plate with a serving of chicken katsu a la cart. HUGE servings! Extremely delicious, friendly service. The Chicken Katsu was the best I have ever had and I have been munching on Katsu since 1994! I would say the only thing I would recommend improving is their macaroni salad was a bit overcooked. Other than that it was one of the best combo lunch plates I have ever had. Seriously. I am so full right now I can hardly write this review. Mahalo Barbecue Kai!

    Outside
    Tawny V.

    This a late post, but I had to share some of my fav spots on the Island. Its been a min since I've been back visiting the west sai. Barbecue Kai was always our go to for good food at an affordable price. Breakfast plate back in the days were like $5 eggs, rice and portugese sausage, cant beat that?! This time around ordered, BBQ mix plate that came with BBQ chicken, teriyaki, Bbq short ribs, rice and mac salad $15, mochiko chicken, rice and mac salad $11. The service was fast and friendly! As for the the ambiance, its outdoor seating with a window were you order food. Outdoor seating, dog friendly

    Loco moco
    Mireille M.

    The loco moco was good and plentiful as well as the Bbq chicken. I forgot to take a picture of it. The mochiko was not so good, it was like bits and pieces like tiny pieces.

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    5 months ago

    BBQ hamburger steak with fries! Made to order so very small wait time. Few tables outside but also close by to the beach!

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    8 months ago

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    8 months ago

    The food is always good! But, they're Cash only! Their hamburger steak, shrimp fried rice and bbq chicken is our fav!

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    10 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Cash only. We love the plate lunch. This is place to fill up before the beach. Also they have French fries

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 months ago

    Good foods very very tasty varieties, especially Chinese food stirfry they're all good

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    9 months ago

    Check the price menu before buying. Barbeque Kai over charged me several times and that is very concerning.

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    Waianae Korean BBQ

    Waianae Korean BBQ

    4.4
    (124 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    I always drove by, but never realized what a gem this place is. The workers are nice, fast service,…read moreand a great relaxing atmosphere. The food was awesome too. Don't let the small entrance throw you off. The place inside is quite spacious and clean. Prices are quite reasonable, and the selections are great. I love the meat jun. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

    In total agreement with other fellow Yelpers - this place is an awesome choice for Korean BBQ down…read moreon the West Side. We needed to grab some food before heading to the beach and this lovely place popped up, so we decided to give it a try. Menu has a great selection and prices are affordable! I got the Spicy BBQ Chicken (mini) and my designated driver got the Mini Combo. My Spicy BBQ Chicken was very well-sauced and not too spicy. The sauce was great, but make sure you're not wearing anything light-colored (it will stain). The sides of seaweed and kimchi were great as well. It was definitely more "local" style kimchi, but nonetheless, delicious. The Mini Combo was very well-portioned and had a great variety of protein. Every piece was delicious and not too salty. The banchan was also very complimentary and tasty. Again, prices were great and very justified. Portions are generous and taste was present. We called in our order and it was ready when we got there. Just picked up and paid - easy as pie. If I go back for a beach side gathering, I will definitely come by here again to bring to the beach. I think this is a gem on the West Side and hope to see them again very soon!

    Photos
    Waianae Korean BBQ
    Regular size Plate - Spicy Pork, Sides - Tofu, Shoyu Potato, Seaweed, Kim Chee
    Regular size Plate - Spicy Pork, Sides - Tofu, Shoyu Potato, Seaweed, Kim Chee
    Combo Plate - Shrimp Tempura and Meat Jun Sides - Bean Sprouts, Tofu, Shoyu Potato, Cucumber Kimchi

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    Combo Plate - Shrimp Tempura and Meat Jun Sides - Bean Sprouts, Tofu, Shoyu Potato, Cucumber Kimchi
    Lanterns Restaurant and Tavern

    Lanterns Restaurant and Tavern

    4.4
    (322 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Minority-owned & operated

    Don't you love when a business exceeds your expectations? Lanterns did just that for me. I was kind…read moreof skeptical and even considered dining somewhere else until I saw that kids eat free on Monday. I have three kids to feed, so yes, sign me up for free meals. We dined there for lunch on a Monday, so naturally, they weren't too busy. We were seated right away and our drink orders were once we were seated. I decided on one of the specials of the month, White Wash. It was a refreshing mix of watermelon juice, cucumber, mint, and vodka. The bartender didn't skimp on the vodka! You can get a free kid's meal with every entree. The nachos count as entrees, and I was definitely feeling the nachos so we ordered the Lobster Nachos and the Mauka to Makai Nachos. With the Mauka to Makai Nachos, you get a very generous serving of poke nachos and kalua pig nachos. Neither plates disappointed. There were cheesy chunks of lobster on my nachos with diced jalapenos scattered on top. The poke was so fresh, and what made the nachos even better were the fresh house made tortilla chips. My kids had the mac and cheese, and cheeseburger meals. The mac and cheese was creamy and velvety. The cheeseburgers had that nice char-broiled taste. Kids eat well at Tavern! The customer service was excellent and with a view overlooking the ocean, I am looking forward to dining at Lanterns again.

    This was my second time here. I was excited to give it a second chance after my first, because that…read moreexperience was horrible. So horrible my husband never wants to be back. But I'm focusing on this visit. The food was good. I came for appetizers and drinks. The blue crab dip was amazing, I was hungry and couldn't finish it all by myself. Would change nothing Service was okay. Downstairs the hostess was missing so I walked upstairs right in to an empty restaurant. Sat at the bar. Restaraunt wasn't crowded, it was a weekday before sunset. Wasn't greeted by anyone, service was mid. There was live music which was nice but the bar was facing away from him. I've tried their sister restaurant lilikoi also hoping for a better experience but I feel they lack quality interactions, servers are slow when coming around and lack experience when it comes to customer experience overall. I had to ask for my water, never got napkins, and was never checked on. My drink was a little strong but it was okay because she fixed it. After giving them three tries, I can't come back. Wouldn't recommend either. Especially being from the westside, I expected more, and gave them grace but was met with the same experience each time without any noticeable improvements. Management needs to work on server training, speed, customer interactions and better experience overall. It's not just the food that will keep someone returning, but how they're treated and its people. Please do better.

    Photos
    Ribeye with Broccolini and mash
    Ribeye with Broccolini and mash
    Drinks
    Drinks
    Lanterns Restaurant and Tavern

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    Waianae Kalbi & Sushi Mart

    Waianae Kalbi & Sushi Mart

    4.1
    (23 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    If you're looking for a solid sushi or Korean barbecue place to get food then this place hits the…read morespot. Glad to see they've returned only negative is there is only enough space for 4 to eat in. Best for take ou

    Monday, 7/28/2025 - Saw this Korean BBQ & Sushi. But for some is called Waianae Kalbi & Sushi Mart…read moreon Yelp and Google. Restaurant address is 86-120 Farrington Hwy, Ste C306, Waianae, HI 96792. Maybe they just changed their restaurant name? I don't know. We decided to try them and see how it is. Upon arrival.... Pros 1) large parking lot. Plenty of parking. 2) lots of other small shops here. I see Long's drugs, Team Mibile, Pizza Hut, etc here, just to name a few. 3) we were the only one there. I see one lady at the cash register. She took our orders. She smiley and nice. 4) we ordered the Special for $18.99. We got chicken katsu cones with rice and 4 sides. We also got the Shrimp Temp Maki for $11.99 + 2 drinks. 5) it's also a mini mart. They have a few other items got sale here too. See pictures. 6) love all the sides I picked. Rice tasted good. Cons 1) I didn't see a bathroom. Maybe I should have asked. 2) shrimp tempura maki roll was not very good. The other person who ate this roll was not very impressed. I tried a piece and it was just ok. I've had better. But we didn't get wasbi and ginger with it. We had to ask for soy sauce. They don't provide it unless you ask. 3) Most of our chicken tempura was over cooked. It was very chewy and hard to eat. There were a few pieces that was not over cooked and still good to eat. We didn't like our plate. But we ate it anyways just because we already paid for it. 4) Conclusion We weren't very impress with this market/restaurant. Foods weren't good. But the cashier lady was nice. Food sides were good. There was only 1 small table and another table that fits 4 people, inside restaurant. They do have a few items for sale. Not going here for food again. But maybe shop for items instead. You may like the foods here better than me/us.

    Photos
    At a glance - @ Korean BBQ & Sushi, Monday,  7/28/2025
    At a glance - @ Korean BBQ & Sushi, Monday, 7/28/2025
    Spicy ahi maki & hawaiian style poke bowl
    Spicy ahi maki & hawaiian style poke bowl
    Menu

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    Menu

    Barbecue Kai - bbq - Updated July 2026

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