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    Texas Island BBQ

    3.6 (37 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Texas Island BBQ Photos

    TEXAS ISLAND BBQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Chicken plate

    Overpriced and cold. Never trust a bbq joint that premixes the meat with the sauce. Sides such as fries and the Mac and cheese are an extra two dollars on top of the price of the plate. 20 bucks for a cold small serving of dried brisket with no smoke ring, everything from the truck taste like it was made yesterday in someone's kitchen and covered in generic "bbq" sauce to cover the blandness. I was the 3 person in line and waited about 25 minutes to get my food which is crazy because I didn't actually see anyone cooking, just scooping food out of pans stored with no heat source. No thanks

    Matt C.

    I'd seen posts for Texas Island BBQ advertised a decent amount on Instagram for a while, so when they had their truck down at the Downtown Hilo Ho'olaulea, I decided to give them a try! Their selection wasn't incredibly expansive, which makes sense for a food truck. But, they did have a bunch of BBQ staples. Things like brisket, ribs, chicken, etc. All of the plates, as I recall, came out to around $14. Going up to about $17 for a two-choice plate. And to be fair, the two-choice plate had quite a bit of food in it, but still... That's kind of expensive. This brings me to the food itself. I got a brisket plate (one choice) with corn and beans. There was a decent amount of meat, half a corn cob, and a nice portion of beans. But, I was definitely not exactly filled up when I was done. The food was all good, but not great, which doesn't really match up with their prices. I mean, who knows, maybe it was just that batch that I got, but ultimately the biggest thing for me is the disparity between price and quality.

    Anton E.

    The meat was tendered, it is true, but there was no flavor what-so-ever to that tender meat! It was bland as bland could be...no flavor at all! Very disappointing! And when you are shelling out $15 for it, you expect it to not only melt in your mouth, but taste a rich flavor in every bite. It was worth a try, but I would never return back. I read another Yelp review that said, "the people running it, didn't seem that into what they were doing - cold, quiet, and not personable even in the least." I would second that! The owner was unenthusiastic and seemed bummed out (maybe because of a lack of customers). Granted, there are good days and bad days, but you still MUST show positive enthusiasm when running a business! If you appear negative with a down face on, than customers will feel the same way about what you are offering. Your appearance says everything!

    James B.

    Having been here for a while, it has been quite difficult to find good, authentic bbq that fits my personal taste. I've had southern BBQ in the south but whenever I am outside the south I am always weary of places that claim to have authentic bbq. Coming to the Big Island for work at PTA, I saw my fellow soldiers standing in a long line waiting for lunch. I was safe to assume that a line that long, the food had to be 100x better than Army food. I usually don't like waiting in long lines for food unlesss it turns out to be worth it. As I walk toward the end of the line, I hear whispers about how good the BBQ is & I hesitantly take a leap of faith & wait. I always like supporting local, small businesses & decided if it was worth it, my taste buds would greatly be rewarded. So as I go get in line, I wait for about an hour feeling & was greeted with both aloha & southern hospitality when it was finally my turn to order. I ended up getting the brisket & ribs, which turned out to be FIRE! My doubts were quickly reposed & my face lit up like I a kid in candy store. The mac & cheese was good too, as well as the rice & baked beans, but the meat was the star of the afternoon lunch dish. I came back a few days later & was disappointed that there was no mac n cheese but quickly got over it cause I wanted the pulled pork. Again, it was fire & did not disappoint. It was different than Hawaiian pulled pork but my personal preference is southern pulled pork. I wish they had a restaurant on Oahu somewhere so I could frequently dine but I now have somewhere to eat whenever I come back to the Big Island. Overall, the BBQ is 100% the truth & I doubt I will find another place that can complete.

    Baby back ribs, coleslaw, beans
    Jayrah S.

    We were driving by and had a craving for BBQ. The ribs were *alright* definitely not falling off the bone...the baked beans reminded me of pork and beans out of the can *add sugar, and the coleslaw lacked flavor and smelled like cumin.

    Brisket, Sausage & 2 sides of Coleslaw.
    Baron S.

    I had Brisket, Sausage & 2 sides of Coleslaw. Meat was very tender, I'm doing low-carb & forgot to tell them to leave off the sauce which I scraped-off but it didn't seem to be sugary. Coleslaw isn't crazy sweet like some other places. A bit expensive but BBQ is hard to come by in Hilo. They are usually at PTA but are in Hilo for some special events.

    Menu
    Todd C.

    Great food! Friendly people....they really listen and care. Is this the best BBQ from the mainland....no. You aren't on the mainland. Have you found better Bbq on the island? Let me know. Try the Pulled Pork de Luxe and some corn on the cob. You won't be disappointed. This is the cleanest food truck I've ever seen. The owner goes out of his way to please everyone. Now...go put some south in yo mouth!

    This is the texas 2 way with 2 sides. I chose pulled pork and brisket.

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    8 years ago

    Sometimed I go to Makuu market just for this!! The pulled pork sandwich with slaw is my favorite!!

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    6 years ago

    We really love Texas Island BBQ. Try them, you won't be disappointed.

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    David C.

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    Ask the Community - Texas Island BBQ

    Review Highlights - Texas Island BBQ

    I love the spicy coleslaw, I love the moist beans but more of, the best ribs on the island.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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