When you hear Hawaiian food you may think of your typical teriyaki chicken lunch plate with some rice and macaroni salad. When you walk in Good Grindz in Salem, however, you will be blown away with all the menu options. Think chicken katsu with a crispy tempura fried exterior and tender chicken complimented by the tang of katsu or the more rich yellow curry (not the spicy kind that burns your mouth). If you think that last sentence was a tasty mouthful, then you’ll like garlic chicken, perfectly fried and coated with just the right amount of sweet garlic sauce. And then there’s the kalua pork that melts in your mouth because it is so tender, drizzled with a house-made sauce.
What really sets Good Grindz apart is the love and care put into creating the dishes. Rob Johnson has been making Hawaiian food and chasing his dream for the past 12 years. What started as a food truck travelling to local events has evolved into a restaurant that is always evolving and adding new dishes.
Made to Order, Not Pre-Made Fast Food
Unlike many fast food restaurants that often rely on machines, assembly line-style to churn out clone after clone of the food that came before it, Good Grindz’ food is made to order. No food is sitting under heating lamps waiting for someone to order.
Good Grindz prides itself on making things in house from the teriyaki sauce to the desserts. All of the sauces, marinades, and macaron salads are made from scratch from recipes Johnson created and perfected himself. From soy to katsu, teriyaki (even gluten free), all sauces are made fresh on site.
The Meals:
During my visit to Good Grindz, I loved that the food arrived piping hot lunch box-style with the entrees served in the traditional way on a bed of rice with macaroni salad. The rice was perfect. It was not sticky and not too grainy, but just the right amount of starchy and stickiness. The macaroni salad was creamy and rich and you could tell it was homemade and not just the store bought stuff you get at the grocery store. It was the perfect compliment to the entrees we ordered.
Meat Options:
The traditional entree is a 2-meat plate priced at $13.75 with two sides and rice. There is also a mini one-meat plate for $8.75 with one side and rice.
The chicken katsu was my favorite. The chicken was tender and I loved the robust flavors. I appreciate that you can get half and half because it would be hard for me to choose between the yellow curry and Katsu. The curry is not Thai curry with its varying levels of spice; it is a more traditional Japanese style yellow curry with no heat but with the comforting, savory flavor. The Katsu is more tangy with a Worcestershire base and it definitely brings out the umami of the meal.
The garlic chicken was fried to a crispy brown while still keeping the chicken juicy inside. The garlic sauce had a nice sweetness to it, and was served with sesame seeds.
The teriyaki chicken was tender and delicious. It had the right amount of sauce with additional sauces so you could customize the flavor. It was amazing with the rice and macaroni salad and paired great with the grilled pineapple. There is also a gluten-free option, and the manager said that he is working on adding more gluten free recipes and has gluten free teriyaki sauce available as well.
Everything on the menu focuses on umamami with flavor richness. I would definitely categorize it as comfort food. The portions are very generous. You could easily share a two-meat plate.
Ask About Specials and New Menu Items
Something fun about Good Grindz is that they are always offering new menu items. Right now they have the Ono chicken sandwich, which has chicken thighs marinated in pickle juice and then fried and topped with a garlic mayo, cheese and pickles. The “Broke da Mouth” burger is a double patty burger with garlic onion mayo sauce, cheese, grilled onions, grilled jalapenos, crunchy french onions and pickles.
Another menu option is the Kalua pork tacos at two for $5, and the traditional Hawaiian favorite Loco Loco at $15.75. There is also the Hawaiian favorite, musubi (spam on rice wrapped in seaweed) for $3.50.
Desserts
Don’t forget to save room for dessert. Good Grindz has three signature desserts. There is the guava cake ($5), which is a strawberry cake with whipped cream and a guava gelatin topping, priced at $5. It is delicious and refreshing with the perfect combination of flavors.
Butter mochi cake ($3) is pure comfort food with a custard texture and a nice crust. It has mochi flour, coconut, and butter. It is not super sweet and almost had a more savory taste. You can ask to have it heated up and it is divine. Plus it’s only $3! Where else can you get dessert for $3 anymore?
They also have the Hawaiian classic Haupia pie ($3) with its graham cracker crust, layer of rich chocolate, coconut cream, and plentiful whipped cream on top. The light whip cream compliments the rich chocolate pudding and the coconut brings it all together. If you want a little bit of heaven you’ll find it in the Haupia pie.
Hawaiian Drinks
I was really excited to see that they have Hawaiian Sun canned drinks ($2.50) which are the perfect compliment to the plate meal. They had my personal favorite POG (pineapple, orange, and guava juice) along with guava nectar and strawberry guava nectar. Just the right amount of sweet and tropical yumminess. They also offer fountain drinks.
Why Hawaiian Food?
Rob Johnson went to culinary school in Long Beach, California and moved to Hawaii for work. While there he met his wife, a native Hawaiian, and fell in love with her as well as the food and the culture. After living there for a couple years, he wanted to bring the taste of Hawaii to Utah.
Rob is passionate about making delicious, authentic Hawaiian food. You can feel the love and care in the food he makes.
Get a Little Bit of Aloha in Your Life
Escape the ordinary and get away from the typical fast food spots and try something different and new. With the weather warming up, it is the perfect time to grab your food and take it to a park
Check out Good Grindz and get a little bit of aloha in your life. Find them on Facebook.
Good Grindz is located on 621 UT-198 in Salem, Utah in the same complex as the Fiiz drinks. They are open Monday to Thursday from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
