LEFTY-J’S ISLAND FAVORITES (Twain Ave)

This family-owned gem was the best surprise of our Vegas trip. The service was top-tier, and the food—absolutely incredible. We ordered the garlic chicken and short rib combo. The chicken was perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The rice was fresh, and the short ribs were tender and cooked to perfection. The mac salad was a great palate cleanser—not overloaded with mayo, just the right balance. Every bite was a delight, and even my picky teenager said he’d eat that garlic chicken every day if we let him! The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with a true family feel. We had a great conversation with the owner, who shared his story with genuine friendliness and greeted everyone like an old friend. Many places aim for good customer service, but there’s something truly special about a place that makes you feel like family. Lefty J’s does both—and does it flawlessly. We will be back.

hands down best plate lunch in las vegas. nostalgic flavors for me growing up, this food not only is good but brings up memories of my childhood. I've tried everything on the menu and it doesn't disappoint. lefty and the ohana has captured aloha in their 2 locations. if your at las vegas convention center this one is where you come to! #lasvegasconventioncenter

LOCAL ONLY KNOW THIS SPOT 😭✨💛 Everything is an absolute must. But we three tried bbq plate, garlic chicken, and misubi, kalula plate 💛

We discovered Lefty J’s before the pandemic and were very impressed. I’ve since been back with my sister a few times and with my husband too. The garlic chicken is delicious, I’ve started comparing all garlic chicken that I eat, in Vegas and in the Bay Area to Lefty J’s. And his macaroni salad is also one of the best I’ve tried. My plate is always enough for 2 meals! Lefty is very friendly and helpful when it comes to choosing what to order. He had suggested items to my husband to try, and my husband was not disappointed. I definitely recommend, with confidence, to give Lefty a try.

Easy 5 stars. Stopped into Las Vegas during a road trip and found this place from the reviews. The woman at the front was incredibly welcoming and helpful in suggesting dishes and the kalua pork was incredibly delicious. The quality of the meat was kind of insane, and the rice and cabbage were a great compliment. When she said be careful with the container because it's juicy, she wasn't kidding. If I end up in Las Vegas again I will definitely be stopping be to try the other dishes!

Great food, friendly atmosphere. Spam musubi is a must try! Will be back next time we're in town!

Saw Mike Chen’s video of the outstanding Chicken Katsu….. Don’t waste your time. Extremely dry with little flavor. So we disappointed. Never again! If you like dry Katsu, come to Lefty’s buy if not, go elsewhere!!

Best Hawaiian food spot in Vegas, no competition. Everything is delicious and top quality. Gotta get the garlic chicken though. That stuff is addicting!

Came across this spot from yelp. Was craving Hawaiian food and found this. Very chill and homey feel. Inside is nicely decorated to make you feel like you're in a local Hawaiian/Filipino spot. Food - 5/5 Ambiance - 5/5 Service - 5/5 Great and fast service. We were the first ones to order around lunch hour and shortly after they got busy. Portions are generous. Probably can be split bett2 ppl but if you really wanna splurge, have at it! Garlic chicken was on point. Kahlua pork was delicious. Not too oily either. Pork adobo was good as well. Those of you looking for an authentic Hawaiian food, this is the spot. We'll be back.

Lefty-J's Island Favorites has a new location near UNLV. You'll find them at Runnin Rebel Plaza on Maryland and Harmon, next to Cheba Hut. Inside has a relaxing vibe and good seating. Menu offers a variety of Hawaiian and Filipino favorites. All plates come with rice. Their Hot Dog Musubi is excellent! Pinakbet is also delicious and comforting. It's a Filipino stew with a medley of vegetables like bitter melon, eggplant, squash, and string beans sauteed in bagoóng. The dish is very nutritious and good with rice, and has great flavor! Just a note --- The address on their new Yelp page changed to Twain and University. The new location is actually on 4550 S Maryland Parkway, Ste D, Las Vegas, NV 89119.

Best Hawaiian food in Vegas!!! My family always caters from them and everyone always enjoys and asks where the food is from. Garlic chicken and kalbi ribs are our favorites. Their mac salad is also so bomb!!! They just opened up a new location by UNLV so we can't wait to stop by there soon! Would definitely recommend if you're looking for some authentic Hawaiin food!

Service is good, location is in a bad neighborhood, prices were a tad high, food was just okay.

ORDERED // TOGO Hands down Lefty-J's did NOT disappoint. Everything was so flavorful with every bite. Each plate comes with 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad. Choice of protein. I got the 2 protein plate with Robust Garlic Chicken/Kalbi Beef short ribs. The garlic chicken was sticky icky, juicy and crispy. So flavorful. Plenty of food for 2 people to share. The other plate we got was teriyaki chicken. Perfect dish for those who are basic. Highly recommend. Would definitely order again.

Came by while staying in Vegas for a few nights and it was the best meal we had on our entire trip. Even days later I'm still thinking about our meal. Hubby and I both got combo protein plate lunch including garlic fried chicken/kalbi and kalua pig/reg fried chicken. Everything was exceptional. I'm still dreaming of their Mac salad. Elite plate lunch that surpasses even spots in Hawaii. Portions are huge and delicious. A perfect spot to stop by before start your day along the strip.

Delicious food but could have had a friendlier ordering experience with the service. The guy was super nice but the young woman might have been having a bad day. Their decor is cute and an upgrade from their first location. Much more spacious. The food is Keith Lee approved so you know it's good. We got their spam musubi, pork adobo, and garlic chicken and drink for $40. Very flavorful!

Lefty J's ALWAYS DELIVERS. This has made it to my must stop for whenever I'm in Vegas. To start, they hit the box on every aspect of making a good dish: extremely tasty food, amazing portions, and superb value. The inside is cozy, and the service feels like family. But to break it down: I've gotten the garlic chicken and the Care Plate. The garlic chicken takes an already delicious fried chicken, and dunks it in a sweet garlicky crack sauce that just send the chicken over the top. The Care Plate on the other hand is a treasure trove of all the guilty pleasures you can indulge yourself in - hot dog, spam, perfectly fried juicy tender chicken, and a saucy sweet bbq shaved ribeye that soaks the rice. Every dish also comes with Mac salad, which includes an al dente pasta and a refreshing and creamy dressing. Cherry on top, the owner Lefty is the man. He's incredibly friendly, and really cares about the people he serves. He's someone who does this because it's something he enjoys, and because he's about community. Hands down a 5/5. There's a reason so many in Las Vegas come here, and that certainly should include anyone reading this review.

I'm writing this review for the newer location on Maryland Parkway. The addresses seem to have gotten crossed on these location so my review for the original location on Twain and University Center is showing on the page with the Maryland Parkway address now. With that disclamer out of the way, on to the new review. I recently learned that Lefty-J opened a second location on Maryland Parkway. So of course I had to check it out. I liked the food the first time so I was hopeful for good food again. It did not disappoint. My first impression of the new spot was how much less frantic things were. There were people eating inside but it wasn't nearly as busy as when I tried the other location a few years earlier. That was nice for me. Less of a wait for my lunch. I was able to walk right up to the counter and place my order. As with the other location, service was top notch. The girl working the register was friendly and asking questions. Was this my first time there? Is this location or the other closer for me? And she answered some questions from me. What is in the pancit? How long has this spot been open? They truly seem to care for their customers. For my lunch, I ordered pancit and a spam musubi. I waited maybe 10 minutes for it. And when I got it, it was crazy hot. Obviously fresh. I could hardly hold the container of pancit it was so hot. Luckily I was taking it back to my office to eat so it had a few minutes to cool down a bit. Pancit is not the most exciting dish. There isn't much to it. Noodles, cabbage, carrots and a little bit of pork. Not super seasoned but also not bland. Just a tangled bit of noodle-comfort. It was good enough that I ate my whole plate despite my intent to save some for later. I just wanted one more bite. Then another. And so on. The musubi was good. Not great and not my favorite rendition. But good. A slice of spam sandwiched between two blocks of rice and wrapped in nori. Its pretty standard wherever you go but it can differ from place to place. I will say that the nori was more tender than I get at a lot of other restaurants. It was the inside was missing something. I felt like it needed teriyaki sauce. Something to add a bit of moisture as it seemed a little dry. It is good to have another Hawaiian option near UNLV. We have several now and I will keep each in rotation. There are different dishes that I like from each so I will go where my stomach leads me. I enjoyed what I ordered from Lefty-J's but I need to try a few more menu items to find my go-to from this establishment.

Drove all the way from Long Beach, Ca for the ROBUST GARLIC CHICKEN....it never disappoints! So happy to hear that Lefty has opened up another location across the street from UNLV! We will be back soon

I enjoyed my 1/2 kalbi 1/2 garlic chicken plate, plentiful food, great quality, Aloha Friendly service hospitality, the restaurant is very well kept, great Hawaiian Style music which makes the ambiance comfortable. I would definitely return to try other dishes.

10/10. Keith Lee and others did not lie. we are at the 2nd location next to UNLV because the original location is closed on Monday nights. Best Kalbi ribs I've ever had and the Krispy garlic chicken is a must for your combo plate. or at least make sure one of your party gets it so you can share. keep it up! Great food and very nice people and service

Filipino Hawaiian fast food! Great combo! The garlic chicken special was awesome! Sauce was great! They have a hot dog musubi which was interesting! Their care plate is the way to go if you want a little of everything! Lefty the owner comes around all the tables to make sure everything is tasting good. The rice seemed to be off this day, but I'm sure it was just a small oversight. Mac salad was one of the best!

Ordered 2 entrees (and 2 spam musubis) to-go from Lefty J's and let me tell you.. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. The Meat Jun was cooked to perfection and the sauce was *chef's kiss*. The portion size is generous. 2 big scoops of rice and a nice amount of the actual protein. I had to save the rest of it for later. My wife ordered the Kalua Pork and the meat was so moist. Usually you order Kalua and part of it tends to be dry but not here. The meat was flavorful, tender and juicy. It's served with 2 big scoops of rice. Perfect to eat with every bite. Forgot to mention the spam musubis. Big slices of spam (covered in sauce) nestled in the right amount of rice and wrapped in nori (seaweed). What more needs to be said?! I would recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic island cuisine. I'll definitely be back

Great food! Recommended by a friend who was recently in Vegas. We stopped here on our way to the Grand Canyon from Vegas & so glad we did. The garlic chicken was so crispy and tasty! Will def rec this place to others visiting esp if you want food better that what you get on the strip .

Forgot to take a photo before scarfing down our order lol. Went in and was greeted warmly. Got the Juju Care Plate and a spam musubi. The fry of the katsu was fluffy and not super oily, and the beef was well seasoned. I didn't know what the hot dog would taste like before hand but the best I can describe it is similar to a plump cross between a regular hot dog with a Chinese sausage (it's really good). Would come back again.

We recently met up with a relative that was here in Las Vegas on business. He chose this place as it was near to the hotel he was staying at. I was put off by the surrounding neighborhood initially' The place is small and the menu isn't really diverse enough for me. We all ordered the teriyaki chicken and rice as it was the least expensive option on the menu. No tap water available so we had to order bottled water. Speaking for my meal alone I was not happy with it at all. My poorly cooked chicken thigh was burnt on one side which gave the meal a charred taste. The rice was hard and dry and not at all fresh!! Macaroni salad was also pretty bad! Never going back or recommending this place to anyone. Don't believe the hype for this place!! Plain awful!

As always, we stop in for ono food whenever we're in town. There were three of us and we shared the secret menu item that has 5 meats, teriyaki chicken, chicken katsu, crispy fried chicken, Teri beef, and kalbi short rib along with two spam musubis. Everything was delicious and we saved one musubi for later. They opened another restaurant nearby and we can't wait to try it out the next time we're back in town. Mahalo Lefty J's!!!

If you're looking for authentic island flavors, Lefty-J's is the ONLY choice!! That first bite makes you feel like you've unlocked a new character. Food smacks every. single. time. Be prepared for overfilled plates, smiles from ear to ear, and for your hunger to be satisfied. It's no wonder they're a go-to for many athletes, foodies, musicians, etc. Definitely best of ninth island!

Best Island food in Vegas! Great service and ALWAYS professional! Very genuine and humble family that run this business Pasion Love

Very calm atmosphere, friendly staff. Food is pretty good also; wasn't too big of a fan of the Chicken Katsu, but the big plate is where it's at.

Amazing food. Loco moca and chicken cutlet are the best!! Need to try the pancit next time. Hidden gem.

Lefty J's menu is a reflection of his and his wife's family's culinary heritage passed down through generations coupled with their hawaiian island upbringing. The Pinacbet and Ribeye Teri beef is rich in flavor and cooked to perfection is a must try! Prices are reasonable offering excellent value for the quality of food you get! Lefty J's doesn't disappoint! Go get it!!

Amazing guest service! Very personable and the food was just perfect. Atmosphere and surroundings were beautiful! Thank you for a great experience!

First time at the new location near Unlv and as always customer service was amazing, Janette made our family feel so welcoming just like back home in Hawaii, we ordered Juju's care plate and 2 Robust chicken with meat jun and the portion was big enough to feed the whole family of six. My favorite was the fried chicken and the robust chicken the meat Jun was a bit plain but good with the meat Jun sauce that went with it. But overall we had a great experience at the new location highly recommend if you looking to grind some Hawaiian Filipino food!

Food is always amazing! I always recommend my family and friends to visit. The Robust Garlic Chicken is my all time favorite! The service is always top notch! Makes you feel like you're part of the family! The restaurant is always clean!

Ho Man! This the spot. Best Hawaiian food in Las Vegas hands down!!!! Food fire, staff fire, feeling like you back home, FIRE! Just be ready for a nap in the hammock when your done. Fr the only Hawaiian food I go to now.

Amazing food, use to be a fan of aloha kitchen back in the day before new ownership took over. Lefty J's is hundred times better than what I thought Hawaiian food was suppose to be. I've tried just about everything on the menu now and I can say without a doubt, there are no wrong choices. The hardest part is trying to decided what your going to pick, so many favorites. Highly recommend the Garlic Chicken. Staff is a family and their kindness and positivity is what makes this place special, the awesome food by Chef Lefty is just icing on the cake.

This place is incredible!! Some of the best food I've had in Vegas so far. You can really feel the passion they have for their food and the flavors are !! I highly recommend the ribs!