Hawaiian Bros on State Line Rd.

Although I sometimes eat at chain restaurants, they rarely end up in the blog. This is mostly because readers usually know more about the food than I do. In the case of Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, locations have saturated Kansas City and a few other cities, but coverage is far from nationwide. Perhaps this is the new formula for chains–they open only in areas where they can monitor the food quality and the response of the customers.

My interest was piqued by Lucky Wok, a Chinese restaurant in Lenexa that served a few Hawaiian items when I was there (these were not on the menu). Reviews on Google Maps indicated that Hawaiian Bros would give a full choice of menu items for Island food (which is well known but not widely available on the North American continent).

I found the staff at the State Line location to be very knowledgeable about the menu and excited about the food. This is usually the glaring gap in chain restaurant food, so I think I accomplished the purpose for coming here. (Full disclosure: there used to be a local chain of Hawaiian restaurants in El Paso that was around for a number of years, and a new restaurant that I have not tried but I think has the same food).

While I had hoped coming to Hawaiian Bros would give me a clearer and more complete picture of what Hawaiian food was all about, I was immediately confused by the menu. They had a long list of choices with little explanation. This is where the staff came in with one lady explaining that there are several chicken dishes available but that the Honolulu Chicken may be the most typical of what is popular in Hawaii. Of course you could also say MacDonalds is the most popular hamburger served in North America and that would not prove anything, I do not believe that was this lady’s intent. I believe the Honolulu chicken served here is a good choice. Although Hawaiian Bros serves plates with side dishes (the typical Hawaiian style), this is one of the parts I found to be a little disappointing here.

Honolulu chicken

This dish came with Macaroni Salad and a Pineapple Skewer (which seemed like a refreshing choice on a hot day). The macaroni salad cones with all plates and the pineapple was one of the choices of proteins available (if you order something besides the plate lunch you get other choices). I always find it difficult to order the first time at a restaurant while standing in line with people behind me waiting for me to make decisions versus sitting at a table with a menu. They made it easier, though, when the lady I talked to took me out of the line and gave me some help. Therefore I think that this company, although a chain serving the food fast-food style, is doing what they need to do.

The down sides (compared to the former Aloha chain that was in El Paso and Lubbock): there were not many choices for the main dish, there were not many choices for sides, and I never quite figured out what was going on with the drinks. I had better luck with the barbecue beef at Lucky Wok (although this was not on their menu and may not be available if I go back).

Although I think Lucky Wok in Lenexa probably has better Hawaiian food, it is still appropriate to give the food at Hawaiian Bros five stars.

RATING: N/R

Cuisine: Hawaiian
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: No

Most Recent Visit: Jun. 12, 2026
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Honolulu Chicken, Pineapple Skewers

Special Ratings

	Honolulu Chicken
	Macaroni Salad
	Pineapple Skewer