This review will be short, sweet, and to the point. And when I say sweet, oh do I mean sweet! Matiki Island BBQ does one thing, and it does it very well: barbecue meat. Now this isn’t your southern-type bbq joint, with sauce and baby back ribs and baked beans. Nay, this is totally different. This is simpler. This is sweeter. This is Island style. This is…different. Different is very, very good.

My first experience was a late night at the office about a year ago. Most of you know how it goes; you’re working late, you get hungry, you send someone. I don’t know who ran that fateful night, but they awoke within me a sleeping giant of insatiable appetite when they returned with the glorious bounty from Matiki. There, before my blessed eyes and resting upon a bed of rice, was a heaping pile of steak, chicken, and Kalbi (short ribs).

In the many times that I have returned since then, I have tried just about everything they have to offer, with the exception of their desserts. This is not difficult, as the menu consists of a few simple items, comprising less than a dozen combinations. Your only concern is to choose the meat (or combination of meats) and then the salad, either macaroni or green. Trust me on this one, go with the mac. It is awesome. Plus, you can get green salad anywhere.

When choosing a meat, have no fear. You simply cannot go wrong. However, it is this author’s humble opinion that the order in which the meats should be ranked by flavor is this: 1. Kalbi 2. Steak 3. Chicken, with the Kalua Pork receiving an honorable mention.

Kalbi, or short ribs, are bone-in-ribs that have been sliced extremely thin. I don’t even know how they do it, but they are better described as thin slices of perfection. The steak is cut into strips, and packs more flavor than can be described here. The chicken is more like cubed, and although still delicious, not as extraordinary as the previous two meats. If you are really hungry, or want to split with a friend, get the Big Kahuna (or “BK”) and try them all at once. Be warned! It is so much food that the container has to be held shut with a rubber band. As you wait for your number to be called (which could be a while; that is the only known negative of Matiki Island BBQ), go ahead and take a peek back into the kitchen. That open flame means that something special is headed your way.

What it boils down to: Matiki Island BBQ is a hole in the wall by all outward appearances. Located on State Street in Orem, behind Der Wienerschnitzel, some Utah natives will remember the building as the resting place of Sounds Easy Pizza. Most present citizens of Utah County drive by all the time and have no idea it even exists, although word is rapidly spreading about this hidden gem. Do not let the common exterior fool you, what lies beneath is a taste that will grow into a craving that cannot be resisted. For around ten bucks, there is really no use fighting it, just give in and let yourself slip into your own Matiki Island paradise.

‘Til we eat again

Matiki Island BBQ

48 W 300 North, Orem, UT 84057

(801)225-1663