Kimo's Hawaiian BBQ

This little place will knock your socks off! Came here for the first time today and had a combo plate with pork chicken and beef and was simply amazing! The staff was super friendly atmosphere was great! I would highly recommend this if you want to try something different from the traditional Albuquerque food joints!

For lunch, I stopped by and had the chicken katsu plate. It was delicious! The staff were friendly. I will definitely be back if I’m craving some Hawaiian bbq!

Chicken Katsu (Planko Chicken) is really good, it’s tender with a good flavor, comes with rice & garden salad or macaroni salad. Wait time 5-10 minutes. Paid $13.99 for the Lunch meal.

Came here spur of the moment after driving by it many times. It's a small restaurant with a very casual feel and small dining room. You order at the counter and they bring your food to you. I ordered the Kalua Pork sandwich which is a BBQ pulled pork sandwich with Cole Slaw on top. it was ok, but nothing that special. I feel like I've made this exact sandwich at home. I wish I'd ordered one of the teriyaki marinated meats in hindsight, after looking at the menu longer. The food came out very quickly, in maybe 3 minutes. The lady taking my order seemed nice. there were a few other people who looked like regulars, they might know the more exciting things to get. Kimo is very near some other things I visit often, so I'm going to come back another time and try a meat/rice dish and perhaps amend my review. For now, it's decent, but maybe not worth going out of your way for.

Walked in to the restaurant at 2:35pm. Ordered and food was brought out in to go containers as they close at 3pm. The one complaint I would have about this place is that they are only open limited hours, and usually it is on a Friday or Saturday night that I’m craving something from here. The food is excellent, well prepared. The restaurant is clean, the service is excellent. I ordered the Moco Loco, of course, and a Combination Plate. Both were generous portions, and enjoyed on different days for lunch as I live in Los Lunas, but the place has been on my to go to list for some time, and I was not disappointed. I definitely will be back.

A bit out of the way, but that’s the beauty of it. The atmosphere is authentic and the folks treated you with Aloha. The place was clean but parking was tight in the back. The food was great and a great primer for our return to the Islands. Mahalo.

Yummy Hawaiian food. We tried the Kahlua nachos, Katsu Chicken, Pulled pork plate, and the Pulled pork sandwich. Is it as good as the same food in Hawaii? Nothing is as good as pig dishes in Hawaii, but this is as close as you'll get in New Mexico! Recommended.

I would recommend ordering the Katsu chicken plate comes with a scoop of rice and a Mac salad. That’s my go to when I come here. I’ll usually order a spam Musubi for a road snack.

My wife and I came in after building a huge appetite for lunch. I ordered the moco loco which is a beef patty smothered in gravy on top of a hot bed of rice and topped with an egg any style you choose. I really liked my ordered. It was flavorful, the egg was cooked as I asked, and the gravy was plentiful. My wife ordered the combo plate and absolutely loved the pork and ended up ordering extra rice and extra Mac salad. We'll definitely be back for more in the future.

4.5 stars Came here on Friday for lunch. We both got the combo platter ($15) with teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, kalua pork, rice, and mac salad. We also got a spam musubi on the side. They also sell Hawaiian sodas here and the malasadas have to be pre-ordered, however. Parking wasn't bad. As for the food, there was still enough for at least two more lunches. Not too many tables either, but the place was busy. My favorites were the teriyaki chicken and the mac salad, although the meats could've been a tad warmer. 2024 #31

Its Wednesday morning here in central New Mexico and do we have a treat for you. Kimo's Hawaiian BBQ, recently opened a small indoor restaurant in addition to their already established food truck. Hawaiian BBQ in Albuquerque! Yup, and that includes Spam - a perennial island favorite. We did not see poi on the menu but it may be lurking there somewhere. For a real treat of some food you will not normally see sold here in the high desert, give Kimo's a try and experience their fast service. Just click on the trailing YouTube video link and see what a few of the boys from the VA Creative Writing Group had to say about their visit to Kimo's Hawaiian BBQ. https://youtu.be/EWQ8GUqQvR0?si=GKs8pxVeEb2R8fj5

The best luau catering food in town! I am on the social committee for my school and we had a retirement and end of the year luau at one of our staff member's homes. We wanted to cater Hawaiian food and by chance I saw this place on Yelp. My friend that was holding the party is actually from Hawaii so I knew the catering had to be spot on. I had never eaten here but I thought... what the heck! The pricing seemed reasonable and when I called, the person I asked questions to (Janay- though I forget how to spell it) was so kind and patient. I decided to go with this company for food and holy moly it did not disappoint. We ordered two meat trays (Huli huli chicken and kalua pork) and the meat was moist and delicious! Sooooo good. The pork came with a sweet bbq sauce that was outrageously good and the huli huli chicken was also a favorite. We also ordered two trays of macaroni salad and it was perfectly done. They used just the right amount of mayo. Even my friend from highly impressed! I got so many compliments on the food. I am so glad I decided to order from here. I will definitely be back and highly recommend for your party and luau needs!! Cheers!

Was in the mood for some spam Musubi so came here. I think in Albuquerque there are not many places to get Musubi. The place is off the beaten path so unless you're looking you will miss it. So parking can be an issue. There is parking in the back but is on the hectic side. If you're lucky there are two spots that don't look like parking spots in front. They don't clean the soy sauce container. Almost nothing came out. It is a small place but can seat about 40 tops. The Musubi hit the spot. That alone is enough to bring me in. Oh man it is so good. I do think it is a little pricey but mark that up to post covid. There are a lot of pictures on the wall. I think of the owner and his family. You can hear music in the back, must be the cooks jamming. Must say the Musubi is great!

Date day for K. We tried another cuisine and a new restaurant. Today was Kimos Hawain BBQ. We tried the Spam musabi, Huli Huli chicken and Teri steak. They came with rice and a choice of pasta salad or salad. We chose the pasta salad. The orders came out super fast. The staff was very friendly and the food was super hot. They give every generous portions. It had amazing taste. We will definetly be back.

Last week we were in Hawaii, so seeing a place that does Hawaiian BBQ was an easy choice for lunch. We found this place in an industrial area close to Candeleria. Ordering was done at the counter. It was pretty straight forward. Loco Moco and a combination plate - teriyaki chicken & steak and kulua pork. The Loco Moco was not over seasoned(the Loco I had on Oahu was too salty). The Teriyaki Chicken & Steak were good, but tough. The pork was tasty and once again nicely seasoned. A little gem of a place. If you're in the mood for something different - this is the place

The food tastes authentic with a generous portion. My first two visits the food was delicious. They also have breakfast items on the menu so I need to visit earlier. The staff is friendly and the dining area is clean. Walls are decorated with an island vibe.

Being from Hawai'i I know good local food. Kimo's is spot on! Everything is onolicious and well made. Now if they could be available for delivery. Mahalo!

Incredible food. I would actually eat this every day of my life if I could. Always great and kind service.

Friendly staff. The Kahlua pork was so tender, flavorful and just amazing. The salad with the combo was delicious. I'll be coming back again.

everything is fresh and staff is friendly. They get busy and get their rushes, but they are great about communicating what they have for quicker service and what being prepared. great customer service. If in area again will definitely be coming back.

I'm in love with Kimo's! Kidding, not kidding. Seriously so good though. I've had Hawaiian BBQ in other states before but honestly this is by far the best. Specifically the mac salad was so good. I ordered the katsu chicken plate and a spam musubi, both were stellar. I honestly shouldn't be eating such crispy food because I have braces in but it was so worth it. I feel like half my reviews these days are about eating things I am not supposed to with my braces and not regretting it at all. Anyways, again everything was super tasty. I went and ordered at the counter to-go, my order was ready super fast. I waited less than five minutes and everything was warm and delicious when I got home. I will be back for sure, kinda been craving it since I was there the other day. Writing reviews on an empty stomach isn't always the way to go lol.

We got to try their Kalua Pork Plate and the Spam Musubi at the Food Truck Festival today. I didn't know there was a restaurant that served Spam Musubi in ABQ! The Spam Musubi was sooooo yummy. It hits the spot for sure. The Kalua Pork Plate was also very good! I'll have to come to the restaurant one of these days!!

I stopped by Kimo's this week to pick lunch up for myself and my colleagues. I was thrilled to try it out, as I lived in Hawaii for 3 years & very much miss malasadas. However, I'm a vegetarian & didn't end up being able to have anything. The malasadas are pre order only (I was told to order on Thursdays for Monday pickup), they were out of vegetarian burgers (it was like 11:30am when I arrived) and the cashier told me there were no vegetarian options. I assume I could have had some of the sides, but I suppose there could be animal products in the fried food- macaroni salad seems like it would be veg. Any who from my end I can't rate this at all, because there was nothing vegetarian available. I still grabbed meat entrees for my colleagues and they said there's was good- so that is why I'm giving 4/5 stars. I will call back to see when they have vegetarian burgers in the future- to try things myself!

So happy we found this hidden gem in Albuquerque. I'm not Hawaiian, but I've spent a lot of time in Hawaii and this is the real deal. My girlfriend took me for my birthday lunch; funky decor, friendly server, and great food. Definitely a must try when in The Duke City!

First timer! I have only been to Hawaii once, but my boyfriend has been multiple times and this place is delicious! If you don't take my word for it, there were family and friends of the owners eating there when we arrived too. We got the Teriyaki Chicken, Spam Musubi, Combo Plate, with Macaroni Salad. The service is slow and steady since everything is family run but you can always grab their food truck too.

My wife and I were super excited when we saw a sign for Hawaiian BBQ in Albuquerque. We orderer the Meat Combo with Mac Salad and a Spam Musubi. The Spam Musubi was good. The spam was a little thin and could have been fried a little longer but overall we enjoyed it. The three meat combo was disappointing. The Mac salad lacked the creaminess you normally see in a good Hawaiian Mac salad. The meats themselves lacked seasoning. The teriyaki chicken and beef were missing the shoyu, ginger and green onion flavor you'd expect. The kalua pork lacked the Hawaiian salt flavor and was drowned in a southern style bbq sauce. The staff is awesome. The young lady that took my order was friendly and helpful.

I've been back a couple of times and it was as good as the first. My only complaint is the hours of operation. I'd go a lot more often if they were open past 3PM.

This is a hidden treasure! Had the combo plate and the portion is really worth what you're paying for. Staffs are very friendly too. Will definitely come back! A nice hidden spot with great ambiance.

Was craving pacific island food so i checked this place out.Its a small restaurant but it did not disappoint.Was able to hop in and out with my spam musubi's in no time.I will be back soon!

My family and I love this authentic Hawaiian food and go there whenever we get a chance! Mahalo!

This is not Hawaiian local food. Had the chicken Katsu. It is basically chicken fingers with the Katsu sauce (meh on the sauce). But at least the macaroni salad was almost spot on. The location is questionable.

I love Kimo's Hawaiian BBQ. I have tried many things but now I always order the katsu chicken. The chicken is perfect and they serve mac salad and white sticky rice for sides. If you know Hawaiian food, you will love this place. The staff is really nice and it's decorated with a Hawaiian flare. I just need to remember to order ahead for malasadas...... yummy!!!

It's the only Hawaiian restaurant in Albuquerque, so it's got to be good! Kimo's teriyaki steak is delicious but a little rubbery. Their chicken katsu is not customary, fried in chunks rather than as a filet, but it's still tasty. Same goes for the kalua pork- It lacks cabbage but is still juicy and flavorful. The katsu sauce is a little too sweet for my taste, and they really pile it on, so I always ask for it on the side. I love the macaroni salad; it's the perfect balance of cream and acid, and Kimo's always gives you a generous helping of rice. It's a fun, decorated restaurant with a big smoker in the back. All in all, great Hawaiian food (the only place to get it in ABQ) but it's a little pricey, so I would knock off half a star for that.

Wowwowweewa (borat voice) this place is off the chain. I haven't had Hawaiian bbq since LL a few years back, and oh how I have been craving katsu and mac. Kimo's delivers! I called ahead, my order was ready within 15 min. I pulled up in the back, parked and as I stepped out of the car I began to smell the delicious smell of bbq pork... delicious. I've now been twice and a lovely hardworking woman served me both times. She's so lovely. My boyfriend got a mixed plate and it was FAT. I got chicken katsu and it was soooo delicious! I haven't had breading like it. I highly recommend stopping in. They also have classic Hawaiian breakfast like loco moco! I will be back to try one of these mornings!

Made it just in time! They close at 3. Got in a little after 2. I ordered the Teri-Chicken (chicken marinated in teriyaki glaze). It came with a scoop of white rice and macaroni salad or a garden salad. It was plenty and plenty delicious! The food didn't take too long to get to the table. As long as I can make it here between my flight and closing time, I'll be back!

I guess I shouldn't expect much from a Hawaiian BBQ spot in the desert. Staff was nice and respectful, but the macaroni salad was just plain wrong. There was hardly any mayonnaise or carrots and the kahlua pork had a huge piece of inedible gristle hanging out in the middle of the plate. Also, where was the lumpia, short ribs, bbq chicken, and saimin noodles? This place isn't really authentic.

The only thing Hawaiian in this place is the sovereign flag of the kingdom of Hawaii. This is not katsu this is nuggets. I was very excited about this place but I'm just disappointed.

I used to love the food here but I feel like it has went down hill for a while now. On my original review the chicken was a nice golden brown and there was a thick amount of Teriyaki sauce. Since then the chicken doesn't look as good and the sauce is super thin and isn't as flavorful, maybe watered down. I ordered via Grubhub and the salad had teriyaki sauce on it which was odd. I don't know if ill be back at this point.

So being from Hawaii I take the opportunity to eat homey food any chance I get. Let me start by saying the people there were incredibly nice and the restaurant has a nice feel about it. So I ordered a Kalua Pork plate. Kalua pork, scoop rice and your choice of mac salad or green salad. Of course I chose mac salad, as mentioned above I'm from Hawaii. When they brought our food though, I didn't know what to say. My Kalua Pork was drowning in BBQ sauce. Never have I ever seen it served that way. Ever, anywhere. I can't say if it even tasted remotely authentic because I couldn't taste anything but the massive amounts of BBQ sauce. I was crushed, oh how excited I was at the possibility of it. I think this cute restaurant has potential, BUT.... they need to let patrons add their own sauce if they want it because that is NOT Hawaiian style... I watched other orders come out and everything had BBQ sauce on it, even the chicken Katsu, which didn't look like Katsu. Hawaiian Sun is on the menu but it's a different brand, not Hawaiian Sun. I would eat there again, but would be very specific that I don't want BBQ sauce on ANYTHING.

Ok place. Not really "Local Grindz". Service was extremely SLOW!!! Mac salad was colonized. Katsu wasn't katsu. Hamburger steak was patties with water gravy. Recommend you visit at your own risk...maybe it will be a better experience for you.

Authentic Hawaiian cuisine in New Mexico! Love it!! Having gone to Hawaii numerous times, this is as close to Hawaiian food as possible in NM without a doubt. Prices are affordable as well! Mahalo!!!

Aloha!!! How has it taken me this long to finally check out this little paradise?! I was in Hawaii a couple weeks before I came here for a visit, to be honest I think I like the spam musubi better here. I really came for the Moco Loco! There is nothing like it, if you haven't tried it, you need to! I've never been a fan of runny yolk until recently, apparent I've been missing out. If you're not a fan of runny yolk you need to try it on a Moco Loco, it will change your mind. The Kalua Pork was a little salty for me but my hubby loved it. I can't wait to come back to try the rest of the menu! The restaurant is a little oasis, super chill environment. The decoration reminds me of eating at a little sweet shack on the beach. Super friendly for your kiddos and plenty of things on the menu for your little kikis. Shaka!!

We got some food truck goodies at Altura park during the weekly Thursday evening food truck extravaganza. We shared the combo dish ( two adults) which had a variety of delightfully cooked and seasoned meats, along with some tasty Mac and cheese and rice. It was very yummy with large portions. I was full and happy after eating it.

Ordered for pickup. The food was phenomenal. Very tasty. I had the teriyaki chicken and a friend of mine had the beef and both were delicious b looking forward to trying more.

The food and the service was amazing. Affordably priced and was super fast. I have been searching for a place like this and I am so happy that I finally found one. 5/5 stars

Great little Hawaiian restaurant in industrial area. Friendly staff, consistently good food, quaint atmosphere, quick service. Initially enjoyed their cuisine from their food truck at events. Occasionally stop by when I am craving spam musubi.

Visit on 2/10/17 for dinner at the brick and mortar restaurant: Party of three ordered the chicken katsu, the loco moco, and the special of the night which was lemon chicken. Lemon chicken was crispy but not greasy and just the right amount of sweet and sour. However, it isn't like the lemon chicken that Chinese places serve. There's even a hint of Chinese five-spice in this one. My dining partners enjoyed their loco moco and chicken katsu. Small amount of gristle in the hamburger. None of these dishes were salty, especially the loco moco which can be too salty at cheaper places. Sides: Like Dave O said, the macaroni salad is not the creamy mayonnaise base that one comes to expect with the islands, but I actually like this one better for that reason. Not super mayonnaise-y. Also, the dishes come with one scoop of rice instead of the standard two that you get on the islands. I appreciate that the salad isn't just a few pieces of lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded carrots tossed together just for the sake of saying that they serve salad. It actually contains corn, cucumbers, and red peppers. Authenticity: They have the same Hawaiian juices that are prevalent on the islands: Lilikoi, POG, pineapple-mango, etc. Brought back fond memories for me. The menu has all the traditional staples such as loco moco, pork lau lau, kalua pork, huli huli, katsu, macaroni salad, and spam. Value: Price-wise, I cannot compare to prices in Hawaii because Hawaii is just about as expensive as ABQ is cheap. Of course, this place is cheaper by default! However, I think it is a good value as well. Service: Friendly folks here. The cook came out several times to chat with us about his life on the islands. People came to clean up our plates promptly and offer more water. Food is made to order but is still pretty timely. I was gonna say this is a four-and-a-half star place, but then they came out with malasadas (Hawaiian-style donuts) for dessert on the house. It's not like you have choices for Hawaiian food in the 505, but they've done a great job of bringing a taste of the islands to ABQ.

woman cashier was incredibly rude after SHE did not check online orders through doordash. after being told "it will be a while" by her, she made it clear she didn't care that my order was never dropped or that i'd be waiting half my lunch break. i asked for my money back, she didn't know how to cancel the order (hint: because it was marked delivered/completed in door dash) and gave me the wrong change back from the drawer to refund my order. some weird half apology was given but i was over it. i went across the candelaria to some burrito place where i was at least treated like they wanted my money. food is fine but the way i was treated was unacceptable when there's so many options in the immediate area.

This review is for the food truck which is parked outside of Explora tonight for adult night. The food was extremely mediocre. The only good part was the fries. The steak plate was dry.

So disappointed. The macaroni salad was absolutely tasteless. The teriyaki chicken was unappealing and cold. The katsu chicken was just plain old chicken nuggets. Even the fountain drinks were heavily diluted carbonated water. 40 bucks wasted. Have no clue how they even have awards. So embarrassing.

Not sure how I feel about this place just yet. I had the Teriyaki Beef plate with double Mac Salad. It was pretty good but I would like to try more items on the menu. The Mac Salad was ok, but the beef was a bit salty for my taste.

Mahalo for such excellent food. The bite sized Katsu is amazing. The staff is very friendly even though they are crazy busy!! Great mac salad. Thanks!!

I don't know what to say about this place. They seem very unorganized & always missing an important ingredient. I really like their kaluah nachos. But my friends & I on 3 visits couldn't order them because they didn't have one of the ingredients. The first time they didn't have cheese. The next visit no chips. The 3rd time there was no kaluah pork. But they did try to make up for it & promised us free kaluah nachos next time. We eventually got it, but they ran out of jalapeños. Other than that, the food is good. I also love their green chili cheese fries. The owner & the people who work there are always nice. Just wish they were more prepared.

This food truck has been on my Yelp bucket list for awhile and I was lucky to have spotted it at the Southwest Bacon Fest! Yay me. I love a good Hawaiian BBQ and have been bamboozled in the past when a Chinese restaurant poses as a Hawaiian BBQ. What do I expect at a Hawaiian BBQ? Amazing sticky rice, yummy macaroni salad and...spam! Kimo's delivered on all accounts. The macaroni salad was a5 out of five. The bacon wrapped spam was good and the sticky rice was on fleek. I ordered the Kalua Pork which was dressed with a sploosh of BBQ sauce that had the perfect kick. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for this food truck in the future. I get a craving for Hawaiian BBQ sometimes so I might actually seek this one out.

Was in work travel and I stopped by there on my way to the ABQ airport. Food is pretty good and service was fast. I'll definitely revisit once I'm in the area.

I have been missing Hawaiian food SO so much since moving back here from California. I am soooooooo not disappointed by Kimo's! The spam musubi is perfectly salty with a little bit of sweet from the sauce they put between the rice, nori, and spam--YUM! It's really really hard to find the mac salad that is so unique to Hawaiian food, but they did it-- so creamy and delicious! Last but not least, the pulled kahlua pork is so tender and tasty, layered over a bed of steamed cabbage and served with a heaping mound of perfect, sticky white rice! I just finished eating and I'm getting hungry again writing this review. Their menu is pretty large for such a small food truck--traditional Hawaiian food, nachos with pulled pork, hot wings, hot dogs, hamburgers, loco moco, teriyaki, chicken katsu, and Hawaiian DONUTS(!)--which I will have to go back for! You can tell they really know what they're doing (being native Hawaiians and all). I'll definitely go back and definitely recommend!

Stopped into Kimo's for a quick lunch. WHAT A HIDDEN GEM!!! The festive Hawaiian decor tucked behind the bright yellow sign in an industrial neighborhood (west side of Girard, just north of Candelaria) set the tone for my meal. Brittany (sp?) was hustling around cleaning & refilling table settings with a big smile on her face and a laugh simmering just below the surface. An absolute Energizer Bunny of joy. Once back behind the counter, she patiently explained to this haole what their various dishes were without ever losing her smile or good natured effervescence. Easy 10 stars for a really fun server. (What?? Yelp doesn't have 10 stars?!? We'll have to fix that.) I opted for kalua shredded pork on cabbage with a scoop o' rice alongside and a glass of water to wash it down. I also got a house salad with vinagrette. I declined the offered option of BBQ sauce on the pork, since leaving it undressed would give me the truest flavor of the meat itself. I was overwhelmed when the dinner size plate arrived at the table. The pile o' pork was huge!! It proved to be enough for two meals. The scoop of rice looked diminutive in comparison. Under the meat was a thin layer of boiled cabbage leaf chunks that were quite tender. The pulled pork was so juicy tender that it is a prime contender for being the best unsmoked pulled pork I've ever had ... anywhere!! The hyper tender texture, coupled with a max moistness that hovered just shy of being watery, was incredible. I shoveled it into my mouth relentlessly until my stomach cried "Enough!". If there was a downside to the meat, it was that the flavor, while tasty, was not particularly strong or complex. It was pure meat taste, without the benefit of spicing or doctoring. The BBQ sauce may have helped that. The salad proved to be a nice mix of greens, broccoli, carrots, etc. But the star was the vinagrette!! Thick bodied, complex, sweetly tart. I'd have bought a bottle to take home if it'd been available. This is killer dressing that would justify a return trip by itself. TAKE NOTE: There are only a few parking spots out front between Kimo's building and the street, although there is on street parking along Girard. Price with tax was a touch over $10, which is a steal considering the quality of the food, the fun decor & the extraordinary friendliness of the staff. To quote General MacArthur, "I shall return!"