Local Grinds Served With Aloha

At Ert’s Grill in Aiea, you can enjoy a delicious and affordable home-cooked meal without the hassle of prepping, cooking and cleaning.

The family-friendly restaurant offers a variety of local favorites and plate lunches, such as the popular Loco Moco ($7.75) served with two homemade hamburger patties, gravy and two eggs any style on a bed of rice. There also are the Breakfast Bento ($7) consisting of a hot dog, two eggs and steak on a bed of rice with furikake, and Mini Bento ($4.75) with hot dog, a choice of teriyaki chicken or teriyaki steak over a bed of rice with furikake.

New to the menu is a Keiki Sports Pack ($3.25) with teriyaki chicken and half of a hot dog on a bed of rice with furikake.

“My sister and brother-in-law are sports parents, and they are always looking for something that is reasonably cheap and a good snack for the kids when it’s their turn to provide the snacks for the team,” explains co-owner Stephen Ichioka on the inspiration for this new bento. “Everything we serve is pretty much homemade, except for the hot dogs. My mom taught me how to cook and I just ran with it, so a lot of the dishes are from my mom with some changes.

“Our smoked meat with onions is also very popular. We try to keep the prices reasonable, and we try to make comfort food. Everything is made and served with aloha.”

Ichioka, a former flight attendant for Aloha Airlines, opened the restaurant last August with his childhood best friend Clyde Higa, who is an auto mechanic by day. They also have a lunch wagon that they plan to have running within the next few weeks.

“We are a family-oriented restaurant, homey and warm,” adds Higa. “Everybody who works here, we’re like a little family, and we want it to be comfortable for the people who come in, too.”

Ert’s Grill

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