Kalua Pig Barbeque Burger at Lulu’s in Waikīkī

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Restaurant Info

Burger Breakdown

The Visit

Before I even get started on the Kalua Pig Barbeque Burger,Lulu’s in Waikīkīis the place to go for dinner. This place is awesome! Great staff, extensive menu, and great views. I plan on stopping-in foranother cheeseburgerthe next time I visit the Hawaiian Islands.

We rolled into Lulu’s around 6:30 p.m. We heard that this is a great place to view the sunset and planned our arrival accordingly. We were not disappointed. The sunset view was fantastic!

Lulu’s is a sit-down restaurant and bar. The restaurant is not that big but they have multiple hosts/hostesses at the station to escort people to their seats. They keep busy too. When we arrived, it was hopping already. The serving staff looked quite busy.

I highly recommend reservations at Lulu’s. Although we did not have reservations, we were fortunate to be seated at the counter which overlooks Waikīkī Beach. This is a premium spot for watching the sunset. This place is extremely busy at dinnertime. So, if you want to eat, make reservations a few days ahead of time. This way you will be able to pick a great spot to dine, drink, and enjoy one of the most spectacular sunset views in Waikīkī.

For us, there was no wait to be seated. But I have a feeling that seating times can change in a matter of minutes. While enjoying dinner, you could see the ebbs and flows in foot traffic and the restaurant was quick to fill up.

The server was prompt. She arrived immediately after we were seated to check if we wanted to start with drinks or if we needed more time. We ordered drinks and needed a bit more time to read the menu.

The layout at Lulu’s is quite smart. It is located on the second floor of the building at the corner of Kapohulu Ave and Kalākaua Ave inWaikīkī. The entry is on the beach side of the corner. Head up the stairs and you arrive at the host station. The restaurant is to your right. There is a bar on one side, the main seating area, and then around the edge of the main seating area, on two of the sides, is a counter that either faces Diamond Head to the South or Waikīkī Beach to the West. They keep the restaurant clean and maintained. Feels good to be there.

It has a great vibe. The place is filled with customers having a good time. The staff are cheerful, helpful, and go out of their way to make your visit enjoyable.

So...tell me about your burgers.

Lulu’s has an extensive menu; lots of choices. It includes seven (7) burger choices. Most of the burgers on the menu have a Hawaiian Island flair to them (i.e.: Bikini Buns Cheeseburger, Lulu Moco, etc.).

I went with the Kalua Pig Barbeque Burger, and it did not disappoint. The Kalua Pig Barbeque Burger comes with a wagyu beef patty, kalua pork, cheddar cheese, bbq sauce, pickles, garlic aioli, all on a locally made onion bun. All of the burgers on the menu come with fries except for the Loco Moco style burgers which come with rice.

The Kalua Pig Barbeque Burger (includes fries) hits your wallet for $26. It is a bit high, but you are paying a bit more due to being on the Hawaiian Islands and a beachfront view in Waikīkī.

Let's See What We Have Here

This was a dine-in meal as we were there to see the sunset.

Burger arrived at the table fully assembled along with the side of fries and a ramekin of ketchup. Presented nicely on a large white plate. Definitely started salivating when the meal arrived. I wanted to dive in straight away.

Have you tried the bread?

Bun was nice, fresh, tender, and delicious. Nice even toast on the inside. The crumb was nice and was able to hold up to the aioli, bbq sauce, and the juice from the burger patty.

Nice meat to bun ratio. This burger had a burger patty and a super generous portion of kalua pig. The bun fit perfectly and stepped up to the challenge.

The menu mentioned an onion bun. I did not get any “onion” from the bun. There were no onions on the outside of the bun and there was no noticeable onion on the inside of the bun. However, that did not make a difference. The bread was delicious, and I don’t think that toasted bits of onion on the outside of the bun would have been an improvement. For me, plain was better.

Let's look under the hood of this baby.

The Kalua Pig Barbeque Burger arrived ready-to-eat. No assembly required.

The garlic aioli was nice and creamy with a light garlic flavor. The Kalua Pig was covered with a fantastic bbq sauce. The bbq sauce was neither tomato heavy or vinegar heavy. It sat right in the middle with a perfect balance of both. It was sweet, tangy, and light. It allowed the smokey flavor of the kalua pig and the wagyu patty to shine through.

This burger came with minimal amount of produce. A nice layer of pickles between the bottom bun and the wagyu beef patty. The pickles added a nice crunch and added a nice brine that helped cut through the richness of the beef patty, the kalua pig, cheddar cheese, and the garlic aioli, and balanced the sweetness of the bbq sauce. It didn’t need any other condiments. But, I think some thinly shaved onions would give it a bit more crunch and another layer of flavor to balance out the richness of the overall burger. The Kalua Pig Barbeque Burger is well-crafted and can definitely stand as is.

I ordered the burger to be cooked to medium. It is a thicc burger and arrived well-done. Now, although the burger patty was cooked past my preference, it was still a delicious burger patty. It was not over-cooked. It was well-seasoned. Still tender and juicy. Plus, it had a fantastic sear on the outside. Tasted great!

With everything together, this is a fantastic burger. Tender bun that can withstand the kalua pig, wagyu patty, bbq sauce, and aioli. Generous portion of roasted pork, cheddar cheese, and with a generously-sized wagyu beef patty. Perfect all around.

So, who are your your friends here?

The Kalua Pig Barbeque Burger comes with a side of fries. The fries were crispy and well-seasoned. Nice companion to the burger. A few more fries would have been nice for the price. Overall the entire meal was well portioned and well-proportioned.

It's a Wrap

The Kalua Pig Barbeque Burger is a thing of beauty. The tasty wagyu patty, cheese, and generous portion of kalua pork are a match made in heaven. All of the flavors come together well for an amazing bite. The lack of onions on the bun were a non-issue. The well-done patty did not make a difference as the meat was still tender, flavorful, and, most importantly, juicy. I would definitely order this burger again. However, there are other burgers on the menu that I want to try.

Considering that you are paying the “paradise tax” in Waikīkī, the Kalua Pig Barbeque Burger at Lulu’s is a great value. So many flavors put together into an amazing burger. Well done, Lulu’s. Hall of Fame material!