There are Hawaiian BBQ joints, and then there are BOMB Hawaiian BBQ places. Just like fast food and Mexican food places, there are plenty of Hawaiian joints for every situation and for every craving. While there are several Hawaiian fast food joints and a couple great sit-in places like Bruddah’s Hawaiian Foods in Gardena, not all of them serve the same kind of food. If you’re in a sultry mood and feel like having a tropical breakfast… or you simply wanna try something different without having to pinch pennies in the process, you can always rely on “Rutt’s Hawaiian Café”.
Aloha!
Even though “Rutt’s Hawaiian Café” is located in the always busy Washington Blvd., it’s unusually quite easy to miss. While it is a hole-in-the-wall at heart (and size), this joint looks like it belongs in the beach: it’s a small yellow shack with straw awning.
The décor at this joint is of course over-the-top Hawaiian themed, it may seem like too much and even kitschy, but oddly enough, the overtly embellished restaurant manages to look homely and welcoming.
“Rutt’s Hawaiian Café” is rather small and there’s limited sitting, fortunately they have a nice outside patio with plenty of space.
If you must know the basics about “Rutt’s” before heading over there is that: their prices are very, very, VERY affordable; the service is friendly and efficient; and, last but not least, the food is deelish.
Brunch extravaganza
Just like any other Hawaiian restaurant, “Rutt’s” serves the typical dishes: chicken katsu, kalua pork, among others. However, this joint is well known and popular because of its breakfast/ brunch dishes.
You can start your meal by ordering a Spam Musubi, which is also somewhat traditional and very popular. If even the name span gives you the barfs, that’s because you haven’t had a Spam Musubi from this joint. Trust me, there are very few people that can stomach spam, however, you’ll be surprised by the richness of this tiny appetizer: spam cooked on a bed of rice and seaweed wrapped. It seriously tastes better than what it sounds… they’re addicting!!!
If you can resist having more than one Spam Musubi, deciding from an entrée from the menu can be a hectic task… that is unless you ask for suggestions to one of the servers.
The most popular dish day and night is the Hawaiian Royale, followed by the Loco Moco.
The Hawaiian Royale consists of a scrambled omelette with Portuguese sausage, char siu, spam, bean sprouts, and onions served over white rice. Although it sounds like an odd concoction, the flavors blend well and the end results are a fabulously delicious breakfast dish.
The Loco Moco on the other side, in spite of its funky and even questionable name (after all, who wants to eat something called moco?!), its more like a traditional American breakfast. The Loco Moco is just white rice topped with the meat of your choice (a hamburger patty, Portuguese sausage, spam, or pork), a fried egg, and brown gravy. This one’s also quite tasty, but it’s almost impossible not to think of all the saturated fats while chowing down so much fried stuff… after all, it is still a breakfast dish.
If you have room for desert or feel like something sweet, you should go for their French toast, which is made with original Hawaiian bread… just add some honey y te estarás chupando los dedos en menos de lo que canta un gallo.
“Rutt’s Hawaiian Café” is the perfect spot to try some original, affordable, and scrumptious Hawaiian food, ya sea con tus cuates o con tu peor-es-nada.
Rutt’s Hawaiian Café12114 Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
310.398.6326
