Fast-growing restaurant chain bringing a taste of the islands to Lexington
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Hawaiian Bros plans five Kentucky sites, opening its first Lexington store in 2026.
- Menu centers on Hawaiian plate lunches: grilled chicken, Kalua pork, rice and macaroni.
- Chain emphasizes fresh in-house prep, no freezers, fryers or microwaves and Dole soft serve.
Lexington is about to catch another wave of island-inspired fare.
Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, a rapidly expanding, fast-casual restaurant chain known for Hawaiian plate lunches of chicken, pork and macaroni salad, is looking to open five Kentucky locations, with the first planned for Lexington in 2026.
A franchisee is eyeing one new location in Bowling Green and four in Central Kentucky, at least two of which will be in Lexington, where diners have been saying Aloha to island fare since May 2021, when Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ opened.
But Hawaiian Bros has a simpler menu than locally owned Big Kahuna. Founded in 2018, the quick service Hawaiian chain has more than 70 restaurants in 14 states, mostly in the Midwest. The new Kentucky locations are part of an expansion into the Southeast for the rapidly expanding chain, which also recently agreed to a 34-unit franchise development agreement in other Southern states.
Franchisee owner Zach Fugate has been in Lexington looking at potential sites for the restaurants.
“It’s food that kind of keeps you coming back,” said Fugate. “Everything’s fresh prepared in house daily, no freezers, no fryers and no microwaves.”
What’s on Hawaiian Bros menu?
The menu at Hawaiian Bros is built around a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch, featuring different flavors of chicken with spicy, sweet and savory sauces or slow roasted kalua pork. Four different chicken dishes are highlighted by Huli Huli Chicken, marinated with teriyaki flavor, and then grilled.
“All of our sauces for our chicken are very cravable,” said Fugate.
The choice of protein comes with white rice and macaroni salad. Other sides include fresh pineapple chunks, seasoned vegetables and SPAM musubi which is seared Spam with a teriyaki glaze, on top of rice and wrapped in seaweed.
The Hawaiian-cooked meats can also come in various wraps.
And for dessert, Hawaiian Bros has the popular Dole Soft Serve in strawberry and pineapple flavors.
The tropical flavored ice cream-like soft serve is fat‑free, dairy‑free, gluten‑free and low-calorie.
“It’s unique, and it’s really good,” said Fugate.
