Henry Loui’s

When I first heard of this place, I thought to myself, “A French restaurant in Mapunapuna?”  I quickly realized that this was home to the “Best Suckin’ Ribs in Hawaii.”  Henry Loui’s is a no frills kind of neighborhood establishment.  In fact, the restaurant and bar do not have any windows.  The large barn door leads you into the restaurant where you are greeted with interior decor that reminds me of the old Stuart Anderson’s in Ward Warehouse a long time ago with the wood panel walls.  You kind of need to know exactly where the restaurant is or surely you will miss it.  It’s tucked in-between the backside of the old Ranch 99 Market and an office building, and next door to the Ben Franklin Craft Store.

Despite its “secret location,” Henry Loui’s is the place to go when you want to sink your teeth into red meat.  The restaurant is divided into a sports bar that is a regular gathering place for many and a restaurant side.  It’s a place that meat lovers can gnaw away at the meat and bones on their plates.  Now that he is trying to control and limit his carbohydrate intake, he welcomes with open arms servings of ribs and steaks for dinner.

The menu is simple and tasty with a selection of salads, including Caesar with Chicken, Blackened Ahi, or Sweet Bay Shrimp; Loui Loui; or a Seafood Cobb Salad with scallops, bay shrimp, and crab meat, bleu cheese, and bacon.  You can also order a sandwich like a Kalua Pig Sandwich; Mahimahi; or a Hamburger Deluxe with a choice of soup, cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, or french fries.

But the real reason we come here is for the entrees.  If you aren’t too keen about getting your fingers messy with delicious BBQ sauce, you can order the Prime Rib, T-Bone Steak, New York Steak, or Teriyaki Short Ribs.  Local favorites are also represented, such as the Hawaiian Plate and Hamburger Steak with Onions and Gravy.  A carnivore’s dream!  The New York Steak here is tender, juicy, and packed with flavor from the grill.  The Prime Rib is a generous serving that is enough to satisfy your appetite and maybe your appetite the next day too!

 

One of the great things about Henry Loui's is that all entrees come with a choice of soup or tossed green salad. The soup of the day was French Onion Soup that night, so obviously he had to order the soup over the salad. It was a simple soup consisting of a hearty onion broth, big chunks of croutons, and sprinkles of parmesan cheese. He kind of missed the gooey layers of cheese that Ryan's Grill melts on top of their French Onion Soup. However, he had a big order of ribs coming up, so it wasn't a good idea to fill up his tummy with gobs of cheese; leaving little room his main entrée.

 

I ordered the Tossed Green Salad to start before I devoured my ribs. Again, it's a simple, no frills salad with the basic romaine and iceberg lettuce mix and a cherry tomato on the side.

 

Full Rack: You can choose a half or full rack of ribs depending on the size of your appetite. He was hungry for ribs that night and decided on the full rack. If he couldn't finish it, he could always take the leftovers home. This is a healthy serving with an extra serving of hot vegetables in lieu of any starch. After all, he was trying to limit his carbohydrate intake. The hot vegetable is a mixture of corn and lima beans with a bit of a spicy kick added to it. The ribs are tender and juicy and fall right off of the bone. Just super delicious.

 

Half Rack: I had a smaller appetite than he did, but I was also ono for ribs. I ordered the half rack, which I had a hard time finishing. Each entrée also comes with a choice of starch, including french fries, mashed potatoes, red boiled potatoes, rice, or pasta. A baked potato is available at an extra cost. I decided on the mashed potatoes, which were smooth and creamy and perfectly accompanied my ribs. These ribs truly are the best suckin' ribs. There is just enough sauce to evenly coat each rib with tastiness and I love the burnt edges of the ribs to add even more of a smokey flavor.

 

Henry Loui’s also has a great seafood selection to choose from including Mahimahi Meuniere or Mahimahi with Ginger Soy Sauce; Shrimp Scampi, Golden Fried Shrimp; or Tuti Di Mare.  For those can’t decide between meat, chicken, or seafood, the menu offers a wide variety of combination choices with their famous ribs, steaks, and seafood.

I’ve been here many times to eat, so sometimes I have to use a bit of strategy to make sure that there is enough room for dessert.  Henry Loui’s has a great assortment of yummy desserts to satisfy even the most finicky sweet tooth!  Mud Pie, Carrot Cake (a thick slice of carrot cake loaded with carrots and raisins enveloped with cream cheese frosting), and Bread Pudding.  I decided to save the rest of my ribs for later, so that I could indulge in a little something sweet after my carnivorous feast!

 

I actually order just a slice of apple, but due a mix-up with our order, our very thoughtful and kind waitress turned this slice of apply pie into à la mode. YUM! For some reason, I don't feel as guilty eating pie à la mode when I didn't order it.

 

The bar area is a great place to watch a football or basketball game while enjoying their happy hour drink and pupu specials.  We are big fans of the Buffalo Wings here.  He will sometimes request that the wings are placed in the fryer a little longer to make them extra crispy along with a separate bowl of extra buffalo wing sauce for dipping.  The pupu menu is extensive and includes all the local favorites and even platters for larger groups.

Henri Loui is open every day from 11:00 am to 2:00 am for lunch, dinner, and pau hana.  It is the perfect place to visit when you are hungry for meat without having to pay fancy steak house prices.  It truly is a hidden gem!

Happy Dining,
The Common Foodie