King’s Hawaiian rolls are frequently seen at the grocery store, picnics, and barbecues. Lucky residents of the South Bay area will be pleased to know that in addition to finding these sweet rolls in the usual places, there is also a full bakery and restaurant in Torrance.

Upon arrival, the first sight the guest sees are palm trees and architecture reminiscent of Hawaii. Several patrons exit the restaurant with cake boxes in hand. Several more enter the building and peruse the bakery. With rows of cakes, pies, tarts, chocolate, to name a few. Of course it wouldn’t be King’s Hawaiian bakery without their signature Hawaiian rolls, where an ample supply was available. It is no surprise to see patrons rushing in and out of the bakery. There is clearly something for everyone.

The host stand is to the left of the bakery. The diner is greeted and seated promptly. It is noon on a weekday and the restaurant is almost to its capacity. The dining area is bright with a tropical feel. The green color scheme, the foliage and the many windows helped with the ambiance.

The server stopped by moments later. Drink orders were taken and some menu suggestions were made. The server returned with drinks and a basket of Hawaiian bread to the delight of the guest. The rolls were moist and sweet. The butter melted right away as the rolls were fairly warm.

The menu consisted of typical Hawaiian fare such as lomi salmon, kalua pork, loco moco, plus some lesser known Hawaiian dishes of noodles,curries, and fried rice. There were plenty of combination platters available for guests who could not decide on just one dish.

The mixed plate with kalua pork and chicken katsu did not take too long for the food to arrive. The pork and chicken were served alongside a scoop of rice and macaroni salad. The presentation was great, the portion size was just right. Unfortunately, the entree itself could have been better. The chicken was somewhat dry, and the pork was a bit on the salty side. The server had come by once to refill drinks. Confusion started once the meal was through.

Requesting dessert turned out to be more complicated than it needed to be. The server informed the diner to go to the bakery and select the desserts, but the table would still be there. After proceeding to the bakery and ordering desserts, the cashier informed the diner that they need to order through the server. Clearly there was lack of communication as the server stated the exact opposite. Finally after settling the bill with the bakery cashier, the diner headed back to the restaurant with dessert in hand.

Contrary to what the server stated, the table had been completely cleared. Drinks had to be reordered, utensils had to be requested once again.

The dessert, a kiwi strawberry cake, was great. The cake was light and moist and the fruits were fresh and delicious. It was a good ending to disorganized service. More trips to the bakery alone may be needed. The dining experience would be skipped on a future trip as the server was nowhere to be found for most of the dining service, including needing to be flagged down at the time of payment. The meal was also sub-par.

King’s Hawaiian is located at 2808 Sepulveda Blvd Torrance, CA 90505. It has its own parking lot which fills up quickly during lunch hour. The attire is casual and the average price per entree is $10.

Bianca is a Florida State University graduate with a strong passion for writing and a love of food. She hopes to be a successful food critic one day.