If you’re craving a thick burger with lots of juicy trimmings, stopping by Duane’s Ono Char-Burger in Anahola might take care of that. But if you’re looking forward to some fresh ono — as in fish — maybe go try
If you’re craving a thick burger with lots of juicy trimmings, stopping by Duane’s Ono Char-Burger in Anahola might take care of that.
But if you’re looking forward to some fresh ono — as in fish — maybe go try somewhere else.
A surprising number of hungry people apparently see just the “ono” part of the name and skip right past the “char-burger” part, says owner Leilani Cord, shaking her head. The menu even has a warning; printed at the very top, it clearly states: “This is NOT fish.”
Even so, Cord said, some first-time customers are surprised when they receive a box full of burgers.
“They say, ‘But I don’t eat meat!’” she said. “It’s pretty funny.”
The workers then have to explain that in Hawaii, “ono” also means “good, or delicious,” not just a type of fish, Cord said.
Leilani and Robert “Rip” Cord bought the burger stand in 1988 from Duane Horka. They’ve run it 26 years to his 10, but the name remains the same — as does most of the menu and his recipes for the homemade blue cheese dressing and teriyaki sauce.
“We’ve added a couple of things because of the times,” Leilani Cord said, such as a veggie burger and an all-vegetarian combo.
But the rest has stood the test of time.
“It works,” she said simply.
The secret of their success? Consistency. People can trust that when they come back, their favorites will taste just as good.
“It’s very consistent,” she said. “Everybody does things the same way.”
It helps that their three cooks all have been there about 20 years (one is their son, Joe “Burger” Cord).
That consistency — plus an All-American menu of fried goodness with an island flair — is enough to drive demand into long wait times that may surprise some folks who equate burgers with fast food. During the current slow season, food is ready in 10 or 15 minutes. But during summer, the wait can stretch to an hour. And that’s assuming you can find somewhere to park.
When it gets that busy, resourceful locals know the trick to getting their food faster: They call in their order — while standing in line, Cord recounted with a laugh.
“You have to take care of people in order, but that’s when we take the phone off the hook — when it gets ridiculous,” she said.
Business is split evenly between locals and tourists, Cord estimated. Plenty of visitors stop while driving past on busy Kuhio Highway, and plenty of locals time their travels around mealtimes.
“We have a lot of locals who call ahead,” Cord said. “I get a chuckle out of them, because I already know what they want. People get in ruts,” and tend to order the same things over and over.
I admit, I was one of those. My first Duane’s burger, probably eight years ago, was the teriyaki ($5.65). It was so good, I never branched out. Consistent, indeed.
But Cord was determined to change that. She loaded up a full order for my family recently, and the first item was her personal favorite: a burger topped with teriyaki and blue cheese.
Overflowing with rich flavors and dripping juice, it was hard to eat politely. The creamy blue cheese mixed beautifully with the teriyaki for a uniquely delicious burger that instantly became my new favorite.
Not that there was anything wrong with the mushroom burger ($6.65). Loaded with what the menu described as “stems and pieces,” it was a substantial and satisfying meal.
Thankfully, the hefty burgers are cut in half and wrapped in paper, which makes them perfect for sharing. But get plenty of napkins.
The French fries are salty, crunchy delicious, the onion rings huge and deeply fried.
Both earned rave reviews from my kids, who also devoured corn dogs ($3.50) and a keiki meal of chicken strips atop a generous pile of fries ($5.50).
Cord also made sure we got special side orders of teri-mayo, which just might be the perfect condiment.
Seating at Duane’s is all outside, at cement tables under wide umbrellas, where you can watch the traffic curve up the hill. You may have the company of a friendly cat, and you’ll almost certainly have to navigate a roaming flock of wild chickens or chase off the occasional rooster.
But back to those folks who are startled when their order arrives, full of hamburgers. What happens to them?
“Well, sometimes we give ‘em a fish sandwich,” Cord said, still chuckling. It’s not fresh — it’s battered — but it’s ono!”
Well, so is everything else we tasted — in the other meaning of the word.
Duane’s Ono Char-Burger is at 4-4350 Kuhio Highway, Anahola, and can be reached at 822-9181. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
