The Hawaiian Chicken Truck That Skyrocketed After Earning Airtime On Triple D

Guy Fieri has visited quite a few eateries in the nearly 20 years since "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" first aired — 1,277 of them, to be exact. Yet the celebrity chef and fan-favorite host continues to trek across the country, highlighting family-owned gems and unique greasy spoons. And even after all these years, a visit from Fieri's crew can still boost business, especially for small food trucks like Mike's Huli Chicken in Hawaii.

A longtime local favorite, Mike's Huli Chicken was opened by Oahu native Mike Fuse in 2010. Fuse grew up on the island's famous North Shore, where Kiawe trees grow wild, and sea salt is abundant. He took advantage of these elements to put his own spin on huli huli chicken, a traditional Hawaiian barbecue dish. Fuse brines his chicken overnight before seasoning it with a handmade rub and broiling it over Kiawe wood, giving it a unique, smoky flavor.

The result is a piece of meat so succulent it not only attracted the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" team, but it inspired Fieri to build his own huli huli rotisserie oven at home. Fieri first visited Mike's Huli Chicken during the first season of Triple D, and he was so impressed that he returned in season 19 to showcase what he calls, on the Food Network, ​​"the crispiest chicken that anybody will ever try."

Fuse has been using the same techniques throughout his life. The method is simple, but exact. He even built his own oven, which rotates the meat perfectly to ensure a juicy interior and charred skin. Fieri summed it up simply as "legit" during his visit, saying on Food Network, "This is what you got to love about coming to the islands."

Mike's Huli Chicken has always been popular with locals, but business really started booming after "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." Countless tourists have discovered the location through the show, with many planning trips around a visit. One such person says in a Yelp review, "We had to give this a try after watching 'Diners, Drive In and Dives' and we were not disappointed. The chicken was amazing." Another writes, "We have made this a tradition and come just about every time we are in Oahu." You can even buy the spice rub and dipping sauce from Mike's Huli Chicken online now.

If you get to visit, the chicken is obviously a must, but people love the garlic shrimp and char siu pork too. Fuse and his wife Debbie told This Week Hawaii that their favorites are the shrimp and steak combo and the chicken and Hawaiian Kalua pork.  Everything is good, but what really stands out is the atmosphere. As Fuse told the outlet, "People always ask me what makes my food truck unique and I always say it's the feeling of aloha that we create for our customers."