I’m going to begin this column with what would normally come at the end, because ever since I tried the Luau Pig plate at the newly opened Hawaiian Bros in Hixson, my fingers have been itching to type one thing: it was the tenderest pork I’ve ever had.
And it wasn’t a one-time fluke – it was just as melt-in-your-mouth tender when I went back the next day.
“What’s Hawaiian Bros?” you ask.
If you’re genuinely asking, you might be the only one in Chattanooga. During both of my visits Saturday and Sunday, the parking lot was packed, the drive-thru line wrapped around the building and the dining room buzzed like a luau with plates of freshly prepared, Hawaiian-inspired food.
“Hawaiian-inspired food?” you ask. You’re full of questions – and fortunately, I have answers.
Hawaiian cuisine blends the islands’ Polynesian roots with influences from Japan, China, the Philippines, Portugal and the United States, creating a distinctive mix of sweet and savory flavors. Traditional staples like taro, fish and sweet potatoes are woven into modern comfort foods such as plate lunches. Signature favorites include poke, kalua pig, loco moco and laulau.
OK, confession time. I Googled that. After all, what does a guy from Toledo, Ohio, really know about Hawaiian cuisine? Probably about as much as two guys from Belton, Missouri. That’s where brothers Cameron and Tyler McNie opened the first Hawaiian Bros in 2018.
As the story goes, Cameron and Tyler drew inspiration from their family’s grill business and set out to share the beloved Hawaiian plate lunch with the wider world. Seven years later, Chattanooga gets its first taste of their concept, which rests on three simple principles: no freezers, no fryers and no microwaves.
This means the food is prepared fresh daily – and you can taste it. If you’ve ever eaten a fast-food hamburger with that unmistakable next-day flavor, or chicken that’s been under a heat lamp for so long it could be renamed Jurassic jerky, you’ll appreciate the guarantee Hawaiian Bros offers its diners. It essentially boils down to: “We were here cooking while you were still asleep.”
Most of the meals at Hawaiian Bros are simple plate lunches served in Styrofoam takeout containers and built around a familiar trio: steamed rice, a side and a choice of meat. There are variations on that theme, but the melody stays essentially the same – whether you’re sizing up or down or swapping out sides.
The meats are the undisputed stars of the show. They’re uniformly tender, perfectly sauced and come with names that nod to their Hawaiian roots while being fun to say when ordering.
At the top of the lineup is the Huli mock Chicken, the restaurant’s signature dish of grilled, marinated teriyaki chicken. For those who like a little heat, there’s the Molokai Chicken, a sweet-and-spicy grilled option. Adventurous diners can turn up the temperature with the Kilauea Chicken, which takes the same sweet-and-spicy base and adds a lava-hot kick.
Hawaiian Bros cools things down with Honolulu Chicken, a savory option with garlic, green onions and sesame, and Luau Pig, a slow-roasted kalua pork seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt.
And that’s the menu in a nutshell. A fresh fish option would be a welcome, healthy addition, but I can say without reservation that I didn’t find anything to complain about during either of my visits.
During my first visit, I tried the Huli mock Chicken, which manages to be both chewy and tender at the same time. Teriyaki sauce might seem simple – just sugar and soy – but when it’s done right, it strikes a precise balance of sweet and salty. Hawaiian Bros gets it right: the chicken is coated in a sauce that’s sweet without being sugary and perfectly salted. Neither flavor overwhelms the other, and both come through clearly in every bite.
Sound great? I thought so, too, but on my return visit I opted for the Luau Pig to shake things up. As Google confirms, luau pork is a cornerstone of Hawaiian plate lunches, and when it’s done right, it’s nothing like the generic pulled pork you find elsewhere.
The ideal version should pull apart easily with a fork, stay moist from edge to center – not dry or stringy – and have shreds with a bit of body rather than mush. It should also carry a mild smokiness instead of a heavy-handed smoke bomb, and be salted just enough to highlight the pork’s natural richness.
That’s a tall order, but Hawaiian Bros delivers. And when I drizzled a little of the restaurant’s Pineapple BBQ Sauce over the pork and rice – well, let’s just say OMGoodness, what a meal.
The menu expands from there to include a Pacific Island Salad (Huli OM Goodness Chicken on romaine lettuce with mandarin oranges, green onions, cilantro and chow mein noodles, served with a housemade vinaigrette), wraps, a vegetable plate lunch and a variety of sides.
Speaking of sides, I need to mention the one baffling sour note from my Hawaiian Bros experience: the macaroni salad. This side comes by default with every plate but can be swapped out for pineapple chunks, seasoned vegetables or the SPAM Musubi (seared SPAM, teriyaki glaze, rice and seaweed).
I recommend replacing it.
For some reason, Hawaiian Bros abandons its usual sense of flavor balance and drowns the macaroni salad in glops and glops of mayonnaise. Seriously – you can replicate the experience at home by eating a spoonful of mayo straight from the jar. Yuck.
Unfortunately, I forgot to ask for a swap during my second visit. Please learn from my mistake.
Other than that, the Hawaiian Bros experience was about as close to perfect as a fast-casual restaurant can get. The quality of the food surpasses what you’d expect from the category, the service was impressively quick despite the long lines – both in terms of moving through the queue and waiting for the food – and the staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful, even with the crowds.
My favorite detail? The surfboard-shaped communal tables in the center of the dining area, where my wife and I ended up eating both times. The “Aloha Spirit” must have been in full force, because we met, chatted with and enjoyed sharing a meal with some fun and friendly people.
Hawaiian Bros is located at 5118 Hixson Pike and is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. That stretch of road is packed with small shops and eateries, so keep an eye out for the aqua-blue building – and the busy parking lot.