Matiki Island BBQ — Restaurant in Winchester

My wife and I took the family to try this place out. We have all had Hawaiian before, so we had at least some idea of what to expect. My wife ordered the #1, which is beef ribs with rice and potato salad, and is supposed to be their signature best dish. The rice was nicely done, although it was bland, even with the ribs sitting on it. The ribs themselves were mostly (more than 2/3) fat. Their flavor, or the bit of beef that could be separated from the fat, was ok at best. Our kids each ordered the beef and chicken kids' bowls. The beef was very overcooked and bland. The chicken was decently cooked, not dry, and was a decent sized portion. It wasn't very tasty or seasoned, but it was, at least, cooked well and edible. I ordered the big Kahuna (beef short rib, kalbi, chicken with extra portions of rice, a salad, and the salad) because i wanted to try everything and i am used to sharing with my family. Even though I asked for the salad separate, it was in the same container and just stuck under the hot meat, which really just steamed out and killed the texture of the greens. A plus is that the vinegar-based salad dressing was pretty tasty, but serving it in one container killed the texture. The short ribs were decent, although they were pretty tough. The rice portion was the same as my wife's, so apparently, I didn't get "more," even though the dish costs double the amount of the beef ribs. At $35 for my plate alone, it was simply not worth the price. My wife's was $18 and would have been worth the price, IF their wasn't so much fat. The sheer level of fat killed it. Another annoyance, although a minor one, was the size of the water cups. Without measuring, I think they were maybe 4 Oz cups. Having worked in restaurants before, the cost difference between those cups and larger cups is negligible. As for atmosphere, besides some stenciled designs on the tables, it felt quite sterile. The service was non-existent and very similar to a McDonald's. I understand that the economy has restaurants needing to use cheaper ingredients, but when it affects the whole experience, the loss of business will eventually have a worse effect. For nearly $100, we...

UPDATE: Went to their new location on Russell/Jones and ribs were properly marinated! Super good, no need for the side sauce they provide. What made me give this place 5 stars honestly is their “Spam Macsubi”. A musubi with Mac salad inside! The spam is charred on the same grill as the ribs so you get that broiled flavor and residual taste of the marinade, it’s then drizzled with a Teri based sauce, along with rice, furikake, nori and their flavorful potato Mac salad. The combination is so simple but so perfect. Their potato Mac salad is on the peppery side which blends perfectly with the saltiness of the spam accented with the faint Teri sauce. The consistency of salad is also more on the thick side so it’s nice variety of texture within the musubi. I swear once I ate that musubi I put the ribs away, I was so satisfied and mind blown on how good the macsubi was that the ribs seemed mediocre to me. Lol. Highly recommended! Told my coworkers (non Hawaii locals) and they tried it and loved the Macsubis also. I Went back within a week and ordered 3 Macsubis and mopped all of em! So good! And at a reasonable price at $3.50, and those Macsubis are pretty packed and big. Deals brah!!! Honestly I’ll be going weekly just for the Macsubi!!!

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I went when they were in the process of moving locations so I know they weren’t prepared which is why I believe I have not had a proper Big Bone Marinated Kalbi plate. I know how it is to rush orders and bang them out just to handle a rush so I feel they were just swamped and did not have time to properly marinate they meats that day. Although that bad experience I know the potential those ribs could be when done properly with their marinade that’s why I’m only giving 3 stars. From what I heard they already moved locations so I will try to go there again and give it another try in hopes I receive their big bone Kalbi done...

Super duper late post (because apparently I live in my camera roll), but I’m finally clearing out pics, so here’s my long-overdue love letter to Matiki’s in Las Vegas.

I’ve had the pleasure of eating here twice—yes, TWICE, because I couldn’t stop thinking about it after the first time like a clingy ex. I know they’ve got a few locations around the valley, but this review is specifically for the Southwest and Southeast spots. So if you’re from the North, Northwest of Henderson, sorry boo—you’re gonna need to venture out.

Let’s talk portions. I don’t know who’s doing their pricing strategy, but bless their hearts because these servings are HUGE. Like, “feed a small village” huge. First time around, my brother and I grabbed takeout. He got the Beef Rib Plate, I got the Steak and Kalbi Plate. Both slapped, but I ended up side-eyeing his plate with deep food envy. Flash-forward to my second visit (a whole year later because I went back to Guam), I got the Beef Rib Plate and let me tell you—NO REGRETS. That thing was so big I had leftovers, which I ate like a champion.

All this food for under $20? Including a drink? That’s not a deal—that’s practically a heist. The ribs were juicy, flavorful, and basically whispered sweet nothings to my taste buds. Even though it’s been almost a year since I last visited (sobs in cravings), I still think about those ribs. The place was clean, the cashier was friendly, the food came out HOT, and most importantly—it tasted bomb.

And I don’t hand out 5-star reviews like candy, but for Matiki’s? They earned every one of ‘em. Can’t wait to go back and reunite with my rib soulmate.

Disclaimer: prices may have changed since I...