Charleston offers a variety of places to eat and drink, but if there is one that stands out from the rest, it is Kahuna’s Bar and Grill.

Kahuna’s is a tiki-themed restaurant located at 1415 Fourth St. and offers an array of popular bar food, drinks and at times, great music, all at a student-friendly prices.

Mike Gherardini, Kahuna’s owner, said when he took ownership,

he reflected on the students’ needs when it comes to food choice, prices and other variables.

“We just looked around for a location close to campus, saw this place was vacant, talked to the owner and got the ball rolling,” Gherardini said. “The way the place was painted was a Mexican restaurant before, and when we were deciding the theme, we thought about cost and research, and the tiki theme just flew with us.”

The menu is simple, but Gherardini took that into consideration and said he thought of the student first.

“Basically, the food is all stuff I like and what other people like,” he said. “The Kahuna Burger is just like a hamburger with some of his signature sauces he created, and some homemade ideas we had were also taken into the concept.”

When it came to dealing with competition, Gherardini said there is no real difference from Panther Paw or places like that, but what sets itself apart from the Paw is its small portions and the ability to sell it at cheaper prices.

Their menu also offers special sauces that Gherardini developed himself as well, and would like to eventually bottle. Some of these include Kahuna Sauce, Fire God, Coney, Kaiko and Giardinara Sauce that can be mixed in with orders as well.

Gino Scardina, a Kahuna’s cook said he’s had prior experience cooking before working at Kahuna’s.

“I knew Mike for a couple of years before working here,” Scardina said. “I’ve worked in restaurants in Chicago before, places like pizza joints and other restaurants, but never fast food.”

Scardina said his job boils down to running things smoothly and cooking the food for the customers who range from college students to town residents.

“I’d say that we’ve had good customer service, getting the food out quickly and try to accommodate customers’ needs at any cost and keep prices reasonable,” he said.

Scardina said he feels he has found his calling as a cook and the right place at Kahuna’s Restaurant.

Dane Torbeck, a 24-year-old Eastern alumus and manager of the Tire & Lube Express at Walmart, said he comes to Kahuna’s once a week.

“The food is delicious and affordable,” Torbeck said. “It’s the only good place in Charleston to get a burger.”

Torbeck said the environment is laid back, which appealed to his interest.

He recommends Kahuna’s to other people looking for a good bite to eat.

Jose Gonzalez can be reached at 581-7942 or jlgonzalez@eiu.edu