Kealoha's BBQ — Restaurant in Denver

Do yourself a favor and eat here. Wow it’s good.

We ordered the loco moco, the bbq ribs and an order of spam musubi. The ribs were a huge standout. The meat is fall off the bone tender while still keeping the texture of meat. We got the spicy bbq sauce which was so full of flavor. It was sweet and slightly tangy with the barest hint of heat. There is a delightful hint of char on the meat and bones which makes me wonder how they produced such a perfect rib. The loco moco was every bit of delicious that I was expecting. It’s a very generous portion in addition to being filling. Even my 15 year old son wasn’t able to clean the plate as he usually does. The flavor of the brown gravy is soothing and calls to a nostalgia despite this being my first time having the dish. The musubi was equally a delight. The rice is fresh, cooked to perfection, with the right amount of bite. Not too dry nor too soft. The nori wrapping was flavorful and the spam was moist and tender. It was clear it was freshly made. The sauce that accompanies the musubi was excellent. I wouldn’t want to have spam musubi any other way. Not to forget the sides, the Mac salad is a perfect accompaniment to the loco moco. The salty and the creamy work together harmoniously. The surprise was the salad. I was enormously impressed with how a dish that is usually a forgotten and unloved add in at other restaurants was fresh and crisp. Not a single wilted green much less slime. And the dressing is just a delight. I believe it’s a creamy sweet wasabi that’s just heavenly. I could easily make a lunch out of the salad - perfectly dressed and topped with a crunch if some crouton product but much lighter and more delicious. It’s what croutons dream they could be.

I’m already planning on getting the burger combo deal. $10 for one of their amazing burgers with a a drink is a huge value. I am torn between the bbq burger and the teriyaki burger.

Edit - correction! The dressing is made from lilliquoi, a Hawaiian passion fruit sourced directly from the islands, and ginger. No wasabi at all.

All the food including the sauces are made from scratch. The lovely couple that run the shop return to Hawaii every couple of months for supplies. Everything is fresh, scratch made and authentic Hawaiian. Kealoha and Christie are the real deal. So kind and friendly! Eating their food is experiencing Hawaii...

The BEST Hawaiian food you can find in the Denver Metro! They source their fresh ingredients from the Big Island and it absolutely shows in the taste and quality of the food they serve. Yet the prices are reasonable, portion sizes are HUGE and the service feels like I’ve been transported back home. Since it’s entirely run by just 2 people (a local Hawaii couple) and is quite a popular downtown spot, if you’re not there at the beginning of lunch time, you may need to wait a bit (absolutely worth the wait!). I got there pretty late but during my wait, I got to enjoy the outdoor seating, bask in the sunshine, and see the diversity of customers - they had construction works to office workers and most seemed like regulars who were welcomed like family. Whether or not I’m working downtown, I intend to come back regularly and try each item on the menu. Absolutely worth a trip to downtown to eat here! You...

Was in town for work and looking for something close to the hotel. Did the standard Google map search & filters, but what I found at Kealoha’s was anything but standard! I wish I would have slowed down to capture a photo earlier, but I was too busy digging in! I ordered the combo plate with ribs and teriyaki chicken, with mac salad and rice as sides. The chicken was incredibly moist and flavorful, and the ribs were the perfect combination of sticky, sweet, and fall off the bone tender. Such a great place, staff were incredibly welcoming and provided recommendations. The seating area shared with other vendors is a great place to enjoy the food, you’ll want to do so immediately just like I did! Can’t recommend enough.

EDIT/UPDATE: loved it so much, went back a second day in a row. Ordered the Loco Moco and spam musubi. Wish I could rate ten stars due to the...