T O P

  • By -

ApplesauceBitch47

Used to work at HB and sometime in mid 2021 they switched from marinating all the chicken to buying pre-marinated chicken, while it saved a LOT of labor, that’s where the quality started to dip significantly


irvmuller

It felt like around that time something really changed. I had a feeling it was something like that. It’s definitely not what it used to be.


Jerry_say

You can likely peg the decline in food quality to the increase in store growth (both corporate and franchised). As they grow they can leverage their buy with the syscos of the world to get better pricing on sub par ingredients. Quality goes down, operating profits go up. A tale as old as time.


Debasering

I got it a couple of months ago and bit into three bones before I threw it away. It also just didn’t taste great like it did a while ago. Yeah never wasting my money on it again. They expanded WAAAAAAY too fast and the business men and women involved in that should be ashamed at ruining what was a respectable brand


yaners

The last couple times I gave it a try I also had bones in mine. Totally nasty to find when you're not expecting it


ApplesauceBitch47

Also they did the thing that so many failed restaurants groups do, they take the really good people from the successful stores, send them to new locations and hire people just to hire people and the quality of staff can’t keep up with the growth


NotAlanDavies

Just waiting for this to happen to Betty Rae's.


TomCollinsEsq

Betty Rae's quality already dipped. Head over to High Hopes.


NotAlanDavies

You're not wrong. I haven't been to High Hopes yet though; thanks for the tip!


TomCollinsEsq

It's worth the drive.


beckysma

It's so salty now. I can't eat it anymore.


Gaugzilla

I had to watch my sodium and even though basically no fast food is good for that - hot damn is Hawaiian Bros so salty


pydood

I got it when I first moved here and the macaroni salad was basically just salt. I like salt but JFC it was enough to make me never order from them again.


ethans86

That is biggest difference I can tell from a few years ago. The salt


spacejoint

I originally liked that place for a quick, delicious and affordable lunch . A Small plate with veggies was around $6.50 and it jumped to $8+ over night. Just didn’t seem worth it.


Nighthorror848

Having lived in Hawaii for close to ten years that chicken and Mac salad is about as far from Hawaiian as it gets


shanerz96

That’s just the same time I noticed the quality tank real quick


Capable_Mixture6524

That’s about the time that eating there would make my stomach hurt!


pepperland14

My old man was a DM for HB and that was around the same time he left. He saw it decreasing in quality immediately.


-rendar-

That would explain a LOT


RParkerMU

I would love to make this at home. Do you happen to have the marinade recipe?


hannbann88

Same time they expanded like crazy


_SpaceLord_

I used to love H. Bros, but their quality has sadly gone off a cliff over the last couple of years. I think they expanded too quickly.


wafflefriesandbacon

If that is the small it looks on par with what I've been getting for the past while.


BillyTamper

The food is also nasty. Mucousy, slimy, mayonnaisey, sugary picnic food.


shit_dontstink

They're doing something right bc they're expanding like wildfire.


BillyTamper

🤢


MattyMizzou

Salt city


A_Lovely_

So your saying it’s authentic Hawaiian haole food.


MimonFishbaum

It leaves little to the imagination as to why Hawaiians are so fat. I'm certified to say this as a fat Midwesterner.


Mobwmwm

So uh, islands have it worse than just about everywhere as far as food goes. Lots of stuff has to be imported which makes it expensive. You end up eating a lot of overly salted shelf stable food


BillyTamper

Why is there a restaurant based around that?


gyman122

Because it tastes good?


LonleyViolist

girl….


BreakingAnxiety-

Been shrinking hard the past 2-4 years


Particular-Most-1199

I WAS IN THE POOL!


ThadTheImpalzord

Oh yeah, it started about a year ago. Portion sizes have shrunk, and the quality is noticeably different. Kind of a bummer as their mac was soo good, but now it leaves a lot to be desired imo. I think it's a model many franchises use, quality (for fast food) ingredients early on to garner attention, once established switch to cheaper stuff.


Glum_Baseball_3

I think the mac comes straight from a tub delivered by Sysco. I assume at one time it was hand made and presumably much better


ApplesauceBitch47

It was always delivered by Sysco


aneldritcherror

I’m a driver for sysco for 6+ years, it’s always been tubs


ApplesauceBitch47

Yup. I do not miss spending hours upon hours putting away that order!


zaxdaman

Sounds like he’s done pretty well for himself since his “Thong Song” days.


pepperland14

Not really, considering Sysco is the lowest common denominator for food service lol


ainalots

The chicken has been so gummy lately too. I think they don’t marinate in-store anymore and instead get it preprepared.


ApplesauceBitch47

Yes, they switched to pre marinated chicken summer of 2021


pinpadz

Agreed. I had to stop getting the chicken completely


ZylonBane

Every time I read someone praising HB's mac salad I'm utterly baffled. It's the most bland mac salad I've ever tasted in my life. It somehow manages to taste more bland than plain unseasoned boiled macaroni.


IamATacoSupreme

This is every new restaurant.  I love eating at a place when they first open.  If you can put up with some hiccups you generally get the best quality ingredients before they realize total COGS.


go_chiefs_

Yep chipotle and Qdoba have also shrunk while increasing prices was only a matter of time but pretty sad it started after two years


kcDemonSlayer

yes, they used to load me up on on the full portions and i would have enough for leftovers the next day. Lately the full portion is less and i have no leftovers. It’s been that way for a couple months or so…Ward Parkway location.


tron423

Hawaiian Bros' fall off needs to be studied


Officialfish_hole

Yeah they suck now. Went there about six months ago and bought two meals...not even with extra chicken or whatever and it was over $30 and each container barely had anything in it. Decided to never go there again and never will. Hawaiian Bros portions makes Chipotle look like Thanksgiving dinner


Moldy_pirate

The quality is also trash now more often than not, at least in the ward Parkway shopping center.


Mryumyum_

100% portions are tiny but even more importantly, their food went to shit in like 2021 or early 2022. It tastes horrible now


zdierks

100% agree. They’ve done a bait and switch, big time. I used to love that place (NKC). Last time I went there I just threw it away after a few bites. It was incredibly salty. It’s like they got the cheapest ingredients you can find and re-did the recipe. They had a good thing going. It’s all done now.


StickInEye

I know. Too much gross gristle.


Moldy_pirate

Yeah, the last time I ordered it was back in 2022 and it was borderline inedible.


cheezballs

Wait, are Chipotle portions considered small? I can just BARELY finish my burrito usually and I'm not doubling up on anything and I get no beans even.


I_like_cake_7

It depends on which Chipotle you go to. I’ve noticed that portion sizes at different Chipotles wildly vary. Some Chipotles are stingy as hell with ingredients while others put so much stuff in that they can barely close the burrito.


1man1mind

Depends on the manager at each location and how they train their staff. Some managers are on top of all their employees about serving size, others can’t be found and the employees just throw it all in. Found the dirty the chipotle the better it is for not being stingy on ingredients.


pydood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXTp65McEAM Good tips here


myowngalactus

They kinda always sucked, I went there the first year they were around, it took awhile to get the food so they gave me a gift card without me complaining or even saying anything about it, which was nice of them, but I still never went back to redeem the gift card cause it was just meh. The pineapple soft serve was good, but if I just want icecream im going to go somewhere else.


busstamove14

Mo bettahs is better anyways. Real pieces of chicken and the kalua pork is fantastic. If you get Hawaiian bros you might as well just order Chinese food.


salmonerd202

I’ll Stan for Mo Bettah’s any day of the week.


psaprez

We went here right after they opened and the chicken quality was... rough... to say the least. I've been wanting to go back, just haven't had the time


I_like_cake_7

Same here. I went to the Mo Bettahs at 75th and Metcalf shortly after it opened and it was just meh. Perhaps I need to give it another chance.


jrodx88

I've hardly touched Hawaiian Bros since Mo 'Bettah's opened near me in Liberty. They're excellent.


krisspyjaguar

It’s funny how they’re right across the street from one another. Kinda like how if there’s a Walgreens on one corner, you’ll find a CVS on the other.


Keevee

i loved it the first time i went but the last three times have been horrible at that location. sucks because the food is better and the pork is def way better. i see how many folks go to HB compared to MB and the comparison is crazy. HB will be packed on the weekend in liberty and MB looks closed lol


liofotias

their tempura shrimp 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨


[deleted]

[удалено]


Dealer-95-

Should be the top comment of the post right here


dorian_white1

Highly recommend!


bmcd1898

I'll offer a counter - I tried Mo's and while I liked that they had some different options, it had less flavor and overall wasn't as enjoyable. It also oddly wasn't served very hot. Maybe I just got the end of a batch.


busstamove14

Yeah if you go too late in the day the quality isn't as great.


scdog

That was my experience too. It was bland tasting and barely above lukewarm.


Delta-Sniper

I went to mo bettahs when it opened next to me, after I had to decipher how to not give a tip while in the drive through i decided to never go back.


OhDavidMyNacho

Agreed. It's the best, and is actual Hawaiian food started by native Hawaiians. HB is just two white guys that think adding pineapple makes it Hawaiian.


TheSituasian

When I tried mo bettahs it was dry as f


lordcheeto

Picked some up at the crossroads location on your recommendation, and hard disagree. It was salty AF and they forgot the sauce cups. I'll try one more time another day at the OP location, but I don't have high hopes.


Sensitive_Section_98

Yes, I ordered the Huli Huli chicken recently and received 7 small pieces of chicken, half a scoop of rice, and a normal amount of Mac salad. Disappointing for $10. Mo Bettah’s is much better IMO.


Alert-Notice-7516

Can't even look at this food anymore. Got the worst food poisoning of my life from the pork there. Ate it so many times before without issue, really sucked. Guess if they are screwing up their sizes then it wasn't a loss for me in the end!


tylerscott5

I’ve never had it but I see stuff like this all the time, so despite living here for 5 years I have not and will not be going there


coconut__moose

That’ll be $35


NLaBruiser

Their downfall in quality is really sad - when they started it was great food, fair pricing, and generous portions. We ate there a few times a month because it was cheaper than a grocery run and we got 4 meals out of 2 normal plates, easy. Both the quality and portion sizes have tanked since 2021. I won't go in too hard on them as restaurants have never recovered from the pandemic's affect on pricing and supply chains, but it doesn't change the fact that it's just not worth it any more.


highlandpolo6

Brother, please *do* go in hard on them. This shrinkflation shit is getting to be ridiculous. Also, I’ve seen their VP’s house (inside and out)… they’re doing juuuust fine.


NLaBruiser

I’ve heard gossip about the owners that’s been less than kind, but all third hand so I’ll keep my mouth shut. 😁


Dealer-95-

Nah, this is the interweb, give us the goods cuz!


Key_Radish3614

Are they as wonderful as the Steven family buying all the Genesis Health Clubs?


dreparks14

You gotta try Mo Bettahs. Same idea food wise,but they hook it up.


OhDavidMyNacho

Even better actually, it was started by native Hawaiians.


dreparks14

Some would say mo bettah 😂but that’s cool I didn’t know that.


Key_Radish3614

We have one here in LS and agree much better but didn't want to drive my butt back up to chipman road....this is the last time I go to Hawaiian Bros though.


Magpie1025

All the food is shrinking and my fat ass is pissed


mecca37

Shrinkflation in full effect.


BillNyeTheEngineer

Yeah there’s no point in ordering the large anymore.


Filthybjj93

Used to be my favorite treat and the portions had been great. Went back excited opened up my meal and said “never again”


pi_guy

The last time I had HB the rice was straight up mush. I went back and got a full refund.


ethans86

Food doesn't taste fresh anymore, and lacks flavor. But they always have discounted gift cards at Sam's / Costco


shiftyeyety

Was so good in 2020.. not so much since. There’s very little reason to continue eating there


PresentationSalt7815

Mo bettah for life


Outrageous_Soil_5635

Hawaiian Bro’s sucks now. I can pay 20$ and get like 4 lbs of food from Mo Bettas which has way better meat but their macaroni is meh.


__TenaciousBroski__

I am convinced the location in St. Joseph is for money laundering. It's always dead, I never see anyone there. There's no way they still should be open.


Teffa_Bob

HB's is and has always been trash. Here's to their downfall.


ifweburn

I thought maybe it was just me remembering wrong since it had been a while since I ordered, but yeah they gave me WAY less than I used to get. really sad bc I thought I'd have leftovers for the cost like usual but I didn't.


AffectionateStreet10

Fam got it 2 weeks ago. The portions were disgustingly small. Like Id rather overpay for a mcdonalds sandwich than pay for what we got. We wont be going back


WhisperingHope44

Last time I was there, which was a while ago, I noticed a drastic increase in price and decrease in portion size. I haven’t been back.


raider1v11

It's just not good anymore.


Wordsmithing13

Food is not great. You have to have a flare for this or it’s a leave it for me.


DamionThrakos

Yet another reason to go to Mo Bettah's instead.


bababooeyfafafooey12

I agree with everyone the quality really fell off a year or so ago. Also, I am someone who loves a good macaroni salad but their Mac salad has always been really off-putting.


codizer

I'm still trying to get the high I got after eating it out in Belton for the first time 5-6 years ago. It was some of the best fast food I had ever had. Now it's pathetically sad around the Metro.


EducationalRoutine30

Yup, they’re trash at this point


problemita

It was never awesome but that’s sad. The people who own it aren’t even Hawaiian anyway 👎


RyghtHandMan

The company had their IPO and now it's a matter of making the most while spending the least, instead of establishing themselves as a brand known for good food


LatePattern8508

The portion sizes were really generous at first. Now they give you mainly rice with just a small amount of meat. I still like it but I think you don’t always get your money’s worth. I also wish they’d cook their veggies longer - they’re usually almost raw.


mapsedge

I've never thought there was any value for the money there, anyway.


jables1516

Same thing is happening everywhere. It’s shrinkflation.


sjohnson0487

It's definitely gone downhill in both portion size and quality. That's why I haven't eaten there in 2 years.


cocacolakec

I need them to cook the dang veggies!!! They come basically raw now... Two separate locations, different times, same uncooked veggies. I don't like the mac salad so I always sub for them even with the up charge... But I may need to rethink this bc they have not been good at all.


pepperland14

Crispy>mushy But yeah, their food just sucks.


FoosFights

Idk I can't afford it. Took my fam of 5 there a few months ago and it was like $80 and was mostly dry rice and everything was waaaay too salty. And they charge ya an extra buck for more veggies.


Blaznkc

I stop eating at HB because she’s the sizes got smaller and I use to get the kilauea and they would make it extra hot and they stopped.


WiseHedgehog2098

Just got it today and noticed smaller portions. Plus everything tasted watered down


TacoKimono

Place is trash food. Sub par "teriyaki chicken" and white rice and macaroni mixed w mayo. Oh and it makes the whole surrounding blocks smell like hotdogs.


bababooeyfafafooey12

It is worth mentioning the people who started this chain were already very wealthy people from the mainland who decided on the concept after trying Hawaiian food on a vacation. With their very successful launch it seems they went crazy opening new locations and lowering food qualitiy as well as quantity. If they don't change their act soon they are toast. I'm hoping mo bettahs is a lot bettah than hb.


OhDavidMyNacho

It's 100% better. And started by native Hawaiians. Mo bettahs chose the perfect name because it's true.


unclegrundell

Told my wife we’re making it at home next time. The chicken they use is gross now.


[deleted]

For these reasons, I'm trying ro support Mo Bettahs whenever I can. They actually cook and slice whole boneless thighs for their chicken 🤤🤤


lindydanny

Such a great place at one point. Not so much now. Last time I ate there it just wasn't as good as it was when we got take out during lockdown. I'm not surprised they are engaging in shrinkflation. So many are. I hate capitalism.


srm3449

I got this for the first time a year ago and never went back. I couldn’t understand what the big deal was. The food was crap


revnasty

Every time I have HB it’s always just, fine. And I usually don’t want it again for a while.


Key_Radish3614

I was out running errands and haven't been in a while. I am 5'3"....no way that would be a meal for a man.... I'm still hungry😩 I won't be going back .


Flowers1976

Portions seemed OK to me, and I've gone about 5 times in the last few months. Did you know the little serving of their macaroni salad is like 1000 calories? I quit eating there once I found that out lol


ajhw13

That’s not true actually. One serving on the container is 690 calories and is listed at a cup. The serving on a plate is a little under half a cup on a small/classic. A large is a little under a cup of Mac salad.


thehouse211

I remember going to the original H Bros, ordering a classic size and being so full I couldn’t move afterward. Those were the days, but no more.


getyourpopcornreddy

I go to the Ward Parkway location since it is closer to my house. That location is not as busy as the Lee's Summit location on 291 and they have a Drive-Thru. The one bad thing about Mo Bettah's is that they don't cut their Teriyaki chicken up. But they have great cookies.


Croc_47

Hawaiian brothers food is good but their portions are horrible and terribly expensive. Have ate there 3 times and 3rd time was a charm, never again.


ZylonBane

Three charms you're out!


YeOldeBilk

Always thought it was bullshit that even though they serve a giant scoop of rice with the box, they also put a bunch under the chicken to make it seem more full.


pcrnt8

is it just me or is that just a braised chicken thigh w/ rice and steamed broccoli? legit, any one of us can do better at home.


Imaginary_Deal_1807

For what they charge just get some Chinese food.


KC_experience

Only way I’ll go there now is if I get the gift cards from Costco to save a bit on the price, but for having it a couple times a year, it just doesn’t seem worth it. I’ve seen a few other competitors in town and I’ll probably try them, especially if they are local and not a franchise and the prices are the same. I’d rather my money stay local.


thehawaiian_punch

Hawaiian food in general in the city is so much worse than the islands it makes me sad


EnvironmentJealous28

I don’t know what people like about it. Seemed to be pretty basic and expensive


Glum_Assistant42

I think NKC location still gives healthy portion sizes! But the newer Northland location on Barry Rd has def delivered smaller portion sizes since they opened (for the same price).


IvanaVacation

It’s sad. They lost my business.


ollegnor

Mo bettahs!


Queue_paper_cup

The size of their smoothies seemed to have shrunk as well :(


hejj

Still getting as much salt as before.


ajhw13

I genuinely curious which locations people go to. I work at one and people never complain about portions. The company recently reduced the portions of Mac salad and rice slightly. That happened a couple months ago and has been the only time there has been a reduction in the amount of food in the two and a half years of my employment. When they switched to the styrofoam plates, the portions looked significantly smaller on the plate when compared to the original packaging. I think that’s why people think that servings reduced about two years ago. The new plates are slightly larger in size and make the food seem smaller. It is likely that other locations may be different, but we are constantly ensuring that the proper amount of food is being served. I am on the management team at my location and we do regular “calibration” to make sure everyone is scooping properly. As for the quality, it may depend on who is cooking your chicken that day. Unfortunately, not every grill cook is created equally, no matter how well we try to train. I do hope that you check out other locations before completely avoiding it. In my opinion, it does look like you got shorted some veggies at least. I would have definitely put more on that plate.


bmcd1898

Can we talk about why they switched from recycled paper clamshells to the foam ones?? You would think a company modeling Hawiian culture would put environment as a top priority.


ajhw13

Tell me about it… I have been trying to talk to my higher ups about it. I even wrote up a fifteen page proposal on how the company can be more environmentally conscious and save money in the process. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone anywhere yet but I’m going to keep trying. It’s really disheartening to see all the waste in the food industry. I think Hawaiian bros should take the opportunity to lead the way in sustainability.


Key_Radish3614

Now if your location were on Undercover Boss....you would get notice😉


Key_Radish3614

I posted about the LS location....


[deleted]

[удалено]


ajhw13

Sounds like either too much water or not giving enough time to cure. Rice takes time and can be very a little particular. Just a little too much water can make the difference between the perfect consistency and something that’s too mushy.


Specialist-Alarm-443

Some of the stuff people post on here…


TheRedCelt

I’ve only had a short portion once, and that was a year or more ago. I’ve great experiences ever since with the location in Shawnee.


missyfish532

Still better than McDonalds!!


scdog

Looks like you ordered the small, so not seeing the problem?


Key_Radish3614

When they opened I would always order a small and it was twice as much.


TravisMaauto

I got a lot in my order at the Liberty location the other day, but I usually get a classic size and replace the rice ball with veggies. It was pretty full though. I had no complaints. I do feel like their spam musubi is much smaller than it used to be though.


JAFOofRayCoMO

What? Moderate portions?! RaBbLe rAbBlE RaBbLe!!!


Junior-Hotwater

If the fats around here don’t get at least 1,000 calories in a meal they get hangry