I traveled to Hawaii for the first time with my boyfriend's family (and some of their friends) and my friend from the mainland said her brother owns a food truck/catering service that specializes in barbeque. I was thinking I'd get some lunchboxes from the days we had to work from our hotel. I ordered 9 boxes from Curtis and he was SO nice and delivered the food to our hotel. And OMG the food was SUCH HIGH QUALITY. It was delivered hot, with a homemade hot sauce that was so unique and delicious. The meat was incredibly fresh, tender, and fall off the bone. The sauces were delicious. Better than the meat from the luau we went to the previous night. I highly recommend and thanks Curtis!!! read more

El Chino Loco - a close up of a bowl of rice and meat with chopsticks - Barbeque Near Me

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I was looking forward to trying the brisket that was advertised on the menu. Many other customers were waiting for their plates, so it seemed like everything was cooked to order. That is always a plus knowing that food was not just sitting by a hot lamp. The Bourbon Misoyaki Brisket sounded mouthwatering and tender. I'm a carnivore so this was right up my alley. Within ten minutes of waiting my name was called. I looked for my friend to grab a seat. We were sharing our delicious findings with each other from the various food trucks available. I excitedly opened the container, and I encountered that the brisket did not look like their picture displayed on the truck. It looked like it was chopped up meat, and some of their leftovers they were trying to get rid of. So now for the taste factor. My friend ended up with a few fatty tendons so it had to be discarded. I found the sauce to be overly sweet, and I ended up having to wrap up the fatty pieces that went into my mouth into the one napkin that wrapped up the fork. It was disappointing since the brisket was supposed to be the main star of the plate. I paid for a regular plate, but the meat looked like it was suitable for a mini order. The rice was over cooked, however the potato salad and coleslaw was tasty. Maybe it was an off night.... read more

El Chino Loco - Bourbon Misoyaki brisket - Barbeque Near Me

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I've been wanting to eat barbecue for a while and heard some great things about El Chino Loco. I ordered togarashi char siu spare ribs and the bourbon misoyaki brisket. Got back to the office and shared them with my co-workers. Instant hit! Everyone was raving about how flavorful food was and how the meat fell right off of the bone. Great combination of ingredients makes this a hit, not too sweet and not overpowering either. If you're craving that barbecue and want to try something new, cant go wrong here. Also, the owner is a super cool guy! I'll definitely be back for more. read more

El Chino Loco - Cognac togarashi spare ribs - Barbeque Near Me

First time hearing about and trying this. The taste was amazing. Had the brisket and the ribs. The ribs was soft and fell off the bone. Both items had a tasty Asian fusion taste. read more

El Chino Loco - Barbeque Near Me

Found El Chino Loco food truck at the Honolulu "Eat the Street" April 2018 and hands down was some of the best BBQ ribs and brisket I've eaten ... they handed out a small tasting sample of the brisket and I was sold. The BBQ meats had a sweet salt Asian bent on traditional southern BBQ, but was smoked so tender that I didn't need a knife. Their $14.99 Super combo included a pulled pork taco, two big ribs, big portion of brisket, rice, potato salad and their unique take on cole slaw. Ate every bit! read more

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The owner of this truck is super cool and friendly. Comes from SF, so it's nice to see someone from the bay. The place has some ups and downs. He just started this food truck so go give it a try. Here is my breakdown/suggestions: Pulled pork taco: My favorite thing on the menu! This was the best taco I've had since moving from California. The pork was really flavorful, the tortilla was thin and crispy, and the pickled veggies was a nice balance to the rich pork. Some salsa would definitely elevate this further. Brisket: Not sure how he prepared it, but some parts were a bit chewy (possibly the tendon/fatty areas?). The flavor from the marinade (bourbon misoyaki) didn't really get through all the way, but the idea is definitely novel. Smoking it in a smoker would be fantastic! It'll be worth the investment. Ribs: The flavor was definitely there. It was a bit too salty at times. The plum sauce or whatever was the base was overpowering. Ribs were tender though. Potato salad: It was good, especially on a hot day. However, it could use more seasoning. Coleslaw: Great flavor, but too much dressing. Literally swimming in it. Lost in the sauce. Overall, I feel like it is a promising food truck. Just hearing the names of the food sounds super appealing. It just needs to make some adjustments, execute, and it'll be great! read more

El Chino Loco - a tortilla with meat and onions - Barbeque Near Me

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Whether it is lunch/dinner from the food truck or at a special catering event, every single time I have had the opportunity to eat El Chino Loco's food, I have been amazed. He works magic into the flavor combinations that continually surprise me. His ribs have so much flavor and the meat falls off the bone. After attending several events that he catered, I hired him to cater for a work event. He was extremely helpful and customized our order to meet our budget requirements. Our staff were impressed at the food quality and we will definitely be using him for future events. On a personal note, I have also seen him at various charity events on the island. As someone who works hard to give back to our community, I greatly appreciate supporting a small, local business that also gives back to our community. read more

We used Curtis for catering and his food is amazing! The misoyaki brisket is the best! Also asparagus soup and ribs top notch. Highly recommend! read more

I'd like to thank the good people at El Chino Loco! I just had their slow braised pork chili and it is amazing. They also sent over a calamansiade which was refreshing and just what I needed. It was a tremendous meal and I am so grateful to them for providing it to us. So thoughtful. I would highly recommend this place. Thanks again El Chino Loco I really appreciate you!! read more

Got a chance to try the El Chino Loco food truck at the Hahaione chill fun fair, got to try the ribs and the bourbon miso brisket. Both were delicious! And reasonably priced for the caliber of food your getting imo. read more

El Chino Loco - Bourbon miso brisket - Barbeque Near Me

I attended an event that they catered and the food was outstanding, some of the best BBQ on the island. The brisket was very tender and melt in your mouth good. The ribs had a great marinate on it with a kick. There was a bunch of leftovers and I couldn't help but take a plate home, no shame. Overall, some of the best I tried on the island and would come back for some more. 5 out of 5 shakas! read more

I like food trucks. I especially like food trucks that serve sit down restaurant worthy food like El Chino Loco. I tried them at Eat the Street and I will definitely be going back. The Bourbon Misoyaki Brisket was so tasty and tender, it was falling off of my fork. That perfect blend of Misoyaki and barbecue paired so well together. Also tried the ribs which were also very good and worth the sampling. Definitely stop by this truck, you won't regret it. read more

Hands down the bourbon miso Yaki brisket is the best brisket I have ever had! I don't know about the other food. But if you like brisket or if you like meat in general this is it. Just picking it up feels more like picking up a piece of cake. The fat melts in your mouth like smooth cream. The meat is sweet from the miso. I think it would pair well with a red wine. This is gourmet stuff, not plate lunch wagon food. It's their signature dish but I can see why. After you try this and you know of a better brisket please, please, please, let me know. read more

Definitely worth a try, I tried it all and loved their brisket! I stopped by and received wonderful service, they're super nice! The food was great, I had the Chinese kine ribs, brisket, and pulled pork and was happy with all of them. My only regret is that I did not try the pulled pork tacos but I already had so much food! read more