We thought it would be more traditional American BBQ and were surprised by their "twists". I was not a fan of the rack of ribs due to the fennel seasoning but that is a personal preference and I can see others who like fennel enjoying the ribs. Besides the flavor the meat was slightly tender. Not enough to fall off the bone but at least it wasn't super tough. The brisket on the other hand was very dry unfortunately and came with a small drizzle of sauce on each slice. The side of mashed potatoes that came with it are actually super good. We actually really liked the pappardelle and while the Mac and cheese was not anything like regular Mac and cheese, we also enjoyed it. The Mac and cheese seemed to be more like a tomato pasta with lots of cheese in it, turning it into a rose sauce. The pappardelle was the perfect pasta texture and super flavorful. The pork belly appetizer was very small and while it was crispy, I wish it was juicer. The loco moco was alright. It normally comes with a Sriracha fried rice but we asked for normal fried rice instead as we didn't want the taste of Sriracha in our loco moco. Turns out the fried rice taste was still too strong and overpowered the meat and gravy. The meat itself was okay, a bit on the bland side. The egg was a bit overdone on top so we did not get a runny yolk. Wish the gravy was more and better seasoned as well. There was a strong overall taste of mushrooms which I am neutral about.
For other sides, the coleslaw was too vinegary for our liking. Their corn is good though, can't go wrong with it if you like corn. The brussel sprouts were very good, well seasoned and well cooked. The truffle fries were nice and crispy.
Overall, it felt pricey for the servings and has more of a fine dining establishment vibe than a casual BBQ place. While I wouldn't mind getting the pastas and brussel sprouts again, idk if I would come back for anything else.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Kelly Earls
The restaurant was freezing, which hurt the ambiance. The food was pretty good, but not amazing. I had the Prime rib sandwich, and my dining companions had kulua sammi, and a smash burger. I sampled all, and again, good not great. Server was good, it was very quiet today.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Grace Welton
Wow where to begin. -I have a disability and was refused service inside with my service animal… even though that’s illegal. I was still hungry so sat at the wobbly table outside by the loud street. -the service was incredibly slow due to understaffing, waited over an hour for food, was not warned about this prior to ordering. -when I asked the manager to grab the bill she obliged, but upon asking her to split it she said she could not, it had to be our waitress… which was actually a blatant lie. Also she was in general rude, her name is Alyssa. The food was tasty, but in no way worth the two hour debacle. On a positive note the overwhelmed hostess/waitress was very kind.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Johan Uribe
Cool location. Nice decor , good menu, but a lot of misses. First, they have these ugly plastic dividers in between all tables, probably dating back to Covid. These make the tables feel cramped and cheap. Second, the food experience was bad. They were clearly shortstaffed the day I went in. The food took over 40 minutes to come out. This is very forgivable when a place is short staffed, but the food came out over cooked, dry, and tepid. It had clearly been overcooked by a rushed chef, and had been left to sit under a heating lamp for too long. To make things worse, the order was wrong. We got regular fries instead of truffle fries. I was hungry and did not want to stress out the overworked waitress any more, so I ate my mediocre food, paid and left. I would not come back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Paul
They advertised brisket on their outside sign but they Don't offer it for lunch. I had a burger that cost $38.00, which was good but not worth $38.00. Beer was.$9.00 each. Honolulu burger has burgers that are just as good for about 1/4 the cost and beer is half the price. We waited 50 minutes from the time we ordered until we received our meals. The prime rib sandwich was $25.00 and seemed to be the day before prime rib shaved and reheated for the sandwich. The meat was dry. Over $100.00 for two between 4 drinks and 2 sandwiches.
This was my second time going. It will also my last. Perhaps dinner is better.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
N B
Best smoked chicken I’ve ever had. Bomb burger, bomb sriracha fried rice with shredded meat in it was the best ever also.
Only the Brisket was dry and lacking.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Local
Aaron Rose Flores
Disappointed! I ordered the brisket and my husband ordered the ribeye steak. Was really excited to try the Texas inspired brisket since I was missing bbq from home, but the shock came when my $45 dollar plate came with 3 small and thin slices of brisket and an ice cream scoop of mashed potatoes. After seeing everyone else’s portions I was expecting more. But I should have known it would be a problem when I didn’t see a smoke ring. The brisket was not seasoned so the bark just tasted burned and the only thing I could taste in their guava bbq sauce was the vinegar which they squirted all over the meat. My husband’s steak was beautifully cooked, the service was nice, and the restaurant was gorgeous. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying their food so if you, just get something other than the brisket.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Darrius Bess
First off, TOO MANY MENUS . There were like 6 of them! The staff is very nice however, Ill informed. There were numerous exchanges with the waitresses because they couldn't tell me what the special was (even though a sign outside had a breakdown) and then after verifying the special for me , they came back and informed me that it was yesterday special...but they would do it for me (I'm assuming because they false advertised and I caught it by just asking about it!?)...oh and minus the Brussel sprouts because they were out of them. I said no problem and they asked if I wanted a side salad instead and I agreed. My food arrives and my ribeye is cooked medium well(I asked for medium), the texture of the meat was very disappointing( like chewy frozen steak) to say the least especially after they were charging me $55 for this plate. My GFs seared Ahi and spicy rice, eating it was like having spoons full of seasoning salt and Paprika. I mean literally like a blind person seasoned the fish! O btw they never brought my salad they subbed the Brussels with because they ran out, they brought me fries with this less than average steak and they didn't even ask me first if that was OK. I always try to see the light in things but there was none with this place. All I can say is the fries and crab cake were decent.
Review: Food is not good Service is below average Vibe is ok
Forgotten: They didn't know their own special Forgot one of the 7 menus they have. The most important one which is happy hour And my precious salad that I was saranading over because they promised it to me
Save your money now!
Wheelchair accessibility: No
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Elisio Sapata
We stumbled across this location and decided to stop in for brunch. This location is not on the tourist route but worth seeking out. The atmosphere is slightly eclectic, two level, and worth the trip.
We had the prime rib sandwich and the loco moco both served with local twists and flare making them interesting and tasty.
They do have a bar downstairs which I noticed coming in so I ordered a Pig in the Mud - a split base Irish coffee with piggyback rye, Koloa coffee rum, and Baileys , house whip cream and a dash of cinnamon (per menu description). Not bad, worth trying if you like coffee based drinks.
The next time we are in Waikiki, we will be stopping in again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amanda McCracken
Last night someone from the staff stole our phone. We were the last patrons in the restaurant and in a private room so the only people who had access to the phone left on the table was staff. Very disappointed by the lack of investigation and helpfulness of the management.
Very cool vibe and worth the drive. Fun experience, would visit again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Lindsey Allotta
Service wasn’t great, food was mediocre. My family did say the ribs were good but everything else was not. My corn was mushy, my mashed potatoes weren’t seasoned, the bbq Mac and cheese was nothing special. I don’t eat meat but my family wanted to go here. We got complimentary fries and they didn’t tell us till after there’s pork fat on it. That would’ve been nice to know beforehand because my stomach hurt all night. They also forgot our salad and then forgot the dressing to the salad so couldn’t even eat it till the very end. My crab cakes were good but I’m not happy I had to pay extra to make my own entree and the sides were terrible. I’d only come here if you want the ribs and nothing else.
Chris Tuffanelli
Amazing food and service. The Loco Moco may be the best thing I've had in my life. My wife had the Kahlua Pork sandwich and loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Steven Winkler
Party got extremely ill from the fish here. Service was ok. Would avoid.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Debbie
We found The Surfing Pig after leaving the Makapu’u Lighthouse trail and before heading to the airport. And what a find! It has a really great atmosphere, bar downstairs and tables upstairs. Good music playing. The staff were all friendly and personable. We shared one of the platters for two- smoked ribs and brisket with a bunch of sides. The ribs had incredible and unique seasoning, meat falls right off the bone. It was so delicious! The brisket was also so tender, and had a zesty mustard bbq sauce. We love bbq food- these flavors were some of the best we’ve ever had. We will definitely come back here the next time we are visiting! Highly recommended!
We thought it would be more traditional American BBQ and were surprised by their "twists".
I was not a fan of the rack of ribs due to the fennel seasoning but that is a personal preference and I can see others who like fennel enjoying the ribs. Besides the flavor the meat was slightly tender. Not enough to fall off the bone but at least it wasn't super tough. The brisket on the other hand was very dry unfortunately and came with a small drizzle of sauce on each slice. The side of mashed potatoes that came with it are actually super good.
We actually really liked the pappardelle and while the Mac and cheese was not anything like regular Mac and cheese, we also enjoyed it. The Mac and cheese seemed to be more like a tomato pasta with lots of cheese in it, turning it into a rose sauce. The pappardelle was the perfect pasta texture and super flavorful.
The pork belly appetizer was very small and while it was crispy, I wish it was juicer.
The loco moco was alright. It normally comes with a Sriracha fried rice but we asked for normal fried rice instead as we didn't want the taste of Sriracha in our loco moco. Turns out the fried rice taste was still too strong and overpowered the meat and gravy. The meat itself was okay, a bit on the bland side. The egg was a bit overdone on top so we did not get a runny yolk. Wish the gravy was more and better seasoned as well. There was a strong overall taste of mushrooms which I am neutral about.
For other sides, the coleslaw was too vinegary for our liking. Their corn is good though, can't go wrong with it if you like corn. The brussel sprouts were very good, well seasoned and well cooked.
The truffle fries were nice and crispy.
Overall, it felt pricey for the servings and has more of a fine dining establishment vibe than a casual BBQ place.
While I wouldn't mind getting the pastas and brussel sprouts again, idk if I would come back for anything else.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
The restaurant was freezing, which hurt the ambiance. The food was pretty good, but not amazing. I had the Prime rib sandwich, and my dining companions had kulua sammi, and a smash burger. I sampled all, and again, good not great. Server was good, it was very quiet today.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Wow where to begin.
-I have a disability and was refused service inside with my service animal… even though that’s illegal. I was still hungry so sat at the wobbly table outside by the loud street.
-the service was incredibly slow due to understaffing, waited over an hour for food, was not warned about this prior to ordering.
-when I asked the manager to grab the bill she obliged, but upon asking her to split it she said she could not, it had to be our waitress… which was actually a blatant lie. Also she was in general rude, her name is Alyssa.
The food was tasty, but in no way worth the two hour debacle.
On a positive note the overwhelmed hostess/waitress was very kind.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Cool location. Nice decor
, good menu, but a lot of misses. First, they have these ugly plastic dividers in between all tables, probably dating back to Covid. These make the tables feel cramped and cheap. Second, the food experience was bad. They were clearly shortstaffed the day I went in. The food took over 40 minutes to come out. This is very forgivable when a place is short staffed, but the food came out over cooked, dry, and tepid. It had clearly been overcooked by a rushed chef, and had been left to sit under a heating lamp for too long. To make things worse, the order was wrong. We got regular fries instead of truffle fries. I was hungry and did not want to stress out the overworked waitress any more, so I ate my mediocre food, paid and left. I would not come back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
They advertised brisket on their outside sign but they Don't offer it for lunch. I had a burger that cost $38.00, which was good but not worth $38.00. Beer was.$9.00 each. Honolulu burger has burgers that are just as good for about 1/4 the cost and beer is half the price. We waited 50 minutes from the time we ordered until we received our meals. The prime rib sandwich was $25.00 and seemed to be the day before prime rib shaved and reheated for the sandwich. The meat was dry. Over $100.00 for two between 4 drinks and 2 sandwiches.
This was my second time going. It will also my last.
Perhaps dinner is better.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Best smoked chicken I’ve ever had. Bomb burger, bomb sriracha fried rice with shredded meat in it was the best ever also.
Only the Brisket was dry and lacking.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Local
Disappointed! I ordered the brisket and my husband ordered the ribeye steak. Was really excited to try the Texas inspired brisket since I was missing bbq from home, but the shock came when my $45 dollar plate came with 3 small and thin slices of brisket and an ice cream scoop of mashed potatoes. After seeing everyone else’s portions I was expecting more. But I should have known it would be a problem when I didn’t see a smoke ring. The brisket was not seasoned so the bark just tasted burned and the only thing I could taste in their guava bbq sauce was the vinegar which they squirted all over the meat. My husband’s steak was beautifully cooked, the service was nice, and the restaurant was gorgeous. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying their food so if you, just get something other than the brisket.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
First off, TOO MANY MENUS . There were like 6 of them! The staff is very nice however, Ill informed. There were numerous exchanges with the waitresses because they couldn't tell me what the special was (even though a sign outside had a breakdown) and then after verifying the special for me , they came back and informed me that it was yesterday special...but they would do it for me (I'm assuming because they false advertised and I caught it by just asking about it!?)...oh and minus the Brussel sprouts because they were out of them. I said no problem and they asked if I wanted a side salad instead and I agreed. My food arrives and my ribeye is cooked medium well(I asked for medium), the texture of the meat was very disappointing( like chewy frozen steak) to say the least especially after they were charging me $55 for this plate. My GFs seared Ahi and spicy rice, eating it was like having spoons full of seasoning salt and Paprika. I mean literally like a blind person seasoned the fish!
O btw they never brought my salad they subbed the Brussels with because they ran out, they brought me fries with this less than average steak and they didn't even ask me first if that was OK. I always try to see the light in things but there was none with this place. All I can say is the fries and crab cake were decent.
Review:
Food is not good
Service is below average
Vibe is ok
Forgotten:
They didn't know their own special
Forgot one of the 7 menus they have. The most important one which is happy hour
And my precious salad that I was saranading over because they promised it to me
Save your money now!
Wheelchair accessibility: No
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
We stumbled across this location and decided to stop in for brunch. This location is not on the tourist route but worth seeking out. The atmosphere is slightly eclectic, two level, and worth the trip.
We had the prime rib sandwich and the loco moco both served with local twists and flare making them interesting and tasty.
They do have a bar downstairs which I noticed coming in so I ordered a Pig in the Mud - a split base Irish coffee with piggyback rye, Koloa coffee rum, and Baileys , house whip cream and a dash of cinnamon (per menu description). Not bad, worth trying if you like coffee based drinks.
The next time we are in Waikiki, we will be stopping in again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Last night someone from the staff stole our phone. We were the last patrons in the restaurant and in a private room so the only people who had access to the phone left on the table was staff. Very disappointed by the lack of investigation and helpfulness of the management.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Very cool vibe and worth the drive. Fun experience, would visit again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Service wasn’t great, food was mediocre. My family did say the ribs were good but everything else was not. My corn was mushy, my mashed potatoes weren’t seasoned, the bbq Mac and cheese was nothing special. I don’t eat meat but my family wanted to go here. We got complimentary fries and they didn’t tell us till after there’s pork fat on it. That would’ve been nice to know beforehand because my stomach hurt all night. They also forgot our salad and then forgot the dressing to the salad so couldn’t even eat it till the very end. My crab cakes were good but I’m not happy I had to pay extra to make my own entree and the sides were terrible. I’d only come here if you want the ribs and nothing else.
Amazing food and service. The Loco Moco may be the best thing I've had in my life. My wife had the Kahlua Pork sandwich and loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Party got extremely ill from the fish here. Service was ok. Would avoid.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
We found The Surfing Pig after leaving the Makapu’u Lighthouse trail and before heading to the airport. And what a find! It has a really great atmosphere, bar downstairs and tables upstairs. Good music playing. The staff were all friendly and personable. We shared one of the platters for two- smoked ribs and brisket with a bunch of sides. The ribs had incredible and unique seasoning, meat falls right off the bone. It was so delicious! The brisket was also so tender, and had a zesty mustard bbq sauce. We love bbq food- these flavors were some of the best we’ve ever had. We will definitely come back here the next time we are visiting! Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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