I can see the appeal but it's just all too sweet for me. But I don't think they should receive less stars b/c I don't like the sweet and other than the sweet, I'd like the food...but if you don't like sweet, you won't like it. This time got the hamburger steak. Interesting gravy. Almost cheesey? I don't know...I still don't know if I liked it. I didn't not like it. The burger itself was too well done for me but was okay. I love that they do hapa rice...I feel half as guilty eating the rice. I really liked the kim chee also. Was different and I can't figure out what that taste was...but I like that it has a little kick and isn't too sour. Hubs really liked the chili...that was also too sweet for me but was tasty. This was the most wishy-washy review of my life... read more

We did phone order. Parking is limited in the front. Place is clean. Food is delicious. We order two mixed plate. - Kalbi and butterfish collar and Kalbi and loco moco. I recommend to go try the food. Kalbi is very good and delicious. I also love the butterfish collars. Yummy. Just a heads up they are closed on Sunday. Recommend phone orders. read more

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Stopped by this spot to grab takeout on the way to the airport. We got here on a Tuesday afternoon and we got lucky as the parking spots were empty! Service was nice. From what I've seen in the reviews, seems like they are inconsistent with what they have available. When we went they were out of mac salad which was disappointing. Their rice was below average, and tasted grainy. Their kimchi was very sour and I would skip this next time to try the mac salad. 4/5 Kalbi Ribs - Was a bit chewy but the flavor was there and I loved that it was already cut up for me. Wonder if it would have been less chewy if I ate it fresh there. 5/5 Butterfish Collars - Wow! I've had hamachi collars in the past, but this was amazing. It was the stand out from the meal. Definitely felt like this meal was pretty pricey, but I loved that this spot has lots of different options you can't easily find at mainstream Hawaiian BBQ. Overall, I'd recommend and would love to return to try other items! read more

Guava Smoked - combination Smoked Mixed Plate Lunch + Kalbi Ribs + Butterfish Collars, rice + kimchi side - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is their second location... The original location is much nicer; better ambiance, easier to find and more inviting with a more upscale feeling. The Food is still so ono... broke da mout kine. Parking is terrible on the other hand. There is a dirt parking lot directly across the street with some additional spaces and fills up quickly. #SmokedGrinds: ~ Smoked Mixed Plate: - Smoked Salmon Bellies - 4.5/5 Perfectly "Smoked" Salomon Belly with a slight char on the outside. Tender and moist on the inside. & - Smoked Loco Moco (Spicy) - 4.5/5 Same. Same. The Loco Moco here is done differently. They use Pork & a creamy White Gravy instead of the traditional Beef and Brown Gravy. Very different, but oh so tasty! If you are expecting a traditional Loco Moco, you might be a bit stumped, but I doubt you 'd be disappointed. ~ Smoked Mixed Plate: - Smoked Meat Chili - 5/5 & Homemade Chili! Just delish...with a nice kick, but not too spicy. & - Smoked Pork (w/ Fried Rice) - 4/5 Amazing Smoke flavor on the Pork. It was a bit too well done, some pieces were a bit tough. Still completely edible. Don't forget to grab a Guava Bar or two for dessert! I'm glad they're dong well. Of course, I'll be back if I'm in the area... Just wish for better parking. read more

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One of the best restaurants I had when visiting Oahu!! There's something about the food and atmosphere at Guava Smoked that just felt so authentic and special! Guava Slush: 10/10 Smoked Kalbi Short Rib Plate: 10/10 Smoked Pork Plate: 9/10 By far the best food I've had while in Oahu. The meat was so tender and had a smokey taste to it. I like that the short ribs were cut up which was easier to eat and enjoy. The Mac salad was very unique and unlike any I've tasted before, which was super delicious! If there's one place you should go, it's Guava Smoked!! Not to mention the refreshing taste of the guava slushy that I can't stop thinking about! There is street parking and a small parking lot behind the restaurant. In order to enter, you need to walk through the parking lot and go up the stairs to the entrance, read more

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First time here. We're normal Kapahulu customers. Food is just as good but just a little bit cramped space. Service is friendly and easy to order. read more

I got hungry running errands and figured a lunch before the crowds would be a good time to get a mini. I grabbed the second to last parking spot in front. It was a tight fit and reversing in was the best option. Inside, the restaurant had very basic chairs, tables and decor. I was craving a loco moco and it took about 10 minutes to prep it. I knew they used a creamy white sauce for their loco moco but was a bit surprised to find that they didn't serve a whole patty like everywhere else. It was just ground up beef on top of rice. I liked the deep smoked flavor of the meat and sauce but that took a bit of time to adjust. Normally I like a lot of gravy on my loco moco but the ratio seemed off without a patty. Still a good loco moco and next time will bring a bigger appetite to try the smoked meats. read more

Guava Smoked - Mini Smoked Loco Moco Bowl - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I ordered a mixed plate with kalbi short ribs and salmon bellies. The kalbi short ribs were very tasty - great flavor, nice smokiness, and the texture of the meat was tender. The salmon bellies also had good flavor and were tender, but a bit too burnt in some spots for my liking. It came with rice and mac salad, both of which were ok. The space is small but there is some indoor seating here. It's a fast casual setup - order at the counter and seat yourself or take it to go. A lot of people seemed to do take out. The parking situation here isn't the greatest, as there are only 3 spots in front of the restaurant, with a few spots across the street, and street parking. We thankfully got a spot right in front of the restaurant. The service was quick and nice - we had a larger group and they were able to get our food out quickly. read more

Guava Smoked - Mixed plate with kalbi short ribs and salmon bellies - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I almost didnt get a chance to try this place since we just had eaten but thanks to my gf's persistence we got some food for takeout for a late dinner. Boy am i glad we did! I cant wait to actually dine in next time so we can have the food fresh off the grill! The place was pretty big but still had a homey hawaiian atmoshere which i liked. Super casual place so at least no need to dress up. We ordered ahead of time so the service was quick. We had the galbi and the butterfish. To this day i still think about that galbi! It was soo good, juicy, and flavorful. The smokiness of both dishes were addicting. Luckily since we were a little full from eating dinner earlier, I was able to enjoy it on the plane ride home! Even when it was a day old and cold, it was super delicious! read more

Kinda hard to find on Republican off Kahili. Four small parking spaces in front and street parking is limited. Total hole-in-the-wall join but the food is sooo good. This location caters to locals. No table service, old tables, peeling paint, etc. but you come for the food. And the food is great. We'll defintiely be back. read more

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I've been to this place a few times and I highly recommend the food. They serve great portions and Jason is very friendly and personable.. I recommend the salmon bites and the pork belly a flavor is unlike any other Hawaiian barbecue place I've been to. The macaroni and cheese is really good and they give you a good size portion. What I like about this place they have options that are not deep-fried. Unlike most Hawaiian bbq places I have been to, and that makes it truly original. The ambience is clean. There's places to sit, ample parking outside and has a very clean bathroom as well. I highly recommend this place. If you have the chance to try it I can't wait to go back.!!! read more

Friendly staff. Tasty food. Kalua Pork is delicious. The falafel burger is good. When we come around again we will come back.

Goddamn what a great find. It's right outside the gym I go to. My girlfriend and I decided to order a loco moco and omelette for pick up since we had plans that day. We ate it in the car hahahaha Sitting there I honestly don't think would've been that sick anyway but the other spot has a way better inside Alright anyway that meat. You can taste smoke in everything. They aren't kidding when they call themselves smoked. Nothing is smoked without flavor either. The chicken, pork and beef in loco moco were all so flavorful This is also the best loco moco on the island for two reasons. The first being the actual quality of the beef. The second being their white gravy. Not like your traditional brown and it was a great twist read more

Guava Smoked - Smoked Meat and 3 Egg Omelette Plate Lunch - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Love love love the smoked chicken. The store is always super clean. Can't go wrong stopping at either location

Great Food from Great Peeps... Had the combo Kalbi - Buttah Fish Collars with Smoked meat Fried Rice and Kimchi... I'm gonna try their mac salad next time. Was Awesome seeing all the meats up on the spinning racks smoking in the back. Parkind in front and accross the street in the gated meat market lot. A lil pricey, but support local businesses and their employees. Will definitely be back. Gotta try one of their 7 item combo platers for my daughter's UH grad party. AURITE!!! read more

Good, quick plate lunch with a bunch of seating. The chicken is reliable. The green salad came with ranch, not vinaigrette as the menu says. My friends liked the beef stew and the butterfish collars. They have basic fountain sodas, with they had iced tea or fresh lemonade or something more interesting. Very minimal parking, 3 spots, but people are in and out pretty quickly. read more

Guava Smoked - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This was my favorite place to go to on my last visit. I came right before it was about to close. And for those going for the first time, it is low-key and not in the best parking area. But worth the hunt. They only had chili and pork left. So I just got that. And my gosh was that unexpectedly so good. The chili just knocked me off my socks from the first bite. A must order here. The pork was cooked perfectly as well. I got the mild flavor. That guava smoke flavor is definitely there. I got it with steamed white rice. And this meal was just so satisfying. I can't wait to eat here again. I need to learn how to smoke my meat on guava leaves Recommendation: Chili , mild pork, Mac salad, and white rice read more

Guava Smoked - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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An assuming BBQ spot but you won't regret fixing it a chance! We tried out the duck/chicken mixed BBQ plate and then a pork BBQ plate. Both were super flavourful and the meat was still juicy on the inside. The marinade was on the sweet side so be aware of that if you're into more savory dishes. read more

Guava Smoked - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Takeout lunch from Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii... After I read Chris Y.'s review, I just had to get the Salmon Belly plate at Guava Smoked! As you know, guava is a fruit that grows on a tree. If the wood from the guava tree is used in the smoking process, meats turn out with a special, slightly fruity, smokey flavor! Yum! Located on the corner of Republican Street and Kalihi Street, I was happy to find that all four parking stalls in front of the restaurant were open at 10am. I looked at the menu and decided to get a smoked pork burger, a guava bar (dessert), and a smoked salmon plate which comes with two scoops of hapa (half brown and half white) rice and Nalo greens or macaroni salad. As I drove home, the smokey fragrance was torturing me! I started with the smoked pork burger - tender, juicy, and slightly crisp from the koge (charred) bun! It came with slivers of onion, a slice of tomato, fresh greens and a creamy sauce! Yep! The guava bar was ok - it seemed like it was like a layer of guava jam between two crusts. The smoked salmon belly pieces were delicious! Paired with hapa rice, the bellies were wow! They had a hint of sweetness and were soft and not dry! I liked the dining area - it would be nice to return with some friends and try other things like the Smoked butterfish and pork! read more

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Throughout my married life, I've been happily preparing Holiday feasts for our extended families and us. Annually, we've enjoyed the Holiday Season with family, alternating entertaining between Hawai'i and California. To me, our celebrations have been a fun experience instead of a challenge to organize, cook, bake, and serve traditional American Holiday food items ranging from gourmet extravagance to simple local-style family and ethnic preparations for 12 adults. However, during the past decade, our extended family has increased by an additional nine mouths. Most of the additions range in age from pre-teen to infant, so I've changed my menu planning to reflect more simple or basic instead of complex or exotic flavors and food items while we adults seem to age gracefully. For the first time in decades, I've been hunting for pre-made Thanksgiving Day feasts from local hotels and restaurants. These pre-made feasts are time savers, tasty, and can be used to add to the entrees and sides that I'd prepare. I heard about Guava Smoked's cold smoked whole turkeys that will not only reduce some of my cooking stress but also storage and oven space while I can focus on another entree, sides, and desserts. Besides, since 2012, I've eaten several Guava Smoked meat plates from either Farmers' Market stalls or this location. I remembered how their smoked meats (fish, pork, chicken, duck, and beef) were always succulent, tender, and flavorful from their cold smoking method using strawberry guava wood or waiawī. Having tasted their smoked meats, I assumed that their smoked turkey would be as tasty and succulent, so we headed to this location to place an order for their turkey. While en route to place our order, we contacted a couple of relatives and mentioned picking up lunch plates to share. They've never tried Guava Smoked, so we were happy they could join us for lunch takeout. -FOOD: All plate lunches came with two scoops of hapa rice or a mix of white and brown) with one side of Mac Salad, Kahumana Greens with creamy vinaigrette, or Kim Chee. - Smoked Mixed Plate: my husband chose the combination of smoked pork and salmon bellies. He claimed he got the "best of two worlds" since the fish and pork were imbued with the strawberry guava wood flavors. The omega-3-rich salmon bellies were melt-in-your-mouth tender, and its sweet-smokiness was like eating "salmon candy." He offered me a taste of the smoked salmon belly, but because I've eaten it before and refused his offer, I noticed him hoard over his plate lunch. $19.58 -Smoked Chicken Plate: choice of thigh or drumstick. My relative chose the thigh as it was juicy and moist and close to what we'd expect a smoked turkey would taste. As she ate her plate lunch, she agreed that getting a whole smoked turkey would be a wise decision. $15.28 -Smoked Potk Plate: our other relative chose the mild-flavored instead of spicy pork plate lunch. The thick-cut slices of smoked pork showed their pink smoke ring and a bit of charring. We agreed the smoked pork was excellent.$16.24 -Smoked Pork Bowl: I chose the smoked pork bowl because I wasn't looking for a large meal like a plate lunch. The bowl came with one scoop of hapa rice and was served in a paper food tray, but I plated my dish into a ceramic bowl and added sprinkles of furikake. The savory furikake mixed well with the hapa rice and enhanced the sweet smokiness of the soft and juicy pork pieces. $9.55 After tasting the generously portioned plate lunches, our relatives agreed that our decision to get a smoked whole turkey would be a time-saver and a taste hit at our celebration. We'd return again for Guava Smoked duck, kalbi short ribs, or butterfish (black cod) collars. read more

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The meat tasted old unless I don't know anything about smoked pork and the texture was stranger. Very tough. Unfortunate. First time was better read more

Stoked on Guava Smoked Meat lovers: do yourself a favor and truck on down to Guava Smoked. This is the Kalihi location on Republican Street, makai side of Nimitz. There are 4 parking stalls in front, if you're lucky enough to snag one. I had first seen and savored Guava Smoked at Farmers' Market. When they opened store fronts, I knew I'd better get there. Luckily, my better half brought home the Smoked Beef Stew, which is available Sunday-Tuesday and Friday. It was just delicious!!! Had me dreaming about a return visit! On next visit, ordered Smoked Salmon Bellies, on recommendation of the friendly staffer. It's another winner, Maybe I'll get the Smoked Mixed Plate on next visit so I can try more menu items. Plate lunches include 2 scoops hapa rice and one side: mac salad, Kahumana greens, or kim chee. Such a delectable deal! Just can't rave enough about this place. Go now! read more

Guava Smoked - Menu 12.21.2022 - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Very neat and modern interior. There's good table and chair seating. Ample walkway. Menus are large and up on the wall near the counter. Interesting decor and trophies on display. There's about 4 parking spots right in front of the restaurant. The cashier was kind and explained their menu items. He also cut up our grilled meat requests. Their credit card scanner is propped right onto the back of the register unlike most displays. read more

My friends and I came here soon after landing in Hawaii. It was around lunch time, maybe a little earlier than typical lunch. It wasn't crowded at all and we were able to order at the counter right away. Food: I ordered the vegetarian falafel burger that was good. It was a good size so I ate about half of it. Two of my friends tried their smoked duck which they both loved. It's only available on certain days. Another friend had the pork burger and thought it was good. Service: Ordering was super easy at the counter. The food came out quickly as well. Since it wasn't busy, we were able to find a table to eat at quickly. TL;DR - great place for lunch and off the beaten typical tourist spots read more

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Good meat, we ordered smoked chicken and pork. It was not overpowering. The flavor is good. The rice was mushy. The sit down area was nice and clean. The cashier was friendly. He explained to us the menu and helped us with the order. read more

Guava Smoked - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I got the loco moco and it was BUSSIN. Highly recommend this place. Service was really good too. read more

Guava Smoked - Loco moco - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I've been a few times. Today was lame 2 scoop fried rice toss salad spicy pork and 1 mofo chicken leg with drink and tip 28 bucks.

Great plate lunch spot for the local crowd, and while we rolled in at the end of lunch service, there were exactly enough butterfish collars for a half-order along with beef stew. The fish collars had a lot of flavorful jammy nuggets of meat and skin, but folks who are put off by fishy flavors might not want more than one of these. I believe a half-order still came with about 3-4 collars. We tried our friend's chicken as well and it was a juicy & smoky leg piece. There are a few tables inside and about three parking spots right outside. We were stuffed and didn't have room for their homemade desserts, but next time! read more

I had been to their location in Kapahulu several times, but this was my first time at their Kalihi location. My husband and I happened to be in the area and we were happy to see that they had a location here. It's definitely a lot smaller than their Kapahulu location. It's literally a hole-in-the-wall with just a few tables inside and a few parking spaces right outside of their eatery. The food is consistent with their Kapahulu location. They serve one of the best smoked meats you'll ever find on the island! Since we weren't too hungry for lunch, my husband and I ended up getting bowls instead of plates. Their bowls come with one scoop of rice and your choice of meat. I got the Kalbi Short Ribs bowl for $9.07 and I added fried rice for .96 cents. The meat just falls off the bone - it's so tender! And their fried rice is one of the best on the island. My husband got the Smoked Pork bowl for $7.16. The service was good and the food came out lightning fast! Basically you order at the cashier and sit at a table (or take out). If you're in the area, this place is a must! read more

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The food looked really good when they were on Cheap Eats so I added them in my Bookmarks on Yelp. Finally got to try their food. I ordered the Smoked Chicken (Thighs/Drumsticks) that comes with hapa rice and either mac salad, toss greens with a creamy vinaigrette dressing or kim chee...I chose the toss. I was informed that the thighs/drumsticks were sold out and they only had the boneless chicken thighs left. Ohhhh noooooooo! I saw those ono-looking pics posted on Yelp and was so disappointed but I sadly agreed to try the boneless chicken. They cut the thighs into strips...it was kind of dry BUT it was tasty. I also enjoyed their salad dressing! I will try coming back but maybe before the lunch rush so I can get to try the bone-in chicken OR maybe they should prepare more since I ordered my food about 1:30 pm and they're open till 8 pm. My husband loves beef stew so he ordered the Smoked Beef Stew. He said it was okay but couldn't taste the smokey flavor, there were small pieces of meat and only 1 small piece of potato and carrot and to much gravy that was too thick. He enjoyed the dressing with the toss salad and some of my chicken. Said he wouldn't order the stew again. I did try it and didn't care for it too. read more

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Fun fact: you can purchase a smoked turkey on the website! - A bit hidden in a shopping plaza, there is ample parking in the lot and more options on the side streets. Guava Smoked is on the top floor and features multiple seating options. You order at the front, and grab your own table. Mmmm mmm bbq in a different form - smoked! They've got smoked pork, burgers, kalbi ribs, duck, turkey tails, chicken thighs, chicken legs. Branches from the strawberry guava tree which imparts a slightly sweet flavor, are gathered along the ridges of Hawaii Loa to St. Louis & are often used to smoke meats here. The meats are smoked 4-5 hours. This is done local where they marinate the meat, and cold-smoke it -- it's not cooked all the way through -- and is finished off in the oven or grill. Summary: this is a very rare find of a place ! I got the duck, chicken, and Mac salad combo. The chicken was very good, smoked yet tender. The duck skin was great, though the meat itself was a bit gamey for my taste. They were out of the kalbi, which was my number one choice so was a bit bummed but overall - you can tell they put a lot of heart and soul into this place. Finished off with two scoops of rice and Mac salad, and I was in heaven. read more

Guava Smoked - Combo duck and chicken Smoked Mixed Plate Lunch - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

When I was visiting Honolulu, my wife mentioned that she loved butterfish, which is commonly used in Hawaiian cuisine, but not as often utilized in other cuisines. I decided to eat at this restaurant for lunch, given its unique nature of smoking its food in guava wood to increase aroma. At the suggestion of the person at the counter, we ordered a combination platter, and got a smoked butterfish and a smoked loco moco. We asked for kimchi as the side dish. The butterfish was pretty good, and had a nice smoky flavor. The loco moco was also special in that regard, and the gravy had a unique sweet yet savory flavor to it. I loved the gravy on the rice and the beef. The beef patty was good, but the smoky flavor in a hamburger patty was definitely an acquired taste. read more

Guava Smoked - Loco moco and smoked butter fish combo - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came in near closing time, and got some smoke butterfish collars, with fried rice . First time I tried them. The smoke on the meat is sweet, I don't know how they make it but it's very good. Very accommodating staff, and plenty of seating. read more

Guava Smoked - Smoked Butterfish Collars Bowl, and fried rice. - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We saw Guava Smoked being top rated nearby while we were in Kalihi stocking up items to bring back home. We ordered online and got the chicken and spicy pork. I understand the method of cooking was by smoking, sorry to say but the chicken was hella dry. All the moisture and juice was sucked out of the poor bird, see the inside in photo. It didn't help that it was also salty, I wasn't gonna eat rice but because of the saltiness, you gotta have to. I can't say the same for the pork because it wasn't my mine to eat. The guys weren't the friendliest too. No greetings, not even a thank you or good bye. I don't know what's up with this place. I'm hoping we just caught them on a bad day. read more

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A friend of mine mentioned Guava Smoked as a place to check out for good eats. At first, I thought he meant the newer Kapahulu location. But he meant the original on Republican St. A bit out of my way and always a difficult area to find parking - I decided to try this eatery out on a whim. When I hear smoked meat, automatically think Kiawe wood smoked pork, beef, etc. But Strawberry Guava Wood...ok. Well, it works just as well. Requested their Smoked Pork Plate - they only had spicy - and it was delicious. Not too spicy just like the person who helped me with my order said. Right portion size and good side of local-style Kim Chi. Gotta try their duck plate but it is only available on certain days. There are three stalls in front and a small dining area. read more

Guava Smoked - Menu Board. - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We came here years ago back when they were in the beginning stages of their business. It's awesome that they've expanded and have another location now. Food was always great and their OG location in Kalihi still looks the same. I love that there's now lots of parking across the street. Smoked salmon belly is our go to pick along with the fried rice and guava bars. Service is top notch. The guys working there are very kind and helpful when ordering. Glad to see this business is thriving! read more

Highly recommend! Especially for party platters! I ordered a small pan of Chicken Thighs and a small pan of fried rice for my work Christmas party and was the only dishes that didn't have leftovers. Not saying the serving size was small by any means. These platters were loaded! Everyone was stoked. I used to come here quite often when I worked in Kalihi (9-10 years ago) and I'm happy to say nothing changed. The food is still awesome and they didn't get stingy with the portions over the years like other places. If you're ever in Kalihi looking for good eats, definitely check out Guava Smoked! Kanak Attack Warning: Consumption may cause drowsiness. read more

Guava Smoked - Small Pan Boneless Chicken Thighs - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Their Fried Rice is killer! It's called Smoked Fried Rice, but not sure if the fried rice is smoked or just the pork and chicken in it. read more

Guava Smoked - The Smoked Fried Rice. - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is another one of my family's ordering take-out spots. My family and I love their pupu platters and mixed plates. I've tried almost all the items on their menu, but my favorites are the smoked butterfish, kalbi, chicken, and kimchi. I always order one pound of kimchi every time I order there. They are delicious! Their pupu platters are also convenient as my family can save whatever we don't finish from lunch for dinner (we prefer the 16-inch one). I usually order the platters one hour in advance before picking them up. The staff here are nice and friendly, although they are always busy. There are some parking spaces in the front of the restaurant. read more

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The beef stew was really really bad. Unfortunate because I've tried to come and get it a few times but always missed the days. Vegetables tasted funky and the quality of beef is horrible, fat in every bite read more

Guava Smoked - the beef stew was inedible - Barbeque Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii