HAWAII TO PHOENIX: LOCO STYLE GRINDZ DOES IT RIGHT

THE HAWAIIAN HYPE IS REAL!

I'm driving around the Ranch Market looking for a food tent or cart, not really sure what I am looking for … the Instagram account tells me to look for "smoke and reggae music." Well, I can't find any signs of a food cart…. You know why? Because there isn't a food cart. I am just a big dummy. 

There is an entrance to the Ranch Market on the west side of the building, two big wooden doors … though there you will find Loco Style Grindz. 

Loco Style Grindz has a full (half indoors/outdoors) kitchen within the Ranch Market event space, and it is beautiful. 

When I walk in, I enter a big courtyard full of tables, a ramada, an old Mexican wagon … I could go on about the space, I love the space, but this isn't what makes Loco Style Grindz so damn good. You could eat this anywhere and have a good time.

What makes Loco Style great is the food and the people who make it. 

MY ORDER: DA LOCO; Three meat plate, Teriyaki beef, teriyaki chicken, chicken katsu.

The teriyaki beef and chicken are … marinated to perfection, juicy and tender, I honestly couldn't ask for more. The katsu, the KATSU, is the MVP. Hold Your Fork is a big fan of all things KATSU. This is crispy and light, flaky in the best ways. 

All of the meat is served on a little bed of white rice, and topped with "action sauce," which gives the dish a sweet little spice. The dish also comes with a scoop of mac salad, and you will be glad they do because I can't think of a better mac salad. 

I was lucky enough to be gifted one of "Aunties Panipopo," a homemade sweet roll that really made me smile. The roll was airy and sweet, topped with a coconut cream sauce. I didn't know that I needed this, but gosh darn it … I am happy that I had it. 

They also do tacos on Tuesday, so you know I had to try that. Hawaiian style tacos? Ok.

Luckily, I was the first one in line, when they opened at 6:30, the line was about 20 people deep. I saw my boy Mando from La Purísima Bakery dropping off a fresh batch of tortillas (Good sign.) 

I got five tacos, two teriyaki beef and three chicken katsu. They looked sexy, topped with cilantro, onions, and a handful of lime wedges. I don't know how they do tacos in Hawaii, but these tacos are FIRE!!!! 10/10 would recommend spending 1-4 Tuesdays here a month.  

LET ME TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE! 

(I won't go into the details of their origin, AZ Central did a great job with that story here go read that.)

As I was waiting for my meal, "Da loco," the three meat plate, which includes beef, grilled chicken, and chicken katsu. I am watching the guys, Hinano or "H" for short, and his little brother Kaho'okano, interact with their guests, everyone was laughing and having a good time. It seemed like everyone who goes there is a regular.

After a little while of waiting, me and the guys started talking. We talked about the similarities between the Hawaii food scene and the phoenix food scene. Both cities seem to be facing a rise of gentrification, which means higher prices for rent, which means a higher price tag for food at restaurants.

The biggest issue we talked about is the disconnect from restaurant owners and the community that they are in. Big investors come into a community that they aren't a part of and build out a multi-million dollar restaurant that specializes in an Asian/Mexican fusion or some honky bullshit like that.

BUT WHERE IS THE LOVE?! It seems like most new restaurants today seem to care just about money, I get it, it's a business, and you gotta make your money. 

But food is part of a city's culture, it's our job as consumers to support restaurants that resemble us as a city. Phoenix is a city of people who, for the most part, aren't from here. We don't have an established culture or a way of life that people are drawn too. It's time that we help cultivate that.

"We are serving food out of white to-go containers, not putting flowers on our food or trying to make it cute," said H. Because cute food doesn't make it tasty. Food is something that brings people together, everyone loves good food!

Loco Style Grindz isn't trying to be something they aren't to please the masses. They are sticking to what they know and what makes them happy. 

And guess what, the community recognizes what they are doing is real. We (the city of Phoenix) recognize that they are cooking with love and care. They are continuously selling out on weekends and gaining some real momentum on Instagram. 

The hype beasts love Logo Style Grindz, the boys at Wang's Closet, Undefeated, La Purísima, Always MFG all support what this team is doing. I get it, H cooks in a pair of Travis Scott Jordan 1's, Kaho'okano was rocking a fresh pair of Nike Reacts. Hype beasts cooking for hype beasts? Now that's a headline! Lol. 

Go check them out, tell them Hold Your Fork sent you, show them some love on Instagram, go support.