Big Kahuna’s Pizza

Food is great… but the service and punctuality is seriously lacking. I went in this afternoon to order the pulled pork sandwich-​which is always amazing. I was told my wait time would be 15 – 20 minutes. However, I waited over 30 mins for my order. There was no apology nor any kind of compensation for their tardiness. It’s always better to over «the amount of time and deliver early then vice a versa. The next time I choose to visit this restaurant I will have to make sure to allow myself double the time necessary it takes to be served at any other restaurant.

First timer!!! Definitely one of the best pizzas I ever ate! And the cheese balls are a must. They don’t accept cash and the wait was about 15 minutes but definitely worth it! The workers are also very friendly and helpful. GOOD JOB BIG KAHUNAS! I’ll be back soon!

Got take out for this place cause we weren’t going to be able to stay, also this place is really small so don’t expect to have a seat to eat when it’s busy, but picking up was fast. They don’t take credit cards, its only cash (and i think local debit cards). Their garlic cheese balls and blt is winnahs! Definitely will have to come back to try their other sandwiches and pizzas!

My wife and I ordered the medium tomato, garlic, and spinach pizza to share. The person taking our order at the counter said we could add on an additional topping so we chose pepperoni.
When the pizza arrived, we noticed that there was no pizza sauce that we could see. However, the pizza was delicious.
The only two drawbacks is that it took about 25 minutes to make, which is understandable. I should have read the tips and followed the advice of fellow Unilocalers and ordered ahead. The other drawback is the price. It was $ 25 for the medium pizza and a drink.
I will return as the pizza was great. The sandwiches there look good too. Gotta try them next time.

I would probably come here again because I actually really wanna try the cheese balls! But the pizza in my opinion was not worth the money, and dare I say I think Pizza Hut is so much better. For one thing, their menu is in the front of the restaurant on the wall and the counter. But if there were to be many people you wouldn’t be able to see nor have your order ready when you’re in the front of the line. We also waited a pretty long time for our pizzas around 15−20min. When it arrived we were so shocked by the size considering how it was around $ 7-​$ 9 it was SO SMALL. About the size of the pan pizza at Pizza Hut (but when you go Taco Bell you can get 2 for only $ 8). It was thin crust and the bottom was mainly BURNT. We ordered the BBQ pizza and white pizza. The BBQ pizza was good but like it said it was small, burnt, and barely had any sauce. The white pizza was good until it started getting soft, the top would have cold dry cheese while the inside would have hot mushy ricotta cheese. Hopefully I can come back again to try the Garlic Cheeseballs everyone comes to love, but their pizza is a no no for me.

Omg !! The taste is unbelievable !!! Soo glad my friend turned me on to this place ! Now I get like cravings for it !!!
I’d like to write more but I got a pizza in my hand and a phone in the other, so I can’t do both.
Free 2 hr parking when validated…
I will add more. Maybe after I eat.
If anything I just wish this place was bigger with more seats ! Needs to expand !! But I don’t care how busy it is, the wait on the pizza is worth the wait. Oh and it doesn’t seem like a long wait when you have a friend to talk with…
I heard there is more locations ! Tho I only know this location by Nimitz.
Oh and its buy one get the second half off !!! (referring to the large pizza) and if you can’t finish the food, you can take it to go!

This place is great! Just got to Hawaii and stopped here fresh out of the airport and we scored!
We ate —
Cheese pizza
Pulled pork sandwich
Jerk chicken sandwich
They were all great. The people there were so cool, we got a complimentary garlic bread and cookies. Both were amazing!
We will definitely be stopping by this spot again before we leave the island.

I had to drop off my family at the airport so we stopped here before that for a late lunch. I definitely recommend it if anyone is flying out or arriving in Hawaii and you wanna eat some place near. Lots of parking with 2 hour free validation. Bathrooms located in the middle of the shopping strip w/​a code to access. Also this place is CASH ONLY.
Seating in the restaurant is limited to first come first serve. They only had about 7 or 8 tables inside so if you have a large group you might want to consider take out. Other than that it’s nice and cool inside as they got the AC and fans blowing.
We ordered the garlic cheese balls and the sumo special pizza. This is actually the first time I’ve had their garlic balls, so I was definitely excited to see what the hype was about. The result: Suuuper cheesy, hot, delicious but somewhat lacking in the garlic department. Sure, you can taste the essence of garlic but to me, that’s not enough to be called a garlic cheese ball. I was hoping for a more ‘In your face!’ garlic flavor, with it sprinkled all over the top. Eh, was still good though, especially with a side of marinara (as another Unilocaler recommended). The Sumo pizza was amazing. Great crust, with a slight crunch and some chewiness. The loaded meat toppings. All of it. The large pizza will probably feed 4 average hungry people or 3 really hungry people. I was still really impressed with the food and happy that everything came out pipping hot (be prepared to wait around 20 min). My family really enjoyed it and we’ll be back for more.

Came here for lunch today. It was cool that that right away they let us know that it would take a little bit longer (15 to 30minutes) today for pizzas. Actually didn’t mind since the cheese balls came out first and the soda is free refills. So by the time that our pizzas did come out he hardly noticed the wait. Plus you get 2 hours parking WITH validation so definitely don’t forget to get them to stamp it.

Heaven on Earth is GARLIC CHEESE BAWLS with crisped KALUA PIG laid on top, and MARINARA sauce on the side. Me love me some pork, Me love me some melted cheese, Me love me some fresh-​baked carbs — SWOON!
4 S T A R S
* GET THE GARLIC CHEESE BAWLS WITH PORK
Hawaiian bread is bathed in garlic butter, tucked into a tin under a cozy blanket of cheesy cheeseness, topped with a toupee of delicious Kalua pig, and then BAKED. You wait… You wait… Sigh. Still wai – oh crap it’s ready! Melty, soft, crispy, indulgence. Pull it apart and dip it in the Marinara sauce for the final, salivary refinement. It’s a deconstructed pizza that reconstructs my sense of well-​being every time. I no longer need the pleasures of a woman, all I need is more bawls.
* ALWAYS MY FIRST MEAL IN HONOLULU
Big Kahuna’s is super close to HNL Airport. Every time I land in Honolulu, my very first craving is always for the Garlic Cheese Bawls! My body at last is free of the airplane seat, warm sunshine and sweet breezes soothe my face, and finally, garlicky pleasures arouse my senses and calm my stomach. Aloha Honolulu, I’ve missed you so!
* GOOD TO DECENT DEEP DISH PIZZA
Yummy crust, substantial in the tummy, good to decent toppings. Go for the toppings that lean Hawaiian for the most interesting flavors. That one dude gave a 2-​star review for a bad Pesto Pizza and to him I say — Brudda! Why you ordering Pesto Pizza for? You’re in Honolulu, not North Beach! Get the Cheese Bawls, fool!
* CUTE DIGS W/​COOL KIDS
Positive and laid back youngins run the register and bake the goods. Small but charming interior of lacquered wood that celebrates surfing and local customers. The owner is super nice, and I’ve talked to her a bunch of times, but I suspect that she’s only ever had first-​time conversations with me.
1 M I N U S
— SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT
I don’t understand why it takes more than 20 minutes for my GCB’s to come out. Make sure to ask for the Marinara sauce early and assertively or you may have to wait an extra 10 minutes for them to microwave it for you. To be safe, call your order in before you get there — AND BRING CASH.

Big Kahuna is located in a small strip mall near the airport. The parking lot is controlled, so you’ll pick up a ticket and get it validated for 2 hours at the restaurant. There’s a lot of other eateries and drink places around here like a Jamba Juice and a Starbucks.
The interior is somewhat small, but is really nice. The employees there are really nice and help you right away.
We got a medium pizza that we got half Sumo Special and half Kanaka with a side order of the garlic cheese balls.
I really liked the sumo special. The veggies tasted fresh and the pizza was really good. The Kanaka is like a bbq chicken pizza, which I thought was really good too. The garlic cheese balls were good, but I wish it had more garlic in it. There is cheese and pepper on the table, and another shaker with herbs are available at the counter. The best part about this place is the cheese. It is some really good quality cheese that they put in here. When I first go the garlic cheese balls, I stretched the cheese about 2 feet just trying to grab one. I got about 8 inches from the pizza.
Overall, I would recommend it, but it is a little pricey. It was about $ 22 for the pizza and $ 6 for the garlic cheese balls. If you’re in the area or are really craving pizza, you should come here. If you’re on a tight budget, you might be better off going somewhere else, although pizza is quite scarce on this island.

I really want to love this place. It would be so great to have a really great pizza place close by but this is not it. Cash only… ok. Validation needed, ok. The problem is the pizza. I was hoping beyond hope for a decent pesto pizza Ala pizza my heart in Santa Cruz. Look, I know it wasn’t going to be the same but what I received was bad. It didn’t even try to have fresh pesto on there. Maybe it had mayo in there? I have no idea. It looked like it came out of a squeeze bottle. Then the 2^nd pizza order was wrong. They put chicken on a vegetarian side of the pizza.
I’ve had the sumo before but I never felt like I didn’t need more toppings-​it always looked like it DID need more toppings. The pepperoni is ok and probably their most decent pizza.
The cheese balls used to be much better but they are still good.
I will just say that this pizza place and I don’t get along. I know lots of my friends like it so good for them!
–update. I took the pizza to work and we could not think of a worst pizza that we have purchased — this applies to the both the pesto pizza and the spinach pizza. Pizza should be more than just tossing toppings on the pizza, the balance should be right and the toppings should be of good quality. Why is there so little sauce on the pizza???
Very unfortunate.

Liking the décor. Super small and cute hole in the wall restaurant. Had the Sumo special, a 7inch monster filled with everything under the sun. I could only manage to eat half! The garlic cheese balls were a little disappointing. Not garlicky enough. since I was dining solo, didn’t have to worry about kissing or talking to anyone after. Would definitely ask for more garlic next time. Paid parking but big Kahuna validates for 2 hours. will come back and try their sandwiches.

Yum!
Tasty pizza, fair prices, great ambiance and even better service. What could be better?
The only downside to the Big Kahuna is a lack of sides for their pizza. I was inclined to try their garlic cheesy knots, but I would have loved a salad or something crunchy with my pizza.
That being said, the pizza was ono — we had the Sumo, a pie topped with meats like kalua pig, Portuguese sausage & Italian sausage and veggies like green onions and black olives.
While we waited, the attentive staff passed around samples of their dessert. The macadamia nut bread/​cake was so delicious! I was tickled pink with the extra touch.
I would like to come back sometime and try another one of their tasty pies.
Thanks for the excellent service!

My parents were visiting the island, and for some odd reason, the first thing my dad wanted to eat was pizza (Really Dad, pizza?). Luckily Big Kahuna’s Pizza was on my list of places to try, so it was perfect timing. and I am happy to say that this pizza joint lives up to the hype!
They are located right next to the airport. There is a parking lot which is free for two hours– just make sure you get your ticket validated! Otherwise you’ll be paying a precious $ 1 to exit.
As for the restaurant, it’s actually really small. You order at the counter and then have the option of about three small tables and one long table, if they’re not already occupied. The décor on the walls is cute and has a beachy-​surfer feel to it.
The service is amazing. The people at the counter are SO friendly and sweet. That’s definitely a plus!
And the main event… The food! The garlic cheese balls came out first. They reminded me of pan de sal (if you’re Filipino, you know what I’m talking about) drenched in warm garlic and cheese. Simple yet DELISH. Although it took a while for the pizza to come out, it was definitely worth the wait. We ordered one half sausage half pepperoni, and one shrimp scampi pizza. Both pizzas were flavorful and just the right texture. That’s all that matters in a pizza, right? And, to top it off, I had the Chunky Apple Pie Shake, which was sooooo good. They have a lot more different kinds of pizzas and sandwiches that I will definitely be coming back to try.
I forgot to mention– I’m not even a pizza fan! But Big Kahuna’s Pizza sure has made me one, and I will be back for more. I highly recommend!

Always great pizza.
There is a good selection of vegetarian pizza’s and you can get any specialty pizza topping as a sandwich. Their selection of specialty pizzas are eclectic and you can always specify your own toppings. One of our favorites is the grilled eggplant pizza.
For take out orders, it is always a good idea to call your order in early. They can take half an hour or longer to get your order ready since they make it when you order it.
One thing that came up in the last 18 months is that the parking lot now has a ticket system, but they validate for the first two hours. This should be long enough for most people.
One thing to look at aside from the pizzas and sandwiches are the garlic cheese balls.
To finish things off, they have a selection of desserts that are a sweet treat that is big enough to share.

I am so glad that the Unilocal review for Big Kahuna’s Pizza said to order the Cheese Balls. I did and it was so good. The gooey cheese with the garlic butter over bread is just dynamite!!!
We ordered a ½ pepperoni and ½ everything pizza. The crust was thick and doughy so I wasn’t a big fan but I would definitely come here for the Cheese Balls.

Big Kahunas is probably one of my favorite pizza places on the island. Only con – their location – it could be so much better. They are located in the small strip mall near Nimitz and the airport. I don’t make it out there as much as I wish I could for that very reason. But if they added on some beer taps and picked up and moved to downtown, I tell you, they’d make a serious KILLING. They’d give JJ Dolans a run for their money.
Anyway, I love the crust from here. Tons of flavor combos. Sandwiches are huge and beyond tasty. And their garlic cheese balls are to die for. Next time I make it out there I hope to try one of their milkshakes that everyone raves about! Heard the apple pie one is amazing!

So the hubby found this joint because they had garlic cheese balls, not knots, and a all meat pizza that included Kahlua pork (hella hawaiian). From Kapolei we decided to stop by here on our way back to Waikiki. we had the garlic cheese balls (comes in order of 6 or 12), a garlic spinach veggie pizza for myself (personal) and an all meat for the hubs. He also tried one of their kona coffee milk shakes. Great food, frinedly service, and inexpensive. What more could you ask for? I would recommend if you have the time. stop by in a small shopping center. Parking is free for three hours with validation from one of the businesses.

First time here. A little on the smaller side. Got to order right when we walked in but didn’t realize that they only accepted cash :(. Thank gosh for extra spare money that I had in my wallet!
Ordered the cheese balls and the pepperoni pizza since I have my daughter. The cheese balls were amazing!!! Wish we ordered the bigger size. The personal pan pizza was small so we ended off getting the medium not realizing that I should have just got the personal for my daughter and I.
You will have to wait for your order because it’s made to order pizza. So make sure your not in a rush :)
Glad that I tried this place out, maybe I’ll take my fiancé here next time.

YAY I LOVE PIZZA. And the airport location is so convenient for food pre-​trip OR post-​trip. Hooray!
That being said, the real star of Big Kahuna’s is the garlic balls. They are the perfect combination of garlic, cheese, and magic. Mmm. Sold as a full order or half order (but why would you settle for just a half order of garlic heaven???). Garlic balls are similar to monkey bread but way better. Definitely a must-​have if you come here but here are a few other highlights:
— the sumo special ($ 21.95): pepperoni, ham, italian sausage, bacon, portuguese sausage, kalua pork, onions, fresh mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, and black olives. This one (dare I say it) was a little heavy for me. Tasty, but it’s A LOT of meat.
— mexican ($ 21.95): applewood smoked bacon, chorizo, black beans, & jalapenos. Tastes exactly as you’d think it would. Good, but not spectacular, as far as pizza goes.
— banzai ($ 21.95): teriyaki chicken on a teri-​glazed crust, topped with fresh mushrooms and green onions. I think my brother wanted this pizza and it was a fairly standard bbq chix pizza-​type flavor.
Like I said, the real rockstar here are the garlic balls. The pizzas are good (but I LOVE pizza) and very uniquely designed but I’ve had better pizza elsewhere. Never EVER had garlic bread as amazing as this place though. Don’t miss out on it!
Oh but if you are going with pizza, I think they have an ongoing special where your second 12″ pizza is half off (equal or lesser value, of course). I love deals!

I was in dire need of a sweet treat, and my friend suggested going to nearby Big Kahuna’s for their milkshakes. Though I had already eaten dinner, he hadn’t, so he said he would grab one of their personal sized pizzas and I could check out their shake selection.
We ended up at Big Kahuna’s around 7:30 p.m., but there was still a decent crowd there. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait too long for our food and shakes. Some people were in there eating, while others were picking up their take-​out orders.
NOTE: Cash only (unless things have changed since my visit). My friend didn’t have sufficient cash so he ended up having to go to the nearby ATM to get more. I just paid for our bill, though, in an effort to save some time.
Based on the appearance of my friend’s pizza and the deliciousness of our shakes, I would totally eat here again. There are lots of pizzas to choose from on the menu, and the shake options are endless as well. I regretted having eaten dinner already; I so wanted to order one of those pizzas (or the garlic cheese balls) for myself. However, I know there will be another visit in the future.
Here’s what we got:
«Reese’s Milkshake»: Both my friend and I love peanut butter and chocolate, so I knew one of us would have to get this milkshake during our visit. He opted for the Reese’s, so I went with the OREO … but I still got to have a taste of his milkshake. This milkshake doesn’t disappoint if you’re looking for something velvety and smooth. I could aptly taste the peanut butter flavor (which is essential in any peanut butter and chocolate combo), but it was nicely balanced with the chocolate. There were small chunks of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups throughout. I just would have preferred the shake to be a little thicker in consistency, but besides that, I had no complaints. We both ordered the small (12 oz.) size, but let’s be real … if I were by myself (and indulging without anyone else to judge me), I probably would have gone for the larger size (20 oz.).
«OREO Milkshake»: Cookies and Cream is one of my favorite ice cream flavors, so naturally, when there’s a shake option (or cookie option), I’m bound to get it. This reminded me of the McDonalds McFlurry, but even better. I enjoyed crunching on the OREO cookie bits at the top of the shake, and there was a good blend of chocolate and vanilla throughout. As I mentioned before, I would have preferred the milkshake to be a little less watery and a little more creamy, but that’s just personal preference. It satisfied my craving for something sweet and, best of all, all that dairy didn’t upset my stomach afterwards.
«Sumo Special»: I’m pretty sure this was the pizza my friend opted for in the seven-​inch personal pan size. It featured pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, bacon, Portuguese sausage, kalua pork, onions, fresh mushrooms, chopped tomatoes and black olives. It was basically the words … but even more glorified. I declined trying it, but was pretty much salivating while watching my friend devour his pizza. At seven inches, it was a little bigger than your traditional Pizza Hut personal pan pizza size, but my friend finished it in no time. The kalua pork looked especially tasty (he said that was his favorite part). I would gladly order this pizza for myself one day, but I would probably skip the chopped tomatoes.
«Garlic Cheese Balls»: I heard this shareable app is positively addicting and I can’t wait to try them one day. They include generously sized bread balls rolled in butter and garlic, and then topped with the eatery’s five-​cheese blend. I saw others munching on these cheese balls at nearby tables. Now, I really like the garlic bread balls at Bravo’s, but these look even better since they include cheese.
«White Pizza»: The «White Pizza» is my reigning favorite at California Pizza Kitchen, so I’m interested to try the version here. It includes ricotta cheese and sliced tomatoes on top of a five-​cheese blend and it’s sprinkled with Italian seasoning, drizzled with garlic butter and garnished with fresh basil. This sounds like an amazing combo … I would just opt for it sans the tomatoes, but everything else – especially that ricotta cheese – sounds heavenly.

I found this place when M had to get a blood test for work. I went to the Starbucks, got my drink and walked around. At the other end of the building was this. Reading the menu and it sounded interesting with the colorful names. That got me but I was already hooked with the overwhelming, deliciousness wafting towards my nose relentlessly causing my stomach to growl uncontrollably. That’s when I walked out hoping M would finish quickly.
She didn’t but I told her about the place and soon enough we were greeted and seated. Love the throwback grass shack beach décor. It gave the ambiance a relax, chill feel. Very friendly staff and helpful to first timers providing suggestions to favorites and must tries. I wanted to try everything but that’s not possible. Since it was our first time and G is a little picky about pizza, we kept it simple ordering the pepperoni and adding some veggies, just so I can feel like I’m eating healthy. My mouth is watering now just like it was then waiting for the delicious gooeyness to come out. When it did, I served a slice to everyone else. I then took mine and immediately bit into heaveness. Where has this gooey deliciousness been all my life? I could taste everything and everything was fresh. The crust wasn’t too over baked and I could easily eat and not have to chew hard to get it down. This was a lot of pizza even for the three of us. And then, our good server brought the garlic cheese balls… free! FRACK! Those were so good. We all loved it and they were gone quick. I was surprised G liked it as much with the somewhat strong garlic taste. If it was stronger I would still love it even more. Those were the bomb! Our server checked with us how we liked it. We all gave him a thumbs up bc our mouths were full of delight.
Parking use to be free but not any more. Don’t forget forget to get your ticket validated.
They do not accept credit or debit cards. It’s cash or local checks only. They don’t deliver but you can call or fax in your order. You can get half off a 2^nd 12″ pizza at regular price. It does get busy here and there’s not much tables at all. I suggest putting in a reservation.
When I have to pick ppl up from the airport, I try to time it to have lunch here, hang out waiting for the buzz on my phone, then I’m off for the pick up. Beats having to drive around waiting for the buzz. I have other options too, this is just one of them.

You know this place is good when it only accepts cash and checks but people still come back! Love this place when traffic drives us off the viaduct! I can’t believe I didn’t review this gem by the airport! What we love!
PIZZA!!!
Kanaka — Kalua pork w/​bbq sauce and green onions
Banzai — Teri chicken w/​mushrooms and green
Sandwiches
Paniolo Beef Brisket– tender brisket with local style bbq sauce
Shakes!
Kona coffee
Oreo
Special of the month shakes
And soooo much more!!!
Table space is limited but customer service is always on point so eat in if you can.
If you are flying in to Honolulu or before you fly out or heck whenever yiu want Ono grinds you must check out Big Kahuna! ! But again cash or check only!!!

PIIIIIZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAA!!!
Décor looks touristy. Love it. They brought Waikiki right next to the airport!
OK, so their Garlic Cheesy Balls get tons of rave reviews, and the pics looked good so figured it was worth a shot to try. Yum! Not bad! I’m not sure I would rave about them, but there were a good appetizer to tide me over until the pizza came… Good, yes, but do you need to try them? Ummm, probably not…
Pizza came out about 20 minutes later. Their pizza is legit! Love the crust. Not a thin crust but not too thick either – medium thickness, right in the middle, just right! Good texture on the crust – soft inside and toasty on the outside.
Gosh! I am craving their pizza right now!
My fiancé ordered the chunky Apple Pie Shake. Creative concoction! Bits of apple pie blended into the shake. Authentic flavors in the shake and the chunks of apple pie add in a spectrum of textures.
BYOB! What?! Yep, BYOB!
Sandwiches look legit and will try the next time. But will be hard to not order their pizza again!
Two thumbs up! Way up!