We love living in downtown Simpsonville. There’s so much to explore, and so many restaurants to choose from for date nights. One of our favorite places to go is the collective of restaurants known as Warehouse at Vaughn’s. We’ve eaten at every establishment in Warehouse, but our favorite by far is chef Tye’s Pineapple Express.

When we lived in Florida, there was a delicious Hawaiian BBQ spot called Pounders. Our good friend — a Hawaiian native — introduced us to Pounders, and said it’s the closet thing to authentic Hawaiian as you could get in the states. It was good. It was really good! We thought it was the best, but then we moved back to South Carolina and stumbled upon Pineapple Express. Pineapple Express started as a food truck, and was so popular that morphed into a permanent fixture as part of the Warehouse at Vaughn’s. I know I’ve said this before, but chef Tye is a true culinary genius! It’s freakin’ bats how good his food is. My husband and I, along with our family and friends, have tried just about every dish served at Pineapple Express. We have yet to be disappointed.

Of all the offerings Pineapple Express, my favorite is the Huli Chicken, which is beautifully smoked in-house – as are all smoked meats. It’s dishes like this that make me not mind eating chicken every day. Macaroni salad and rice are served with every entree, and furikake seasoning is a delicious touch to the rice.

Spam and pineapple fried rice is Aaron’s go-to dish, and he always raves about how good it is. I’ve tried a bite, and although I’m not a fan of Spam, this dish is actually not bad. Maybe it’s all the flavors from the Spam, pineapple, and egg combined?

A true southern staple is chicken and waffles. You can go into about every restaurant that serves southern cuisine and find some version of chicken and waffles on the menu. Pineapple Express is no exception, but wow do they do it best! The sweet from the waffle with the savory rice and spicy sweet chicken — Devine! It’s like a party in my mouth.

Brisket burger served Hawaiian style? Why yes, please. This dish is truly mouth watering! Aaron says it’s the best thing he’s ever eaten

When you’re in Simpsonville, stop by Pineapple Express and show chef Tye and his staff some aloha! And buy the shirt.

Mahalo!