Big Kahuna Burger
| Big Kahuna Burger | |
|---|---|
 The Stallion Grill in Austin was converted into a Big Kahuna Burger for From Dusk till Dawn: The Series.[1] | |
| First appearance | Reservoir Dogs (1992) |
| Last appearance | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) |
| Created by | Quentin Tarantino |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Restaurant |
| Location | United States |
Big Kahuna Burger is a fictional chain of Hawaiian-themed fast food restaurants that has appeared in films by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, including Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, From Dusk till Dawn, and Death Proof.[2] The packaging was created by Tarantino's longtime friend Jerry Martinez.[3]
The Big Kahuna brand features most prominently in Pulp Fiction, where hit-man Jules Winnfield eats the hamburger in order to intimidate the main target of a contract-killing he's been ordered to carry out, and remarks, "Mmmhm... This is a tasty burger..." In Pulp Fiction, the burger appears to be a typical American beef burger, with cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a standard, seedless hamburger bun.
Multiple real restaurants have featured a "Big Kahuna Burger" on their menus, including Inskip Grill located in Tarantino's hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Appearances
[edit]| Appearance | Year | Notes | Description | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reservoir Dogs | 1992 | Written and directed by Tarantino | Mr. Blonde is drinking his soda, it is seen in a Big Kahuna Burger to-go container. | [10] |
| Pulp Fiction | 1994 | Written and directed by Tarantino | Brett and his roommates are eating Big Kahuna Burgers, when Jules and Vincent show up to his apartment. Jules refers to the restaurant by name. | [10] |
| Four Rooms | 1995 | Co-written and directed by Tarantino and Rodriguez | In the segment "The Man From Hollywood", a Big Kahuna Burger drink cup is visible on the hotel bar. | [10] |
| From Dusk till Dawn | 1996 | Written by Tarantino, directed by Rodriguez | Seth Gecko gets takeout for three from Big Kahuna Burger. | [10] |
| Romy and Michele's High School Reunion | 1997 | Starring Mira Sorvino | A Big Kahuna Burger takeout bag is seen in Romy and Michele's apartment. | [11] |
| The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl | 2005 | Written and directed by Rodriguez | A Big Kahuna Burger takeout bag appears on the dock during the dream in which Max meets Sharkboy. | [10] |
| Death Proof | 2007 | Written and directed by Tarantino | Stuntman Mike asks Jungle Julia about a billboard "near Big Kahuna Burger". | [10] |
| From Dusk till Dawn: The Series | 2014 | Developed by Rodriguez | In the first season, a scene takes place inside a Big Kahuna Burger restaurant building. | [1] |
| Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | 2019 | Written and directed by Tarantino | A Big Kahuna Burger billboard is seen on a passing bus in 1969, the oldest in-universe reference to the food-chain brand. | [12] |
| Captain Marvel XXX: An Axel Braun Parody | 2019 | Written and directed by Axel Braun | A Big Kahuna Burger branded cup is held by Fury. | [citation needed] |
See also
[edit]
Look up big kahuna in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Richard Whittaker (25 March 2014). "'From Dusk Till Dawn' Bites into a Big Kahuna". The Austin Chronicle.
- ^ Marina Grishakova; Markku Lehtimäki (2004). Intertextuality and Intersemiosis. Tartu University Press. p. 135. ISBN 978-9985-56-911-5.
13–15 February 2003
- ^ Entertainment News Service (12 July 1996). "Product Placement Takes a Little Twist". Greensboro News and Record. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020.
- ^ Maui Grille Archived 5 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine, in Surprise, Arizona with a "Big Kahuna Burger"
- ^ "The Big Kahuna Burger" Archived 4 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine at Pancho and Leftys, Hare (near Taylor, Texas)
- ^ "World Famous Big Kahuna's" Archived 12 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine in Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA. A "Big Kahuna Burger" described as "The Best burger in Town!, featured in the film "Pulp Fiction"
- ^ "Brass Monkey Tiki Bar, Copenhagen, Denmark: kahuna burger"
- ^ "the big Kahuna burger". Atomic Burger menu. Britain. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
swiss cheese, pineapple & teriyaki sauce
- ^ "Big Kahuna's, Imperial Beach, CA - Our Menu". Big Kahuna's, Imperial Beach. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Jason Wiese (16 July 2024). "32 Quentin Tarantino Movie Easter Eggs That Hold The Tarantinoverse Together". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ "Quentin Tarantino's Influence on 'Romy and Michele's High School Reunion'". Entertainment Weekly. 2 May 1997.[1]
- ^ Hunt, James (16 August 2019). "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Every Easter Egg, Tarantino Reference & Cameo". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2022.