Hawaii's Best Hole-In-The-Wall Burger Joint Soaks Its Patties In BBQ Sauce

While downtown Honolulu, Hawaii, is a modern city full of glamorous high rises and fancy hotels, there are still some mom-and-pop spots cooking up incredible food. There are some very obvious foods that visitors to Hawaii must try, like tender kalua pork or some of the world's best poke. But for 85 years, a family-run hole-in-the-wall, located just 10 minutes inland from the famous Waikiki Beach, has been serving burgers doused in BBQ sauce that locals and tourists can't get enough of.  

W&M Bar-B-Q Burgers has been a Honolulu staple for generations. W&M stands for Wilfred and Mary Kawamura, who opened the Honolulu burger joint in 1940, which is now run by their grandson, Walt Kunimitsu, after his mother, Myra, had run the business for many years. As all good holes-in-the-wall should be, W&M's menu is fairly basic, featuring hamburgers and cheeseburgers with patties soaked in the restaurant's famous BBQ sauce, and steak sandwiches with BBQ sauce, which offers a sweet and tangy twist compared to a usual burger joint. The actual ingredients of the BBQ sauce are a heavily guarded secret, but it's usually compared to a teriyaki sauce. 

W&M sandwiches include options like adding cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion, or an extra burger patty. The menu features the Hal Special, which is a burger topped with BBQ steak, perfect for those who are torn between ordering a burger or a steak sandwich. The menu also includes a BBQ hot dog, fries, and crab-flavored salad, a twist on the classic Hawaiian mac salad, and a veggie burger for vegetarians. As far as drinks, W&M offers the usual selection of sodas, as well as a neon green drink called the green river, a lime soda that's difficult to find in modern times. The burger joint also has exciting weekly dessert specials, like guava cheesecake, banana cream tart, and chocolate haupia square. (Haupia is a sweet, creamy coconut gelatin, and is an iconic Hawaiian food you need to try at least once.)

The current location is the restaurant's third, and generations of Hawaiians and tourists alike have been steadily coming to W&M Bar-B-Q Burgers for decades. One Google review from a local states, "I grew up in Kaimuki and W&M made the best burgers ever and they still do!" Many comments on the restaurant's Instagram reflect the same sentiment, with one user saying, "I've been going there for about 35 years too! Ida [a longtime employee] is awesome, fries and burger unbeatable." While the burgers and menu have essentially remained unchanged, unfortunately, the burgers no longer cost the original 19-cent price. For more deliciously casual eats, check out the best hole-in-the-wall burger joints in every state.