San Antonio’s Northwest Side will soon offer a brief escape to the Aloha State.
Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, a fast-casual joint serving food from the nation’s 50th state, plans to open a third location in San Antonio this fall.
The Kansas City-based chain is eyeing opening a restaurant at 5746 UTSA Blvd. in November, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. It will be part of the Merc, a $350 million development with retail, housing and outdoor recreation in one of the city’s fastest-growing areas.
Construction is scheduled to start in July.
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The nearly-3,000-square-foot restaurant will join two other locations in the San Antonio area: one in Live Oak and another at Lombrano Food Hall. It’s part of an ongoing expansion in the Alamo City. In 2023, one of Hawaiian Bros’ franchisees announced it would open 18 new locations in the region over the next few years.
The chain is known for its “plate lunch,” a Hawaiian offering that originates with laborers working in the state’s pineapple and sugar plantations that became a staple at roadside stands on the islands. The meal consists of a meat, two scoops of white rice and a scoop of macaroni salad.
Hawaiian Bros’ “signature dish” is Muli Muli Chicken, a teriyaki-style grilled chicken. The menu also includes slow-roasted pork, salads, sliders and wraps, along with harder-to-find items like SPAM musubi – a slab of the processed meat marinated in teriyaki sauce atop white rice and bound with seaweed.
The chain started in 2018 in Belton, Missouri. It’s expanded to more than 80 locations nationwide, including 27 in Texas. It has locations in San Marcos and Kyle, as well as two restaurants in Austin.
This article originally published at Hawaiian Bros Island Grill to open its third San Antonio location near UTSA.