Aku Eats Oahu : American : Casual Steak Houses

Casual Steak Houses

You can’t expect an experience or a steak like Ruth’s Chris or D.K. Kodama’s here, but with prices often cut in half, how can you go wrong? Yes, the steaks aren’t quite in the same league, but they’ll do, and besides, you can always go with other items like plus-sized burgers, chicken breasts smothered in cheese and bacon, Flinstone’s-sized ribs, or shrimp shish-kabob’s, not to mention some decent salad bars, which they all have. I frequent these places when I have a yearning for American-style chain restaurants, but not really for steaks. But then again, when it comes to steak, I'm kind-of a snob!

Nothing fancy, but the lamb at Buzz's in Pearl City is done right, with a char-grilled, rock-salt taste and the perfect complement of mint jelly.

Buzz’s Original Steak House. 2 locations: 98-751 Kuahao pl. in Pearl City (map shown), 487-6465, dinner nightly; and 413 Kawailoa road in Kailua, 261-4661, lunch and dinner daily. Parking outside both stores. Prices: $$$. Map. The location in Kailua is very casual, located right across the street from Kailua Beach Park. The Pearl City property has a classic island-style, Paniolo atmosphere that feels almost like a visit to Parker Ranch on the Big island, with large, wooden beams, wide booths, and Hawaiian cowboy pictures lining the walls. There is a small, but pretty good salad bar that comes with every entrée and features a butter/garlic bread that stays toasty and warm on a heated grill. The lamb is seasoned simply and presented plainly, but the soft, tender meat has a wonderful, un-gamey, fire-grilled taste and great quality. Beef ribs are super-large and meaty. The menu is quite small in Pearl City and they do not even have burgers there (but Kailua does!).

Stuart Anderson’s Cattle Company. 98-1262 Kaahumanu st. at the Time Square S.C. in Pearl City. 487-0054. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$$. Map. Stuart Anderson’s is a nice place for a casual to slightly upscale dinner w/drinks. The dining room is reasonably elegant, with the dim lighting and bold, rustic décor of a typical American steak house. There are also several smaller semi-private rooms, high-backed booths for added privacy, and a large bar area. The burgers are decent, and the garlic cheese bread comes large-sized, loaded with cheese, and fragrant with garlic. The shrimp cocktails are plump and large, hanging over the sides of a martini glass filled with the tangy-red sauce.

Sizzler Steak House. 4 locations: Pearl Ridge S.C. in Pearl City, 483-3565 (map shown); the Waipahu Town Center in Waipahu, 671-7433; the Aikahi S.C. in Kaneohe, 254-3727; and 1461 Dillingham Blvd. in Kalihi, 832-4665. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Parking outside all stores. Prices: $$. Map. As a kid, Sizzler’s used to be the big name around here for steak. Of course, that was before the new generation of quality American steak houses arrived. I used to love the Malibu chicken (it’s still there!) with slices of ham and cheese and that yummy mayo/mustard dip or the all-you-can-eat rib or shrimp plates. There is also a large salad bar, but with items like chicken wings, tacos, pork adobo, sushi, and pasta w/marinara or clam sauce, I would consider it more of a buffet line!

Chuck’s Steak House. 2335 Kalakaua Ave. at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach Hotel. 923-1228. Dinner nightly. Parking at hotel. Prices: $$$. Map. Fun, casual place to enjoy your steaks right on the beach in the heart of Waikiki, with fresh fish and shellfish, teriyaki sirloin or chicken breast, Hawaiian stir-fry, lamb chops, and an all-you-can-eat salad bar available.

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