Loco Grinz: A Review of the Hawaiian BBQ

Loco Grinz

113 N. Main St

Mosocw, ID

(208) 883-4463

locogrinz.com

Restaurant Type: Casual

Hours: Thurs-Sat 11:00-9:00 Sun-Mon 11:00-8:00

Bar: None, but many close by

Credit Cards: Visa, MC, Discover

reservations: No Need

After four years spent in the quaint town of Moscow, Idaho, I was finally about to eat at what I had understood to be a town favorite.  Loco Grinz does not look like much from the outside, but once you walk through the door… its just as unimpressive.  A lavish dining area and low lighting just isn’t this place’s style.  The food is that of traditional the Hawaiian   barbeque meals and I thought it best to go with the most famous of the dishes, the BBQ Beef. 

            Just about all the dishes are fairly inexpensive at just around eight dollars.  Each entrée comes with two sides of your choosing.  I went with the chow mien noodles and some sautéed vegetables.  The drink selection keeps things family friendly, and right at the cash registered I spied what looked like a local Hawaiian treat.  It’s called Hawaiian Sun and it comes in three flavors.  The mango orange was superb.  I felt the warmth of the sun and knew this had to be some quality nectar.  I should have noticed that it called itself “drink” as opposed to “juice.”  In the ingredients I found all the usual suspects: high fructose corn syrup, ascorbic acid, sugar—you get the idea.  But dammit if it wasn’t one of the best combinations of processed corn I have tasted in years.

            Soon, it was time to eat.  The beef was smothered in that famous sweet barbeque sauce, as were the noodles.  In this place, the barbeque sauce is king.  Having a bite of noodles, I felt the sauce engulfing all my taste buds.  The sautéed vegetables seemed quite obviously steamed and unimpressive. The portion of meat was more than satisfactory.  It was sweet, charred just enough and dripping with sauce.  This stuff will fill you up fast

            Keeping in mind that this place is a humble one and one who caters primarily to hungry college students, I’d have to say it is satisfactory.  A lot of meat for a decent price.  It may not be the first place I’d ever recommend for a nice sit down meal.  This feels more like the kind of place you order to go.  Though one may enjoy some of the photos of old Hawaii adorning the walls; I just wish they were bigger. The variation of flavor I imagine is minimal.  The menu is short and sweet and the staff is ever friendly. 

            While the meal was not one for the record books, I may find myself coming back for crates of that high sugar mango smoothie…drink.  And if a real drink is what you need, there are several bars within walking distance including the original local sports bar, The Corner Club.