where jess ate

If you’re travelling in Hawaii on a budget, local Hawaiian fare is definitely the best bang for your buck. This little take out stand is no exception.

Local Food is located in a motel parking lot, centrally located in Lahaina. It’s a little mom-and-pop no-frills take-out shop with a couple picnic tables out front. Given their location and low price points, it’s no surprise they’re a popular spot in town. Get here early to avoid disappointment! We arrived around 12:30 for lunch and they were already sold out of their teriyaki lunch plate.

We started off with an order of the Shoyu Chicken Lunch Plate ($7) which came with two marinated thighs, some rice and salad. The meat was tender and I loved the soy flavour. Covered in a salty and slightly sweet glaze, this was my favourite dish of the bunch.

Another plate we shared was the Kalua Pig Lunch Plate ($7) which was served like a salad – pulled kalua pork mixed with shredded cabbage (which was necessary to cut through the saltiness of the pork). All in all, not bad but nothing to write home about.

We also decided to give their Laulau Lunch Plate ($7) a try. The pork was certainly tender but flavour-wise, I preferred the one at Ono’s Hawaiian Foods.

The last plate we shared was the Loco Moco ($8), a local specialty. It consists of a heaping pile of fried rice topped with a hamburger patty and fried eggs. It pretty much tastes exactly how you’d expect. It’s not terribly exciting. I felt the gravy was a little weak and they weren’t very generous with it. For a better version, I’d head over to the Shark Pit food truck.

My mom wanted to try the BBQ Pork Sandwich ($4) which wasn’t what I expected. It was in the form of a pulled pork sandwich and it just didn’t do it for me. It had a strange flavour to it which I couldn’t pinpoint. I’d skip the sandwich and stick with their plates.

Overall, the food was decent but it was far from memorable. However, if you’re looking for something quick that won’t break the bank, it’s a solid option.

At a glance:

• As the name suggests, it serves up local Hawaiian fare
• A tiny take-out shop in a motel parking lot; located in Lahaina, a stone’s throw away from the main Front St. strip
• Limited seating; 2 picnic tables out front
• Cash only
• A decent option if you’re on a budget; food was decent but far from memorable
• Favourite dish: shoyu chicken

Ratings (out of 5):

• Food: 2.5 stars
• Service: N/A
• Atmosphere: 2 stars