Queen's Surf Cafe & Lanai

is a great place for locals, tourists and myself to grind. It's been open for several months now, and it did take me a while to try it out (not sure why; correction, refer below), and I'm glad I did.

Being a pessimist (probably why it took so long to try it), I took awhile to study their flimsy paper menu. I started to lose interest after my 1st read because I couldn't find anything interesting. There was the standard local fare like Kalua Pig, bla bla bla... Don't get me wrong, I heart local fare but I got the impression it was another Waikiki tourist trap w/ below par grinds.

During my 2nd go-over of the menu I noticed they served fish n' chips; price was $8.99, even more enticing. I ordered 'em with greens, which was $1 more and began waiting for my food. My meal was ready within 7 minutes, and I was pleasantly surprised when I collected it. My food was served on a wood veneer plate (refer to Exhibit A below) and it looked absolutely scrumptious.

Neatly placed on the wood plate were 2 solid fillets with a mountain of fries, greens & a slice of pineapple. I was stoked after my 1st bite; the batter was not too light, not too thick; it was ultra crisp and had good flavor. I think the fish was a locally caught snapper (not sure which type) and was very fresh. However, I wasn't completely sold; I didn't want to rush into love at first bite.

My 2nd chomp of fish was better than my 1st; the fillet was delicate yet firm, and sinfully juicy. I'd also like the folk reading this to note that my fish was not over greasy and did not reek of oil. Additionally, I did not reach a breaking point this fish n' chips sesh (I usually do, no matter how good); my guess is that the meal was portioned well and that's really important to me and others especially with regards to luncheon.

Chips are usually the filler in the dish and aren't all too important, but I'd like to applaud their selection of fries. In my opinion, they had the texture and taste of Burger King fries with the crispness of Mickey D. The greens were just standard lettuce with ranch dressing which isn't impressive, but it strangely complements the fish and the chips.


All in all, I was very satisfied with my feed at Queen's Surf Cafe & Lanai, and have eaten there multiple times since. This is a joint I would definitely recommend to visitors and locals alike. Below the picture is a link to their Facebook page, it's gonna have info you're gonna want. Stay tuned for more pictures from and reports of my return visits. It gets better. Here's one to whet your appetite.

Exhibit A

Queen's Surf Cafe & Lanai Facebook Page

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