Before heading to Oahu, one of my friends insisted I try Ray's in Haleiwa. He insisted that it would be the best chicken I have ever eaten in my life. Now, a statement such as that is a little hard to turn down. So, I promised that I would do my best to try it out.
Now, Ray's isn't a restaurant that you can just pop into anytime you feel like. Ray's is a BBQ trailer that parks in the local grocery store parking lot on Saturdays and Sundays; any other time and you are out of luck.
I read one review on Ray's and it said that you can't miss it, just follow the smoke and you are sure to find it. Well, that person was right! You can almost see the smoke from the highway as you drive into Haleiwa; and you can definitely smell the broiled chicken from a a mile away.
There were a couple of other suggestions made to me before trying Ray's 1) Get the whole chopped chicken 2) get the dipping sauce and 3) don't eat at Ray's - go to the beach. Now, I am not one to dismiss sound advice, but unfortunately, I didn't heed the the warning of going to the beach (there are fly's everywhere). Ordering the chicken chopped saves precious time in picking it apart and the sauce (a spicy, vinegar soy sauce) adds another dimension to the chicken which is needed when you are sharing a whole chicken with your spouse or in some cases trying to consume it all alone.
As for being the best chicken I have ever eaten...I don't think so. In fact, I was somewhat disappointed, not because it was bad, but because everyone hyped it so much that my perceived bar was set at an unattainable height. The chicken was good, but not worth the drive from the west coast just to eat it. I will however recommend it if you are already in Haleiwa on the weekend and need a reasonably cheap and protein rich dinner.
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