The Place For Big, Juicy Burgers
![](https://www.midweekkauai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/110406/tastes_1.jpg)
Bellybomb Steakburger is laced with fresh diced jalapenos
Sometimes I’m in the mood for a burger – and not just any burger. What I have in mind is a big, juicy patty loaded with tomatoes, onions, pickles, mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup with bubbly cheese oozing down the side.
When I get this kind of craving, I head for TNT Steakburgers in Kapa’a.
On the north end of Kojima’s parking lot, this family-run business serves substantial portions and extra toppings of aloha – from a food truck.
TNT stands for Tom and Tetchie Vanderwende, a lively couple whose freshly made meals impact some people’s lives almost as much as Tom’s day job.
“I see people whose lives I’ve saved and they’re like, ‘Oh, hey … thanks for saving my life. I really appreciate it, I wouldn’t be here today,'” says Tom, a veteran para-medic on the North Shore. “But now we have really bitchin’ food, and people will yell from across the street ‘Hey! It’s the TNT guy! You guys are the best!’
![](https://www.midweekkauai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/110406/tastes_2.jpg)
Tetchie and Tom Vanderwende with son Kyler
“That’s been a neat surprise. People respond differently when you feed ’em really good.”
Apparently the old adage is true: The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I suspect the secret to TNT’s success is their approach.
“We’re in it for the love of food – good food,” says Tom.
TNT Steakburgers makes everything from scratch, including the burgers.
“We hand-grind what we need every day,” says Tom of the high-quality steak he uses.
“I come in at 7:30, grind the meat, cut the potatoes, make the onion rings, slice the onions and tomatoes,” says Tetchie, who encouraged her husband to open the restaurant three years ago.
![](https://www.midweekkauai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/110406/tastes_3.jpg)
Frings: handmade french fries and onion rings
“You cook so good, open a restaurant and I will help you run it,” she recalls telling Tom, a natural cook who’s known for his one-pound burgers at the firehouse.
“She’s not helping me with the business; she runs it now!” he says with a laugh.
It’s another beautiful day on Kaua’i. The clouds break and the sun beats down on us in the parking lot. Tom, Tetchie, my husband Dan and I bring our food to the covered picnic tables in front of Number One Barbecue. Their son Kyler immediately attacks the fries.
“Beer-battered, hand-sliced, hand-dipped every day,” Tom tells me as I take a bite of thick and crispy onion rings. “We sell out by 3 o’clock.” The crunchy coating is not greasy; inside, the onion is perfectly soft. I easily bite right through them.
![](https://www.midweekkauai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/110406/tastes_4.jpg)
Zesty Porkchop Sandwich
If you’re in the mood for something different, the Porkchop Sandwich ($7.70) is an excellent choice. Two seasoned, deep-fried pork chops are smothered in barbecue sauce, spicy brown mustard and topped with grilled onions. I appreciate Tetchie’s cooking skills as the juice from the pork chops run down my chin.
“It’s a hot one, brah,” Tom says of The Volcano ($7.50 for a quarter-pounder). The spicy burger is loaded with grilled onions, blue cheese, roasted serrano chili peppers and a house-made Lava sauce. “You’ll need a fire extinguisher!”
The Chicken Sandwich ($7.50) is so ample Tetchie and I split one. Two grilled boneless, skinless breasts are topped with bacon, barbecue sauce and cheese, and served on sourdough bread. It’s juicy, gooey and completely delicious.
![](https://www.midweekkauai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/110406/tastes_5.jpg)
Kyler, 2, loves the grilled cheese sandwich
Tom dives into his Steakplate ($11.95). “My buddy has a fishing charter boat. He came by to eat and dropped off some fresh mahi,” he says, referring to TNT’s Fishplate ($9.95). “So today we’re lucky to have fresh mahi.
We serve it with a tartar sauce that we make fresh every day.”
As a self-proclaimed adventurer, Tom is drawn to extremes.
“I do the one-pound big boy burger for the hefty appetite down to the Puppy Patties,” he says of the burgers made for four-legged friends. “We’re the only restaurant in the state, I believe, that serves Puppy Patties.”
![](https://www.midweekkauai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/110406/tastes_6.jpg)
Chicken Sandwich: juicy, gooey and delicious
His voice softens as he adds, “All animals are welcome at TNT.”
I ate half of the chicken sandwich and some frings ($4.50), a bite of Dan’s
Porkchop sandwich and I was completely full.
“That’s our biggest complaint,” says Tom, “too much food. What can I say? I just love food.”
TNT Steakburgers, Kapa‘a
651-4922
Open every day except Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.