Some meals just stick with you, and the first time I had Huli chicken at Huli Sue’s BBQ and Grill in Asheville, I knew this was one of those meals. Tucked inside the historic Grove Arcade on Page Avenue, this place pulls off something genuinely rare: it blends the smoky soul of Texas barbecue with the bright, sweet flavors of Hawaiian cooking, and it works beautifully.
The moment you catch the scent of charred, glazed chicken drifting through the arcade, something in your brain just says yes. People are driving from across North Carolina for this experience, and once you taste it, that makes complete sense.
Huli Sue’s has even landed a spot on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which tells you everything about the kind of food being served here. This is the story of one iconic chicken dish, two island inspirations, and a mountain town that has fully, wholeheartedly fallen in love with both.
The Hawaiian Roots Behind Huli Huli Chicken
Back in 1955, a man named Ernest Morgado changed backyard cooking forever. Working with Pacific Poultry in Hawaii, he developed a sweet and savory glazed chicken recipe inspired by his mother’s kitchen, and the response was immediate.
The name itself tells you exactly how the dish is made: “huli” is the Hawaiian word for “turn,” and the chicken gets flipped repeatedly over the grill to lock in that deep, lacquered crust.
The glaze typically combines soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey, and pineapple juice, creating layers of flavor that are hard to forget. Morgado trademarked the name in 1958 and eventually bottled his original sauce in 1986, cementing Huli Huli chicken as a true Hawaiian institution.
For decades, it served as a community staple, the go-to dish for school fundraisers, church gatherings, and neighborhood cookouts across the islands.
What makes it so universally loved is the balance: sweet without being cloying, savory without being heavy, and smoky in a way that feels honest and earned. That original spirit is exactly what Huli Sue’s brings to the mountains of Asheville, honoring the dish while making it their own.
From the Big Island to the Blue Ridge Mountains
Before Huli Sue’s ever opened its doors in Asheville, owners Lisa and Ben were running a beloved restaurant called The Fish and the Hog in Waimea, on the Big Island of Hawaii. They spent 15 years building something special there, learning how to cook with island ingredients, local flavor traditions, and a genuine sense of place.
Then, in the fall of 2019, they made a bold move: they packed up their culinary vision and headed to the mountains of North Carolina.
Choosing Asheville was not an accident. The city has a creative, food-forward culture that reminded them of what they loved about Waimea, a place where locals care deeply about what they eat and where it comes from.
They saw a kindred spirit between the two locations, both rooted in community, both shaped by strong regional identity.
That cross-cultural perspective is baked into everything at Huli Sue’s. The menu reflects two distinct food traditions without forcing them together awkwardly.
It feels natural, like these flavors were always meant to share a plate. Bringing the heart of a Hawaiian kitchen into the heart of Appalachia turned out to be exactly the kind of culinary adventure Asheville was ready for.
The Grove Arcade: A Setting That Matches the Food
The location of Huli Sue’s is not just an address, it is part of the experience. The Grove Arcade is one of Asheville’s most beloved landmarks, a stunning early 20th-century building filled with arched ceilings, intricate stonework, and a kind of old-world charm that makes you slow down just by stepping inside.
Finding a restaurant this good in a space this beautiful feels like a genuine bonus.
The dining room at Huli Sue’s is bright and open, with a clear view into the kitchen so you can see the action happening in real time. There is also outdoor patio seating, which fills up fast on weekends, and for good reason.
Eating al fresco in the Grove Arcade has its own particular magic, especially when the weather cooperates.
The atmosphere inside strikes a balance that is not easy to pull off: lively enough to feel exciting, but relaxed enough that you actually want to stay a while. It is the kind of place where the room itself puts you in a good mood before the food even arrives.
Guests consistently describe feeling welcomed from the moment they walk in, and that warmth starts with the space itself.
Sue’s Huli Chicken Bowl: The Dish That Started It All
If there is one dish that defines Huli Sue’s, it is the Huli Chicken Bowl. Built around chicken thighs marinated in the house Huli sauce and grilled to order, it arrives with a char on the outside that gives way to tender, juicy meat underneath.
The glaze is applied with restraint, just enough to accent the smokiness without overwhelming it.
Each bowl comes with Hawaiian mac salad, pickled cabbage, and rice, and every component earns its place. The mac salad is not what you expect from a typical cookout side dish.
It has its own personality, creamy but bright, with a flavor that genuinely surprises first-timers. The pickled cabbage adds a sharp, clean contrast that keeps each bite from feeling heavy.
People who have eaten at Michelin-starred restaurants in New York have said they would rather eat here. That is not a throwaway comment.
It reflects something real about the quality and intention behind every element of this bowl. The Huli Chicken Bowl is the reason people drive an hour out of their way, the reason they come back again and again, and the reason North Carolina has quietly developed a serious obsession with this one dish.
Texas BBQ Meets Island Flavor: A Fusion That Actually Works
Not every fusion concept lands, but the Texas-meets-Hawaii combination at Huli Sue’s feels genuinely earned. The brisket here is the kind that Texas pitmasters spend years chasing: spoon-tender, deeply smoky, with a crust that holds flavor in every bite.
It stands completely on its own, no island twist needed, just honest, slow-cooked barbecue done right.
Then you move to the Hawaiian side of the menu, and the shift feels seamless rather than jarring. Pork katsu, sweet chili shrimp, and Huli chicken bring brightness and sweetness that complement the heavier smoke flavors without competing with them.
The combo bowl, which brings together Huli chicken, pork katsu, and sweet chili shrimp in a single serving, is the best argument for why these two culinary traditions belong together.
What makes it work is that neither tradition is treated as a gimmick or a backdrop for the other. Both are given full respect and real technique.
The result is a menu that feels cohesive rather than confused, the product of two people who spent decades cooking in both worlds and knew exactly how to bring them together. Asheville, a city that appreciates bold culinary thinking, responded accordingly.
The People Behind the Plates: Service That Elevates Every Visit
Great food can carry a meal, but the team at Huli Sue’s makes sure the whole experience feels like something worth talking about afterward. Guests consistently mention specific servers by name in their reviews, which is the kind of detail that tells you the service here is personal, not scripted.
People remember being greeted warmly, having their questions answered with real knowledge, and feeling genuinely cared for throughout the meal.
There is a story that comes up in guest conversations about the owners providing hotel rooms for staff members during icy weather so no one had to choose between safety and losing a shift. That kind of decision reflects a workplace culture built on respect, and it shows in how the team carries themselves on the floor.
When the people serving you clearly feel valued, that energy transfers directly to the table.
Servers here take time to walk guests through the menu, offer samples, and share recommendations without rushing anyone. The pacing feels right, attentive without hovering.
For a restaurant that draws serious crowds, especially on weekends, maintaining that level of personal service is no small thing. It is a big part of why first-time visitors almost always leave already planning their return trip.
A Featured Spot on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Getting featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is not something that happens to every restaurant. The show has a reputation for finding places with genuine character, real cooking, and food that stands apart from the crowd.
Huli Sue’s earned its spot on that list, and the feature introduced the restaurant to a national audience that quickly wanted to see what the fuss was about.
For locals who had already been regulars, the episode was a moment of pride. For people across North Carolina and beyond, it became a reason to plan a trip to Asheville specifically to eat here.
Some guests have mentioned seeing the episode and immediately rearranging their schedules to finally make it in, even after walking past the Grove Arcade multiple times without stopping.
The television exposure did not change what Huli Sue’s is, it just confirmed it. The food was already drawing devoted fans long before the cameras arrived.
What the feature did was give more people permission to trust what Asheville locals had been saying for years. If you needed a reason to add this restaurant to your list, that television stamp of approval is as good a starting point as any, though the food itself will quickly become reason enough.
Why Asheville Cannot Stop Talking About This Place
A 4.8-star rating across more than a thousand reviews is not luck. It is the result of consistently delivering something that people feel compelled to share with others.
Guests at Huli Sue’s leave and immediately tell their friends, their coworkers, and anyone who will listen. Some have described it as the best BBQ they have ever had, full stop, with no qualifiers attached.
Part of the obsession is the variety. The menu is broad enough that repeat visits feel fresh, with bowls, sandwiches, plates, and specials that rotate and keep regulars coming back to try something new.
Saturday’s brisket Reuben special, for example, has already developed its own small fan base. The four house sauces on every table add another layer of personal exploration to each meal.
Beyond the food, Huli Sue’s has become a place that people attach meaning to. It is where birthday weekends get celebrated, where food tours end on a high note, and where out-of-towners discover that Asheville’s dining scene is even better than they expected.
The combination of flavors, atmosphere, service, and story has created something that resonates far beyond a single visit. Address: 1 Page Ave Suite 150, Asheville, NC 28801.
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