Mo' Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food — Restaurant in Overland Park

Date: 8/20/22

Location: Overland Park, KS

He ʻono maoli o Hawaiʻi (A true taste of Hawaii)

This was the first time we ordered from Mo' Bettahs. We ordered delivery as we're still not super comfy with eat-in restaurants. So I cannot speak to the restaurant building, décor, parking, or service.

I used to live in Hawaii, on Oahu, and am always on the lookout for reminders of that time - especially the food. There are some unique food qualities that just aren't replicated very well elsewhere. They are hard to describe until you miss them and then have the memory surface through a taste or smell. That is true of most every area of the world with distinctive cuisine.

I am usually disappointed with the Hawaiian cuisine restaurants. While their food may be good and the overall experience may be positive they lack that je ne sais quoi that sparks the happy memories in my brain. Learning that this restaurant chain was started by two Hawaiian brothers, Kimo & Kalani Mack meant I had very high hopes.

So, before I bury the lead any further let me tell you about the food.

Since it was our first time ordering, I wanted to get a selection of food to get a good sampling. So, we ordered a "Regular" plate with two entrees and an Ekolu (meaning 3 in Hawaiian) which came with three entrees which allowed us to try a total of 5 entrees. They came with macaroni salad, white rice, and choice of either house-made teri (teriyaki) sauce or katsu sauce. For our entrees we chose: Pulehu chicken, Shrimp Tempura, Teri Chicken, Kalua Pig, and Katsu Chicken. And we got both sauces.

First off - everything was kupanaha (wonderful)! Portion sizes were exactly as represented on the menu, and plenty for two people to have a feast.

The Pulehu Chicken was seasoned exactly as we like it. Simple and delicious.

The Shrimp Tempura was a true tempura batter (my wife grew up in Japan, so she can be a bit critical of many attempts at Asian cuisine). It was light, crunchy, and the shrimp was cooked just right.

The Katsu Chicken was breaded just right with panko bread crumbs. My wife was very pleased with this, but said she makes better Katsu sauce. I happen to agree. This was great, but hers is better.

The Teri Chicken was something I was bracing myself for the same disappointment I have had at most every other restaurant. No need to worry - this was the first thing that sparked a happy memory. The Teri sauce flavored this dish to perfection. It was not overly sweet - having a savory, almost smoky aspect to it. Thick enough to stick to the chicken but light enough to linger just long enough on your tongue.

The Kalua Pig may just be another pulled smoked pork to those of us in the Kansas City area - we do have some very good pulled pork here. The Kalua Pig is a great addition to our selections. Again it evoked memories of a whole pig being pulled from under palm leaves having been cooking over hot lava coals in a pit for the last day. It had that not-quite-melt-in-your-mouth texture combined with a wonderful smoky aroma and taste. No sauce needed for it to be delicious. I'm not going to say it was better than other pulled pork here in KC, but I will say it is equal to any I have tried here - restaurant or contest winner.

For the sides, the rice was typical white rice. Nothing special and nothing bad. And got plenty of it. The macaroni salad is not my thing, so I relied on my wife to tell me about it. She said she is not normally a fan of most but she ate all that we received - from two plates. And she said she'd happily order it again. So, I'd say it's a winner.

To sum up - we will definitely be going back to Mo' Bettahs. Maybe we'll even go inside to get the whole experience.

I highly...

Have tried this twice and have had a variety of proteins. Teriyaki chicken: has really good flavor but it could be seen as having too much char for some preferences. I did have to scrap some of that off but even so the chicken (thing) was not dry and had great flavor from the marinade. I much prefer this to the other local option that seems to simmer their's in sauce on a flat top that results in a lot of gristle not rendering away. Katsu Chicken: I ordered this during an off peak time so it was piping hot but the breading was crispy and chicken (thigh) inside was tender. If slightly more fresh it would have been a home run. Teriyaki steak: decent but not quite sure it was worth the $1 upcharge. The flavor was good and it was sliced against the grain for maximum tenderness. I did order this at noon and it was a bit cold. Kalua Pig: miles better than the other local option. It had great flavor and didn't have an overly artificial smoke taste like the other local option. Tender and juicy. Rice: pretty standard Mac salad: for me it is very bland but the pop of fresh carrots makes it balance out the savory meat quite well. I usually bury it in black pepper but its a nice cold contrast to everything else. I do wish they took more care in keeping it cold by not stacking meat on top of it.

The plates have Chopped cabbage underneath which I do appreciate. The teriyaki sauce is thick with a good flavor. I really don't care for the water thin style of the other local option so big win here. Service has been fast, helpful, and courteous.

The big thing to be aware of is that this place is quite a bit more expensive than the other local option but I will say the protein options are much higher in quality AND the protein portion sizes are bigger. The large plate is enough for two people at least. Hawaiian sun drinks...

I was sitting at work and realized it was pau hana, so I jetted out the door to find some local grindz here in KS/Overland Park area.

To my surprise, I stumbled across Mo'Bettahs and thought, why not? I'll give them a try. I was stationed at Shafter for 5 years on Oahu, so I know a little about local eats, even though I’m a pasty-white Irish haole.

Stepping into the joint, it was like being back on the island —serious island vibes here.

I asked for the Spicy Chicken plate and grabbed a couple Suns (POG Juice) to wash it down.

The food came out fast, and the entire staff was super friendly, as you'd expect —'cause we all one Ohana.

The teriyaki chicken was just like I remember back on the island: quality char, great teri flavor, and moist. The katsu was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The plate was rounded out in the traditional way with a couple scoops of white rice and some mac salad. It was righteous eats.

I have no idea how there’s even one bad review about this place. The food was so Ono, it broke da mout’!

You mainlanders need to retract what you said, if you no mo get nahting nice fo’ say, do us one favah an shaddup or we might hava scrap!

Oh, the only thing missing at this grindz spot was an uncle handing me a green bottle....