Molly's Smokehouse - Texas-Style BBQ in Wahiawa
Gail Jennings
October 2004

We were fortunate to be joined in this meal by Ryan and Jennifer Ozawa and their three children who range in age from six years to two months. The Ozawa's live in Mililani and are always looking for great places to eat where children are welcome. I was excited to try Molly's as I spent more than one summer working at a pit barbecue restaurant where we served a Texas-style barbecue menu very similiar to Molly's. To this day I judge all onion rings by the standards set by the owner's mother who would come in every morning and mix the batter in a locked room so no one could see how it was made.

Molly's is located on Kamehameha Highway in Wahiawa and has limited parking in front of the building and additional parking along the side. It is adjacent to the Jack in the Box so you can't miss it, never mind the large smoker out front, which wafts luscious smells across the neighborhood. Turn off the a/c and roll down the windows as you cruise into town and let your nose guide you.

We ordered a wide variety of entrees. The Deluxe and Combo Platters come with two choices of side dishes and green salad. The side dish selection is vast (13 choices) and we managed to try about eight of them. We were disappointed that they were out of Cole Slaw but we're really glad we doubled up on the Hush Puppies - these alone were worth the drive. Here's the list of food ordered: Beef Brisket & BBQ Chicken Combo Platter with Macaroni & Cheese and Garlic Mashed Potatoes $12; Shredded BBQ Pork with Baked Beans and Hush Puppies $8.25; Baby Back Rib Platter with Red Potatoes and Hush Puppies $12.50 and Country Fried Steak with Collard Greens and Garlic Mashed Potatoes $10.95. We also ordered side dishes of Onion Rings, French Fries, Corn on the Cob and Macaroni & Cheese for the kids. A basket of hot-out-of-the-oven Corn Muffins was included with the meal.

Service was a bit spotty as there was only one person waiting tables and the place was busy. The waiter was doing his best under difficult circumstances. I suspect they were either anticipating a slow mid-week night or someone hadn't shown up for work, but in addition to our table there were at least three other good-sized groups, numerous take-out orders and a steady stream of customers. Molly did show up towards the end of our meal and she took control of the house, and that really helped. [Editor's Note: Subsequent visits by ourselves and the Ozawas indicate that the service problem was unusual. Service has been fast and professional on all other occasions.]

SIDE DISHES

Hush Puppies - Outstanding, the best we've had outside of the South. My regular dining partner described them as "a revelation" having only had somewhat dry and bland ones before. Think of the very best turkey dressing you've ever had shaped into balls and deep fried...yummy.

Macaroni & Cheese - A huge hit with the kids. The adults liked it too, as Molly's uses a combination of cheeses, some mild and some a bit sharper, for a really nice flavor.

Onion Rings - Tasted like they had been dipped in a spicy fried chicken coating. They were very thin which I like but the coating overpowered the onion flavor and they were quite salty as well. The kids didn't seem to mind though.

Ranch Beans - Tasty and well seasoned. Also known as Cowboy Beans, these are what most early day cowboys ate on the trail and what Cookie was usually serving up from the chuckwagon.

Red Potatoes - These were red-skinned potatoes which had been parboiled and tossed with green onions and a light vinegar. They were good but a bit more bland than some of the other sides. A touch of salt brought the flavor right out.

Collard Greens - Very authentic with the somewhat bitter flavor of the dark greens softened by ham hocks. Both Jennifer and I liked these very much.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Tasted like they were made with sour cream so they had an unusual tangy flavor.

Green Salad - Very fresh, nice combination of greens topped with shredded carrots and tomatoes.

Corn Muffins - A bit too sweet for my taste but popular around the table. The more traditional skillet fried corn bread, which is not at all sweet, is less popular nowadays and is hard to find even in places like Molly's.

ENTREES

Molly's describes her BBQ as Texas-style and that generally means that meats are smoked for long periods of time and served with a sweet, tomato-based sauce which is warm on the side or poured over the meat.

Chicken - This was really very good. I'm not a huge fan of chicken but this was excellent. Everyone at the table liked it and found it to be tasty and moist. By contrast, the Beef Brisket was fairly tough which was surprising. The taste was good though.

Baby Back Ribs - Those who are unfamiliar with the process of smoking meats are often surprised to see that pork in particular turns very pink when smoked. This can be a bit startling when you bite into your baby back ribs and they look rare. The color is the product of indirect heat and the reaction of the meat to the smoking.

Shredded Pork - A generous portion of smoked pork which was very tender and delicious. In truth, it didn't really need so much sauce poured over it and next time we'd order the sauce on the side. [Editor's Note: Follow up visits confirmed the excellent nature of the smoked pork.]

The only non-BBQ entree was the Country Fried Steak aka Chicken Fried Steak in some parts. This is a cube steak dipped in a seasoned flour mix, deep fried and covered with cream gravy. The meat was well seasoned and the gravy was excellent. My dining partner thought it was a bit tough but I explained that this is the way it's supposed to be. It's a sturdy dish, so to speak, and this was good. I'd definitely order it again.

All in all, the food was good. The portions were good-sized with plenty of meat offered and smaller amounts of the sides, which is as it should be. Jennifer is originally from Florida and since their family often dines at the Dixie Grill on Ward Avenue (primarily because of the sand box for the kids), I asked how she would compare the food. Jennifer thought that the food at Molly's is more authentic and would be her choice when she has a craving for real home style Southern cooking. Personally, I'll go back for the Hush Puppies and next time I'll try the Shredded Pork as a sandwich.

Molly's Smokehouse
23 S Kamehameha Hwy
Wahiawa, Central Oahu
621-4858
Open Daily 11am - 9pm