Some of the best food in America hides in the most unexpected places. 🥢
Inside the OK Ko-Mart Oriental Foods grocery store at 6000 SE 15th Street in Midwest City, Oklahoma, there’s a small kitchen tucked behind shelves of rice and ramen that has quietly become one of the most beloved hidden gem Korean restaurants in the entire state — and if you haven’t found it yet, you’re seriously missing out.
How Hawaiian BBQ & Korean Restaurant Won Midwest City’s Hearts
You won’t find a flashy sign or a fancy dining room here.
What you will find is a family running a kitchen with real soul — and that, more than anything, is the secret behind Hawaiian BBQ & Korean Restaurant’s fiercely loyal following. 🏡
As the Edible OKC team described during a memorable visit, the restaurant sits “hidden by shelves near the back wall” of the Ko-Mart, its kitchen door frame barely peeking out above the grocery aisles.
The restaurant has been part of this family-owned Korean market for years, drawing in a steady stream of devoted regulars who come not only for the food but for the warmth of the people serving it.
The owner is the kind of person who teaches first-time visitors a Korean phrase — “Gam-sa-ham-ni-da,” meaning “thank you” — with a happy glint in his eyes, making every guest feel like part of something genuinely special. ❤️
Every plate that leaves the kitchen is built on time-honored Korean techniques — sesame oil, mirin, fermented kimchi, and carefully marinated meats that taste like they were prepared by someone’s grandmother. 👵
What makes this spot even more remarkable is that it’s become a destination for non-Korean diners too — proof that extraordinary food needs no cultural barrier to be understood and loved.
In a region where authentic Korean BBQ in Oklahoma can be hard to come by, this tiny kitchen behind a grocery store has stepped up as the clear answer — and Midwest City’s food lovers couldn’t be more grateful for it. 🍖
Generous portions. Fair prices. A family that genuinely cares. That’s the whole formula, and it works beautifully every single time.
Food Highlights
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Mix Plate: The crowd favorite and best introduction to the menu — marinated pork, beef bulgogi, and chicken served over rice with cucumbers, kimchi, and bean sprouts. 🍚
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BBQ Short Rib (LA Galbi): Marinated bone-in beef short ribs sizzling on a hot stone plate — tender, deeply savory, and absolutely unforgettable. 🥩
- Teriyaki Chicken Plate: Grilled chicken glazed in a sweet, savory teriyaki sauce, served as a plate with rice and sides. 🍱
- BBQ Chicken Plate: Tender, well-seasoned grilled chicken served as a plate meal with rice and sides.🍗
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Hot Stone Bibimbap: Rice, kimchi, spicy hot barbecue sauce, sautéed zucchini, mung bean sprouts with sesame oil, marinated beef strips, stir-fried green beans, sliced cucumber, and carrots — all steaming from a hot stone bowl and topped with a fried egg. 🍳
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Beef Bulgogi: Thin strips of barbecued beef marinated with sesame oil and mirin, served over rice with stir-fried vegetables.
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Fried Dumpling Plate (Mandoo): No fewer than 12 traditional Korean dumplings stuffed with pork and thin potato starch noodles, served on a bed of shredded cabbage with a dipping sauce. 🥟
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Kimchi Soup: A deeply warming, fermented kimchi-based broth loaded with bold, tangy heat.🍲
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Stir-Fried Squid Plate: Tender squid stir-fried with vegetables and served over rice — a bolder, more adventurous option that seafood fans rave about.
Atmosphere
Hawaiian BBQ & Korean Restaurant is about as no-frills and genuine as a dining experience can get — and that’s precisely the point. 🥢
Tucked inside the OK Ko-Mart Oriental Foods grocery store, the restaurant is a small, unpretentious space where the focus is squarely on the food and the people making it, not on décor or ambiance.
The vibe is casual, community-driven, and completely unhurried — the kind of place where your banchan arrives in a compartmentalized styrofoam tray, and your rice is served in a humble bowl, and somehow that only makes everything taste better.
Bottom Line
Hawaiian BBQ & Korean Restaurant is Midwest City’s most authentic, family-run Korean BBQ hidden gem in Oklahoma — bold flavors, generous portions, genuine hospitality, and a one-of-a-kind setting inside a Korean grocery that makes the whole experience completely unforgettable.
Address:
6000 SE 15th Street (Inside OK Ko-Mart Oriental Foods), Midwest City, OK 73110
📞 (405) 736-6007
🕔 Open Tue–Sat, 10:00 AM – 6:30 PM (Closed Sun & Mon)