The James Logan Courier

While my family and I were on vacation in Hawaii, we were walking around Waikiki and happened to find Cheeseburger Waikiki along Kalakua Avenue. My mom suggested we go in for a bite since her co-worker recommended it. Not knowing what to expect, I stepped in and was happy with the surroundings.

The restaurant is lined with authentic décor of pre-statehood Hawaii, including posters and other relics from Pearl Harbor. You don’t get a “fancy” feel at the restaurant; you get the feeling that this is somewhere you can be comfortable and get your hands (and maybe even clothes) greasy. The restaurant isn’t enclosed either, so you can feel free to look outside and take in the brisk city life.
Although there are other types of food on the menu such as fish, the specialty at this restaurant is quite obviously cheeseburgers. All their cheeseburgers are served on sesame buns with Thousand Island dressing, and you can upgrade your burger from Angus beef to Kobe for a nominal fee. The restaurant doesn’t serve fries with your meal, but if you would like fries, they offer you the choice of purchasing a pound of fries for four dollars, or other sides such as chili fries and onion rings.

When ordering my drink, I decided to take a step away from my usual choice of water and ordered an Oreo Cookie smoothie instead. I did not regret my choice at all; in fact, I wish I had ordered another one! On the menu it says that there’s a special blend in it, and I’m actually quite willing to believe that. Atop the smoothie were whipped cream and oreo cookie shavings as well.

I ordered the “Shroom and Swiss burger” – essentially, as the name implies, a mushroom burger with Swiss cheese. I ordered it with regular mushrooms, but you have the option of upgrading to Portobello mushrooms for a small fee. The burger was of a decent size, but I finished it right away since I was hungry. It was very good, although I wish they had put a little more dressing. The fries were cut generously and topped with a tasty seasoning.

The service at this restaurant is very welcoming. There’s a greeter at the front of the restaurant that offers you a lei and doubles as the seating hostess. You’ll be greeted with tons of mahalo’s, both upon exit and departure. My baby sisters tend to get very fussy at restaurants but that wasn’t a problem at this restaurant. Our waiter was very nice, and if we needed anything, the other waiters were more than willing to help us if he wasn’t available. They were nice enough to give us free dessert – which I did not try –for my mom’s early birthday as well.

The prices were alright; although the fries were cheap, the burgers are a little pricey. You can expect your burger to run anywhere from $9-$15, depending on factors like what burger you order and what upgrades you make. My suggestion is you not go here if you’re looking for a cheap meal; you’re definitely going to be paying tourist prices at this restaurant, but it’s pretty much worth it.

If you’re looking to go somewhere commercial (which is a silly idea in Hawaii to being with), I recommend you walk a couple blocks down to Outback or Tony Roma’s; if, however, you’re looking to have some good burgers and get your hands dirty at a place you can’t find “back home,” I highly suggest you pay Cheeseburger Waikiki a visit.

If you'd like to try their products without going to Hawaii, Cheeseburger Waikiki is part of a chain which has five cheeseburger restaurants in Hawaii, but also has locations in Reno, Las Vegas and Key West.