A Unique New Restaurant Chain is Coming Soon to Eastern Iowa

Say "aloha" to a cool new restaurant!

Thanks to a new article from the Des Moines Register, we now know that a growing chain restaurant is planning to expand into Iowa in this summer! Hawaiian Bros Island Grill is a fast-casual eatery based in Kansas City that is currently planning to open ten locations across the state.

According to their website, Hawaiian Bros is restaurant that specializes in plate lunches. The site reads:

"In the 1880s, as Hawaii’s pineapple and sugar plantations grew, laborers from Asian nations with diverse culinary traditions came to the islands. Their lunches typically consisted of a plate of rice and leftover meat from the previous night’s meal. By the 1950s, the 'plate lunch' had grown in popularity and was popping up at roadside stands. Today, it remains an essential part of Hawaii’s homegrown culture."

The menu at Hawaiian Bros is pretty simple. They offer six different plate lunches, which each feature a meat or veggies, rice, and macaroni salad. You can choose from the Huli Huli Chicken, Molokai Chicken, Honolulu Chicken, Kilauea Chicken, Luau Pig, and Seasoned Chicken plates, or you can order the Pacific Island Salad. Other sides on the menu include pineapple and something called Spam Musubi, which consists of rice and seared spam glazed in teriyaki sauce and wrapped in dried seaweed. Everything except the macaroni salad and chow mein noodles at Hawaiian Bros are gluten free, and all items are nut free.

Oh, and don't forget dessert! Hawaiian Bros offers Dole Soft Serve, which is dairy and fat-free and low on calories. YUM!

The Des Moines Register reports that the first Iowa Hawaiian Bros will open sometime this summer in a former Wendy's at 2955 E. 53rd Street in Davenport. They are planning to open other locations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Ames, and Des Moines by 2027. You can read more about the restaurant in the article HERE.