Kinney's Cafe - Serving Guam's Families Since 1947
Restaurant Review by Ken Stewart, The Guam Food Guy
January 2002

You've no doubt heard of the "K.I.S.S." principle in selling, right? It means "Keep It Simple, Stupid"! You'll find out that this principle has been the unspoken foundation for Kinney's decade's old success story.

Located on Route 15 (the back road to Andersen Air Force Base) in Mangilao, Kinney's has been consistently serving a simple menu consisting of Fried Onion Rings, Fried Chicken, Fried Shrimp, Fried Mahi, Grilled Steak and Grilled Chop Steak. Kinney's is open for Lunch (11:00 a.m. - 2 p.m.) and Dinner (5 p.m. - 10 - p.m.), Monday through Saturday, and closed on Sundays and holidays. Kinney's is a local favorite, offering filling meals that are served hot at unbelievably low prices.

Before there was Tony Roma's, Outback, Lonestar, the Ohana Beach Club, Denny's and anyone else who sells a version of "onion rings", there was Kinney's famous onion rings. They use their proprietary light flour batter and their onion rings are served in 3 sizes : Mini ($1.50), Small ( $2.50) and Large ($3.50). We ordered a Small Onion Rings, the Large Fried Chicken ($7.50) and a Large Combination Shrimp & Mahi ($11.50). Believe me, there was nothing "small" about the pile of onion rings that was delivered to our table! Kinney's provides a tartar sauce and a cocktail dipping sauce. My companion, Zee, decided to mix the two together and add some Tabasco for a fiery effect.

Before the onion rings were delivered, we did help ourselves to Kinney's salad bar which is included with dinner. They had a modest selection of fresh cherry tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, corn, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, white onions and Pepperocini. The House Dressing is a must try if you like some zing and zest with your salad - the tangy flavor has been pleasing their customers for years. The salad is nutritionally significant and makes a big difference for those who are on restricted diets. Kinney's is famous, after all, for its special fried foods!

The dining room we sat in was spacious, comfortable and must have been added since the last time I'd eaten there. It was well-ventilated, so we didn't really smell any grease-laden air usually associated with frying foods. In fact, it was vented so well from the kitchen that you could detect it from outside the building. The white table cloths draped over their tables are a nice touch of elegance. However, I would venture that cleaning these must be one of their higher expense items, especially considering the nature of the food served and the various dipping sauces.

When the Chicken and Shrimp & Mahi dinners were delivered, we both just stared in awe and I told our waiter, Emery, that there must be a mistake...there was so much food on these plates that it was unbelievable...there had to be 8 huge pieces of fried chicken, perhaps a dozen battered shrimp along with a pile of mahi strips. I'd ordered a side of homestyle fries and Zee was brought a side plate topped with two scoops of steamed rice. We asked for and received a dish of white finadene (I like this a lot--even better than the soy version) and some slices of local lemon.

The first bite of Kinney's chicken makes you appreciate why fried chicken is so popular around the world...it's just good! Kinney's is not at all over-seasoned... so it's not about secret spices and tasty batter. There's just something down-home, fresh and tasty in their chicken, which is thoroughly cooked and definitely crunchy. The shrimp and mahi are equally good and I enjoyed dipping my mahi pieces in my white finandene...kind of reminded me of British Fish & Chips, only local-style.

If you don't have a huge appetite, I'd recommend you order the small size dinners...the large orders are just too big. Poor Zee topped out mid-way through the meal and just sort of slumped back in her chair while I continued working on the piles of chicken and seafood, sparingly eating the potatoes and rice. The vinegar in the finadene is excellent for breaking down oils. It was admittedly excessive, yet that's why I go to the gym to work out and drink plenty of water.

Kinney's serves soft drinks, ice tea, beer and wine. They have private function rooms available. Kinney's also has an open-air covered patio deck in the back, which allows diners to enjoy the great outdoors. It was comfortable at night, though I don't know how the day time heat would affect that area. For private party bookings, call 734-2600.

One has to give credit and respect to Kinney's owners, Joann and Manny Blas. They are carrying on a family tradition at Kinney's that has customers returning year after year and decade after decade. It's surprising how many folks have not been to Kinney's. For those who want to go, you can be assured of getting well fed! The food is "gof mannge'"!

Bon Appetit!