Loco Moco: A Hawaiian Food Tradition
July 15, 2009
If you truly want a meal that will stick to your ribs, than the Loco Moco may be just the dish for you. For those of you unfamiliar with the Loco Moco, it is a dish that is unique to Hawaiian Cuisine. Although there are many variations of it, the essential ingredients include white rice, a hamburger patty and a fried egg with brown gravy. History has stated that the Loco Moco was created by the Inouye family, owners of the Lincoln Grill in Hilo, Hawaii in 1949. Apparently, a group of boys from the Lincoln Wreckers Sports Club were the inspiration for this dish.
Looking for cheap eats, one of the boys, George Okimoto, nicknamed “Crazy” because of the wild way he played football, was nominated by the others to ask Nancy Inouye if she’d put some rice in a saimin bowl along with one hamburger patty with brown gravy poured over both items. She charged a mere 25 cents, which was much more affordable than ordering a regular hamburger steak entree.
Since the word “crazy” was loco in Spanish, this new dish was named “loco moco” in George’s honor. Apparently, the word “moco” came into play simply because it rhymed. The boys didn’t know at the time that moco meant “mucus” in Spanish. This off menu item soon made it into Lincoln Grill’s regular menu and became widely popular all over Hawaii. The egg was actually added later. So if you’d like to give this hearty meal a try, than look below for some restaurant recommendations.
Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop
15707 S Vermont Ave
Gardena, CA 90247-4328
(310) 324-1244
Hula Hotties Bakery & Cafe
244 W Davis St
Dallas, TX 75208
(214) 943-2233
Kauai Family Restaurant
6324 6th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98108
(206) 762-3469
Aloha Eats
2534 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 935-6828
Aloha Kitchen
4466 E Charleston Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89104
(702) 437-4426
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1.
Justin C | July 15, 2009 at 8:36 am
When I went to Hawaii, we went to a greasy diner and Loco Moco was the first thing I had. Man those Hawaiians are great at tasty & unhealthy food combinations.
2.
Chris C | July 24, 2009 at 12:26 pm
I don’t see how you can wrong with hamburger, gravy, AND egg. A winning combo!
3. Hawaiian Food -- Beyond the Tiki Torches | Food & Think | September 2, 2009 at 7:43 am
[...] to do with fresh fruits or fish, though, and don’t find their way onto most tourist menus. Loco moco, a concoction of white rice topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg and gravy, was reportedly [...]