Flat Waves Restaurant

I had lunch at Flat Waves last week with my son. It was the first time I have tried Hawaiian food. The quality and quantity was awesome! The flavor profile of the pork and chicken dishes was spot on. The service was friendly and quick. Great for take out, pick up, or sit in! Will be my new go to lunch place in Middletown!

Rock solid takeout food and pretty unique to the area. Hawaiian plates (protein, rice, and a side) are awesome plus the ability to add a fried egg or pineapple is nice too. Can’t beat the snack box (just protein & rice) for the price either. Actually pretty good «post gym» food. Loco moco (ground beef & gravy over rice) is pretty good too. They also have flavored shaved ice which is good and again, unique.

On da mainland, especially the east coast, its hard to find a true Hawaiian plate lunch. Flat Waves is not only authentic, but rivals any plate lunch in Oahu! And the barbecue pork is outstanding! Even better than the nearby ‘BBQ’ place.
Price is reasonable. Service is great, place an order and they hand you a number, painted on a seashell. Visit the turtles while you wait. Never had to wait long.
I take all my visitors there, and they have all agreed; outstanding!

Flat waves catered for our work event and everyone absolutely loved it. The chicken and the pork were delicious and the girl who catered was so sweet.
I came here on my own and ordered the shrimp tacos I believe. They were definitely worth it.

I remember eating here back when they first opened up and loving both the food and the service. Unfortunately, 5 years later, it is not the same experience. The staff would come and talk with me and my friends as we were eating and were always super friendly.
I just moved back to the area and couldn’t wait to take my wife. We did not have the same experience. The food was really pricey, but more than that — I stood there and watched the staff talk to one an another for 5 minutes after they saw me walk into the store, then looked pissed when I said that I wanted to order. For real?
I’m giving three stars because I remember how great they were back when they opened up, and the food is still pretty good. I don’t know if its different management now or if it’s that the restaurant has gotten too big for it’s britches, but it’s unfortunate that things have turned out they way that they have.

I’ve been craving spam masubi for, oh, well on 2 years now since I was last basking in the Hawaiian sun. So when I happened to be heading to Middletown I had to stop by Flat Waves.
Unfortunately I wish I liked it more. There’s nothing terrible but nothing particularly stand out. It was just OK.
Ambience is surfer casual, clean but no frills.
My friend ordered the Hawaiian plate w Kahlua pork and Kalbi ribs and I had the Loco Moco. We both ordered sides of macaroni salad and spam masubi.
The meats were all right. They were marinated long enough, flavor did not penetrate through the meat and it wasn’t falling off the bone melt in your mouth good. In fact, it bordered on dry and my hamburger patty was definitely overdone. The fried egg and gravy were so salty I had to stop halfway through.
Macaroni salad as others have mentioned is nothing to write home about and overly mayonnaised in my opinion.
Spam masubi was alright, but the spam was slathered in a glaze that detracted from it’s spammy goodness and the overall presentation of the masubi a bit sloppy — I expect a tightly molded bundle of rice and seaweed showcasing a thick aromatic slice of spam, but got a loosely wrapped block of rice w a thin slice of spam. Oh well.
Shaved ice was pretty good, my friend wanted seconds.
All in all, I’d probably won’t né returning. Sadly.

Flat waves is the newest to this area with a casual Hawaiian flare !! The food is amazing the prices are great! The staff /​owners are a joy! Always smiling and chat with you. It makes it a lead ire to dine there or just a pick up. They stating delivering recently which is awesome!
I’ve tried most of the things on the menu. I love the Teriyaki burger with a grilled pineapple on it. It comes on a sweet bread !! Good Lord! It’s amazing! I’ve had the ground swell which is brown or white rice a choice of chicken Kahiua pork or shrimp with a choice of sauces. It’s s local must try. The kids can enjoy shaved ice with a array of floors to choose from. When they first opened I was there at least once a week. I’m tryin to pace myself :) they just recently opened for breakfast and soon the truck will be on the beach to take care of the surfers and bathers when the season opens this weekend. Take my word on this it’s a great local find!

I just moved to the area from Hawaii so I was extremely excited when I heard about a joint with Hawaiian plate lunches. The food is wonderful and fresh. I’m addicted to the Kahlua pork! So ono! The mac salad on the other hand isn’t quite as wonderful as what you would find in Hawaii, which broke my heart just a little. Other than that, nothing but great experiences.
I haven’t tried them yet, but saw recently that they’re selling acai bowls! I can’t wait to give them a try! Now I’d only they had garlic potato salad, I wouldn’t be as upset about trading in an island in the Pacific for one in the Atlantic.

My husband is from Hawaii and I have had a LOT of plate lunch. This place was GREAT! Enjoyed the kahlua pork quesadilla, shoyu chicken, loco moco (a bit too salty for me), mac salad, sauteed veggies, fruit and REAL shave ice. Did I mention the REAL shave ice?
Yes there is no «ambiance» with the few indoor seats but I imagine this is not much of an issue when the weather is nice. Just go and get yourself a damn good value for yummy hawaiian plate lunch!

Love this place! Great food and atmosphere, and great selection of food! The new smoker is crafting an amazing pulled pork and chicken! I gotta disagree with the comments on serving size… you get plenty for your dollar!
Pulled pork quesadilla with mango salsa is super!
Flat waves also uses it’s profit to support providing sustainable food sources to those in need overseas… love this place!