Broke da Mouth Grindz

Broke da Mouth Grindz is a local plate lunch favorite in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, a straightforward and welcoming spot on Kinoole Street that delivers generous helpings of Hawaiian comfort food at prices designed for the working community of Hawaii's second-largest city. The name translates from local Hawaii Pidgin as a compliment of the highest order — food so good it overwhelms the senses — and the restaurant consistently earns the description from both residents and the increasing number of food-focused visitors who have discovered Hilo's undersung dining scene. Hilo is the rainy, lush, and historic heart of the Big Island's east side, a city of old plantation buildings, farmers' markets, and a strong local identity distinct from the sunny resort zones of the Kohala Coast to the west. Broke da Mouth Grindz fits naturally into this character: no pretension, no resort pricing, and food that reflects the Filipino-Japanese-Hawaiian food traditions of the island's multiethnic community. The teriyaki beef plate is the most frequently ordered dish — marinated beef in a sweet-soy sauce, grilled to order, served over two scoops of rice with mac salad — and represents the plate lunch format at its most satisfying. Kalua pig prepared in the shredded style of the traditional underground oven is another consistent draw, as is the loco moco with its layered combination of rice, burger patty, fried egg, and brown gravy. Daily specials rotate based on ingredient availability and the kitchen's choices, and regulars often base their order on whatever the board shows that day. The portions are notably generous by any standard, reflecting a feeding philosophy calibrated to the appetites of people who work physical outdoor jobs on the Big Island.