By John Ballowe

On the night of Thursday, February 21, I traveled to the restaurant Little Nickel, accompanied by Collegiate’s Hunter Milligan (‘21), Michael Stewart (‘20), and Trey Boll (‘20). After hearing buzz from my parents about this restaurant, I decided it was time to dine at the establishment and get my first taste of “Pu-Pu.” Tucked away deep on Forest Hill Avenue, Little Nickel has authentic Hawaiian flair, with cuisine described as “vacation food” on their website. I had never eaten Hawaiian food nor been to Hawaii, and I thought it would be a swell idea to try new things, especially after my father commented that their nachos were some of the best he’s ever had. 

After a somewhat lengthy drive on a road that needs new paving, we arrived at the restaurant with empty stomachs. We were greeted by a picture of a hula girl in a grass skirt with a friendly, yet inanimate smile and were promptly seated by the hostess.

For our starters, we ordered calamari and the Hawaiian Nachos, a gargantuan concoction of homemade braised pork, bacon, homemade cheese sauce, as well as grilled pineapple for a Hawaiian flair. We also ordered the Pu-Pu Platter, an equally impressive smorgasbord of protein, fat, and carbohydrates topped off with a flaming grill in the center, making it an eventful first course. Stewart elaborated on the extravagant nachos, saying “the best nachos are the ones that are unseen,” and that they were fantastic. He compared the chicken skewers to the squid skewers in the animated film Surf’s Up, adding to the island feel.

For our main courses, we decided on different proteins for each entree. I ordered the lamb cheesesteak, a twist on the traditional Philadelphia sandwich, which is usually made with shaved steak. Milligan ordered a bacon cheeseburger to fill the cow quota for the night. Boll ordered the Hawaiian pork bowl, consisting of rice and braised pork, accompanied by pineapple, coconut black beans, bacon, and salsa verde. To make sure seafood was also covered, Stewart ordered a crab cake sandwich.

All of our entrees were fantastic, with us all joining the clean plate club. The lamb cheesesteak was topped with their cheese sauce and accompanied by shoestring fries that were some of the best I’ve ever had. Stewart’s crab cake sandwich was “an elite form of mastery and art” with “amazing flavor” but texturally “a little mushy and soggy,” something that happens to crab cakes when the lump meat is broken up too much. Milligan’s cheeseburger was also “very good” with a “juicy,” nicely cooked patty. It was lacking in cheese, but other than that described by Milligan as a “great cheeseburger.”

To finish the night, we ordered dessert. I went with the “Banana Split Tropicale” with “housemade chocolate, pineapple, strawberry sauce, and spiced peanuts,” while Stewart got the Coconut Cream pie. This was my first banana split in my life, so I had nothing to compare the mammoth dessert too, but this allowed me to come in with a fresh and unbiased perspective on the dessert. I was very impressed with the intricacies coming from the various flavors synthesizing in my mouth. From what I could tell, the ice cream was not homemade. It had the texture of Gelati Celesti, which, in my opinion, is the best ice cream in town, but I am not sure of its origins. Stewart’s coconut cream pie was equally impressive, with a “coconut wafer crust and cream of coconut filling.” He described it as “very, very good,” a dessert rating that I know, from experience, he seldom uses.

Our trip out to the Little Nickel in the South Side of Richmond came during the first snow of the year and an escape of the winter weather was found at this exquisite island restaurant. Most of the tables were full on a Thursday night, showing the restaurant’s popularity.

All photos by John Ballowe.

Editor’s Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Little Nickel is currently closed.