Tropical Treasures

McDonald’s doesn’t have the exact same menu everywhere. That’s a given when you’re talking about international locations, but there are regional variations in the U.S., too.  McDonald’s restaurants in Hawaii have some of the most interesting local menu items. They’re based on the islanders’ tastes, and frankly, we’re drooling over some of these, especially the pies. Here are McDonald’s menu items you can only try if you head to Hawaii.

1. Rice

Thanks to the heavy Asian influence in Hawaii, rice is on the menu at McDonald’s on the islands. It’s only available for breakfast, though, which might seem odd to some mainlanders. You can get it as part of a Local Deluxe Platter with rice, eggs, and your choice of meat. Packets of soy sauce are usually available as a condiment.

2. Portuguese Sausage

One of the meats you can choose from for breakfast is Portuguese sausage. They’re griddle-cooked pork patties, similar to the regular McDonald’s breakfast sausage you’re used to, but they taste more like the local favorite sausage. It’s a slightly spicy meat that’s similar to Cajun sausages like andouille. If you ask nicely, they might even put it in your Egg McMuffin instead of Canadian bacon.

3. Spam

Spam is super popular in Hawaii, and McDonald’s is capitalizing on it. During World War II, soldiers were served the canned meat because it was portable, shelf-stable, full of protein, and pretty much perfect as a military ration. It never really left, and now you can get it fried on a lunch plate with macaroni salad, as Spam musubi, and on your Spam, egg, and rice breakfast platter at McD’s.

28 Slamming Spam Recipes That Will Have You Wanting More

4. McTeri Deluxe

Move over, Big Mac, and make room for the McTeri Deluxe. It’s a burger that’s coated in sweet and savory teriyaki, a popular Japanese-style sauce on the islands. It makes for a messy but delicious lunch when it’s available — it tends to come and go from the menu quite a bit.

5. Fried Apple Pie

Behold: deep fried McDonald’s apple pies! Those amazing pies from your childhood are no longer fried in the continental U.S. (minus one rogue location in California), but things are different in Hawaii. Locals didn’t like the baked pies as much as the fried version, so the restaurant operators decided to keep on frying all their pie varieties for that blisteringly crisp and bubbly crust. God bless America.

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6. Haupia Pie

Besides the apple pie, Hawaiian McDonald’s restaurants also serve Haupia Pie. It’s got a smooth, creamy, and pudding-like filling full of coconut for a tropical treat. And yes, it is also deep fried.

7. Saimin

Saimin is pretty unique to Hawaii thanks to its melting pot of cultures. It’s comfort food made of noodles in broth, and it’s a mashup of various Asian dishes from Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino cuisine. It’s usually garnished with toppings like nori and brightly colored fish cake. It’s another menu item that tends to come and go at McDonald’s on the islands.

8. Taro Pie

Taro is a root vegetable that you often see in Asian sweets or drinks like bubble tea. Its flavor is similar to a sweet potato, and it has a gorgeous purple color. Taro pie is a limited-time dessert menu item in Hawaiian McDonald’s, and everyone loves it. Guava and pineapple pies have also made appearances in Hawaii over the years, and we’re totally jealous of them all.

This article was originally published on Cheapism

More From Cheapism

In the search for a multi-skilled power forward, the University of Hawaii basketball team found “Nemo.”

Gytis “Nemo” Nemeiksa, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward from Lithuania, has accepted a UH scholarship and will join the Rainbow Warriors next week for offseason training.

“I felt I got attention from the whole Hawaii staff,” said Nemeiksa, who is transferring after one season with Xavier University. “The presentation went really well. I like everything about Hawaii — the weather, the people there. The Hawaii basketball team feels like one big family.”

This past season, Nemeiksa played in 34 games for Xavier, starting 20. He scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds against Providence, which was led by the Big East Player of the Year Devin Carter. Nemeiksa had 10 points and five rebounds against two-time NCAA champion UConn.

Prior to Xavier, he attended Vytautus Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania, but played as an amateur for the Zalgiris Kaunas club. He averaged 11.7 points (36.4% on 3s) and 6.1 rebounds in leading Zalgiris Kaunas to the 2023 NKL championship. He was named the 2023 Final Four’s most valuable player.

As an undersized wing through high school, he developed ball-handling and outside-shooting skills. He said he had a growth spurt when he was 17.

In joining Xavier last year, he said he wanted to experience the NCAA’s “high level of competition.” He praised his time at Xavier, noting, “the coaching staff was great, my teammates were great. … I think I grew up a lot through that year. I’m really thankful for that experience.”

But Nemeiksa said he entered the transfer portal to seek expanded playing time—an opportunity the ’Bows could offer. At the end of the 2023-24 season, posts Bernardo da Silva and Justin McKoy completed their UH eligibility. Mor Seck, a 7-foot-1 center who is recovering from an ACL injury, transferred to Fresno State.

The past spring, the ’Bows signed 6-10, 275-pound center Tanner Christensen, a transfer from Utah Tech, and point guard Marcus Greene of Houston Christian. Last November, the Bows signed guards Aaron Hunkin-Claytor and AJ Economou. Economou enrolled at UH in January and redshirted during the 2024 spring semester.

HONOLULU — The Hawaii men’s basketball team gained a potentially crucial commitment for the 2024-25 season on Friday in former Xavier forward Gytis Nemeiksa, a native of Lithuania.

Nemeiska was a part-time starter at Xavier, which competes in the Big East, one of college basketball’s elite conferences, and brings some credibility to a UH roster that is still light on significant Division I experience at the midpoint of the offseason.

He was classified as a senior in 2023-24 and supplied XU with 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game, while starting 20 of 34 contests.

Nemeiksa is the first scholarship commitment in several weeks for coach Eran Ganot and his staff, which still has several holes to fill for the coming season. At a rugged 6 feet 8 and 220 pounds, Nemeiksa should compete for playing time right away at small or power forward for the Rainbow Warriors.

He shot 46.9% from the field, 36.4% on 3-pointers and 64.7% from the free-throw line in his first Division I season.

The Musketeers went 16-18 overall and 9-11 in the Big East, which includes two-time reigning national champion Connecticut as well as marquee programs like Marquette, Villanova and Creighton.

Prior to his time at XU, Nemeiksa competed for Zalgiris Kaunas II, a reserve team for a professional club in his hometown, from 2020 to 2023. He was credited with 11.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game in helping his team to the 2023 NKL Championship.

Against eventual national champion Connecticut, Nemeiksa scored 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting and five rebounds on Jan. 10. He posted a career-high 20 points against Washington on Nov. 17.

His playing time was reduced late in the season, however, as he appeared off the bench in his last eight games for XU.

UH’s last player from Lithuania was Petras Balocka from 2008-10. Other past ‘Bows from the Eastern European nation are Vaidotas Peciukas (2002-05), Mindaugas Burneika (2000-02) and Nerijus Puida (1999-01).

UH is believed to have four scholarships still to award for 2024-25. Besides Nemeiksa, UH’s other new scholarship commitments for next season are guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor, wing A.J. Economou, center Tanner Christensen and guard Marcus Greene.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.