Unko Frank’s Hawaiian BBQ — Restaurant in Enterprise

It's been a while since my family and I have tried a "new" Hawaiian restaurant here on the 9th island (Las Vegas, for those that don't know), and because of this, it was about that time to find one. I conducted my typical search on Google for restaurants across the valley, and not to my surprise, there were so many Hawaiian restaurants we haven't tried yet. I was a little skeptical on trying Unko Frank's because of the location - I live in the far Northwest part of the city and I didn't feel like driving a far distance. But, I figured in order to experience different places, you'll have to travel to get to some of them...and in this case, I'm glad I did.

We arrived ~an hour before they were closing on 16 May 2025, so I didn't think the restaurant was going to be that busy. I was, however, shocked that this business was still processing to-go orders all the way to their advertised closing time, which I was glad to see this restaurant receiving a lot of business. In fact, there was a large family that arrived after we did so again, it's good to see local businesses getting the attention they deserve. The two female employees working the counter were very friendly and highly efficient, greatly contributing to the overall operations. I wish I would've retrieved both names but one of them was Alondrha (spelling). I was also grateful that the employees brought out our food (yes, we dined in), instead of calling our number to pick it up at the counter...which I presumed was going to occur because they explicitly informed me of my order number. Hands-down, phenomenal customer service!

Speaking of our food, we ordered Gyoza, Spam Musubi (because I didn't feel like making it at home), Unko's Mixed Plate, Garlic Shrimp Plate, Spicy Furikake Garlic Chicken Plate, Fried Noodles Plate, and 1/4 lb Shoyu Ahi Poke for our entrées; Guava Cake and Chantilly Coco Puff for our dessert. First and foremost, the quantity of the food is the typical Hawaiian feast where you don't leave the table hungry because they provide a lot of food just in one entrée alone. Second, I felt the star performers were definitely the BBQ Chicken (in Unko's Mixed Plate), Garlic Shrimp, Furikake Chicken, and Guava Cake. Whereas the other items didn't stand out as much, it was still adequate. I've had so many gyoza/mandu in my life to which I can say that I've had much better than the ones served here. Also, the beef quality (teri beef and kalbi) were just satisfactory to me - the texture didn't satisfy as much as I hoped for...but it wasn't a disappointment either. The Fried Noodles were decent, but again, I've had several iterations of noodles in my life and this one just seemed a little bland (yes, even with all the kamaboko, cabbage, and I believe it was char sui in there). Also, this is only a personal issue but I was hoping that the restaurant had some Chinese hot mustard so I could pour it on to my noodles (sorry, I was raised to eat it that way on the islands). Aside from these things, the food here is satisfying.

The price-to-quantity/quality was very reasonable. In fact, I think most Hawaiian restaurants understand the importance of serving a lot of food or else they won't receive an adequate amount of "locals" in their restaurants. I highly respect this business for their continued support to the active men and women of the Armed Forces, including its Veterans - thank you for that! The restaurant wasn't massive but the décor was nice and the music selection was good. Overall, I liked my experience here as depicted in my 4-star rating. Could I see myself returning to try other items on their menu? You betcha! However, it won't be anytime soon due to the restaurant's proximity to my house...but I do plan on returning. I highly recommend this restaurant to everyone! Mahalo Nui Loa, to Unko Frank's staff, for the...

My first time here and this place was packed.  You can tell when entering this was more of a locals spot which I appreciated. I was looking forward to tasting authentic Hawaiian food that wasn't a chain.  People who worked here were super nice and helpful.

This place was packed and a lot of people were picking up trays of food for parties. I knew I came to the right place.

Spam musubi - Flavorful you can taste the shoyu in the musubi

Portuguese sausage musubi - You can taste flavor of Portuguese sausage but that was it.  It was missing thw shoyu to bind the musubi together

Keiki garlic chicken - I wanted to see what the hype was with the garlic chicken.  It was definitely crunchy  and had a lot of sauce but I didn't taste any garlic.  The rice had was made with too much water that the rice was mushy.  Good thing I got a side of mac salad which paired well with it.  The pineapple with li hing was delicious.  For the price you can't go wrong and it comes with a drink.

Guava cake - This was tasty and moist.  You can taste the guava jam like taste on top and in between the layers

Chantilly cake - This cake was moist but I didn't care too much for eat.  The sweetness of the chantilly took the flavor out of the chocolate cake.  Basically you know you're eating cake but can only taste chantilly

Chantilly coco puff - If you like cream puffs this is for you.   I think everything was so soft the puff needed texture to balance out the chantilly cream and chocolate cream.

I purchased the li hing candies and these were tasty. I bought extra to share with the fam.

I can't wait to come back soon to try their...

Unko Frank’s Hawaiian BBQ, which started as a food truck and has been open for five years, offers a slice of Hawaiian paradise in the middle of Las Vegas.

From the moment you step inside, you’re greeted with the warm aloha spirit, and the manager, JV, is super attentive, ensuring every guest feels like family.

The menu is a delightful journey through Hawaiian flavors. The poke nachos are a must-try, blending fresh poke with crispy nachos for a unique twist. The spicy tuna musubi is another excellent appetizer & my go to comfort food.

Their pickled sides: pickled garlic, kimchi, and taegu provide a tangy and spicy counterpoint to the richer dishes. For the main course, the kalbi combo with shrimp is a standout, with perfectly grilled kalbi and succulent shrimp.

The fried noodles are deliciously savory, and the spicy furikake chicken offers a satisfying kick. Don’t miss the lau lau, a traditional Hawaiian dish and my absolute favorite. Reminded me of home. 🌺

If you visit on the weekend, be sure to save room for dessert. The ube haupia is a creamy, dreamy delight. Additionally, Unko Frank’s offers specialty items like Noms candy and chocolate for purchase. The ube chocolate and banana lumpia chocolate are particularly worth trying.

Unko Frank’s Hawaiian BBQ is a must for anyone craving authentic Hawaiian cuisine...