Guahan Grill — Restaurant in Oceanside

The food of my (mom's) people! I haven't had Chamorro cuisine in a long time and this is one of the few times I've had it out since I've only really had it homemade.

I've somewhat had this place in mind and I'm happy I finally got the chance to try them out.

ITEM'S ORDERED:

Locals Deluxe (w/ mac salad & pork spare ribs) Chamorro Style Fried Chicken (w/ mac salad) Empanada

TASTE:

All the comforting feels for me as I ate my way through all the different items. I already had certain flavors in mind of how specific items would taste and the dishes all pretty much fit that.

I had to go with the pork spareribs instead of the chicken option since I always enjoyed them as a kid at all the Chamorro parties. I was already expecting flavors of soy sauce and vinegar in an almost too strong way and these ribs were just that, in the best way. I say "too strong" because I think if you have never had these, you might at first find it a little too flavored, but once you get a bite with some red rice, it's all good.

Red rice is a staple with this cuisine and works well with any protein. The vibrant color is more dramatic than the flavor since it's more subtle with just notes of salt & garlic I like to think. The mac salad was simple & good. I like the nicely sized portion of it compared to what you get at the Hawaiian chains these days. Compared to the mac salad at Hawaiian places, this is much less sweet. Also, I was surprised to not see potato salad as an option since I'm more used to having that side dish more.

I don't believe I've ever had Chamorro Style Fried Chicken but I'll say it's comparable to fried chicken, minus the breading part. So the crunch is not there, but also comes across less heavy.

The Empanada I always view as a specialty item since since whenever I've had it before it was in limited amounts and it always ran out. It's basically a nicely flavored shredded chicken mixture inside a crispy shell. I'm use to a little more spice, which these weren't, but they still were so good. Great freshly fried texture.

SERVICE:

The one girl who both took the order and brought the food out was very kind and friendly.

LOCATION & PARKING:

They are located in little shopping plaza which includes an IHOP with lots of parking so you shouldn't have a problem with that. You'll get all the warm, island feels inside with the woody interior and Chamorro styling.

I'm partial to this cuisine since I had it so much as a child. If you are looking for a comforting meal or something new and pretty approachable be sure to find your way to Guahan...

Guahan Grill is a family run restaurant that has been in business for about 5 years now. They serve Chamorro Cuisine which comes from the Mariana Islands. These Islands include the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, where the owner’s family is from. It is located in the IHOP shopping center at 4259 Oceanside Blvd in Oceanside.

Chamorro cuisine has many influence ranging from Spanish and Filipino , which can be seen in the empanadas and Lumpia, to American influences like spam which was introduced to the Islands during WW2.

What I had....

Lumpia ~ Ground beef, sautéed onions, cabbage, carrots, seasoning and soy sauce.

Note ~ My brother in-laws family is Filipino, so we have home-made lumpia at every holiday and family occasion. This is the best non-family lumpia I have tasted.

Combo plate ~ Fried pork ribs, Chicken kelaguen, red rice, empanada, and stir fried vegetables.

Note ~ Chicken Kelaguen is a Chamorro national dish, it is chopped barbecue chicken mixed with lemon, green onions and hot pepper. The best way I can describe it is the Chamorro version of Larb , but with a more citrus base instead of mint….think of if ceviche and larb had a baby.

Red rice is also a classic Chamorro dish, it is not like Spanish rice which gets the red color through tomato being added. It has a slightly nutty flavor.

If you want something a little different at a good price and large portions for what you pay, I would...

I came with a friend in the late afternoon for a light lunch. We got inside and found each and every table dirty and covered with the previous guest's dishes/refuse (some of the tables remained in the same condition the entire time we were there - 25 minutes). Despite being ignored by the two servers and bartender, we chose a table and sat ourselves at one of the dirty tables... five minutes later, the bartender is still talking with her friends and texting and the servers are nowhere to be found. After bussing the table ourselves, we asked for a menu and waters.... another five minutes later and we reminded the server about the waters and menus. After looking at the menu, which was crusted in grime, we decided to order empanadas. After ten minutes, they were delivered to the table in the basket they were fried in with no plates, napkins or silverware (she just set the basket on the table) and still no water..... unfortunately, this is not the first time I have experienced this here, simply the first time I'm saying something about it. Your food will likely be contaminated and God only knows what goes on with Catering orders... this place should be closing soon to make way for a restaurant that...