I have never been to the tropical paradise of Hawaii. Maybe, someday…
Sadly, my only connection to the isles has been growing up on cans of Hawaiian Punch, reruns of the Brady Bunch and their Tiki idol, and the few times I've had the cuisine at Mo’ Bettas, a fast-food chain with locations in the city.
I had a feeling there was much more to be discovered, and I was hungry to find out. So I embraced the synchronicity of stumbling across a Hawaiian restaurant in Guthrie while on assignment for a separate story, washing up, waterlogged, on the grounded shores of Ohana Grill, 124 N. Wentz St., of all places. Aloha!
While I knew nothing about Guthrie’s stake in Hawaiian culture—and more importantly, Hawaiian food—I was an eager pupil. After all, every Oklahoman restaurant can’t just be about chicken-fried steak and country gravy!
Situated in what was once an old tire shop, I felt an easy, peaceful feeling as I walked through the doors of Ohana, the landlocked shores of Guthrie sweeping me away to a Maui beach. Seated, my wife and I ordered some iced teas to cool us off. Refreshing!
Looking at the menu, what really got me was the way—as I had always heard—Spam is incorporated and somehow rightfully used in their dishes. Right off the bat, it impressed me in a way canned, spiced ham normally wouldn’t. I had to try it!
After a few minutes, we ordered the legalized Spam and some other Native Hawaiian dishes. With the temperature outside reaching about 90 degrees, we quietly appreciated the brisk air conditioning inside and comfortably waited as our plates soon arrived.
Our starter, the Spam Musubi ($9.49), was first on the block. True to form, it was a trio of individually sliced Spam pieces, fried and glazed in a Teriyaki sauce, and served atop rice blocks and wrapped in seaweed. Hawaiian sushi?
I hadn't eaten Spam—the classic meat-stuff stuffed in a can—in over 20 years, and I had always regarded it as utilitarian more than anything else…
But now, this Spam Musubi was a total rebirth! The gently fried meat, glazed with the sweet Teriyaki sauce, seeping into the compacted white rice, was a true revelation of strangely tasty near-meat that I couldn’t believe I had slept on all these years.
I had to get another bite of this!
And even though I wanted more, I pushed it away and got into the Aloha Smasher ($8.95), Ohana’s main burger. Da kine starts with two beef patties topped with two pineapple rounds, coated with house-made Teriyaki glaze, cheddar cheese, cabbage, and spicy mayo, all on a soft bun.
Recently, I have been trying a lot of burgers, I know. It's because Oklahoma has really stepped up its burger game in recent years, and Ohana’s Aloha Smasher ranks with the best of them! The combination of the ground beef and the pineapple rounds is so tasty it can’t be ignored, especially with the Teriyaki glaze and spicy mayo… it’s truly ono.
But, as much as my burger was a winning formula, my wife had the actual grand prize: the Single Combo Plate ($15.95). For her protein, she picked the Kalua Pig on a bed of cabbage, with two sides of rice and a side of mac salad.
Everything about this meal was on point. The wondrous fatty pulled pork is one to completely salivate over, with the cabbage remaining crisp and very saucy, creating a new, different taste to be reckoned with.
With the rice and mac salad, it was fit for King Kamehameha!
And while there weren’t any desserts to be seen, that was alright, because this pig was already porked to pop. Ohana Grill, with little to no fanfare, really goes up into the ranks as one of the best—and most surprising—food experiences outside of Oklahoma City.
Take the 45-minute drive to Guthrie. Go curious for the Spam, stay grateful for the pig and leave wondering how the hell Hawaiian cuisine this good ended up there.
Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
