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J and J Hawaiian Barbecue
(Hawaiian cuisine)
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7.5
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408.973.9168
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| Hefty portions of hawaiian and chinese fast food |
Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1040
Reviewed: 6/3/2005
Rating: 7.5
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J&J Hawaiian BBQ is a relatively new restaurant occupying the old Brix location on Stevens Creek in Cupertino. Its right next to De Anza college so it shouldnt be that hard to find. Everything in the interior appears to be new but the parking lot is a bit haggard. The outdoor patio contain 1 chair and plenty of weeds growing through the ground. Im sure as time goes one, they will upgrade that stuff in the near future.
From my past experiences in dealing with Hawaiian food, Ive noticed a trend with serving portions. A couple of words come to mind...
oh my gawd, this is 1 serving?
this plate must weigh 2-3lbs
holy crap this is a lot of food
I think you get the point, just dont forget to BRING AN APPETITE! Seeing that it is hawaiian and I have this obsession with pork, it would only make sense for me to get the Kalua Pig and a side of spam musubi.
Musubi - not quite what the picture looked like. I imagined getting 3 little rectangular sushi looking things with spam on top, instead, they handed me a brick. Ok, Im exaggerating maybe about the size of twinkie. They could work a little on the presentation of this thing or maybe cut it up? I dont know if you have ever tried to cut seaweed with a plastic knife, its a pain in the ass. Anyways, the musubi isnt my cup of tea, I found it to be quite salty and not appealing to my taste buds. Its not that I dont like spam, I love spam. Serve that stuff cut thin, fried up with some eggs and white rice and we're set to go.
Kalua Pig - 2 scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and big serving of pork and cabbage. Cabbage was mixed well with shredded pork. The pork did have flavor but found it quite salty compared to the other places Ive had. I found myself drinking lots of water. I might give it another try but after tasting the chicken katsu, that would be my next order. If you look at picture #7, its that giant mound of chicken.
I didnt get a chance to try the chinese food as the hawaiian food looks more appealing. Overall I would make a return visit. Even though my food was salty, it might have just been an off day for the Kalua Pig. I did get to try the Chicken Katsu and that is good stuff. The value is exceptional and you can share 1 plate with another person.
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Reviewer: Terry
Total Reviews: 739
Reviewed: 8/5/2005
Rating: 7.5
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I don't know.
I'm not a big fan of Hawaiian food at all. Its usually all about the barbecued meat. And its usually expensive. And you get too much food. And its in the stupid styrofoam containers, even if you are eating it there.
Well on this day, I was expecting a heavy night of drinking and partying (yes, I do that about once every year or two). And so, it was a self-preserving gesture that had me at the doorstep to J&J Hawaiian Barbecue looking for some stomach fortifying food. Something that will absorb all of the tortures I was about to unleash on my body.
Anyway, I decided to go with the Seafood combination. At nearly $7.50 its one of the most expensive items on the menu and the large 2 pound tray they give you definitely attests to that. I enjoy eating large lunches and if it wasn't a special occasion I probably would have eaten maybe half of it at most.
I got through about 75% of it and finally called it quits. It was supplied with scallions (or scallops, I always get them mixed up), fish, and shrimp - all deep fried with a crumbly batter around it. The fish was overly greasy and while I ate half of it, I could have easily skipped it. The scallions were also greasy but were pretty tasty. I would order this again. The shrimp were the hilight, full of flavor and well just shrimp. They gotta be good.
The macaroni salad was about average, but at the moment, it was a welcome thing. I hate eating white rice, but duty called and I had to be able to withstand the night to come. It was just white rice, and I won't detract or give extra points for this. I'm just glad it was there. And in *large* quantity.
Overall, I felt the value was about average for the amount of food I received. An average human would split this combo with an office mate or save half for dinner. That wasn't me. And while I still had some left, you can rest assured that I was full.
I am writing this review after said night of imbibement. So how did it stack up? DAMN WELL. Thats all I can say. This is a food site after all. I'll just say that others did not fare nearly as well as I that night. And I thank J&J for sustaining me. A job well done.
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Reviewer: DoctorJZ
Total Reviews: 32
Reviewed: 7/1/2005
Rating: 7.5
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Write the review here.
I ate at the Stevens Creek location for the third time(there is also a De Anza blvd spot and one in menlo park near the caltrain stop), and must confess that becoming a Hawaiian BBQ junkie. I ordered the seafood platter, and it came with 3 large fried shrimp 2 or 3 pieces of fried fish and two medium-sized fried scallops on a bed of cabbage with 2 scoop rice and 1 scoop mac salad. I'm usually a sucker for loco moco(which J and J does very well), but decided to see how the seafood turned out. Overall, the dish was ok. The portion was extremely large(this is one of the only dishes not offered as a 'mini' order). The fried items were extremely crispy, and not greasy at all. However there was no sauce other than tartar. i would've enjoyed some tempura sauce or perhaps even cocktail sauce and lemon. Disapponitingly, i asked for gravy on the side (i love it with the rice), and the guy said he'd give me some, but forgot to.
I will definitely return, but won't likely order the seafood platter again. i think shrimp alone would be a better dish, love the loco moco, and it seems like the bbq section of the menu would be a winner(short ribs, bbq chicken, bbq beef), and as Jason mentioned, the chicken katsu looks appealing.I've also had a mahi-mahi sandwich: plain but good and cheap.
The staff is friendly but the service philosophy seems to be: 'the condiments and napkins are over there, fend for yourself'.
this place can become crowded and the atmosphere is similar to a cafeteria.
Quick food. huge portions. no hassel. real cheap. |
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Reviewer: ne00
Total Reviews: 187
Reviewed: 8/17/2005
Rating: 7.5
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1170 Alma Street
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Located directly across from the Cal Train station stop. Parking is limited during lunch hours as the plaza is very small.
Oh Wow, they have J&Js in Cupertino! I always drive to Menlo Park when I crave for some creamy mac salad from J&Js.
Ive never eaten the Chinese food at J&Js but Ive seen plenty of people who frequent the Menlo Park store order it to go. What first turned me on to J&Js was their creamy homemade macaroni salad. Ive never had macaroni salad so creamy and light before. At 0.88 cents a pop for a heaping scoop of mac salad, its worth getting an extra scoop with my combo plate.
They have several combination plates ranging from the seafood (fried shrimp) and BBQ (choice of beef, chicken, or shortribs) to the cheaper teriyaki chicken rice bowls. I generally go for the #2 Hawaiian BBQ mixer which includes beef, chicken and shortribs, with rice and mac salad for 6.95, or the #4 Hawaiian BBQ chicken with rice and mac salad for 5.95. They also have the Kuala Pig for 6.95 on its own. Sometimes they have the Kuala Pig combo plate. The portions are huge and you really do get a lot for what you pay for.
***Update 9/15/2005***
I wanted some Loco Moco today from Da Kitchen as I heard from my co
workers it is mind blowing good. Unfortunately by the time I got off
work at 7pm they were about to close. I ended up going to J and J's
Hawaiian Barbeque for some Kalua Pig and Lau Lau.
So far I've been to two of their chains, one in Menlo Park and the one
in Cupertino next to De Anza College. I decided to try the one that
used to be King Salad across from Taco Bell on De Anza Blvd. The one
across from Taco Bell and the J and J's in Menlo Park both have the
Chinese fast food steam tray tables along with the Hawaiian
selections. The one located on Stevens Creek next to De Anza College
does not serve Chinese fast food.
I wanted to order the Loco Moco but the picture on the wall did not
look pleasing. The picture displayed two fried eggs over rice, dry
hamburger patties, and mac salad. The Loco Moco at Da Kitchen is
described as made with house made hamburger patties, two eggs,
mushrooms, onions, smothered in gravy with rice and mac salad. This
sounds much more tempting than the picture shown on J and J's wall.
The Kalua Pig and Lau Lau combo meal was a disappointment as I love
their Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken plate. They cooked the Kalua Pig in
their wok and tossed in some cabbages. The cabbages were not chopped
or shredded; rather they were whole like the size you expect to find
in a plate of TK chow mien (HK style). The cabbage tasted somewhat
bitter but mostly bland. It didn't really go well with the Kalua pig
as there were no juices from the pig. It tasted and smelled a bit too
smoky. The Kalua Pig I ate at Da Kitchen was moist, juicy, and had
shredded cabbages underneath the pork making it the perfect compliment
when eaten with rice. The pig at J and J's had no juices but for most
part it was moist. The Lau Lau was not that great either. It had a lot
of flavor but half of it was lard.
Break down of J and J's vs. Da Kitchen:
Rice: J and J's tend to be standard, not too soft, not too fluffy, and
not too sticky and go well with the mac salad. Da Kitchen has fluffy,
sticky, soft rice, which tastes very good with the Kalua pig and
Hawaiian BBQ Shortribs.
Mac Salad: J and J's wins hands down on this as it's creamy but not
overly so. Da Kitchen's mac salad has a bit too much mayo so it was
overly creamy.
Kalua Pig: Da Kitchen takes the bacon here as it's moist and juicy.
The pig along with the shredded cabbage goes well with the rice. J and
J's version is moist and smoky, but not juicy. The cabbages are whole
and not shredded, which almost makes it seem like it's a separate
dish.
Barbecue Chicken: J and J's wins in this department. The chicken is
thin, moist, and taste nothing like BBQ chicken or Teriyaki chicken.
The sweet Hawaiian BBQ glaze on top and the sauce mixed with the rice,
takes this plate to a different level. The Hawaiian chicken at Da
Kitchen tasted more like marinated chicken barbecued on a grill. Some
parts were moist but other parts were tough, especially the grilled
area.
Hawaiian BBQ Shortribs: Da Kitchen wins the battle here. Given that J
and J's has more meat on their short ribs since the bones or smaller,
Da Kitchen's shortribs has more flavor and is a bit more tender
(easier to bite into and chew). I found myself licking my fingers with
Da Kitchen's shortribs's glaze. It tastes a bit like honey molasses
glazed over the ribs and then Barbecued.
I'm dropping my rating down to 7.5 from 8. If I'm craving for some BBQ
Chicken or mac salad I will come to J and J's first, but if I'm
craving for some pig with cabbage and sticky rice I'll go to Da
Kitchen. |
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Reviewer: pyunnyhana
Total Reviews: 47
Reviewed: 2/3/2006
Rating: 7.5
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I unfortunately did not bring a huge appetite with me because about two hours before going to J&J's, I bought a 16oz Jamba Juice.
The yellow and red sign didn't appeal to me. Thought it'd be run down, but the inside interior was spacious and clean with probably about 6 college students dining. The BATHROOM is another story. It's one unisex bathroom. That was the first time I've ever seen a urinal. Floor was nasty, but that's not the point...
I shared with a friend a Hawaiian BBQ plate that was 6.95. Okay, when they the picture said, 'Beef, chicken and shortribs', I thought there was going to be three different meats, but it was just chicken and the korean beef. It was probably just my own misunderstanding. I'm not complaining because the portions were huge anyway.
Macaroni: I found it a little too creamy and ate modestly. Tasted cold and fresh, but I couldn't eat too much or else I'd feel my love handles growing. It was average and didn't have that much flavor.
Rice: OH I love the rice. It's sticky and soft, just how I like it. I poured some chili oil over it for some kick.
Beef: Greasy, but good. The meat was tender and surprisingly easy (but not without a little struggle) to pull apart with the plastic fork/knife.
Chicken: Greasy and fatty because my portion had some skin on it. Moist and goes well with the rice.
Pros:
Tasty food
Good price
Includes 'mini' portions
Large and diverse selection
Cons:
NEED TO CLEAN BATHROOM!
Macaroni just average
Not sure what Hawaiian food is.
Large selection
When I put large selection in the cons, it meant to me that the menu didn't really concentrate in one particular specialty. I'm not sure if what I bought was Hawaiian. Maybe the Kalua Pig was Hawaiian? Maybe Hawaiian food is all about Japanese, Korean and Chinese food? Well, whatever the case, I would come back here again to try out their other selections, especially the spam musubi everyone keeps talking about.
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Reviewer: wchane
Total Reviews: 148
Reviewed: 11/14/2006
Rating: 7.5
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Dropped by today for a quick lunch.
Chicken Katsu Mini | Spam Masubi | Guava Nectar
Chicken Katsu Mini - A smaller sized version of the Chicken Katsu (1 lump of rice, 1 lump of mac salad, 1 Chicken Katsu), for $4.29 (i believe). The chicken is beaten thin and flat, then floured and deep fried. The result is a nice tender, juicy, golden piece of fried chicken that is chopped and served with the rice, mac, and a 'tonkatsu' sauce. Not sure if it's authentic or not, but it's one of the thinnest chicken katsu's I've ever had and strangely one of the tastiest. I liked it, they even took the effort to drain the chicken after the fry.
Spam Masubi - a pretty good sized slab of spam grilled on both sides, slathered with some kind of sauce then bundled with rice in toasted seaweed. it's a neat little package, easy to eat and the sauce made it enjoyable. I think i'm addicted.
Guava Nectar - I love this stuff, it's not Kern's, but Hawaii's Finest? (I'm not sure, it's a purple can). Tastes like Kern's.
Overall if you're dieting I don't recommend this place, but I like this place. Quick, Clean, Friendly and good, simple food.
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Reviewer: Stevetacular
Total Reviews: 25
Reviewed: 8/17/2006
Rating: 7
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J and J Hawaiian Barbecue was right across the street from De Anza, and was a psuedo guilty pleasure for my friends and I. They give out such large portions even with their smaller sizes that you'd have to be a little over 'kinda hungry' to eat there. Meals there range from $5 to $7, and they have another menu for things such as musubi and side orders. The first few times I've went to J and J I usually ordered a Spam and Egg Sandwich with Gravy Fries, and maybe a piece of Musubi. If I recall sandwiches cost ~ $2 - $3, and are nothing special, but they do fill you up. Gravy fries are about ~$1.50 and they're basically fries you could find at McDonald's or something covered it what seems to be turkey gravy; again, this isn't anything special, but they give you a lot for how much you pay. The Musubis are in the ~$1 - $1.50 range depending on which meat you get (spam, Portugese sausage, etc.), and are like everything else, okay, but not great.
Then I tried their meals, and boy oh boy...believe what everyone else says and bring an appetite. For a small meal you get your choice of meat, a scoop of white rice, and macaroni salad (I'm kinda bummed that a drink doesn't come with the meal). To dress up your meal there are a selection of sauces on a counter with small containers; the sauces range from soy sauce to Tabasco to Sriracha hot sauce. The clamshell containers they put your food in are quite deceptive because the containers are small. The macaroni salad at first bite is good, but as the meal goes on you'll grow tired of it. Halfway into the meal you'll be thinking, 'I'm pretty full...should I finish this?'. You can also man up and go for a large meal. The large meal consists of two scoops of white rice and more meat. I like the Chicken Katsu (w/ and w/o gravy), but I must I say I do not like the sauce they give you on the side because it feels so cold.
Overall J and J is just a place to relax and have a big meal. It's not a place you would want to take someone to impress them on a first date, it's not a place where you would want to hold a power lunch with some executives, it's a place where you would go by yourself or with some friends and just hang out, and hope you can finish your meal.
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