Page 3 - Dining Out - April 25, 2021

Restaurant Insider with Anne Lee
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Chicken In A Barrel BBQ
167 S. Kamehameha Hwy., Wahiawa 808-888-2400 chickeninabarrel.com Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays- Saturdays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays Parking in the back (look for the chicken)
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ooking and the industry. My ther Patrick really believed my passion and helped unch the first franchise
ere on Oahu.
L: You offer more than st barbecue meats. Tell e more about the menu.
L: All our sides — from the panish rice, coleslaw and acaroni salad — are made esh daily. Our homemade hili beans are a result of ig Mike’s wife, who creat- d the spice that goes into is dish. We also have our opular Boar Dog, which a jalapeño/cheese pork ausage topped with grilled nions, cheese and mustard. e offer our popular entrée
ptions a la carte.
L: What is the restaurant’s ost popular dish?
L: The Sampler Plate 21.05) consists of chicken, ulled beef and pork, and ome baby back ribs. The ombo Chicken & Rib Plate
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Kilani Avenue. The original developer named all of the side streets after fruits, flow- ers and trees. At that time, Ohai Street was Ohia Street. I discovered that around 1950, the state surveyor switched up the “a” and the “i.” Ohai Street has been long asso- ciated with drug use and poverty. In redeveloping this area, our goal has been to restore Ohai Street back to Ohia Street in spirit, and this building is the heart of that effort. In 2012, I restored the building. We basically rebuilt the entire building and upgraded the facade to preserve a cool piece of Wahiawa history.
AL: It takes a village to run a restaurant. Tell me more about your team.
JL: I have an awesome man- agement team. Brinn Haw- kins works the evening shifts, he is my second in my com- mand. Leighton and Taylor are my other managers.
My dad Patrick is the CFO, and my mom Jamie is the president.
AL: Anything else you’d like to share about the restaurant?
JL: Our customers are so wonderful. We have a won- derful blend of tourists and locals, and a cute uncle that picks up food for his fam- ily. It’s very Wahiawa, very family.
We also offer a call-ahead option to have it ready to pickup. Or, order online and click select Wahiawa. We also have delivery via Uber Eats or Quick Cuisine.
1. There’s something for everyone in the family at Chicken In A Barrel BBQ.
2. Sampler Plate ($21.05)
3. Combo Chicken & Rib Plate ($19.65)
4. Wahiawa back in the day.
5. Bacon Cheeseburger ($13.15), shown with french fries (additional $2.80)
6. Big Mike’s BBQ rubs and sauces range in price from about $12 to $14.
($19.65) is a one-fourth piece of chicken and two baby back ribs. All entrées come with rice and chili beans.
On our Off the Grill menu, our Hoagie Sandwich ($12) comes with onion rings or fries, and your choice of shredded pork or chicken (beef is an extra $2). It’s served in a hoagie roll and topped with provolone or pepper jack cheese, with grilled onions.
We have a Mexi-que menu, which offers authen- tic Mexican food made with barrel-cooked meats, and we added fish. We made the Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos ($12.50) with coleslaw, pico de gallo and cheese, topped with our homemade cilantro sauce and a side of Spanish rice.
We also have 100% grass-fed burgers. Our most popular is the Bacon Cheeseburger ($13.15). It’s a one-third-pound handmade patty mixed with our signa- ture rub and onions, topped with lettuce, tomato and on- ions.You can add fries ($2.80), sweet potato fries ($3.25) or onion rings ($2.80).
AL: What makes your food so popular?
JL: The type of cuisine we offer is healthy and unique. With the pandemic, people are used to takeout, and our dishes are takeout friendly. We also have outdoor seating that guests can take advan- tage of. The homemade rub ($13.92) and sauce ($12.60) are for sale here, too.
AL: The restaurant is in a historical landmark. Can you tell me more about this?
PL: The building used to be Takano Store, with a two-sto- ry residence in the back where the family lived. The building was constructed around 1920 and the family sold various goods includ- ing kerosene, groceries and sundry items. During the bombing of Pearl Har- bor, the Japanese attacked Wheeler, and this building was hit by a stray bullet from a Japanese Zero.
The family owns the prop- erty to this day. At the time of this picture (see photo No. 4), the main road was Colony Road instead of Kamehame- haHighway,whichendedat
Dining Out / April 25-May 1, 2021 / 3
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It’s Great to be Grand: Seasonal Excellence
RESERVE NOW LIMITED SEATING
Hoku’s new Grand Tasting Menu is eight courses of local ingredients, reimagined and bursting with unique Hawaii flavors. Executive Chef Jonathan Mizukami pulls out all the stops and carefully executes exquisite dishes like Confit of Kona Kahala, Lobster Luau Stew and Grilled Snake River Farms beef “Papale.” Look forward to an evening full of special twists, decadence and seasonal delights.
HOKU’S NEW
GRAND TASTING MENU
Tues.-Sat., 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
$200* per person, wine pairing available *Does not include tax & gratuity
Reservations 739.8811 HokusKahala.com
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A ju m J S m fr c B e th p is s o W o
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