Keneke’s Plate Lunch & BBQ

I ordered the korean fried chicken and uhm… well they got the fried part right… in fact they did so well on it, it was pretty black. They should really change their oil and I didn’t even taste much korean sauce on it. Their burgers were pretty good and their fries were a-​ok.

Cannot give it a higher rating as I have not tried much from this place. So far I have had their teriyaki cheese burger and crinkle cut fries with a jumbo drink.
The burger was alright. Small in size but for about $ 3 not bad. Their crinkle cut fries were delicious. Perfectly fried to have that crunchy outer layer and that soft center mmm. I would come back for more fries. My favorite was the jumbo drink size. I was thirsty after hiking and an ice cold lemonade hit the spot.
I’ll write another review once I try their shave ice and other dishes.

We recently booked Keneke’s for our small destination wedding on Waimanalo Beach from Australia and were absolutely blown away by their amazing food and professionalism. Without breaking the bank they provided traditional Hawaiian food, service and tableware. Keith was easy to deal with via email and phone and the girls who served were a credit to their team. All our guests raved about the food and we could have been happier, every dish was delicious! What an amazing service!
Keneke’s is a quirky simple little restaurant but dont be put off, it is 100% quality! During our week long stay in Waimanalo, we stopped by and ate most days!

When I was planning my wedding I didn’t want to go with the traditional wedding caterer. I decided to go with Kenekes because I have always loved their food and to be honest their website made me laugh. It reassured me that I would be getting great food with fun personality. I was not disappointed! All the guests loved the food, both local and guests from the mainland. Only bummer was that they ran out of the mashed Okinawan sweet potato; that was my favorite!

Driving through Waimanalo at 10 AM, wanting a light breakfast & coffee.
First impression… grungy, shabby, not very clean & not the most personable guy at the window. NO COFFEE to go with breakfast. NO BATHROOM!
Mr. Personality at the window said, «Closest bathroom is McDonalds.»…SO I went to
McDonalds where everything was sparkling CLEAN & I got a senior coffee & pancakes.

Had a very satisfying lunch today! We were the only one’s there a little after 1:00 on Friday.
Parking wasn’t a problem. Service was great. Food took about 10 minutes, but it was worth it.
I had the Mahi Mahi plate side French fries OMG which was so delicious! and my husband had the Adobo fried rice and eggs, That, my friend was awesome. That alone would’ve been 5 stars if we took it to go. (But we dined in) the artwork (graffiti) on the wall is very interesting to read, didn’t mind it at all…
The only complaints I have are, the tables we’re sticky and very uncomfortable to eat on. And then that stick dumpster smell was just awful. Every time the wind blew we could smell it. I don’t think anyone would want to eat while smelling that disgusting smell. I know it comes with the food service business, but they really should find a solution for that. Only reason why I gave it 3 stars.

Horrible! I only went here because Surg’s Mexican Kitchen next door just had a fire and were temporarily closed. I got the mixed plate with teriyaki chicken, chicken katsu and Kalua pork. The only things edible were the white rice and the salad (lettuce) that I got in substitute for the macaroni salad. Both types of chicken had large hard chunks of gristle and the pork just didn’t have good flavor in my opinion. I think the pork was the better off the 3 meats by far but was scared to eat much of it after the chicken was so grosse. I would not recommend this place!

Stopped in and got my son and I a chx Katsu plate between games. Rice was averagely good, Mac salad ok, Katsu sauce great, chicken Katsu terrible… like ridiculously terrible… chewy, tough with lots of cartilage. Worse Katsu on the island that I’ve ever had.
1 star cuz you havta, one star for the great sauce. Do yourself a favor and head to L&L for a decent chx katsu.

The food was decent. Service was great. View from the area also pretty cool. I didn’t care for the katsu or the garlic chicken. Garlic shrimp was the best. And the fries!

I called Keith at Keneke’s to cater my sister’s wedding. She was getting married to a local Wahine on the beach at Kaiona so we wanted authentic Hawaiian. We ordered Kahlua Pork, chicken, rice, fruit, all the fixings. I was ordering in advance from the mainland so I was very concerned that i get it just right. (love my sister). First of all, Keith is very busy and hard to get a hold of but the Ladies at his place are very nice and helped us. We ordered from the website but bugged them a lot with details. we added Lumpia and fresh fruit to the menu. When we arrived a few days before the wedding, I stopped by to meet with Keith and pin down delivery times. Keith was super nice, his place is beautiful.
He assured me that his driver would be at the beach at a specific time and would call from the parking lot. He did call at the EXACT minute promised. The food was fresh, hot, and wonderful. the wedding guests raved about it and so did all of the «cousins» down at the beach. we ordered for 35 people and got WAY more food than needed. All Da Cousins took some home! thanks Keith and Keneke’s!!!

Delicious! I had the mixed plate it was amazing the Mac was great too! I wasn’t a complete fan of the Kalbi (short ribs) they were a little tuff, but still good flavor!

Best local style plate lunch deal you will get on the island. Huge portion with plenty rice and a side of mac salad is so good to satisfy the hunger after a fun day of surf. You’ll get the best bang for your buck. Can’t beat their location near the Waimanalo and Makapuu beaches.
Go for a combo page and get three choices from their menu. You can also sub fries for rice at no cost. Faves are shoyu and teri chicken. I also get their bfast plate. Try one of their shakes as well. Faves are vanilla, coffee, and chocolate in various combinations of two flavors mixed. They also have strawberry and pineapple that I’m sure are a hit.
The building they are located in is old and in a dire need of renovation. You can eat your food in their covered seating area but I opt for a take out to the beach park. The premises is the reason this place loses a star.

Probably a great place to eat if you’re super hungry and your taste buds are shot. I decided to get a mixed plate with mochiko chix, kalbi, and pork adobo. The only item that really had any taste was the pork adobo. Everything else just tasted blah. Although the portions are decent and the price is right, the taste sure isn’t. Maybe I should have just stuck to the good Ol’ grilled cheese sandwich.

So I guess I don’t agree with the Unilocal review hear it really is good there Kalua pig and their teriyaki chicken mixed plate is really damn fresh and good and for $ 10 it’s great especially especially over here you don’t have a lot of choices!

What can I say We like Kenekes. They have Katsu and shave ice, plus inexpensive plate lunches and brekkie
The food not all together bad either. We eaten tons of meals here and keep coming back.
They serve up quick basic local food fast food style am when you are at the beach that’s what you want well we do anyway.
The food is decent. filling priced right and portions are right.
It’s worth the stop.

This place is a window-​front restaurant not far from Waimanalo Beach park on the Windward side, and an area favorite. The owners appear to be unabashed in their love for Jesus and power-​lifting (now there’s a combo!) as demonstrated by the signage, but I’ve never known the workers to witness to anyone and in any case, are highly unlikely to be offensive about it.
It’s standard plate lunch fare — Kalua pig, pork adobo, chicken katsu, and the like — which won’t be mistaken for health food. But it is reasonably well-​executed, with good portions and excellent pricing. Keep an eye out for their lunch specials and combo.
They also serve shave ice, though I’ve never had it, being partial to Waiola’s and Uncle Clay’s.
Parking is in just a few spots out front or on the road. They have outdoor tables and a dining ‘shelter’ (which, sadly, is a bit dingy and sometimes smells of urine). But I recommend taking your food to go and enjoying out at Waimanalo Beach Park or Waimanalo Bay — perfect for an informal picnic lunch.

A tiny local lunch spot serving a wide variety of sandwiches from cheese burgers to mahi mahi to their most popular Kailua pig. Sandwiches come aka carte and «plates» with a choice of fries, Mac salad or rice and prices are very reasonable.
We stopped in for a late lunch (3 pm) on a Friday. It’s a pretty small place so expect a wait for your food. You order at one of the small tables then they yell out your name when everything is ready. Our order for 5 people took about 15 minutes.
I got a plate of the pulled pork which was moist and a very large portion served up in a styrofoam take out container with a good amount of crinkle cut fries. It was very good but more than I could eat. Several in our group got the pork as a sandwich which was served without sauce and came drenched in the flavorful pork broth.
Bottom line:
–food taste and quality (4)
— service (2)
–sanitation and ambiance (2) it’s a dive
–value (4)
Definitely a local spot. They also serve shaved ice but we were too full.

Standard plate lunch favorite after a day at the beach. I don’t particularly think it’s anything special, but since it is one of the only dining options in the area it tastes really good to have some hot fresh food after a day in the sun.
Favorites here include the loco moco, chicken katsu, mochiko chicken, and the shaved ice.
Credit cards taken here, parking pretty easy, location excellent.

This was great for a plate lunch. A bit dirty to sit at, which is preventable. Just needs a regular sweep and wipe down.
The food was good, especially for the price. I walked away stuffed for under $ 10. That’s hard to beat!
Parking, seating, cheap food. Win.

While heading to the beach we were debating where to grab a quick bite. Whole Foods in Kailua was brought up and were most likely to go there until we stumbled upon here. There was a line forming which intrigued us so we pulled up to check out their menu, which is posted on their wall. Travelling with out-​of-​town friends we thought this would be a cool place to eat and the menu appealed to all.
The majority you will find a long list of plate lunch entrée. Local favorites such as BBQ chicken, beef curry, fried chicken, hamburger steak caught my eye but I wasn’t really hungry so I opted for the teriyaki hamburger deluxe with side order of french fries.
Despite the line our orders were taken quickly and in less than 15mins our names were called.
The french fries came right out of the fryer and piping HOT. After eating one it was obvious they forgot to add salt. Not sure if they don’t add any salt as part of their procedure but found a salt shaker at the cashier front with other condiments.
My teriyaki hamburger was very tasty. The raw onion slice was thicker than to my liking but I still ate it. In a matter of few minutes I wolfed down my lunch.
I was able to sample what my friends ordered. The grilled Mahi Mahi plate was also very good and served with mac salad and french fries. It also came with a lemon wedge and tartar sauce, the fish was cooked perfectly and not fishy at all.
On their menu, they advertise using locally made Dave’s Ice Cream and my friend ordered the coconut milkshake. OMG, one sip and I had a foodgaism at the table! If you enjoy coconut this is a MUST order peeps!!!
The inside dining room here reeks the 70’s. It brings such character to this joint. With the great food, quick service and affordable prices I can truly see why this place is enjoyed by both locals and tourists.
Just like dining at any open-​spaced dining areas, we were annoyed by the constant bombarding of the flies.
Whether you are looking for food before or after the beach, Keneke’s is a great place.
NOTES:
1) Credit cards accepted here.
2) Private parking lot in front of this place.
3) Several tables available of outside seating.
4) Garbage bins located behind the restaurant.
5) Coca Cola products are offered here.