There were several food trucks at an event but when I saw the title and smelled the smoke, I made a bee-line for this truck. I really wanted to try the brisket and ribs, but that wasn't possible unless I bought two plates. Chef suggested the brisket, so I got that with two sides of corn. Would the rather flimsy fork and no knife be enough? Oh yeah! The brisket just about fell apart. It was moist, which is hard to achieve; usually it's dried out. It was lightly sauced, enough to complement the meat, not drown it. The corn ears were juicy, also not dried out. I'll be looking for this truck next time I'm on the Hilo side! Gotta try those ribs. read more

Texas Island BBQ - Brisket and two sides of corn - Food Trucks Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

I love the spicy coleslaw, I love the moist beans but more of, the best ribs on the island. Brisket? You don't even need a knife. Dave and Mannilyn, keep up the great work. Mahalo, Don read more

This is a lunch wagon, the sign says Texas Island BBQ, Inc.. To my disappointment, this is NOT the real authentic Texas style BBQ, however, owners were very friendly and helpful, service was great, but sadly I won't order from this place again. One star for location, the other for friendliness. The Brisket: Smaller portion, $19.00 plate, 4 thinly sliced beef 2"x3", 1/4" thick each slice. Meat has Not one ounce of wood smoke flavor, very bland, no salt/pepper. Honestly, I think the meat was precooked (boiled) or maybe oven baked then broiled with a gas torch to give that burned appearance. I know what burned beef taste like, but not this one, kinda weird. Meat has nice texture but again, absolutely bland, most importantly lacking that wood burning smoke flavor. That was a disappointment. Note: They do not serve or cook the food on open fire on site, which would have been nice. Obviously, food were prepared at home and stored in warming pans in the wagon. I can't really tell how the meat was prepared at home. BBQ Chicken: $12-$14, small portion, serving only chicken thighs. Flavor was same, bland, lacking seasoning, overly cooked, dry, absolutely no moisture in these chicken. Chicken tasted like it was precooked by boiling, than baked in a oven to brown the skin. Chicken skins were rubbery, a sign that a Microwave oven was used to warm it up, I like my chicken skin crispy and crunchy!!Sadly, no wood burning Smokey flavor also, this twas truely was a baked chicken covered with a home made BBQ sauce in my opinion, another disappointment Corn on the Cobbs: overly cooked boiled, not even a taste of fire grill or smoke in it, very mushy when you bite into it. I like my corn firm and crunchy!! Flavor was bland also. Coleslaw: Stale, bland, lack seasoning, and had a very weird flavor, not sure what they use for the sauce, taste almost like medecine. Coleslaw wasn't cold, almost room temperature, not good, I didn't eat it, cabbage lettuce carrots, were wielded, not a crunch!!! Very sad Rice: Weirdly, they serve Jasmine rice, not regular sticky rice or Texans rice, but Thai jasmine rice. Absolutely didn't go well with BBQ. And they don't serve fries either!! read more

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 read more

Texas Island BBQ - Chicken plate - Food Trucks Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

After a mediocre food experience the first time coming here a few years ago in Waimea I decided to give them another try recently. Honestly it's okay but not great. The portions are somewhat generous but it's pretty pricy for the amount and quality of food you receive. I've had BBQ all over from Texas to California and idk if it's really fair to call this "Texas Island BBQ." To be fair the customer service was excellent and everyone was really friendly. Just the food itself to me was pretty expensive for a rather dry Chicken that wasn't a great cut (definitely some tendons and veins in the cut). The flavor of the ribs was not bad just pretty far from the best I've had tho. Meat did not "fall of the bone" but it was better than the chicken. The bbq sauces were good but not out of this world by any means, seemed like a rather routine bbq sauce they used. Biggest improvement needed is the sides. They were all rather bland or basic and didn't have much flavor or seasoning. Also could use some more traditional bbq sides...fried okra, Mac n cheese, bacon Mac and cheese, variety of rice, Spanish rice etc..all they had to was a pretty basic corn cob and beans, some store bought crinkle fries, and plain white rice. For around $18 for a plate it's pretty pricy for what I would consider rather bland sides. Lots of potential for a BBQ joint on the Big Island but this just wasn't it for me. Pricing, quality of ingredients, and choices for sides need a lot of improvement. If you've ever been to Terry Blacks in TX, or Kinders in CA, with those places I would consider at the high end of BBQ quality, I'd give this place a little below middle of the road. Not terrible but most likely won't come back again. I usually spend around $15-$22 for a good lunch/dinner but this just didn't really justify anything in that price range and the food is on the higher part of that scale. Really nice people just wish the food prices and quality were better. read more

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. read more

Texas Island BBQ - Food Trucks Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

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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! read more

Texas Island BBQ - Food Trucks Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

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. read more

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I'm in Hilo for the day and came across this business. I was taken to three different places between three different map apps. I drove from Hilo to Paradise Park, which is about 40 minutes. I finally get them to answer the telephone and they tell me that they are closed today. Yelp says they are open, Apple Maps says they are open. You might want to take care of your hours of business before you have people driving all over searching to try your food. read more

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. read more

Texas Island BBQ - Baby back ribs, coleslaw, beans - Food Trucks Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

Face masks and sanitizer all used and enforced. This truck as been such a boost for me. I ordered beans and mac once and they immediately asked if I was vegetarian, then offered to make vegetarian food as long as I order a day ahead. Everything has been delicious and filling. They have gone so far above what I would have even dreamed to ask. I was content with the tasty mac n cheese, but dang the smoked BBQ tofu and potatoes I got the next day were amazing. Such friendly staff, decent prices, good food. read more

As a Texan living in Hawaii, I have always been on the search for good Southern BBQ. When I found Texas Island BBQ, my years long search was over. Their food is not only good - it is GREAT! (So is their staff, btw ) I haven't tasted brisket like that anywhere outside of Texas and encourage everyone to try it and see how brisket is supposed to taste. If you're missing Southern BBQ or curious about it, I promise you won't be disappointed. read more

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. read more

Texas Island BBQ - Brisket, Sausage & 2 sides of Coleslaw. - Food Trucks Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

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Excellent Service, excellent food, but most of all, excellent personality. They are great people with cheap prices and it helps that they cook great smoked BBQ. read more

I haven't traveled much to the big island but when I do go., I stop by here. Texas Island BBQ serves all types of smoked meats and sides. They are situated in Hilo, but you often will find them at the Army Base PTA. PROS: Everything is cooked/smoked in house. The result is that every morsel that goes into your mouth is tender, moist and flavorful. My favorite, the pulled pork plate comes with two side (rice,coleslaw, beans or corn). All that for $11. They do a sandwich for $8 ( comes with crispy onions) WORKS IN PROGRESS: This review is for their PTA location. Unfortunately to get there you need to have a DOD ID. It's definitely a diamond in the rough if you have ever been there. They smoke and cook their meats daily so there is a limited supply. Go early or it'll run out. read more

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! read more

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Had some brisket from here that turned out to be phenomenal. Nobody does barbecue like Texas, and this was an authentic representation. Nice to have a little piece of Texas right here in Hawaii!! Mahalo! read more

This is the first time me and my family are eating here. We moved up from oahi 2 months ago. The food is 10 out of 10. The pricing is very fair for the amount of food you get. This is great food, not fast food. So if you go during lunch. Call ahead or plan to wait about 20 minutes. I wish there was extra bbq sauce on the side. We will go back again. read more

Texas Island BBQ - This is the texas 2 way with 2 sides. I chose pulled pork and brisket. - Food Trucks Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

1 Star on service. SLOWEST service EVER. When you come to a festival full of kids- have your food ready. 45 minutes in line (and the line was not at all long) then 10 minute wait for freaking HOTDOGS and a brisket sandwich...there was no urgency on anyone's part- have them cater- oh heck no! read more

I'm from the mainland states and have had a LOT of bbq from the best spots in TX, KS, etc... This was the best bbq I've ever had. We got the brisket and sausage - both absolutely delicious. Brisket was well seasoned and tender, the bbq sauce added a nice flavor, and sausage was stellar. We also really liked the Cole slaw- that had what I think was some smoked paprika-- loved it. Beans were very tasty too. Definitely stop and eat if you see the truck! read more

My wish is they had a permanent location in the Hilo area. Fast, friendly service with great food. read more

The other reviewer must work there. I went today (Sunday). I got two bites of brisket and three TINY ribs...about 6 bites in all, cooked yesterday or Friday for $16. It came with bland, dry, peppered coleslaw ( Really? Pepper flavored coleslaw?) and some awful baked beans. This truck serves what would be sample portions anywhere else and it isn't very good. Don't take my word for it, though. Go try it. You won't go back and he will be out of business within a couple of months. read more

100/10 would recommend this food truck , great service great food and just all around great I'm on the island for training and this place is the main thing I look forward too , too keep me going! read more

As a native Texan, I was hopeful when I saw the food truck around town. Unfortunately, I was not impressed. We paid $14 for a brisket plate and did not have a large serving at all. The brisket was dry and the sauce was mediocre. I would recommend making your own BBQ at home if you can. **An update- since this original review, I found Bri's BBQ. Amazing! Worth the drive to Akaka Falls. read more

Stoped here for lunch yesterday. Paid $8 for this. Portion was small for the price. I've tried it once before and swore that I wouldn't go back because of the pricing. After reading reviews and seeing that the owner was listening to feedback I thought I'd give them another try. Sadly, I was disappointed again. You can't justify pricing for such small portions. I won't be recommending this place to anyone in the future. read more

Texas Island BBQ - Food Trucks Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

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

Some of the best BBQ you can ask for in Hawaii. Everything on the menu is amazing you can't go wrong with this BBQ. On top of the food being amazing the service is even better! 100% would recommend to everyone. read more

We stopped and got the Deluxe pulled pork sandwich. It was piled high with meat, cole slaw and onion rings. Incredible and super big and filling!! read more

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

This is a very friendly food truck . Best customer service for a food truck. Briskets are always Appreciated when smoked right and this place smokes it right every time . I would eat here more than once , the only reason I can't give it a 5 is because the amount of money I would need to spend to get full . They do fill up the pull pork sandwich with meat , and brisket sandwich as well . Just the price to portion ratio is a little on the expensive but affordable side . Great place great people great food . read more

Finally got to try this place on Black and White night at downtown Hilo 11/1/19. Most over priced menu for the amount of food, so bad that taking a picture wasnt worth it. $17 for Texas 2 way plus $3 for a add on. $20 bucks for a small corn on the cob that was bland and hard, baked beans that tasted straight out of a can, 1 small piece of chicken, pork belly that was just out right chewy and 1 small little rib. All the flavor was squirted on the outside right before handing the order over. This was a huge disappointment! read more

Had their brisket at the Maku'u Farmers Market. It was so dry, I couldn't finish it. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, the people running it, didn't seem that into what they were doing - cold, quiet, and not personable even in the least. read more

I decided to try this place at third saturdays downtown. I got the sausage plate with fries and coleslaw. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't amazing. The coleslaw didn't have much flavor (some salt and pepper would have done wonders-- didn't see any available though), and there didn't appear to be any ketchup for the fries. The sausage was pretty good-- it was supposed to be chipotle though so I was expecting some heat, which was a little disappointing. It also could have been served a little hotter in temperature. The barbecue sauce wasn't anything special, which I feel is kind of important for a barbecue venue. The portion was reasonable for $9. I think I got my food right before they closed and they were out of a few things, which they had erased off the board. I wish I had been able to see what else they offered, maybe I would try them again in the future. The guys were pretty nice. They're a pretty new business, I hope that they're able to work the kinks out and survive since they're really one of the only BBQ places on the big island. read more

Best bbq on the island. The staff were extremely friendly and the brisket was very tender. I also really enjoyed the homemade coleslaw. I would definitely go back the next time I visit the Big Island. read more

I stopped at the Texas Island BBQ truck while we were at the Maku'u market on the Big Island. I ordered the mac and cheese with pulled pork and sausage, and a brisket sandwich. All of the meat was tender and most, sauces were savory. Really good BBQ! If you are heading to the Big Island and want really good BBQ, find this food truck! read more

Just found out about this food truck. Excellent BBQ, their sauce was tangy, not too sweet or smokey. Their brisket was so tender I could cut it w/ a plastic fork! read more

OK, so just back from a trip to San Antonio to visit the folks and saw this food truck in front of HPM. Thinking there was no way to match what I just had eaten the week before, yet craving some good old bbq brisket nonetheless, I gave it a try. And .. wow, it was great! Bought a pound and took it home and picked on it all day. So, I strongly recommend this. No, it isn't cheap fast food from a truck. This is sit down restaurant quality. So to those who gave it a poor rating because of cost I think you're being a bit unfair. To get authentic Texas bbq in Hilo is a real treat and I hope this business succeeds and thrives. Fives stars for great bbq from a clean, modern food truck. read more