Good food at the Grass Shack

There is gourmet quality food, candles on the tables and friendly restaurateurs at your service. The food is colorful and smells as good as it tastes. Though it might seem that Molokai’s newest eatery could be a high-end and even higher priced kind of joint, the Little Grass Shack is actually a mobile lunch counter no bigger than a household kitchen.

The entrepreneurial owners, Patricia and Chris, flew to Seattle and drove out to Helena, Montana to purchase the state-of-the-art lunch counter and have spent the past several months modifying it to meet local Board of Health standards. Motivation came by what they say is an absence of great food on the island. “I love to travel, I love to eat and it’s becoming increasingly harder to find good food,” said Patricia.

A message therapist, Patricia is not a newcomer to serving up great stuff. In the late 90s she owned a coffee shop behind what is now Stanley’s Coffee Shop. The shop was famous for its Italian sodas and other treats.

Chris is a local photographer whose most recent work graces the pages of Keli`i Mawae’s recently published biography.

The couple had their hands full Sunday night when they opened their door up to friends and neighbors. They ended up serving over thirty people in a matter of an hour. “This is a trial run for us,” said Chris who explained they should have the kinks worked out sometime in early November. The couple plans to open up shop at the canoe club near the wharf and eventually become truly mobile by parking the eatery in three different locations throughout the week.

While there might still be some unknowns with equipment and procedures, one thing is for sure – the food is great. Chris and Patricia rely on fresh food cooked in a healthy way, using signature sauces and salsas to compliment their meals. Be sure to check out their fish tacos and “blooming onions” when they open.

“What you see is what you get, just a little grass shack – I know you're gonna like it and I hope you come back,” is how the Molokai Slide song goes. This fits perfectly with the name of their business, The Little Grass Shack. You will like what you see (and taste) and you will be back!