Ohana Hawaiian BBQ — Hawaiian / BBQ, Amarillo
Ohana Hawaiian BBQ is Amarillo's most unexpected successful restaurant — a Hawaiian plate lunch spot in the Texas Panhandle that has developed a devoted local following despite the apparent geographic and cultural mismatch.
The plate lunch format — two scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and a protein (kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, beef short ribs, or the mixed plate) — is Hawaiian working-class food of genuine quality. The proteins are prepared with the care that makes the format work.
The macaroni salad, which defines Hawaiian plate lunch quality more than any other component, is made correctly here — creamy, properly seasoned, and present in the quantity that the format requires.
The friendly service and the generous portions have built a loyal Amarillo constituency that treats Ohana as the reliable lunch destination that the city needed regardless of cuisine category.
Best Occasion: Ideal for Solo Dining
The Hawaiian plate lunch in the Texas Panhandle — a solo lunch that produces genuine surprise and genuine satisfaction simultaneously.
Best Occasion: Works for Team Dinners
Generous Hawaiian plate lunches at prices that make group dining entirely practical. The mixed plate conversation — kalua pork vs. teriyaki chicken — is the team-building exercise.