Sweet’s Hawaiian Grill is here to satisfy your barbecue dreams
The Teriyaki BBQ Chicken with noodles, rice and mac salad at Sweet's Hawaiian Grill in Provo.
Sweet's Hawaiian Grill has been in Provo since 1994.
The exterior of Sweet's Hawaiian Grill in Provo.
There’s a particular kind of awkward experience I’m sure we’ve all had: asking someone if they’re new here, only to find out they’ve been around way longer than you have.
That’s where I found myself last week while visiting Sweet’s Hawaiian Grill, a longtime Hawaiian barbecue joint in Provo. Apparently they’ve been here more than 20 years. I’ve driven by Sweet’s countless times. It just never stuck with me, apparently. Once I actually ate the food, though, that quickly changed. Its black, yellow and green exterior will trigger a Pavlovian response in me from now on.
I’m about a decade into my Hawaiian barbecue fandom. Few things satisfy me quite like a scoop of macaroni salad, scoop of white rice and steaming heap of Hawaiian barbecue chicken. How had I completely missed the boat on Sweet’s? Perusing its menu, I was ready to make up for lost time.
We ordered four different main courses: the Kalua Pork, Teriyaki BBQ Chicken, Katsu Chicken and the Sweet and Sour Ribs. These each come with your choice of two sides, which include rice, noodles, mac salad or fresh pineapple. We got a little bit of everything during our visit.
I’m typically partial to macaroni salad, but all of these sides were dynamite. There’s no wrong choice here.
Listen, everything we got was pretty wonderful. I was most impressed by the Katsu Chicken and Kalua Pork. For those unfamiliar, katsu chicken is basically Japanese-style, panko-coated fried chicken. The Katsu Chicken at Sweet’s was cooked perfectly, the actual chicken tender and juicy, with the fried exterior crunchy and flaky, culminating in a delightful, sweet aftertaste. Once our meal was finished, I asked someone behind the counter about the Kalua Pork, which was astoundingly tender. He told me they smoke their pork for nearly 24 hours before it’s served. The Kalua Pork was just remarkable. I’m getting that the next time I go back, when I don’t have to share with anyone.
I washed down my meal with a glass of ‘Otai. This slushy Tongan drink is traditionally made with watermelon and coconut, and Sweet’s also serves it in a mango flavor. They can also combine all these for you, which I gladly tried. It was a colorful drink with mild, smooth flavors.
If you want to try Sweet’s, do so in the afternoon. The restaurant is only open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. I wish they were open for dinner, but the limited hours are probably a good thing — if they stayed open for dinner, I’d visit way too often.
SWEET’S HAWAIIAN GRILL
Where: 711 Columbia Lane, Provo
Prices: $5-$14
Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday
Info: (801) 374-0000, facebook.com/sweetshawaiiangrill, sweetsinprovo.blogspot.com