I went there last week and I loved it! I wasn't expecting much because it's in a plaza with Petco and Shaw's but I was pleasantly surprised! The food was great, portions were huge, and the prices were really good. They had really interesting cocktails and they weren't skimpy on making them strong. It was really busy when me and my boyfriend went but the waitress was still very attentive. Great atmosphere, we're going to become regulars here for sure!
Review Source:It's a bit sad to see the lower reviews, as I've never had a bad experience with the food or the service.
I almost always get the PuPu platter with my boyfriend, or for groups we get a couple & split them. I have to say, the food is absolutely awesome on those. The boneless ribs are pretty good, though it does occasionally happen where I get some tough/gristly pieces. The chicken fingers & beef teriyaki are both good. The beef is tender & moist, & very flavorful. The chicken fingers are good & don't have that greasy, oily taste like I've had at other local restaurants, & are absolutely addictive when coupled with the duck sauce. (Delicious, by the way!) Egg rolls, chicken wings, & crab rangoons are also tasty as well.
If you get a dinner when you eat in, such as the PuPu platter, you're offered a free bowl of soup. My experience is only with the wonton soup,but it's very delicious. Very tasty, & not overly salty-tasting like a few places I've been to. (If you order to take out, I do believe you get a free order of pork fried rice with a PuPu platter for take-out)
One other perk about here? It's open until 1 am daily, & even on Sundays they're open until midnight. It's a great place for a late-night bite, which works out great for my boyfriend & I since he works until at least 10 every single night.
Overall, it's a very enjoyable place with good food. I've never had problems with things being overly salty or loaded with MSG. The decor is a bit older, but not in an unpleasant way. The drinks are really good, the food has always been hot & fresh (even on New Year's Eve, when the place is beyond mobbed), & the service has always been good. I come here all of the time, & often recommend to friends to stop by here if they're looking for good eats. There is a lounge/bar area for drinkers, which I will admit, is a bit small & can get crowded at times. Otherwise, it's a great place with great food, good drinks, good service, & is an enjoyable place to eat.
MSG, MSG, hello MSG! Â (read that and then picture it in a sing/song sort of way lol). Â This is by far the WORST chinese food I have had in ages. Â Went once with the boyfriend and his son....UGH. Â I thought my head was going to explode by the end of the meal, I couldn't even eat that much of it. Â I don't react well to msg, nor does my mother. Â And after eating very little I could already feel the effects. Â Most decent places don't even use that crap anymore. Â Msg aside, the food itself was quite poor and low quality. Â It's a grease pit for chinese food. Â If you want a decent drink, go here with friends, just eat somewhere else beforehand. Â The waitstaff isn't even friendly for cryin out loud. Â If you're drunk, eat here, I'm sure this stuff would sober you up quick, and/or help with a hangover. :)
Review Source:Small bar but a pretty brisk scene, with good, reasonably priced drinks and lots of regulars. Food's OK: barely better than average Polynesian fare. Probably gets more fun as the night gets later.
Restaurant itself has kind of an old-school (cynics might say dated) vibe.
Way better food can be had at Salem, NH's Yang Ming and Chief Wok, though that's not much of a help if you're in Plaistow. There's another Asian place down the street (Le's, I think), but I've never been there. Hawaiian Isle's food, though, is OK.
This place is in a strip mall that also houses (around the corner) the excellent Federal Cigar store, and there's a PetCo and some other stores around there. It's the kind of thing that, if I'm going there for other shopping, I'll stop in, but it's not worth going out of your way for, IMHO.
Someone commented that the boneless ribs were gristly and fatty and that's exactly what we experienced today. The egg rolls were so-so. Not much flavor. Their soy sauce was disappointing too but the rest was pretty good. Beef n broccoli, pork fried rice, chicken teriyaki was great, and the waitstaff was awesome!
It's not my favorite Place for Chinese but it was pretty good. Love the old school decor!
We were looking for a good Mai Tai after truck shopping and the guy at the dealer recommended this place and he was right! I really liked their Mai Tai's so much that I finished his too!! We got a few app's, crab rangoon and beef teriyaki, both were very good. We sat in the lounge, so old school Chinese, LOVE that. We would definitely go back again if we are ever in the area.
Review Source:If you want to get a cheap, amazing, and well made drink, then definitely go here.
If you plan on eating the food, plan on it being just OK or better depending on the day I guess.
Believe it or not, Â they have awesome French Fries.
I usually get the PuPu for 2 and it is OK.
I cant really do a lot of fried foods which is the only affordable fare at this place. If you want to get the healthier stuff, be prepared to pay.
I grew up going to the Hawaiin Isle II and that place was, by far, the best Chinese in the area. My favorite was their home made egg rolls which were made with marinated celery instead of cabbage. I was heartbroken to hear the place shut down when I returned to NH after being away for a few years.
I looked forward to my trip to Hawaiian Isle based on HI II. This place does not compare. Some of the plates came out cold. All the food was very greasy. The waiter did not seem to know what was going on and was rude at times. The egg rolls are not the same as those in Concord.
Huge dissapointment. I will not be returning.
Hawaiian Isle has gotten worse at some point in the last maybe 6 months. Â They're cutting costs. Â Today's spare ribs were mostly gristle and fat. Â In my office, wohever wants to pick up the food can decide where it comes from. Â I would have picked Lucky corner or Xin Garden instead.
Review Source:Hawaiian Isle has been around forever, even before I was born. I have fond memories of take out and watching star search with the fam when i was a kid. They have the best lo mein ive ever had. They use a different style noodle and it comes out so much better.
Its sad when you go in there and your whole family is at the bar :::turns red:::: and the bartender knows you because hes been serving the fam for about 30 years...yikes.
Located in the Stateline Plaza with no outside windows. The place from the outside looks like it could be a strip plaza strip club. It's definitely not once inside.
Hawaiian Isle offers okay Chinese cuisine including luncheon specials served daily 11:30 to 3:00 (except Sundays & holidays) and all day dinner combinations (under $10) as well as a full line of mixed drinks including Mai Tais. For dine-in customers only, complementary soup is offered.
Inside, there's a small lounge area in the front with a TV (fuzzy picture) and two larger dining rooms in the back, good for large groups. The decor inside the dining room is traditional with large murals, elegant wood carved artwork of ancient Chinese culture, and colorful lantern lights.
I dined in for lunch and ordered lunch combination 21: egg roll, beef teriyakis, and pork fried rice, but my waiter quickly took off before I could ask for my free soup. Eventually, I grabbed him and asked for the wonton soup, which was served very hot and decent. The lunch came out as soon as I was done with the soup. The beef teriyakis were tender and tangy. The egg roll was hot and crispy. The pork fried rice was no good, like it was premade in a large batch and scooped onto my plate, soy sauce drenched. The Hawaiian Isle is not my first choice for Chinese food, but it's an okay place though.
OPEN DAILY: 11:30 AM-1:00 AM, Sunday & Holiday: 12:00 PM-12:00 AM
Dennis and i stopped here for lunch take away today.
From the outside, it looks like a new plaza and restaurant. but once, inside, it appeared old and a bit tired looking. I guess it is just the Shaw's next door is new and they remodeled the exterior of the plaza to make it all match.
Anyhoo....we got luncheon combinations. They were just okay. 'Service was fast and courteous. Price fair to average to other Chinese restaurants in the area.
As Don reported, no windows here as it can be a bit disorienting.
PS..there is a lounge for the drinkers.