Big Kahuna's BBQ & Catering

We recently used Big Kahuna to cater a party, and it honestly couldn’t have gone better. The pulled pork and chicken were a huge hit, and we had very little left over. The staff were very courteous and pleasant as well. We’ll definitely be using them again!!!

I recently ordered from Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ, and it was a complete disappointment. First of all, the food arrived cold, which was a huge letdown. But the real shocker came when I took a bite of the chicken— it was still raw! I couldn’t believe it. Not only was it inedible, but it also made me question the restaurant's food safety standards. For a place that’s supposed to be known for quality Hawaiian BBQ, this was absolutely unacceptable. Definitely won't be returning. Avoid this place unless you want a food safety scare.

My company recently used Big Kahuna's BBQ for an event and it was incredible! They showed up on time, delivered incredible food, and even packaged the leftovers. The pulled pork and chicken is phenomenal, I would highly consider having these guys cater for any event!

This is the first place I ate in Portland when I moved here over 10 years ago, so I will always have a place in my heart for them! You can’t go wrong ordering. Everything is delicious

The brisket and chicken is so tender and has the right amount of smoke n seasoning. The Mac salad is delicious and the kale kimchi has this perfect balance of slightly sweet, salty and sour flavor. It is my new favorite. Also the island slaw is delicious! Definitely will be coming back! So Ono 😋

I've shown up to this establishment 5 times(tried to call in an order 3 other times, 8 instances total) in the past month and a half during their "operating hours" different times, some earlier and some later. I've been turned away in person, no explanation. Just a "sorry, we are closed" or a "sorry, we are catering today", other times, no one is there. I've only showed up during their business hours. I've tried to show up earlier in the day hoping to make it. As a customer, I have to plan my lunch hour. I understand things happen.....but the inconsistent behavior is so problematic, I just can't keep this place on my menu unfortunately. I get its a small business, but this is so hard to plan lunch when it's this inconsistent. First world problems I guess.

This place is good. Chicken bowl for under $10 is almost unheard of these days. Great Hawaiian food at a reasonable price.

Big Kahuna's made our office 2023 celebration FABULOUS!! We booked for 50 and had some of the most tender and delicious Huhi Huli chicken, and flavorful Kalua pulled pork with all the trimmings, and everyone loved EVERYTHING, and there were even leftovers for them to take home! Very generous portions of great food at a very reasonable price!! What's not to love!! Wonderful staff...Gary was so accommodating... highly recommend them for any event!! I know we'll be back!

Their Huli Huli Smoked Chicken was delicious! Very juicy and flavorful with the perfect amount of char. The Pulled Beef Brisket looked dry at first but was also very tender and soft. These both paired great with their teriyaki sauce. Sausage was savory and got a good snap. Their proteins were all very well-made, even the Tofus were great. I didn't like their sides like the steamed vegetables as much. Very mushy and bland. Mac & Cheese was decent while the Mac Salad was too dense for me. The Asian Slaw was fun but on the sweet side. Overall, a very satisfying catering choice!

Solid food had it on multiple occasions. Really good chicken! Good sauces ribs are pretty good too!

I really enjoy the food and the service was good and pretty quick would recommend it if it was ever actually open during business hours. Which are all posted differently on different apps. Pretty upsetting because of the drive I have to take.

Order online, stop by and pick up. Online ordering is very convenient and made for a good lunch break. I ordered chicken katsu and, while what I got tasted 'good' - it was not chicken katsu. This was pre battered chicken patty with the texture of a chicken nugget. The Mac salad is delish! Heavy on the Mayo and the macaroni is perfectly cooked. Green salad gave a fresh bite!

The owner Gary was a pleasure to work with, he was so helpful and responsive. We had Hawaiian bbq for Christmas Eve dinner and it was wonderful. All of my family and guests loved the food. The meats and salads were delicious and the quantities were amazing. We enjoyed left overs for a few days, then froze the rest of the pork and brisket. I would certainly recommend Big Kahuna's BBQ!

My husband would rate this 4 stars, he ate the entire Tri-Tip sandwich, looks too big, but he did! He ordered brisket sandwich. A good variety of BBB Sauce. The Hawaiian Macaroni Salad was tasty. I ordered the Quarter Rack Rib Rice plate. Side order of Island Slaw & Kale/Cabbage Kimchee. I rate mine 3 stars. Even though it was tasty all the way, it was like over-cooked, dry & tough! It came with 3 ribs, and was able to nibble (yes there was a knife & fork), using my fingers, only have room for 1 rib. Taking the rest of the ribs, & put them in soup to soften them up. By the time we were getting up to leave, I spotted an ant on my table!

This place is definitely worth trying! They catered my daughter's wedding and we received nothing but great feedback from all of our guests!

Bottom line, stop in and eat here. Found this place on yelp and decided to give it a try. If you choose to eat in, there are only three tables, so the inside is kinda small. It's clear they focus on catering. I ordered the pulled pork with mac and my daughter ordered the chicken. Both were really good. They have a few different sauces to try. Big portions and reasonably priced. This place has been added to our favorites!!

We hired these guys to cater our wedding in 2012, it was amazing! I still dream about their potato salad. So glad they survived the shut downs in 2020 and 2021!

Love this place! Prices are a bit high but they really pile on the food so lunch there is a good value. VERY tasty BBQ.... one of the best BBQ places I've found in PDX. I don't get to St Johns very often but when I'm there, the Big Kahuna is a "must stop" for lunch. There's another very good BBQ place just a few blocks away which is reason enough to head over St Johns way when my tummy says, "feed me, feed me".

Catered for our sons wedding, the food was great and The customer service was terrible. There was a mishap on the order, we ordered the tropical fruit salad, not the Mac salad. Again, everything was good. When I sent Gary a text that the order was wrong, he sent me a text back that we should of checked our invoice. Our invoice shows "tropical fruit salad". So I called him and he was very rude.

Consistently lies about their opening hours, not consistent on maps or their own website. The hours are slim and I'm not sure how it's even in business any more

Decided to try their take-out option - was in the mood for BBQ and also want to help out the restaurants struggling to stay alive. Mission accomplished in both respects. Ordered the Brisket Dipper with a side of Macaroni Salad. Imagine a French Dip, but with smoky, juicy, flavorful brisket, piled high on a pillow soft hoagie bun and smothered in Cheddar Cheese. Dipped into a beefy au jus, you got heaven on a bun.

I reached out to Big Kahuna's to see if they could cater the event for my brothers memorial service. Gary was very friendly and professional. My brother's passing was a unique situation and it was approved that the state would pay for my brother services through a victims fund. Gary had never worked with victims Fund in the past but it was completely open to working with them directly to get payment. He was willing to do something that was not familiar with him to help make my experience smooth and stress-free. When he and his staff member arrived to provide the food, he was on time, moved quickly and efficiently, they professional, and kind. They set up the food tables completely and they looked amazing. Food was delicious, stayed warm with their setup. They also supplied paper plates plastic ware and napkins. I would highly recommend Big Kahuna's! If in the event I need a caterer in the future I will definitely be coming back. If I could give him 10 Stars I would.

I've driven by this Hawaiian-food restaurant at least a couple hundred times, yet I had never popped in to actually try it. They have strange hours; mainly late morning to about five pm, which is typically outside my schedule. They focus mainly on catering, but do have a small dining area in the front of the building. I decided to try it out, since there aren't any other Hawaiian food places that I know of in North Portland. I got the chicken rice plate with a double order of mac salad. The chicken was grilled with a nice layer of char, and lightly sweetened with a hint of spice. It was good quality chicken and they gave me quite a large portion, on top a bed of rice. The mac salad was nice and creamy, with large macaroni noodles. Again, huge portions and even with a single side I would have been satisfied. The price for this with a Diet Coke? 10.25. Yup, you read that right, only $10.25. Considering the portion size and the quality, I am very impressed and believe it's a good bargain. The service was very nice also, and my waitress was attentive and checked frequently on us. The dining area is minimal, they do not serve alcohol, and I don't believe they have wi-fi. It's definitely no-thrills, but if you want good food at a reasonable price it delivers. They also do to-go orders over the phone or online, and offer a deal where you get a free meal if you order ten times online. My only critique is their fairly limited hours, and wishing they could be a bit more flexible for the traditional crowd. But I also understand they focus more on catering rather than dine-in.

We hired Big Kahuna's BBQ for our wedding catering, and we're SO happy we did! I'm from Hawaii, and really wanted Hawaiian food at our wedding, but didn't want to go over budget. Gary at Big Kahuna's was so helpful in working within our budget to make our wedding dreams come true! He helped us build a menu and was very flexible with any changes I needed to make. On our wedding day, the Big Kahuna team showed up, set up, replenished food in the buffet line, and then packed up to-go containers with any leftovers for our guests! Aside from the amazing service we received, the food was also SO GOOD! All of our guests asked who we catered with because they loved it so much. I'm just so happy with Big Kahuna's and if you're looking for a caterer for your wedding or next event, go with Big Kahuna's! Best food and best service ever!

Ordered on Postmates and this is by far the worst Hawaiian food I've ever eaten. The mac and cheese is the same noodles as the mac salad. The chicken has that fake plastic taste like In microwave dinners. The Mac salad is bland And I'm pretty sure is just mayonnaise on noodles.

I ordered from here for lunch. Food tastes 5 days old, it is also very dry and the meat looks like it's been refrigerated since before Thanksgiving. Was this microwaved????? Really unhappy with the order, will never order from here again.

Great Service! Friendly Staff...Hawaiian Style:) Everyone at the office loved the food! Enough leftovers to feed us again tomorrow!

This is my 3rd review for them. I recently tried again with a takeout order and it was delicious.

I had previously eaten here and remember it being good so I tried to order again. I was driving home and I called but nobody ever picks up the phone, they want you to order on the site. I pull over (inconvenient), google them, click on the order button and I get "Not accepting orders". (It's 2:30 on a Saturday) I go to their site, click the order button, Clover tells me they aren't accepting orders. I try another link, Menufy gives me an error message. I drive by on my way to pick up food from a restaurant that actually picked up the phone and there are people waiting outside so I know they are open and food was ordered. There's no email address on their site to send this so they get a review. Not sure why they're averse to picking up the phone but I'm done with Portland businesses making people jump through hoops. Not trying to order from here again. 2 stars because "I think" the food was good last time I was able to get it and I can't do 2.5 so I'm rounding down for going through this on the side of the road.

This was a place I had been watching for about a year. I kinda have my couple staple BBQ places in the Portland area and after coming here I am confident those staples are going to stay. The sides tasted like they were leftovers from a catering event. Macaroni Salad had a weird smell to it with this film on it which was very unappealing. Threw it out immediately especially after my wife who worked as a GM in restaurants for years said that it isn't right. The next suspect was the Hawaiian Cole Slaw. The taste was fine. Good balance of sweet and tang. The issue was the texture. There was zero crunch to anything in the slaw. It was a monotextural mush which further verified my suspicion that it had been leftover from a catering event. I have done catering before and I am no expert by any means but because of that I do know when something has been prepared way in advance or left in the bin too long. This was one of those dishes. Then we get to the biggest sin of the night...the ribs. Boy oh boy where do I start. They were dry, chewy, with a stale smoke flavor. I have made good ribs...I have made bad ribs. I have ordered ribs at probably 15 to 20 places in Portland and not all of them have been great but none of them have been bad...until now. When ribs are dry, chewy, with stale smoke that is a result of multiple reheats after refrigeration over time. I know this because I have done it hence me making bad ribs in the past. They may be been good at one point but once you start reheating the entire meal changes. If you are catering there is a certain level of understanding that quality may be compromised. This restaurant has no excuses for this and needs to own up a bit especially after reading some of the other reviews who say the same thing. However I do know people who love this place and have had nothing but great experiences. It really appears to me that it all revolves around the catering and if they aren't fresh back from an event then the food is excellent. The only reason why this place isn't getting a one star here is because I am going to come back to try the same order again. I desperately want to have this BBQ place so close to me and i want to love it. People who have had experiences like mine need to go back and have another go. I do hope that it is different and i will be writing an update on my revisit. Fingers crossed that it is amazing.

Personally I have never been to this establishment but I have ordered from it in one occasion. Unfortunately it was not up to standards, the smoked chicken I ordered was way too greasy to the point where the grease was permeating through the container it was delivered in! The brisket on the other hand was very tasty and cooked nearly to perfection. These where the only dishes I tried, there for this is not really an extensive review. Wouldn't really order again 5/10

Hands down the most terrible Hawaiian BBQ. I ordered the chicken rice bowl without rice, which was $11.00. This came with a small amount of Luke warm over salted chicken, and frozen (re heated vegetables) that were soggy and also Luke warm, drizzled in a glorified over salted yoshidas like teriyaki. The final failure was when I was chewing my food and was poked by a inch long piece of thin wire, resembling a BBQ grill brush. I called them and they were apologetic and offered to refund me. It's a miracle I didn't swallow that wire causing a life threatening GI puncture!! A TV dinner would be safer and taste better!

It's been a few weeks since I've been back from Hawaii and miss the delicious pork dishes. So, being from the area decided to try out BK's (not to be confused with Burger King, bleh)... Phoned my order as I felt it would be busy around 5PM on a Saturday evening, but when we went to pick up our meal it wasn't packed... Yet there was a good amount of people in there. Ordered the half rack of ribs w/ extra meat of kalua pork (mac and slaw sides) and the kahuna dog (potato and bean sides). Both were excellent dishes and could have fed an entire family of 4... Between the 2 of us, food was still left over. Ribs were tender and tasted well with the spicy BBQ (don't let spicy fool you) and the kalua was just as good as when I first had it in Hawaii. However, I didn't care much for the slaw and the mac tasted a bit bland... The beans and potatoes were excellent sides though, so I had to steal my partner's sides. The service was very kind and although our order was a bit misguided on the machine making us wait a bit longer, we didn't mind... The smell of the restaurant was captivating enough. A good place serving large portions of hang ten food at a great price = a nice addition the St. Johns area.

Just had a superb dinner experience with Big Kahuna. My food was delivered quickly here in St John's and I was definitely satisfied by the portions of the chicken plate. It was my first time trying the spicy island sauce, which I highly recommend. I also had the slaw and mac salad which were great. Overall everything was delicious and I'll definitely be ordering again!

Stopped in after spotting this place. Looked like the kind of dive that might have some good chow. Was a bad sign that we were the only customers at noon but, decided to give it a try. My client had the Tri-tip bowl and I had the Tri-tip plate with Mac and kimchi. Both of us fought the Tri-tip the whole time trying to cut the fat and stringy gristle off of it. It had good flavor but was dry and, as a result, took some work to chew it. Kimchi was okay but too sweet for me. The mac was fantastic and I ordered another scoop to make up for the rest of the meal. Their other meats and sides might be better but, I'd stay away from everything I had except the mac.

Delicious, filling comfort food. I've been waiting to try Big Kahuna for a while. Drivers on Lombard cannot miss the big smoker outside and large painted BBQ sign on the windows that make the tiny builder look even smaller. Yet don't let the building size determine the flavor and plate size. Come with an appetite and you'll be reward with a selection of sandwiches, rice bowls, and plate lunches. I really enjoyed the tender, smoky kalua pig over soft, pillowy white rice. The mac salad was creamy with not too much onion, and the asian slaw was crunchy. The service was friendly and prompt. This is a terrific lunch spot, either to dine in or grab and go.

The food here is absolutely amazing one of my favorite places in North Portland. So thankful that this place is in the community.

Huge shout out to Gary, his daughter and son for the exceptional service for my daughter's wedding last night! The food was amazing and everybody raved about it. I highly recommend them for any of your needs and I'll definitely be visiting for takeout!

First let me say that I am totally ASHAMED. It's been 4 years since I bought my house in St Johns and I have never tried this place. To my defense: the location is kind of awkward, the building looks a bit divey and there was a "For Sale" sign in the window for a long time. My logic is if the owner is selling how good could it be?? So what finally made me go? I needed a late afternoon lunch (Curse you John street & James John Cafes) and I'm just a little worn out on all the other places (you know who you are). To my surprise the food was really good. The two guys working were nice and helpful. The interior was clean and interesting enough to keep me occupied for the short wait before my food came out. Honestly, this place is easily one of the best places to eat in St Johns. I really like that the sauces aren't so hot/spicy that you can't possibly enjoy them. Everything was really good. I will be coming here a lot- to catch up on the 4 years that I missed out.

Big Kahuna is the Hawaiian version of my Mexican mama's kitchen. The place itself is no bigger than a minute, with winning barbeque badges proudly displayed all over the place and a sweet round woman who wants nothing more than to feed you until you need to undo your top button. She will shoot the shit with you, but has a look in her eye that lets you know she can get buck wild at a moment's notice if need be. The Kahlua pork is extra juicy with a dab of crispy that is there to remind you that you are eating pulled pork, and not a bunch of sloppy stew. The potato salad has a unique zing that temps you in to wanting to lick every little last bit of sauce off your plate with your tongue. You can't do this because you quickly remember that there are other diners in the establishment, plus old "tutu" (that's Hawaiian for grandma) would probably whoop your ass if she caught you trying to lick off her plate. Speaking of licking sauces, there are many to chose from on each table: Three types of house sauces (the spicy is the greatest) complete with teriyaki, siracha and soy. There are sandwiches with pulled meats, spicy cowboy beans and refreshing tropical fruit salad. At Big Kahuna you won't find fancy, but what you will find is delicious food with down to earth folks that put a lot of heart in to their cooking. And let's not forget a "tutu" who is full of kindness but is not afraid to slap you upside the head when you deserve it. Just like my Mexican mama!

[4.5 stars, rounded up to a well-deserved 5 STAR WINNAH!] What can I say about Big Kahuna's? First, I absolutely LOVE Hawaiian food, and their BBQ in particular.I have eaten so much great Hawaiian grub over the years, both stateside and in the isles, I can't remember ever NOT liking anything at least a little bit, although I do recognize the mac salad is culinary Russian Roulette with your health!!! Back to Kahuna, being a Traeger man myself, I immediately noticed the piggie 'cue on top of their diner, and so I instantly recognized exactly what that meant (Once you try BBQ Traeger style, say goodbye to your old standards of what defines BBQ Immortality.) I have been to Big Kahuna's many times over the years, as they move around town; I am partial to their St. John's diner, as I grew up in No Po, and graduated from Roosevelt, which is mere blocks from the current locale. I give HUGE UPs to the folks at "Kahuna" for having the stones to serve you their meat PLAIN, and let you dress it up anyway you see fit! I like their home-made sauces---the hot/zesty in particular--- and have bought several bottles from them, and although their sauces are mighty tasty, frankly, i prefer more H-E-A-T. But that is readily amended, as I add just a little dash of my "private reserve" to their home-made concoctions, for my personal--and immense--enjoyment. In sum: 1.) One Star goes to Kahuna for the consistently, superlatively tender, tasty meats. I love their ribs, their spam (yes, SPAM sucka!), all their beef entries, their pulled pulled pork, not so much their chicken, but I haven't yet tried all that much of the pollo... 2.) Another great big ole Star for their Saimin Noodles--- staying authentic to their island roots, you can have it w/any meat. I like it best w/kalua pig or spam... 3.) Yet another Star, especially reserved just for their brisket: Brisket, as everybody who's tried to do anything other than boil it, is a VERY challenging cut of meat to cook properly. IMHO, it is the GOLD STANDARD for showcasing your BBQ skills. Big Kahuna's brisket? Melt in ya' mouf braddah, every time. Damn!!! 4.) Yet another Star for Kahuna's Versatile, extremely easy and user-friendly menu and service philosophy. I have picked up to-go orders many times, and they get it right, even w/my frequent odd-ball requests, every time.... 5.) Just 1/2 star for Kahuna's customer service and sides variety. For example, I keep waiting for Lomi Lomi salmon w/poi to appear--even periodically-- on their menu. Also, no Loco Moco?!? I can't bring myself to give a straight, clean five star rating to any Hawaiian place that doesn't offer the glorious Loco Moco. Seems like it's never gonna happen. Although it's a relatively small sin of omission, considering how much I love their BBQ, I roll this into my only other conceivable gripe and that is, that Kahuna seems to only confirm my lifelong,and apparently as a Haoli, my completely unrequited love for, their culture, people and food. In the very least, offer beer at your restaurant Kahuna!!! Might just blow da' roof off your business.... In sum, it has long been my belief that there is almost ALWAYS room for improvement. I consider myself a tough but fair grader, and so you may be very sure that my 4.5 star rating for Big Kahuna is no faint praise by ANY means. I don't know any of the owners/operators of Kahuna, but I doubt if they'd deny there's basically always room for at least A LITTLE improvement.... Thanks for your attention.

I tragically haven't had any Hawaiian BBQ since moving from the Big Island to the states, so I was over the moon to come to this spot. I got the rice bowl with both spam and chicken + spicy bbq & teriyaki sauce on the side and bruuuuuhhhhhh it was so good. The chicken was so tender! Great prices and it filled me up to the point where I was too full to even eat dinner later on. The staff were also incredibly friendly too, which was great because it reminded me of the aloha spirit back home. Would for sure hit this spot again.

The young man that works here is so very sweet. We told him our to go order for was a picnic, and he made extra sure we had all the napkins, sauces, etc we might need. He deserves a raise! Portions are huge! One order can definitely fill up two people. We add the spicy chicken over rice, and we both really liked it. Big pieces of quality meat, not that crap you get at teriyaki places. The macaroni side portion was so great! If you get a side, get this. The Fiance had fruit salad and he said it was really fresh with lots of pineapple. All the sauces are great, but I prefer the spicy one.

This is by far the best BBQ in Portland. I have eaten there many times and the food is always fresh and very tasty. I have had there pulled pork, ribs and the Juli Hulu chicken,they we're all very tender. I have also had the slaw, potato salad and beans, they to were veryfrsh and delicious. I would suggest this restaurant to everyone that wants some really great BBQ. The staff were very polite and virtuous. DELICIOUS FOOD!!

I work in Northeast Portland and I am a frequent customer of Big Kahunas. Whenever my coworkers and I need some comfort food, we always swing by. The staff greets us by name. When my husband and I were looking for a caterer for our wedding I was over the moon excited when we learned that Big Kahuna's could cater for a wedding with 250+ people. The price was fantastic and the food was delicious. Gary was so easy to work with and we received a ton of compliments. They even brought to go boxes which several guests were very excited about. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a great lunch or if you are catering for a large event. They truly made our wedding a special day and a great party.

I never made it to the old location in downtown St Johns, in part because of what other reviewers commented on- a weird location where you were not sure if they were in business or not. They are now further East on Lombard, with a small but comfy set up. It was one of those days a couple of weeks ago when it made it up to 80 degrees, and driving home from work, I thought "Tacos? BBQ? Tacos? BBQ?". Realized I hadn't gotten BBQ from anywhere in gosh knows how long, and I drive by Big Kahuna's nearly daily. For $8.25 I got pork ribs with an enormous helping of nicely seasoned rice, and sides of macaroni salad and slaw. You can choose two sides from a longer list, and it was hard to decide. Ribs were moist, meaty, and big. Sides were a bit bland, but tasty. Service was fast and friendly. Overall, it didn't blow my mind, but it satiated my craving and was just plain darn good. I'll be back.

I've eaten their food at least 3 times before, but never actually went inside til yesterday. It's bigger than I thought and there are perfectly comfy picnic tables and smaller tables to sit your butt down to eat. Parking can be a challenge if you don't get one of the few street spaces right out front. We were in a rush, but the food came in minutes so no worries there. Everything I've had there is quite good. Always well cooked, sometimes wonderfully seasoned. Never really overcooked - which is important. The huli huli chicken was superb! fall of the (boneless) bone good. The pig was also quite good. Potato and macaroni salad was good. Not quite enough seasoning - but again, not overcooked, and I am a sucker for cholesterol salads! We also had the slaw which was asian-like. I really liked it but there was a tad too much vinegar (you could really taste it at the bottom) and it was screaming for sesame seeds! The sweet chili and teryaki were my favorite sauces add a lot of flavor that you sometimes needed. The gentleman who waited on us was friendly, the service superb. Prices are pretty good - with all dishes a la carte. Two meats, and three decent sized sides was probably about $15 and more than enough for two! All in all, I'm quite fond of this place and vow to go more often!

I am something of a meat snob. I was born in Argentina where people take their azados seriously, and my dad taught me a thing or two about excellent quality BBQ'ing. I wish the old man lived in Portland so I could take him to this place. I am pretty weary of eating establishments that give you copious amounts of food, because in most cases it means that they are trying make you feel like you got your money's worth even if the quality of the food sucked. Not so at this place. These people really know what they are doing, and if you get a "sampler" you will get enough food to feed three people, easily. Their pulled pork and ribs and chicken are literally to die for. The stuff just melts inside your mouth. Oh, and one more thing: where most restaurants use their sides as filler, or to make one feel like they got their money's worth, the coleslaw and macaroni salad are exceptional.

I ordered their pulled pork sandwich with mac salad ($6.75). I also got their spicy BBQ sauce on the side. I must say, they make very good pulled pork and a nice spicy BBQ sauce (KC style). But two major concerns. First, kalua pig and pulled pork are two completely different things (unlike what they promote on the menu). Pulled pork here is mainly smoked meat, while kalua pig is really more of a combination of smoking and roasting a pig low and slow (so it's juicier by cooking in its own fat). Also, the mac salad that they try to pass off as Hawaiian was one of the worst mac salads I've had. No color (shredded carrot would have been nice), barely any flavor. No peppery bite. And two types of elbow macaroni? Really? In all fairness, this place is good for BBQ, but misleading on the name. Nothing real Hawaiian about this place.

I want to love this place, but I currently have mixed feelings about Big Kahuna's. The old location was awesome, with plenty of seating and good service, and you could sit and enjoy your food comfortably either inside or out. But I've tried to go to the new location twice and ended up walking out both times. Their new place is really tiny, and the outdoor tables are right on Lombard. On both occasions we walked in to find the indoor seating packed and told the woman working there we'd just sit outside. She hardly seemed to notice or acknowledge us at all and we waited outside for several minutes. Nobody ever came out to help us, so we left. I understand if they're busy and trying to run a small place with a small staff, but at least they could have come outside to let us know there'd be a wait. That would have been fine with us and we would have waited patiently for some great food. Big Kahuna's best item and their saving grace is their Kalua Pig (pulled pork) which is absolutely delicious. I used to eat this all the time when I lived in Hawaii and theirs definitely measures up. Besides that they have the usual plate lunch items and sides, and so far everything I've tried here has been good. I think I got the short ribs once, maybe I got a teri burger or chicken at one time too, honestly I can't remember for sure because the kalua pig is what I really come here for. I will come back and hopefully have a better experience than the last two times, the service was good before so I assume I just came on off days, or they were still working out the kinks at the new location. However I will probably just order take out if I can, unless they aren't busy at all when I come back.

Love, love, LOVE this place! Ask for the saimin (delicious soup with super-long noodles) with kahlua pig, or anything else! Also ask for the kimchee to spice up your soup! They don't always have the saimin, but if I figure that if I can get more people hooked on it, they'll have it more often! Also, a tip: for years I always thought the bathroom looked pretty sketchy from the outside - like a broom closet. Well, I finally took a peek last week, and it is so cozy in there! Warm lighting and a beautifully painted bureau! So there you go.

I live 4 blocks from this place and it's become mainstay for me for quick delicious lunches and dinners. Everything I've tried is good, pulled pork, chicken, brisket, sausage....all good...and the ribs, OMG!!!! And it's reasonable considering what I used to pay at Big Daddy's. Daily specials are nice too. Today I tried the Porker (interesting name) which is a burger with pulled pork on it. My usual sides are the mac salad and beans. I'm full! They feature their own home-made or locally made sauces. I like the spicy BBQ the best. As to the facilities, tiny place with only 15 seats inside. The trick is to go at off-peak times. Between 11 and 12 and after 1 there's always been a seat for me. Most of their business is carry-out so if you see someone sitting alone with no food in front of them, odds are they will be gone shortly. One other odd thing, they don't have an ice machine. Drinks come straight up in a can.

Located near St. John's Bridge in North Portland and about 3-4 miles away from the 5 freeway lies Big Kahuna's BBQ. This location is about a block from Fred Meyer and McDonalds. I've been driving by Big Kahuna's on the way to my rotation site and have always wondered what it was like. I asked my co-workers what they have thought of the place and was surprised that for the time that the restaurant has been there, not a single person has thought to check out the joint since it's just a block away. So I was the guinea pig and decided to see what the fuss was all about. I decided to order their infamous Kalua Pork (shredded pork) plate which came with rice and two sides of my choice ( I chose their macaroni salad and their own Big Kahuna's Chili) alongside with one of their 4 notable barbecue sauces (I chose the BBQ Mild). I was quite impressed with the Pork, it was so clean with flavors, that when dipped in the BBQ sauce and eaten with the rice, it was heaven in my mouth. I couldn't believe that the pork was NOT GREASY. I had FLAVOR of the pork's juices with the sauce rushing through my mouth through each bite. I also liked their Chili beans which was topped off with cheddar cheese. Unfortunately I was not blown away with their macaroni salad and that would probably be my only comment. Other than that I was impressed with the food. The place is a small mom and pop's kinda joint. Not much room for seating, but you can also call in an order for take-out. The place is noted for their wonderful awards of BBQ sauces and grilling as well. I will definitely be back to visit this BBQ gem in North Portland.

Gary and Big Kahunas catered our non profit event for 100 people. They worked with me to pick a great menu. The price was extremely reasonable and he even gave us a discount because we are a non profit. They showed up on time. Set up, watched the food and kept it stocked, had a good time with us and cleaned up. Everyone ate plenty and we still had some left over that we donated. I had lots of compliments on how good the food was. I would recommend them and use them again! Thanks Gary!

This place is bomb diggity. Really good food- especially the beans and Mac! I tried their Hawaiian noodle soup and it will be forever my go-to

After an unfortunate problem with our first choice caterer, we had to scramble to find someone to cater our relatively small party (100 pp.) at the last minute. I made a special trip to Big Kahuna's to try their food. The boyfriend and I sampled pulled pork, BBQ chicken, ribs and SPAM. All the meats were excellent. I will agree with other reviewers that the mac salad was bland and not as good as others like Roxy's in Beaverton. Having said that, we weren't planning to get mac salad anyway. We ended up ordering 18 pounds of BBQ chicken and 18 pounds of pulled pork. and were charged a reasonable $360 for that solid meat. They include 2 pints each of 3 of their sauces: the BBQ, the spicy BBQ and the Sweet Chili. Because of prior engagements, we picked up the order ourselves, but everything was ready right on time, no sweat at all. Our guests LOVED the meats, and we had way too much even. We had about 78 guests and had an entire pan of pork left and probably half a pan of chicken. Our party was a potluck. Most people brought salads and desserts, however. More for us, we didn't mind!! I was very impressed with Gary, the owner, who communicated all this with me by e-mail. Very timely responses to all my questions. When we picked up the food, I was small talking with the gal who works there (really friendly, efficient) and she told me they catered an event for 2,000 people the previous weekend! Amazing. And yet they treated me like a queen even though I only had 100 pp to accommodate. That means a lot. We're going to be regulars for sure. From North Plains, it took us only about 25 minutes to get there, going over the St. John's bridge.

Just moved back to St Johns last month and for the last two Saturdays you were closed to the public, and now that you apparently close at 5pm every day? It's like you are going out of your way to make sure a majority of your customers can no longer eat at your restaurant. I try to support small businesses whenever I can, but that's pretty hard to do when the place is never open anymore, or if it is open, the hours are ridiculous.