Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ — Restaurant in Lexington

When I tell you that you need to try this food, I mean it! I never even knew this place existed until I saw a video of them and I am honestly blessed to have seen it. This is for sure going to be a regular spot for me in the future. I look forward to trying everything else on the menu. Buckle in for this rave review, words cannot describe how much I love this place but I am certainly going to try. Lets start with the resturant itself. Super easy to find because it's right on the corner, you can't miss it. At first I was worried as it looked like there was no parking lot, but they thought of the customers and placed a pretty easy to see sign pointing to parking in the back, a very thoughtful touch. The inside is decorated very well and is super clean. It wasn't crowded at all but had just enough other customers to give it a nice relaxed atmosphere. The staff? They could give chick-fil-a a run for their money. Never have I had a cashier so kind and attentive. She was incredibly patient, knowledgable of the menu, and even made sure to check on us throughout the meal. Although I did not speak to the chefs they did their job WELL and very quickly. We barely had to wait for our food and it tasted like they had worked hours on it. Now obviously that leads us into the star of the show; the food. Prices? Very reasonable and great portion sizes. My partner got the pork katsu sandwich (super moist and crispy at the same time) and the Hawaiian style fries (I do not care how much food you have already, just order them you can thank me later). I ordered the "Juicer" Mahi mahi sandwich (blackened fish, and that spice level is NOT for the weak of heart. Luckily I love spicy food so it was a home run for me), Mac salad (I don't like any pasta salad but this? I could have just a bowl of it and be happy.), coleslaw on the side (not a cole slaw fan but it definitely tasted very fresh and my partner loved it so I can see the appeal), and the spam musubi (straight perfection. I could have this for breakfast, lunch, midnight snack, whatever and could never get burned out.). The best local spot I have been to in a long time, not your typical resturant for sure. In case it wasn't obvious, I HIGHLY reccommend...

The restaurant has a casual and modern vibe. It is very clean and simplistic in the best way! You are greeted with a wonderful barbecue aroma as soon as you open the door and walk up the stairs. The staff is really nice and engaging with the customers in a very welcoming and friendly way. This is a great place to come with friends for a lunch, or just to hang out and laugh while sharing some great food!

Onto the food:

I ordered the big kahuna burger: It comes with 2 burger patties, onion rings, bacon, swiss, grilled pineapple, and barbecue sauce on a toasted bun. Delicious is an understatement here--the burgers are juicy and full of flavor, onion rings are crispy and not overwhelming, the cheese is all the gooey goodness you want on a burger, the pineapple is tender, and the bun is toasted soft on top with a crisp bite--just all around great quality and flavor! And its HUGE!!

My boyfriend ordered katsu pork: crispy panko breaded pork served with the stickiest of sticky rice. Both have soy, eel sauce, and spicy mayo on them. The flavor profile is very reminiscent of a pork poké bowl (which makes total sense provided this is hawaiian bbq and poké is hawaiian too) either way it is show-stoppingly amazing! I made my boyfriend switch me plates because his pork was SO good (plus he was eyeing my burger 😛). I don't like mayo so I chose not to order the katsu for myself, but I wouldnt let that stop you from ordering. This will be my go to cheat day meal for sure!

And a side of fries. The fries are golden and perfrctly crispy without being greasy or heavy. They come in Hawaiian style but we ordered them plain!

Both meals come with a side of macaroni salad which is light and a nice compliment to all the flavors you already have going on on your plate.

The restaurant is closed on Mondays

We will definitely be back--and you...

Food Fun Adventure Weekend took Fat Man Reviews to Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ in Lexington, KY. Big Kahuna offers Hawaiian BBQ and west coast inspired foods for dine in or take out.

I tried the Katsu Sandwich with panko fried pork, eel sauce, spicy mayo, cabbage slaw on a toasted bun with sticky rice. The sandwich comes with two “patties” and they were fried to perfection. The spicy Mayo and eel sauce played well off each other, adding a spicy sweet punch. The slaw had a nice creamy slightly sweet crunch that cut through the saltiness of the pork, and it was served on a nicely toasted sweet Hawaiian bun. The sandwich was huge and messy and just absolutely great. The sticky rice was cooked perfectly as well. It was topped with spicy Mayo, house chili sauce and sesame seeds. The entire dish is excellent.

My fiancé tried the Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich which is marinated and grilled with sweet Hawaiian glaze, slaw and is served on a toasted bun and comes with macaroni salad. The chicken was juicy and grilled well, and the sauce was sweet with a slight tang to it. The macaroni was cooked well, it was creamy but slightly bland. This was another huge, messy, and fantastic sandwich.

We split an order of Hawaiian style fries topped with spicy mayo, eel sauce, house chili sauce, scallions, and sesame seeds. The fries were fried to a crunchy golden brown and the sauces on top added a nice creamy, sweet and spicy accompaniment to the salty fries. The dish is pretty big, and it was easily split between us.

Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ is an excellent spot that offers plates and sandwiches with several sides. The portion sizes are big and almost all will be messy and saucy. The staff was friendly, and they offered a grilled tofu plate, as a meat alternative. Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ is Fat Man Approved...