lolani's Plate Lunch — Restaurant in Milwaukie

YOU WILL WAIT FOR AWHILE IF THIS DETERS YOU CHOOSE A DAY WHERE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF TIME (the food is worth all regulars and Hawaii locals will go here rather than anywhere else) In the photo, this line is just overspill from where people are standing behind me and most people in their cars waiting.

If you want a Hawaiian/Local vibe this is gonna be it. You will have to WAIT, he is a one man operation. The portions and food is worth it though, I will not give anything lower than 5 stars for any of it due to the fact he is running a solo operation. Very very local style and feels just like Hawaii mom & pop shops. You need to follow his instagram page to stay up to date with what’s on the menu, whether or not he will be operating to be honest. If anything that was said in this review deters you, then don’t go. Parking is easy there’s street parking, there’s a covered area to wait in front of the Mexican truck (yes he will have a literal massive line/queue either sitting in their cars waiting or in line or by the taco truck EVEN in pouring down rain) All the food is good and it’s one of the ONLY places that you can go with actually good Lū’au (Lau Lau) which is pork/fish wrapped in taro leaves and then cooked/steamed in Ti leaves for hours. Everything is cooked to order from what I can tell so your plates are coming out HOT!

Prices are competitive and actually on the lower side compared to some “Hawaiian restaurants” but coming from Hawai’i island, I literally have stopped going ANYWHERE else, the only place I consider going for Hawaiian food if it’s not Iolani’s is...

Heading through the Portland area on a trip up the west coast and I googled best lunch spots.. Iolani’s came up with 5 stars so obviously we had to give them a try. How often do you see a straight 5 stars? When we got there, much to our chagrin the cart was closed but as we sat there contemplating what to do, they opened. We ordered everything on the menu (mochico chicken, pastele stew, kalua pork, guava spare ribs) and didn’t break the bank. It took a bit of waiting because it was cooked to order, and 100% worth it. The portions are hearty and we will have enough for at least 2 more meals. Oh and did I mention the Mac salad? To die for. Hands down the best Hawaiian food I’ve ever had, even having been to Hawaii. The mochiko chicken was my favorite, sweet, savory, crispy, and the bbq sauce insert chefs kiss Hands down...

Been trying to catch this place open for months and finally got to try it today!! First thing, the owner is absolutely the chillest person ever and is incredibly friendly! You can tell that he loves life and what he does for a living, it just radiates off him and is infectious to the point where your day is instantly better! Just great vibes all around! The food is as good as it looks, so incredibly tasty, filling and worth every penny! I arrived a little late and was disappointed that the Pastele stew was sold out, and I said that next time I would come back to try it, but when my order was ready he handed me what I ordered and an additional togo box with Pastele stew for free!!! I think it was whatever was left and he just gave it to me 🤙🏼🤙🏼 Delicious food and an incredible owner, will definitely be...