I was jonesing for comfort food - a Hawaiian-style plate lunch. While contemplating the drive down to Lynnwood I entered my craving into Yelp and came up with Hawaiian Sun. Not to be confused with the canned juices of the same name, Hawaiian Sun is an authentic Hawaiian fast food restaurant tucked into the International Market (strip mall) just past the Everett Mall, next to Target. I hesitated for a second before walking in - there's Thai, Polish, and a handful of other "international" restaurants in the same location, all boasting authentic-looking signs and menus. I was here to sate my Hawaiian craving, however, so I continued forth. My default plate lunch tends to be tonkatsu (breaded fried pork cutlet) but I decided to take the tip from the guy behind the counter and ordered the Hawaiian Sun specialty: mochiko chicken, spicy (being assured that the spicy was "not that spicy). As I waited for my lunch I took in the restaurant - Hawaiian Sun definitely feels very authentic inside, with touches of Hawaii to make one miss their hometown: Warrior football paraphernalia, Hawaiian music playing, and big, hand-written menus behind the counter for party size orders of mochiko chicken and other menu items. My mochiko chicken came out and I took it back to my office to devour. I can describe thus: it's like Hawaiian bbq wings, sans the super-spice and adding breading and extra sweetness. Crispy, with a good amount of meat on the chicken pieces and a sweetness that was truly only slightly spicy. There was extra dipping sauce but I found that it wasn't necessary - the chicken had a lot of flavor already. My sides were typical plate lunch sides - two scoops of white rice and a container of mac salad that possessed my allotment of mayonnaise for the year. I'd go so far as to say Hawaiian Sun is broke da mouth good, and I'm thrilled it's in Everett. You can bet that it'll be on my lunch rotation whenever I'm in town and I'll be telling all my Seattle friends to venture up to try the mochiko chicken. read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

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We love this place! it's close to work and home, price is reasonable and for some reason, we often crave for Hawaiian food every now and then and this is our place. read more

The distribution of Hawaiian food places is a bit uneven. Probably five or six places in Seattle, yet there are four in Everett! Which is kind of a lot. And most of the ones in Seattle are of the sitdown sort. I am still waiting for a Hawaiian place on the Eastside. And Renton does not count! Most Hawaiian plate lunch shops have an order upfront setup. The one encountered at Hawaiian Sun is that it is an either or. You could order at the counter or if you are dining, there is table service. But it really looks more of a place you would find in the U-District, then say in Bellevue. They have a catering menu board, but not for their menu. They should probably put one up for customers doing takeout. The exterior is rather plain. It is located in a strip mall near Everett Mall. I would call this mall very ethnic as many restaurants of different cuisines reside here. The interior is casual. The roof is adorned with some fruit arrangements like the Chiquita woman might wear on her hat, while there are several Asian decorations like a Maneki Neko. The menu is standard Hawaiian plate lunch fare. Saimin is even offered here. I went for the #20 which is a choose two combo ($8.25) from 16 selections of seafood, chicken, beef and pork. I decided to get the mochiko chicken and short ribs. The portion sizes are good. There were about two decent size short ribs and four pieces of mochiko chicken on a bed of cabbage, two scoops of rice and mac salad. The big winner of this dish was the mochiko chicken. This is much better than the rendition I recently had at Wabi Sabi. It is fried goodness. There is a dipping sauce to accompany, but I thought it did not need it. Short ribs were okay, but too fatty. I think it would have been better to trim off some of the fat at the end. Overall, I liked Hawaiian Sun. It is a bit of a distance from Bellevue though. I really would like to see someone have the sense to open a Hawaiian place on the Eastside. It is not that much different from a teriyaki joint really. read more

I love their Spicy Mochiko Chicken! I've been here many times and for some reason i always forget to write a review. We went to Bobby's last week and seriously this place is not only cheaper but the food is 100x better. Back in the days Bobby's was da bomb, but now it all just taste like they opened up a jar of Yoshida sauce & dumped it on their meats or just plain brown gravy on their Loco Moco. I like a restaurant that actually will take the time to make their own seasoning and of course gravy sauce. Hawaiian Sun is way cheap for a huge dinner portion. I usually order their Spicy Mochiko Chicken with their short ribs. The service is really fast and the service is very friendly. Its not a fancy place, but i'm not expecting it for their inexpensive menu. I really like their macaroni salad a lot and the sauce they give you for your mochiko really compliments the dish. I will always go to this place if i have craving for Hawaiian food. read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Short ribs & mochiko chicken - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

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Haven't updated this place in a while, this is by far the GOLD standard for Local Grinds....minus the Lau Lau, to me if you are not eating Lau Lau at a Luau on the islands or your Auntie's place, forget about it.... I actually wasn't too hungry the last time we visited, I know, "oh da shock", so I opted for a cheeseburger and fries....broke da mouf ohno! Outstanding fries, nice cheap burger but with lots of stuff on it, nothing to complain about that! I have but few GOLD standards in life, and yup, this place is one of them!! read more

Coming from Maui there always those homesick days. Nothing brings me back home like the local hawaiian from hawaiian sun. The combo plates are da bomb giving you a chance to try all the good stuff. The seating in the whole place is about 28 and the staff bring the aloha with your meal. Don't forget they have take out and catering read more

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I am a regular here. The cook guy in the back is very nice. But his wife comes off as racist and rude. I came in one day and an old man asked if I was eating there or to go. I said here out loud. He said, "take a seat!" A lady took over at the register I ordered 2 spam musubi to eat there. I was joking around saying, "Yea the usual." But she ignored it and just said, "Extra 50 cents charge because it's under $5." She took 10 minutes, which is normal. Though I sat there for 10 minutes and wasn't even asked if I wanted water or anything. She came with my musubis in a brown lunch bag... Not even a plate. I started eating, and still no water. A white old customer came in and she greeted him right away and brought water to his table. She glanced at me..... I still did not have water. I left feeling disappointed because this is usually where I go for lunch when I work. The next time I come in I will always order to go. read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Ordered spam musubi to eat here. & My food came in this bag, not even a plate. I ate without water. Smh - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

Thank you yelp for another great find in our backyard. A bit hidden off the main drag and is quite the hole in the wall with limited seating but WOW is this place popular for the dinner rush with quite the revolving door for carry out orders while we dined in. Wide selection of entrees, super affordable, the portions were very generous and the spam musubi was delicious! read more

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Seems to me a fine rendering of many of the dishes you find at area Teriyaki restaurants. I had the Seafood BBQ plate with short ribs for lunch. The shrimp and fish were perfectly deep fried. Short ribs BBQ sauce really just tasted like teriyaki. I didn't really like the macaroni salad. read more

Customers come from near & far, to eat here! Really! My friend came from West Seattle & suggested we eat here. This other gentleman I talked to said that he comes from Redmond, to eat in Everett....what.....?! Great service! Yummy food! read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Fried Shrimp + Meat Jun - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

Sorry to say that my visit was not a good one. I had hoped the food would have been better because of all the good reviews, but sadly I was disappointed. Although the service was good, the quality of the food was lacking. From ok to not ok: mac salad, kalbi, mochiko chicken, gau gee, and then the lau lau. The two biggest let downs were the gau gee, dry and no flavor, and the lau lau, was ice cold in the middle and the tea leaves were way too mushy (prob from freezing and then heating up at least once). I'm no expert, but I was lucky enough to have lived near two Hawaiian joints that served similar food, but was much better in overall quality. Service is fine, portions are good, price is right, but for me, it really fell short of what I am accustomed to in the taste and quality dept. read more

Recommended by D.J.Y., I've been wanting to check the place out since... well, since he reviewed it Ages Ago. I'm glad they're still there... and I'm not surprised. I loved the combo options on the menu, the spam musubi, the loco moco (which I cannot get around not having when we're talking Hawaiian), and probably the best mochiko chicken I've had. Yum! I'm glad that even the BIL liked his order. The server was very friendly, and, during a random conversation, she gave us some tips on getting tickets to Honolulu. Haha. For those that are tide conscious, they seem to have the TV set to tracking the tides on the islands. I would definitely love to go back. read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Hawaiian Sun Combo: loco moco and spicy mochiko chicken - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

The restaurant is an actual dine in sit down situation. There is a waitress taking orders rather than orders being taken at the register. It is a very quaint and cozy style sit down with roughly 7 tables seating 4 per table. The decor is interesting and captures elements of Chinese and Hawaiian both modern and dated. The waitress is nice but stern in her demeanor almost exhibiting a sense of unfriendliness at times. After speaking with her and telling her how wonderful the smells of the food is, she loosens up and smiles. We ordered the mochiko chicken, BBQ beef, spam fried rice and chicken katsu, alongside an appetizer of crispy Gau Gee. The highlight of my meal was definitely the GauGee! It was so tasty and reminded me of a meal I had in Hawaii. The fried rice was too Chinese style with the peas and carrots but it wast bad. My friend says his mochiko chicken was on the salty side and would have preferred to have the sauce cooked with the breaded chicken instead of a dip sauce. My other friend did enjoy his BBQ beef and burger. We tried all four cakes offered on the menu; haupia, rainbow, quava, and chantilly. It was flavorful but quite sweet and a little to dry for my palate. Overall, the place has ample parking and located in a nice part of town. The music playing was eighty's but Hawaiian would have added a better ambiance to the place. It wasn't a bad experience and I'm hoping you foodies give it a try read more

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We love this place! So quick and close to home! Teri Beef Burgers are the reason I go to this place! Reminds me of home :)

I'm from Hawaii so its always good going to this restaurant. The service is super friendly and can easily relate b/c they're from Hawaii too. Aunty always says Hi to me and talks story little while. I recommend their Spicy Mochiko Chicken. Thats all I get EVERYTIME. Its mean. And the prices are really good. read more

What a great alternative to every other teriyaki spot in the PNW. Such a great flavor profile and amazing sauce. I'll be coming back here over and over again. The atmosphere reminds me of an island shop. I think I'm in love with it. read more

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My daughter looked this place up and asked if we could go. We made the trek and then had to wait a bit to get a table as it is very small - but it was well worth the wait. Felt like I was back in Makaha surrounded by the Hawaii to Seattle transplants and amazing food. We will definitely be back. read more

Ok it pains me to leave bad reviews. I know that most restaurants are people trying hard to make a living a driver quality food. But this place is gnarly. I can't believe the good reviews here. We love Hawaiian food. This place needs a lot of work. First, the place is dingy. And not in a hip dive kind of way. In a neglected needs to be cleaned kind of way. The bathroom was gross. The carpet was stained and just super gnarly. The tables were dirty. The food was honestly not that good. The spam musubi gets a pass. The oxtail soup tasted like pho which is not what I would have expected, and the oxtail cuts put into the soup were fattier than even I would expect for oxtail. Like 95% fat 5% muscle. The fried rice was super salty yet at the same time devoid of any flavor - perhaps because the salt overtook everything. The wonton soup siamin also was a little too salty, and tasted vaguely of pho. The kalbi was tender but again way too salty. I think there was MSG in the food too - but I couldn't quite put my finger on that. This place looks like it's owned by a Vietnamese family, and I respect they are probably trying to put out a good product. But the restaurant is dirty and the food is just not hitting the mark. We will not be back. read more

Sooo good. I am not really sure what they put on their chicken when frying it up, but it creates a super light crisp skin encasing juicy chicken bites. I believe that this is the fried chicken all other fried chicken aspires to be. The loco moco was delish too! Everything - egg, hamburger patty, & gravy - was all well crafted and seasoned judiciously. Mac salad was alright, I thought it was a little bland so I ate it with the gravy...which automatically makes everything tasty. Staff was really nice and attentive and very helpful with suggestions - but really, all you will want is the mochiko chicken. read more

My boyfriend and I are from Hawaii and after a year and some months we haven't been craving local food, because we have this place to turn to! The menu selection is great as there's a variety of local food for a great price! I think some items are cheaper than you can get back home too... SCORE! We ordered the meat jun and the garlic mochiko chicken. The meat jun was good to have just because it's a Hawaiian/Korean dish that is not a traditional Korean food, so you HAVE to go to a Hawaiian influenced place to get it. The slices of meat were a little small, but they gave a lot. The garlic mochiko chicken was soooo delicious! It was fried more than mochiko chicken usually is but the sauce is AMAZING! They also have a spicy version which is also good, but I prefer the garlic. Service is also great as the waitress was really friendly and attentive. read more

Definitely not authentic Hawaiian food. Don't recommend it! Save your taste buds, money, and time. Service was horrible, and food came out gross. read more

My wife and I are always lookin for a good place for some local food, and Hawaiian Sun BBQ definitely fits the bill! Came here for the first time last Saturday and will add this joint to our "regulars" list. It's a smaller establishment with some nice Hawiian decor and charming feel. The menus is pretty extensive and they offer catering as well on most all their dishes. The prices are very reasonable and the serving sizes are well proportioned. I ordered the Hawaiian Sun Combo and chose; mochiko chicken + chicken katsu. The katsu was fried nicely and the pieces of chicken were tender. The mochiko chicken was very tasty and the sauce that it came with added a nice hint sweetness/garlic. My wife had the bbq combo which had short ribs and chicken- both of which were cooked well and very flavorful and tender. She also had spam musubi which was very tasty! good food + good service = happy (repeat) consumer. read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - chicken katsu + mochiko chicken combo - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

It's cheap, clean and cozy, and the workers are very friendly! I got the Mochiko Chicken which is totally hyped here but definitely deserves it. It's crispy and juicy like fried chicken should be! The macaroni salad didn't impress me with its taste but I did like how it was very creamy. My friend ordered catering from here for his birthday and they gave him very large helpings. He ordered chicken katsu and fried rice which were all delicious. The chicken katsu came with its own sauce that reminded me of ketchup with its sweetness but went with the katsu really well. You must try this place is you want to enjoy a nice and cheap meal! read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Mini Mochiko Chicken. - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

First off the staff - excellent - informative - and knowledgeable on Hawaiian cuisine not to mention the 5 table visits to confirm all was well - non stop water refills, excellent. The food - interesting my first Hawaiian experience - my GF was complimentary and enjoyed her meal - I found the taste maybe not 100% my choice however it was not due to the food - more that I was unfamiliar with it. Give it a try if you are looking for Hawaiian. read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Dinner Time !! - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

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What an amazing hole in the wall. The place doesn't look like much from the outside or the inside but it's a house of great food. We had the BBQ combo, the meat was juicy, full of flavor, like an atomic bomb of flavor and the portions were large enough to make a big guy like me full. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Found this little hole in the wall restaurant on Yelp and decided to give it a try. I was excited to see that they had two of my favorite dishes, meat jun and crispy gau gee, on the menu so I decided to get that. The gau gee came out first and for the most part was REALLY good. It was hot and crunchy with a nice flavor. The one small drawback was that the sweet and sour sauce I got with it was a little runny. With that said, it was still very good. Soon after my meat jun arrived. Nice portion and good taste. The sauce was a little on the salty side but the rice and mac salad balanced it out well hehe. Overall, service is promptly and courteous. Food comes out fast without sacrificing quality. I'm very pleased with my visit and look forward to coming back! read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

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My ABSOLUTE favorite place in the north (Everett, Lynnwood) for Hawaiian food. I've been going here for over ten years. I always am torn between loco mono or the chicken katsu-- so I get both as they have an option to get combos where you get to pick two items. They have the best katsu sauce around in my opinion. It's lighter, sweeter, just all around delicious. The staff is always super attentive and friendly and the food comes out quick. I once waited around the area for an hour for them I open (aka sat in my car in front like a creep) because this is how good they are. Definitely a must try when you're in the area! read more

Sadly the more recent reviews on this place are correct. It definitely feels run down and the quality of the food has definitely gone down hill as well. The service was friendly and sufficient. However, the food is barely edible. I had the beef short ribs; they use poor cuts/quality of meat so that it is filled with lots chunks of fat instead of being marbleized throughout. The rice tasted old and dry, as if it had been steamed days before and poor quality rice had been used. I've never had such dry plastic-y rice before!! The back hall and bathroom are plain disgusting. Lots of stains everywhere and poorly maintained. Much overdue for an overhaul and renovation. I'm scared to imagine what the kitchen looks like. Sadly, I wouldn't return to this place. read more

Friends know I enjoy good food no matter where I travel, so when this place was brought to my attention as being "as good as home", I had to give it a try. First I need to point out the impeccable service we received; it was a Friday evening and we'd just left from a long grueling day at Evergreen Speedway. I wasn't even sure they'd have room for 10 of us, but the 30 minute drive was worth the chance. The place was packed, and once I spoke with the girl at the counter of our in bound party, she assured me we'd have a table suitable for our entire team by the time they arrived. She truly accommodated us! Next, the quality of food. If I lived within 30 minutes of this place I'd be here at least twice a week, minimum. Everyones food came out hot, freshly prepared, specific to order, and ONO-LICIOUS! I ordered the mixed plate of loco moco and mochiko chicken; the mochiko chicken was incredible. Not a heavy batter, as it should be... light, crispy, airy, and complementary to the moist flavorful chicken within. I didn't even need garlic sauce or anything... just eat em up lidat!! As for the loco moco, it was spot-on. Most places lose it either in the quality of the meat patty or more so the flavor of the gravy. Hawaiian Sun's gravy was just as good as tutu's made all her life in da kitchen! A place like this here in Torrance or Gardena would knock it outta da park. I hope da locals up in Everett, Washington appreciate the quality of food and service that Hawaiian Sun BBQ serves up, cuz I need to make sure they still around next year when we go back again for Formula Drift! Thank you, Hawaiian Sun BBQ, for your hospitality and Aloha Spirit!! Shooooots!!!!! read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Mixed Plate, mochiko chicken & loco moco, with two scoops rice and Mac salad. So ONO!! - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

From being greeted as we entered to the check, everything was amazing. You cant pick a bad dish. Great food, amazing service. Spam musubi, Mochiko Chicken and Gau gee are enough to fill you and send you home with dinner. read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Mochiko Chicken, and Pork Kutsu with gravey! - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

Sadly, the food here has gone completely downhill. :( We we're regulars here for a few years and always enjoyed the food. But the last couple times we went the food was not just bad, it was practically inedible. Not sure why or how this happened, but we gave it a few more tries and just can't go back anymore. Like many others have said, the Katsu is now paper thin and like eating a piece of tasteless leather. The meats all tasted like they had been pre-fried or pre-grilled and then reheated. Also tasted like old grease. Nothing ordered the last few visits tasted anything like it used to. Very sad to lose an old favorite, but I can not recommend this place the way it is now. read more

I've been here a few times and The service is ok, simple orders that should take less than 15 minutes could take as long as 25 minutes ( during a time that is not busy and you're the only person in the restaurant). The mochiko chicken and spam masubi are my faves read more

Mochiko Chicken with the Garlic Sauce is heaven. A great frying process and that sauce is quite the combo! Also great catering prices and a Kal-bi (short ribs) that sometimes run out cause it's another local favorite. Fried noodles are a underrated hit, reminds me of local plate lunch spots in Hawaii. read more

This place is pretty freaking fantastic! It hits high on all marks; food, service and price! I was looking for a new place to try for dinner tonight, and stumbled upon this jewel. The guy who welcomed us was very nice, sat us and gave us some menus. Looking at the menu, we were both shocked with the prices! You can get a mini order (entree with 1 scoop of rice and 1 scoop of Macaroni salad) for only $5.50. The regular order (entree with 2 scoops rice, 1 scoop Mac salad) is only $7.50. They have a combo plate which is what my husband and I both got. You get your choice of 2 entrees (I chose the Huli Huli chicken, which is like cut up Hawaiian BBQ teriyaki! And also the beef BBQ teriyaki. ONLY $8.95!!!! Really the prices are unbeatable! The good was all fantastic! The Huli Huli chicken was my fave. The flavor was delicious! And no fatty cartilage pieces! That's quality, my friends! The beef was good too, loved their teriyaki sauce. (It differed from the Huli sauce.) The next time I go back I will definitely get the Regular size Huli chicken! It was my favorite, and for $7.50 I guarantee you will never find a better deal! I found myself a new spot! Just wish it was closer to home, if that was the case... It might be dangerous! read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Hawaiian BBQ combo plate; teriyaki beef & Huli Huli chicken. Only $8.95! Delicious! - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

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They're consistent with my usual order - mochiko chicken and fried rice. I also called for a last minute catering order and they were able to do a couple of trays for me within the same day! This was the second time I had to do that since I plan poorly but they were always able to accommodate. Thanks! read more

This place deserves 1 star, but I feel bad since they are a small business. The woman who works at the front has no business in customer service, she is rude and doesn't know how to recommend menu items. The food was no good I put a picture of the loco moco I ordered, thin meat patty and the "house made gravy" tastes like powdered stuff. I recently went to Bobby's which is very close and the food was SIGNIFICANTLY better. For what you pay this place is a bit of a ripoff, as you can see in the pic. The macaroni salad tastes like nothing. It doesn't even taste like mayo and pasta, somehow they made it completely flavorless adding a little salt did not help in the slightest either. read more

Hawaiian Sun B.B.Q - Loco Moco or as I call it "dumpster divings" - Hawaiian Near Me - Everett, Washington

I wanted to try something new and found this place. The woman on the phone taking my phone call hung up on me abruptly after ordering two items. Arrived 30 minutes later and found out that they only made one of the two items ordered. When placing the order again and clarifying our orders, the lady was still abrupt and rude. We waited another 10 minutes for them to make it. Got home and found that they messed up both orders... The Mac salad was bland. The fried rice was dry and tasted old like it was in the fridge for awhile and just reheated, however, the mochiko chicken was juicy at least. Overall, a not great experience due to poor customer service and overpriced food. Will not try again. Go to Kona Kitchen or GoGo Teriyaki instead where they have great, friendly service and food! read more

That was the first time I ever try Hawaiian cuisine. For me was perfect try as I found this quite lil restaurant. Fresh and delicious! Def will come back! I recommend chicken cutlet! read more

Absolutely not! This place may have been something to aspire to at some point previously, but in its current incarnation... It's a hard NO. The picture of the chicken katsu... not even close. 2-mm thin strips of chicken. The chicken was pounded thinner than meat jun slices. The coating was thicker than the chicken. And you only get 2 small pieces with a full order. Meat Jun... Even worse!! How is it possible?! So apparently they decided to cut more cost by putting a 1 sq inch piece of meat in some egg batter and call that meat jun. It comes out as pieces of fried scrambled egg with a piece of meat on top. And it's oily af. 25% of the menu is "We ran out of that." We ordered Kalbi (rubbery and small portions), fried rice (oily), ox tail soup (once again cut corners on the portions... and why is the ginger mixed with shoyu?!) read more

The auntie here is a whole vibe! I always come here when I'm lazy and want my fix of musubi. Thanks for bringing the island flavor here on the mainland! read more