A classic no frills burger joint located in London near Carnaby street. It was easy in and out with a simplistic menu. If your looking for a cheap eat this spot will work. Sometimes you stumble upon places based on sheer starvation and not wanting to take another step. That was me today. Given all of the places I have bookmarked on Yelp I normally wouldn't just wander into the unknown but when you've been shopping and sight seeing until your feet can't go anymore, you'll end up like me just choosing the first place that looks good. This burger joint was inviting, was able to be seated right away, and staff were quick. The pros about this place are that staff are very friendly and on top of service. Was nice to dine quickly despite how busy this area can get during tourist season. As far as the restaurants theme it was a little funny the Hawaiian vibe and name. I didn't really see it aside from the decor, putting pineapple on a burger doesn't make a restaurant Hawaiian but I'll give them points for being creative with a theme that you normally wouldn't see in the UK. Once I got over the menu being more traditional fare and less "Hawaiian" it was easy to go with the traditional cheeseburger. The burger was slightly above average in terms of flavor (patty needed more seasoning) BUT I was impressed with the grilled onions and how fresh the lettuce and tomato looked. Plus I'm a sucker for Mayo and they put Mayo as a primary ingredient so I was happy. I'd say service and pricing were 5 stars and food a solid 3.5 If you want a easy and casual meal that won't break the bank this spot totally works. read more

Kua 'Aina - Cheeseburger classic - Hawaiian Near Me - London, XGL

Kua Aina has no comparison it reminds me a delicious burger I had once at Mission BBQ https://missionbbqmenus.com anyways taste is superb.

Hawaiian.... ish... the have halloumi fries. Never saw that in Hawaii. They don't have loco moco. Their idea to make a burger or sandwich Hawaiian is to add pineapple. Pretty funny. But the food tasted alright. Just Hawaiianish. read more

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Service is terrible. You can't order two appetizers and drinks. They require you to order a one main per person. Avoid unless you want to be taken advantage of. read more

Really enjoy the restaurant every time we visit. Known for their burgers and they don't disappoint. Fries are tasty and served in little cups. Chili cheese fries are amazing. However, as a breakfast fan I tend to order the pancakes when possible. Plus it comes with free coffee!! read more

Kua 'Aina - Huli huli burger - Hawaiian Near Me - London, XGL

Natsukashiii! This used to be my favourite burger joint in Namba, Osaka...so I was chuffed to see it come to London, but didn't really expect it to be as good. It's more like a cheap, happy fast food stall than a restaurant...but that is the kind of atmosphere I like with burgers. Yay! The burger itself was juicy, a little pink in the middle and gorgeous. I looved the huge onion, juicy tomato and perfectly squishy avocado that came with it, but I couldn't quite get my mouth around everything!! This burger requires some epic mouth exercise to work your way into the first bite! ...and then I tried the sweet potato fries. I really, really like sweet potato fries! These ones were crunchy on the outside, squishy in the middle and just perfect! Omnomnom they take the whole kua 'aina experience to burger heaven. read more

Kua 'Aina - This looks like a pile of salad...but the burger hidden under that avocado was gooogeous! - Hawaiian Near Me - London, XGL

I was about to head home after an event when a particularly lovely bunch of yelpers said they were going to try and get a late food stop here. I've been meaning to try it for a while so FOMO struck and I decided to tag along! It's a fun place for a burger stop - bright and colourful, in decor and staff uniforms. I was chuffed to spot the Pineapple Burger on the menu as I have a lot of love for this humble fruit - in curries, as fritters, on pizza, you name it! The only unforeseen issue was that the extra centimetre thickness of pineapple in the burger made it juuuust too tall to fit in my mouth. I ended up taking it out and munching it separately between bites of the burger. I don't regret the choice though - the patty had a lovely medium pink tinge and I liked the taste the grilled onion added. Crucially for me though the burger held its structure as I ate without turning into a wet sloppy mess - an underrated but oh-so-important quality! It was already later than usual when we arrived so I wasn't quite as hungry as I might've been - luckily I had two willing volunteers to share my favourite side - sweet potato fries of course - which were delicious as expected. I also quite wanted to try a hard shake but couldn't manage a whole one - so we shared a choc and bourbon shake too! We couldn't taste the booze in it at first (clearly hardened drinkers that we are) but it got stronger about halfway through. I think others at the table seemed to be enjoying their avo burgers and salads too. The food and drink then were as tasty as I'd been led to believe - but there were a few let-downs that kept this out of 5-star territory for me. The servers were v friendly but had a fail at the very start, as a miscommunication meant another group were seated in the downstairs alcove that another waiter had earmarked for us. Instead we found ourselves a little squished around a smaller table, which I didn't mind were it not for the guy sat at the next table who backed his chair out into my ribs a couple of times because I was sitting right at the end of the bench. The cutlery that was plonked in the middle of the table also wasn't very clean, though I think people got involved with fingers anyway. I do like the vibe here though and the food was tasty, so peer pressure turned out to be a good thing for me! I'd visit again, probably in a smaller group next time - it's pretty good value for money for the area too. read more

Kua 'Aina - mmm grilled pineapple - Hawaiian Near Me - London, XGL

Cosy and one of the best buttermilk chicken burgers I've had in a while. Friendly staff too.

I love kua'aina!!! It's like Hawaiian thing awesomeness! I went to this branch recently for pancakes and I'm not gonna lie I wasn't sure how they would be!! Well, let me assure they were fantastic! The blueberries and banana were baked inside the pancakes, so were pretty cool to look at and tasted amazing! Service is really good and the staff are so friendly! Can't really recommend visiting enough! Have to say, if you come for lunch/ dinner et the sweet potato fries, no matter what else you order. They are simply phenomenal!! read more

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Hawaii's best burgers can be found in Hawaii---well that's expected, Japan---sure that's a bit odd, but certainly plausible, but also on Carnaby Street? Really? Does anyone in London even know what Mahalo means? Well, if you've been aching for some aloha love, give Kua 'Aina a go. Here you can find delicious big (1/3 pound) or bigger (1/2 pound) burgers and sandwiches like teriyaki chicken and mahi mahi. My go to stable though is the 1/2 pounder with grilled pineapple on a multi-seed bun along with a side of sweet potato wedges, though the teriyaki chicken also with grilled pineapple comes a close second. Prices are reasonable, and there is waiter service, though you order at the counter. There is also a dangerous frequent burger card which will get you coming back and back for a taste of the tropics. read more

A little hole in the wall. Amazing burgers and milkshakes. Fast service and friendly staff. Highly recommended! read more

Kua 'Aina - A little hole in the wall. Amazing burgers and milkshakes. Fast service and really friendly staff. Highly recommended! - Hawaiian Near Me - London, XGL

Pokey burger place popular for the right reasons Carnaby has numerous good burger joints within a stone's throw of each other, some up market and some not so upmarket. I walked past here and was intrigued by the obvious Hawaii theme, it was about 1200 and there were people inside and out. Came back a wee bit later and I decided this place would suit me, a warm welcome and I was seated at the back of the restaurant. It is snug to say the least, so don't come here if you don't want people to hear what you are talking about - and be prepared to pass the ketchup over! I had a cheese burger and a diet coke, sweet potato fries also. They do burgers in 1/3 & 1/2 lb portions, I went for a third, and it was plenty. They grill a whole onion slice and put it on top, fresh lettuce and tomato, mayo and obv some cheese. The bun was really soft, which is key to good burger in my opinion, a little sweet, delightful. Sweet potato is my favourite potato, if we could hang out, we would regularly, and these fries were the bomb! Lightly salted, the menu says chunky but they are really just not quite as skinny as the regular chips. Service was fast, though my waiter wasn't as friendly as the other guys, the grill chef was happy that I thanked him on the way out.... He deserved it! read more

We have been reluctant to try burgers in this country, and the ones we tried were all disappointing. Finally our quest for decent burger in London is over! Their 1/2 pound Ortega burger was perfectly seasoned and char-grilled, and came with a big slice of tomato, fresh lettuce and grilled sweet onion & chilli, sandwiched between soft sesame bun. It's the most authentic Hawaiian burger I've tasted outside Hawaii. The only minor flaw was that it was so juicy, the bottom got soggy; maybe the grilled chilli was the cause. Other than that, it was just superb! Sweet Potato Wedges were simply excellent, and so were the Crunch Fries. They were crunchy outside, soft inside, and were full of flavours. They have nice seasoning - personally we like them a bit less salty. My partner ordered Char-grilled Sirloin Steak Sandwich. A big mistake! The meat was very tough and lacked flavour. I think we should stick with their burger from now on. The waitress was from Hawaii and we had a lovely chat. The service was efficient and very friendly and polite - just like you get in Hawaii. The place was busy at lunch time and we had American business people at the next table, tucking in in their burgers and Teriyaki Chicken Salad. They use Kikkoman soya sauce, so I might be tempted to try in future. I could easily give them five stars for their burger, fries and services, but the sandwiches let us down. Therefore my score should read 4.5. Don't go anywhere else for your burger. read more

A fun burger joint on Foubert's Place, as far as I know the only outpost in London, it's a Hawaiian joint, but that does not mean pineapple or spam on everything, just that it started there and has continued the Hawaiian theme of décor. Pineapple is still available though. The burgers are tasty but the sweet potato fries are what keeps me coming back. Normally happy with their standard cheeseburger, but the avocado does provide an extra creamy flavour that's hard to describe but tastes really good! It may look like a fast food burger joint, but this is a seriously good burger. The staff there have always been friendly, but the place can get a little cramped, the tables upstairs being better in my opinion for service. They do takeaway but you'll need a lot of napkins! BTW, I know I said they don't do Spam, but they've told me you can bring some in yourself and they will add it to your burger. read more

This particular visit on a Thursday night was really disappointing. They were clearly understaffed and unorganised. We sat downstairs and there was just one waitress serving. She looked harassed, miserable and needed help. Add to that there was zero ambience (why was there no music?), terrible stock issues and long delays. When after a 20 minute wait we were finally asked if we wanted to drinks, we couldn't order the ones we wanted because they ran out of rum...what the...??? Then after another long wait our food orders were taken. However 15 minutes later a staff member came by to let me know that they have ran out of tuna steak and to order something else (thanks for letting me know so quickly!). So I did order something else. But when the food arrived, I was surprised to see tuna after all. It was enjoyable to but I was all geared up for chicken now. I like to know what I am expecting when I order. And there was no explanation why it was back on my plate. I hope it was a glitch, as I had a previous more successful visit to the Charlotte Street branch of Kua'Aina, but this trip has put me off the whole chain for now. read more

Being from Hawaii, I had high expectations for this location, especially because we were home sick. Unfortunately, we were greeted quite rudely and the service wasn't the best. However, the food was excellent. Not like Hawaii, but pretty good. Love the salt. read more

Hawaiian boigers - who'd-a thunk it? Well, the guys behind bringing Kua'Aina over here to London, obviously. The sandwich/burger chain previously only had outlets in Hawaii and one or two in Tokyo, meaning that us Londoners are the next lucky ones to get in on the love. The burgers and fries here - both, plural, not one-or-the-other - are amazing. Charred, slightly pink in the middle, and, if you're that way inclined, slathered with perfectly-ripe avo and juicy griddled bacon (the beasts come in 1/3 or 1/2lb patties). The fries are skinny, crispy, potatoe-y, seasoned beauties. Really, I'm not much of a chips kinda guy, but these were the perfect foil for the big, fat burger in front of me. Both bits of my meal were possibly the best I've had in the capital. The interiors are interesting and fun - the open front and ground floor are not particularly heavily-themed, but walk downstairs and you'll discover a basement Tiki bar/lounge vibe with two six seater booths downstairs, surf paraphenalia everywhere, and pictures on the walls (including one of Barack Obama serving up a sandwich at one of Kua'Ainas Hawaiian branches!). The only reason this place doesn't quite hit the five-star mark is that their drinks selection could be as inspired as the food - the restaurants in other countries serve bubble teas and other beverages, whereas as far as I could see there were the standard bottled beers/Coca Cola options prevalent elsewhere. Still, I'm being picky here, and if there was a 4.5 star option here I'd check it. For barely breaking a tenner, you'd be genuinely hard-pushed to find better quality food and vibe in the West End. read more

The Philly Cheesesteak was NOT a Philly Cheesesteak. It was just a rather pedestrian slab of steak and a bit of cheese between two pieces of bread. As a girl who grew up just outside of Philadelphia, I was sorely, sorely disappointed. The burgers my companions ate looked pretty excellent in comparison. read more

Love, Love, love the burger here. Best I have found in london and the only place I have found those delicious sweet potato fries. Yup definitely fries and not wedges! Was disappointed that they had run out of Fire Rock Pale Ale but then delighted that they found a dusty can of some pineapple wheat beer at the back of the fridge for me to try. Downstairs was a bit dull and messy with tables that hadn't been cleared etc. but since the attention of the two members of staff was solely on creating this tasty food I can forgive a lot. read more

So I was walking through Carnaby street earlier this week and couldn't believe that there is a Kua'aina Burger here now. My wife and I went in for lunch today and it was fantastic. I got the bacon avocado cheeseburger and she went with the pineapple version. Both of us loved it and agreed its easily the best burger in London. I've also eaten at the ones in Hawaii and this is just as good. On top of that the staff were extremely friendly and they have a Kama'aina discount. read more

I give this Hawaiian grill 5 stars. If you're in the West End and you want a good quality burger and fast, friendly service, there aren't many places in the same league as this. The sweet potato chips are highly recommended! This place is a lot like a typical Hawaiian restaurant near the beach. In fact, it literally IS exactly that, except for the lack of ocean here in Soho. I spent a few weeks on various islands in Hawaii earlier this year, and made a point of visiting the original Kua'Auna there. In Hawaii there are several other places like this, but not here in the UK. In Britain, this is the closest you will get to the experience of Hawaiian beach culture, without a long flight to the remotest landmass on the planet. Highlights include a good selection of burgers and sandwiches, beers and juices etc, all perfectly in line with the backdrop of a tropical theme evoking the true atmosphere of a genuine Polynesian archipelago beach-side grill -- right down to the surf videos on loop and the surf boards and photos on display. Enjoy! :P read more

Decor is great and the sweet potato fries are the bomb! The burger however was pretty...muh. Had the Bacon and Avo and the avo was both rock hard and black and horrible! Props to the waiter for taking it off the bill immediately. Also took a while to let the staff know about the Yelp offer as they said management had not let them know about this so they had to call them to confirm. With the Yelp check-in offer for free fries I'd definitely recommend a visit. Without the free fries, I'd say there were better burgers on the Londonscape. Will be back to try a sandwich sometime. read more

Surfing boards and floral shirts allowed! A time travel capsule in Carnaby serving burgers like they did in the 70s! Seated downstairs, one of their friend staff, Lisa took great care of us. I had the juiciest pineapple burger, sweet onion and lettuce burger. Seasoned exactly right, the juices of the medium cooked patty and the freshly sliced pineapple don't run on your face. Kudos for that! Playing healthy, I got the side salad to go with it, and to be honest... it was nothing but a meal itself! Big portioned salad with rocket leaves, canned corn, diced tomato, cucumber and shredded carrot .Nice vinegar dressing and some tabasco drops that I added to give it an extra kick. This time I didn't try any of the ales, but I'll definitely go back to give 'em a go! UP: - Great atmosphere, feels like your bros grilling in the backyard under a shiny sky! Now I've got an idea how a Hawaiian home feels. - Quick service. That matters and it was good. - Great value for money. DOWN: - My friend got the BLT sandwich and the bacon was a bit on the salty side, according to her. VERDICT: Hell yeah!!!! read more

My friends have been eating here for months. One's a veggie and the other a meat-eater. I finally joined them for lunch and I'm sure I'll be back again. The waitress was very friendly and recommended the bacon & avo. I ordered the Ortega Chili burger instead to get a taste of Hawaiian flava. Perfectly char-grilled and seasoned, but unfortunately not spicy as the name suggest. I'm not sure what makes this burger Hawaiian though? I was going to rate it an average 3-stars, but you MUST have the sweet potatoe wedges (not really a wedge, but more like long strips). The crunchy 'tater fries were also the perfect shoe-string chips. As a bonus, your till receipt entiltes you to a free drink after 6pm with your next meal order. read more

I cannot explain to you for the life of me why I decided to stop into Kua ' Aina in the heart of London. Blocks from Piccadilly Circus. Nostalgia... was married in Hawaii love going to Hawaii. Just wanted to know could it be duplicated 7338 miles away.... then answer is .... YES. Huli Chicken Sandwich and Mahi Mahi was delicious. Someone spent time to make the decor as good as any bar and restaurant In Front Street in Lahaina. Now as a purest of Hawaiian food ... no Mac salad, or Potato Mac or Loco Moco. But for 7000 miles away. A cool island experience in a world surrounded by Irish and British Pubs. Mahlo. read more

The food was essentially good. This place has a nice feel to it, the burgers are cooked well, not so well done but just right. The chips are dry but that didn't bother me much. You can get a decent meal here for a good price, the staff were really helpful. If you want a decent burger and chips meal without the prices you'd expect to pay at Byron, or Meat & Liquor then come to Kua 'Aina. read more

Delicious! I had the teriyaki chicken and pineapple sandwich. Other half had the pineapple burger. I had serious food envy when his burger came out. I stole a bite and wham! Next time I'm forgetting the sandwich and getting a burger! The burger was flame grilled and cooked to perfection. The bun was soft and didn't fall apart. And the pineapple was fresh and juicy. The chicken sandwich was yummy as well. There was a lot of chicken in there, however I couldn't really taste the teriyaki. They should add a little sauce or something on top of the marinade. Would defo stop by again. read more

I love Kua'Aina and aways go for the teriyaki chicken and pineapple sandwich on wholemeal bread, it's so good! The chicken is juicy and the portion is generous. This time I tried the sweet potato fries, and was surprised to find they were salted - which was actually pretty tasty! Service is friendly and prices are reasonable. My only criticism is how cramped it is inside. read more

Kua 'Aina - Teriyaki chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries - Hawaiian Near Me - London, XGL

Great food, and lovely staff, I had the mahi mahi and Monterey Jack sandwich which was cooked beautifully, with sweet potato fries. Gorgeous little Hawaiian tea selection too! I really wanted to give them 5*, and I think I would have done, if I hadn't been made to realise how close and small the tables were-by the fact we ended up sat well within kneeing and sneezing distance of an absolute moron, he was loud and obnoxious, and quite possibly on something other than the drug of life sat with his mid teen son. When he lent over our meals to reach for the sauces, I just wished the tables were further apart, and the tables not against the walls had bottles on themselves! It wasn't the restaurant or the staffs fault that we were sat next to a loudmouth training his son to be a pervert, and the staff were extremely professional and lovely despite his bad attitude, so super kudos to them for that, but I feel like I wouldn't have been bothered if the tables weren't cramped. Definitely recommended for the food, but ask to be seated downstairs! read more

I'm not sure why my experience of this place differs to the others on Yelp, maybe they had an off day, maybe they have a new chef, or new management - I don't know. However eating here was the worst experience I have had in a long while. A catalog of error and bad food! 1. We arrived, and whilst the restaurant didn't seem busy, they were very heavily backlogged. It took 15 minutes to get a drink and when friends arrived, it took longer to receive theirs. 2. It took the waitress ages to take our order. 3. About 30 minutes later we chased her up, apparently it had been lost in the kitchen, but she assured us she'd rush the order. 4. We ordered the Macadamia nut mix and corn chips nacho's to tide us over for the main course - it came burnt and chips were dry and tasteless. 5. We'd ordered a selection of burgers for the table, when they finally all arrived, they all came burnt... however by this point we'd already given up on the meal. The chips were soggy and pastey, and we had to fight to get sauce. 6. Our final round of drinks took so long (apparently they lost the order in the bar), so the the waitress gave us them for free. I was so unimpressed. Whilst the waitress was friendly, it was really just a waste of our time and in the end, just a terrible meal. read more

Amazing burger! The burger is amazing with the large mushroom! It is hard to beat! The sweet potato fries are also delicious. The Hawaiian atmosphere places you right in Hawaii. The staff is very nice and the food is quickly served. The location is great being located right off of Carnaby street and a short walk from Oxford Circus station. I have been here a handful of times and the service and food has stayed consistent. Highly recommend. ***Note: This location is best for a small group of people due to the small size of the restaurant. read more

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This place is brilliant! We popped in after a long search for food. The wait staff were kind and attentive without being overbearing. They seated us almost immediately despite having a crowd. The decor is campy and I loved it. I love the Hawaiian mood and felt like I was there! The burgers are the best I've had in the UK. Holy moly. This is a delicious burger: juicy, perfectly cooked and fresh. I loved it and I think about this burger often. Yum. The fries were perfect too. If you're in town and want a burger, this is your place!! read more

Really happy outgoing staff - got accosted by one waitress whilst checking out the menu outside (if that's your kind of thing). The decor lives up to the sunny Hawaiian theme - lots of buckets and spades, glass milk bottles for the drinks etc. The food was good and fresh (got the seared ahai tuna salad). Not that expensive either! Definitely would recommend. read more

Had the blue berry pancakes enjoyed them very much light and fluffy. And the staff were very friendly and genuine hoping to try there burgers and sweet potato fried every body is talking about definitely worth a visit. Edit: Food seems to have gone down in quality. Avoid blond big boned waiter / owner (or acts like the owner) was very condescending. read more

Well up there as one of my favourite burger joints, beats Bodeans and Meatliquor in my opinion! I had bacon, cheese and pineapple with sweet potato fries and dill pickle. Exceptionally well cooked and full of flavour. Bun and salad lovely and soft / fresh Staff were friendly and attentive, even though we went at a busy time of night. Could have done with a shake - but that's being picky!! read more

Not bad, guys, not bad at all. The breakdown: solid burgers, very cramped seating, somewhat unfocused server (I wanted pineapple *and* bacon, but at least I didn't get charged for both). Great sweet potato fries. The avocado on the gf's burger was perfectly ripe, and the grilled pineapple was fresh, not tinned (as things should be, of course). Meat was seasoned just right. Bumped up the ladder from a three because the beef is grass-fed and the burgers were cooked to medium perfection; also, they offer a 'burger salad', perfect for when I don't feel like awkwardly explaining that I'd like my burger served on greens rather than a roll. Price reflects the quality of the product you get, and you will be wobbling out of here after one of the half-pounders, because dayum. read more

Have walked past Kua Aina countless times over the last two years, only today did I finally decide to give it a shot. It looks like they've recently had a facelift (at least on the outside). Inside the lack of music was more than noticeable, the hum of the kitchens extractor fan and clatter of pans was all I could hear, a bit disappointing. Music aside the decor is quirky, nice rush ceiling, traditional wooden fans along with Hawaiian posters on the walls add to the exotic feel of the place. Apparently this is the first branch in Europe, there are four in Hawaii and over twenty in Japan. As I was so busy at lunch time I ordered a cheeseburger to go and waited for about 15 minutes while it was prepared. The burger was good but nothing extraordinary...I wasn't crazy about the almost raw onion in mine, so ended up picking this out.. read more

I read the review about this place. My colleague walked past this place on a Thurs night and was put off by the fact that it as it was empty. So I was doubting whether I should go but thought I'd give it a try. We went on a Sunday afternoon... The place was busy so I was happy about it. We waited for about 5 mins for a table for 4. Food: Good size portion. It cannot go wrong with Burgers & Chips but I couldn't taste the "Lava Grilled" as they said. The choc chip and chocolate sauce fluffy pancake was dry and sauceless. Have they ran out of ingredients? Ambience: Busy, buzzing, lack of space and very cold. It looks like the chef was too hot so they decided to turn on the cooler/air con and all of us had to put our coats on. They have placed the comfort of their staff rather than their customers. Service: Awful & chaotic. I wouldn't think a chef would be taking your orders or bringing you the drinks. It was very disorganise and no one seems to know which table they are waiting or on a more serious note, what their job is for the day. I'm quite embarrass that I took my friend who was visiting London to Kua'Aina. He was pleased with the burger & chips but that was about it. Another one of those burger joint that opened due to the boom of "burgers" cuisine in London (even though they have branches in Hawaii & Japan). They must have just bought the name rather than the quality of the food with them. Bring me back Byron Burger or Honest Burger anytime, read more

Recommended: good meal - good price - good location for Carnaby Street walkers. Very friendly staff. Good burgers and fries. Cold soft drinks come in the can. read more

Kua 'Aina - Hawaiian Near Me - London, XGL

Eat here at your own risk. My friend and I were eating and noticed that there were MICE running around the already very small and cramped restaurant between the tables and the kitchen. When we told the manager all he said was "Oh sorry about that" and walked off. The food was fine, but I don't feel comfortable going back after that experience. read more