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    Joe's Grill Express

    4.5 (1k reviews)
    Closed 5:30 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Joe's Grill Express Photos

    Business Info

    JOE'S GRILL EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Joe's Grill Express

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    Menu
    Christine M.

    First time here. Friendly service. Seems to have a lot of regulars which is always a good sign. Small dining area but we took our food to go so didn't really matter. Our wait for our food wasn't that bad either, maybe 15-20 mins? Will need to come back and try some other things!

    Garlic shrimp
    Joey L.

    Located near HNL, Joe's Grill Express could be a worthwhile stop if you're in the area and could use a breakfast platter. Any other situation, probably a pass as there are better options further out from the airport. The breakfast and loco moco was tasty but the garlic shrimp was plain and didn't have mich garlic butter.

    Love supporting local businesses and this spot exceeded all expectations. Service was amazing, food was tasty, and everything was reasonably priced. Would definitely go back!

    Joe's Big Breakfast, $5.50
    Jarod H.

    Food is always great at Joe's. A no nonsense breakfast and plate lunch place for the working man (& woman). Service is fast and efficient, as always. The ambiance is no nonsense also. Either take out or dine in. Prices are reasonable and affordable.

    Janice L.

    Amazing service, always a smile and happy fun vibes! Saturday morning after doing labs, so of course we were hangry. We came and it was Busy but we were lucky to score seats just in time for us. No matter how crowded it was still good. We had the Western Omelet and I had the pork links w/over easy and both were w/fried rice, soo good! Had nice hot coffee too. Mahalo Joe's Grill! We'll see you guys again!

    Mini Loco Moco
    Kyra K.

    When the day comes to leave the island, my Dad always requests local food. Living in Oahu, it's something I took for granted but now crave occasionally in California. Knowing this, my unnie Li Y. took us to a local spot near the airport--Joe's Grill Express. This is a very small local joint. Lots of locals and occasional tourists stop in for a quick meal. We came for breakfast on Monday and many customers came in and out. The restaurant is small and can get warm (no AC), a few tables are scattered so it's mostly communal seating. The workers were all so kind, checking in on us and accommodating us! Brittany was so sweet and we had fun talking story with her. Our food came out hot and fast. My Dad, a loco moco lover, had the Mini Loco Moco. Unnie had an omelet and got us Ube French Toast to share. I got the Mini Plate with spam and over-easy eggs. I upgraded to fried rice. Honestly, it tasted how it should. Crispy and savory spam, nice runny eggs, and hearty fried rice. Mini portions are always enough for two meals--I was so full but couldn't finish everything. The Ube French Toast was good, light on the ube, sweet, and moist bread. We enjoyed it all. Joe's Grill Express is a convention place for local food near the airport. I recommend their breakfast food but portions are big! Thanks unnie for treating me, found the items to be affordable. Wouldn't mind coming back when I'm back on the island. Their restaurant is off Nimitz in a small strip mall. Parking available in the shared plaza lot.

    Loco moco with scrambled eggs- fried rice
    Sandy L.

    Wow! This is a whole in the wall restaurant. Must try if you're near the airport. Only has 4 tables so might need to eat in the car but the food and service are superb! Paid $2 to upgrade to fried rice and it was worth it. Their patties are homemade. Has homemade desserts that you can buy as well.

    Menu
    Michael M.

    Who woulda thunk that great food is in an airport industrial area? I was headed to the gas station near the car rental return, having ended a short business trip on Oahu. On the way there, I decided to take a spin in the Airport Commercial Center where one of my all-time favorite restaurants once stood. Joe's Grill Express piqued my interest, so I went inside. So many choices! I was torn, but luckily you can get a combo plate and choose two dishes from a list. The desserts looked yummy, but I couldn't inhale all of that before returning my car and getting to my gate. Opted for the chicken cutlets (yummy brown gravy!) and furikake chicken. Generous portions, friendly family-owned business. The food is extra delicious when you support local. They open early, so they close early. A few tables and chairs inside, but don't expect to bring a big group here. Clean, delicious, friendly and simple.

    Ray B.

    I've been hearing about Joe's Grill for a while so it was a must stop while I was in the area. It's located off Nimitz close to the airport. Plenty of parking in a small strip mall location. The menu is extensive. They offer daily specials and tons of local and international options. I was here for some breakfast. It's just a small business with a few tables. Take out is what I was here for. Staff were super friendly and helped make some suggestions. I ordered the bangus special. Fried milkfish with eggs and garlic rice. The fish was crispy and flavorful. The rice and egg complimented the Filipino breakfast. Quite the filling breakfast. Prices were affordable and portion was generous. I'll definitely be back to try other food items. Thank you Joe's.

    Shrimp, bacon, mushroom, omelette with garlic fried rice
    Chaunda R.

    First time trying this spot. Friendly staff, tasty food, and local diving show while eating. Mahalo for adding a good start to our day.

    Steak and garlic shrimp
    Todd M.

    Went here for lunch. Got the shrimp and steak plate. The shrimp was ok. The steak was soft and cooked decent. The Mac salad just a tad on the runny side. But all in all it was a good plate lunch. The prices are right on the cusp of being expensive but what isn't. I would come back again...and when I do I'm getting the hamburger steak!

    Breakfast plate
    Vince I.

    Joe's Grill Express is easily the best spot for breakfast near HNL airport if you want authentic local flavors and a welcoming, low-key vibe. The place is compact but bright, and there's always parking--a huge win so close to the airport. Even when it gets a steady flow of regulars, there's rarely a wait for a table or takeout, which is perfect if you're on a timeline before a flight. The menu is packed with Hawaiian plate breakfast favorites--think ube French toast, loco moco with homemade gravy, and killer adobo fried rice. Recent standouts for me were the coconut macadamia pancakes and their signature Joe Moco, which hit the spot with tender beef, rice, eggs, and savory gravy. Portions are basically "island sized" and come out piping hot, never greasy, and always full of flavor. Service here is fast, friendly, and personal--lots of aloha, and the staff genuinely make you feel at home. Food comes out faster than expected, and even if the dining area is mellow, there's zero rush. Prices are more than fair considering the quality and generous serving. If you want a quick, delicious breakfast with local flair before or after the airport, you really can't go wrong with Joe's Grill Express! Highly recommend the adobo omelette or any of their daily specials if you want to try something unique.

    Veggie omelette
    Silvino C.

    Delicious local-style breakfast by Nimitz, huge portions, fast and super friendly service

    Close up! Thursday June 19, 2025

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    16 days ago

    This place is small and awesome. Had the moco loco and the Gf had linganisa and rice. Great food and good price

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    2 months ago

    Stopped in before leaving for the mainland. Staff is always friendly and smiling. Husband loves the longanisa. Food is always yummy!!!!

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    Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum

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    4 months ago

    Just landed in Honolulu and was starving. This place is close to the airport, cheap, and good. Enjoyed it.

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    Page 1 of 27

    Joe's Grill Express Reviews in Other Languages

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    Although the menu is a bit limited and ranging from almost 25 bucks for fish and d chips to almost…read more40 for a little steak, this place has always been a treat to stop in just for the usually excellent service and the fresh quality of all presentation. So, when a hair was found in my daughters cheesecake it was a bit shocking! The waiter recognized the grotesque error in production and immediately ask is she wolike another slice. She agreed and was presented with the hair free 8.50 version. It is common practice to not only provide the option of replacing the product for the customer but to remove the charge for the hair laced food from the bill. This action not only expresses the restaurants remorse but signifies their desire to keep you as a returning customer. Unfortunately this did not occur nor was any Kama' Aina discount applied (resident discount). Curious to know if the assumption that we, African Americans, are not aware of the rights a d wrongs in the service industry. Nonetheless, as a travel provider for tourists here in Hawaii, I will not longer recommend or refer tourists to Nico's pier 38 from this day forward. So sad. I expected more from this Honolulu establishment.

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    A friend of mine posted food from here on his story and it looked so good I had to ask where it was…read morefrom so I could try it for myself. Location: Kitchen Deja Vu is located inside the Blue Tropix Bar & Grill, which just so happens to be right across the Chili's from Pearlridge Center. Parking: Plenty! You can park anywhere in the Pearlridge Center parking lot Food: We ordered 5 items 1) pan fried pork cheese buns: 10/10 - pillowy soft bread expertly soaks up all the juices from the pork filling, perfectly pan fried bottom adds a bit of crunchy texture, pork filling was seasoned well and there was a decent amount of cheese inside as well (it was giving pizza flavor vibes), supposedly "spicy" but it wasn't too bad at all so this would be good even for those with a low spice tolerance 2) pulehu style short ribs: 10/10 - incredible smoked and grilled flavor, cooked and seasoned to perfection! They're not stingy either, nice portion size and a hearty amount of meat on each short rib too 3) big shrimp potstickers: 11/10 - succulent pork & shrimp filling filled to the brim of wrapper! Very on brand because these buggahs was massive and sooo tasty! Classic potsticker taste and there's a whole shrimp in there too, paired with their shoyu vinegar (I think) sauce and wooo this one was winnnahz ‍ 4) charsui udon: 10/10 - nice & chewy udon noodles and absolutely loaded with charsui and veggies that were so wonderfully stir fried allowing them to soften just a little but remain crispy, adding another layer of texture to the dish and ensuring you get a nice little crunch in every bite! 5) kau yuk (caramelized pork belly): 10/10 - big chunks of sweet & savory pork belly, but not as sweet as the name would have you think. It's actually perfectly balanced, you can definitely taste some authentic asian spices going on in there, and the meat was nice and tender Service: 11/10 We ordered take out but you can absolutely dine in if you wanted to, plenty of booths and/or tables to choose from. But I did wanna mention that we were lucky enough to meet Charlie, the owner! Really nice guy, after we gave him our order, our server Kyle took such good care of us. Checked in on us multiple times & offered to get us some water while waiting for our food. Overall: 10/10 Food was delicious, the chefs obviously know what's good, hats off to them! First time trying this place out and it didn't disappoint and love that you can also order directly from your phone through all major food delivery apps or you can even text your order in, how convenient!

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    Moku Kitchen - banh mi fish sandwich + fries

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    Although created in 1944 by Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron in Oakland, California, the Mai Tai became…read moresynonymous with Hawaii because Trader Vic brought the drink to Honolulu in 1953 to develop the bar program for the Matson Line Hotels, including the Royal Hawaiian. Sheryl M., my waifu, told me I had to get he Mai Tai because that's what everybody loved getting at Moku's. Other sips we had: $8 Deschutes Black Butte, $9 Monkeypod Mai Tai, $14 No Kai Oi, $14 Bartender's Special, $8 Hop Island Beer, $7 Housemade Ginger Beer, $14 Pear Pressure, $14 Wahine Noho Mauna. $88 before tax. All drinks were amazing and the service was wonderful. They remembered Sheryl M. so this tells me this is the kind of place that takes time and effort to get to know their patrons. Five stars! I would have loved to try their food but we were having dinner afterwards.

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    Joe's Grill Express - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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