Drive the few extra miles to the other location. + Accurate orders + Relatively clean space - tiny portions - slower service A few puzzling decisions, small portions, and slow service at this specific Aloha BBQ location makes it an inferior choice but not the worst. Food is served hot and fresh but definitely left me wanting more. Let me put it this way: even the cabbage fluff they put to pad the plate was minimal in size. One piece of beef in the mix plate and a piece of kalbi that was so fatty and small I was worried I was getting veal. The tragedy is that the sister location (and in all fairness it may be a separate franchise) is so much more generous with portions, it's like night and day. One meal there is almost the size of two here. The main saving grace is that the food is palatable and had no particularly off flavors. It's just for the price you really should expect more. That said it's weird that they put pickled cabbage for the fluff, which messes with the flavors a bit. Drive down that way, you'll be happy you did. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Bbq mix. No it's not the mini, it's a regular plate (already ate the green salad) - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Food was bland, macaroni salad was horrible. Soda fountain was flat. Service was horrible., and the restaurant was dirty. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Kalua Pork - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Very big portions of Katsu for a mini plate!! Highly recommended! My order came very quickly Steamed veggies are well cooked too:) thank you!! read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - (Mini) Chicken Katsu sub steamed veggies. - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Stopped in for Mac salad a bit before closing and they loaded it up! Mac salad was fresh and just what I was craving-I will update my review next time I get a full plate. read more

Back then this was a 2 portion meal. One half now and the other one later. Portions are crazy small now. 2 scoops of rice and some katsu chicken for $16 is crazy. Then I had to pay an additional $2 for 3 small packs of sriracha sauce and some teriyaki sauce. The food was okay but not worth the price. Im sad to give it 1 star but even then its pushing it. read more

Food is always great shout to the employees Ritchie for maken it happen . Customers service is great and convenient read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - The food is great as always on point crispy - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Accidentally ordered from this one instead of another location via app. Do not go here. Awful service, less than half the amount as others, and tastes worse read more

Typically I just order chicken katsu anytime I go into a Hawaiian BBQ place. I was curious about the Maui Pineapple Chicken and the guy at the counter told me it was katsu but with the maui pineapple sauce. I though I would give it a try. They were really business but I would say my order was ready in about 5 minutes. I thought for sure they made a mistake because my order was so heavy. The amount of food I got for $15.99 has fed me for 4 meals. It was so good. I am begging to know how to make that Maui Pineapple sauce. It is so good. I am really sensitive to spicy food. I feel like it has a very slight kick but not too much for me. I am eating leftovers right now and still cannot believe how much food I got for so little and how good it was. Ignore the negative comments and go try it for yourself. read more

I have to disagree with all these negative reviews. It's not the best hawaiin food I've ever had but it's better than 2.5 stars (it's at least a 3.75, especially for the value of certain dishes). I chose this place because I was craving saimin and not too many Hawaiian places in the area actually have saimin, but this one does. I order that and some other items and was satisfied with everything. I would eat here again. To go order - Dec 2023 Hawaiian bbq mix plate - 7/10 BBQ chicken plate - 8/10 2x spam saimin - 7.5/10 Spam Musubi (2pc) - 7.5/10 Total $50 I'll start with the saimin since that's what I came for. I couldn't believe this was under $7!! You can get anything for that price, let alone a filling, yummy bowl of saimin (comes with 2 thin slices of spam, some cabbage, and a sprinkle of green onions). For the value it's an 8/10, for the flavor it's a 7/10. The noodles were chewy and cooked well, the broth is a tad salty but so was the spam. I wish there was kamobuko. But I'd order again. The bbq chicken plate was was also really good and came with more chicken than I expected (based on reviews). I like that it was just bbq chicken and they give you the teriyaki sauce on the side. The mac salad was decent too. I'd order it again. The aloha mix plate (bbq chicken, beef, short rib) was the most disappointing due to the small portion. Only one thin piece of chicken, one thin piece of beef, one thin slab of short rib. Flavor was fine but poor value. Spam musubi was fine but very average. Spam was thin but it was fried well. Rice was a tad mushy. Id still reorder since I can't not order spam Musubi, but manage expectations. read more

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Food: Ordered a chicken combo plate. It's edible. The Mac salad wasn't great, the rice was cooked okay, the chicken katsu was still slimey for some pieces, and the BBQ chicken was lacking sauce and taste. I would much rather go to Ono Hawaiian for fast Hawaiian food or Tenkatori Karage next door for fried chicken! Service: Took about 10 minutes to make, which is expected. The lady was nice and more than willing to give us different sauces to try. Parking: Small parking lot right in front, not usually crowded. You should be able to find a spot easily! read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Chicken combo plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Swung by to pick up a quick lunch and was very impressed. Friendly service and really fresh, delicious food. I had the chicken salad which is very large and heavy on very moist grilled chicken, with pineapple strewn throughout. Not sure what the dressing was but it was light and tasty. The only thing I missed was done sesame seeds which I've come to like on Asian chicken salads, but still very good. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Chicken salad - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

If I could give a zero star I would. Female at the counter was in her phone for a long while. I stood there trying to get her attention. I started to walk out when she finally looked up. I ordered. She proceeded to talk on her phone and oblivious to the world. Happened before with another worker. I'm done with this franchise nchise read more

22 for this plate? Rancid food. Portions were small, food was dry and cold. If I could get my money back I would. Do not COME! read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - See good Seafood BBQ Mix - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Horrible establishment just drive 5 mins to the next aloha and don't waste your time on this place. Half of scoop a rice and 2 pieces of beef for a plate. Pathetic never going here again. I've never seen such a light plate from this business until today read more

Honestly don't get the low rating. Ordered pick up, all was ready timely and the service was lovely. There was also quite a bit of orders ready for pickup so, definitely application spot! I was impressed by the price and the quality if food, such a great value. Hits the spot when you're seeking some solid and delicious soul fulfilling food with no frills. Ordered the chicken with rice and macaroni salad. I'll be back to try more! read more

Pretty upsetting that the portion size was 1/4 of what other locations provide. The meat was average but not too dry. The Mac salad was lacking some flavor. For the cabbage they literally put 2 pieces under the meat. I don't understand why they are so skimpy here. Maybe as a normal Hawaiian BBQ place the portion was ok, but for Aloha standards, this is definitely the worst one. Also, it was a bit more run down than other locations- felt a bit dirty. Will definitely not come back to this Aloha. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

One of the most consistent restaurants ever! The portions have remained huge despite ALL other restaurants serving less and less AND increasing their prices. Aloha has raised their prices over the years but reasonable compared to most and again they've kept the same crazy huge portions and tasty food. My usual is BBQ Chicken but I'll sometimes get the combo with Katsu if I'm feeling like treating myself. read more

Was in town and before leaving, came to check out this spot as we were craving for some local food. Dined in and yes, the food satisfied our cravings. Loved their beef plate and the mac salad was on point. Service was great as they were patient in taking our orders as we couldn't make up our minds on what we wanted. Greeted us with a friendly smile! Will come back again when we are in town. read more

Dirty. The food is substandard. The place is filthy. I don't know why I decided to eat here. The Aloha up the street is better. L&L on Harbor is also better. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Dirty. The food is sub standard. The place is filthy. I'm a little embarrassed for eating here. - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I'm so mad at this place we spent $52 and our 2 Hawaiian mixes were so empty I got one little lice of meat one little short rib and cold messed up chicken Katsura and the same for my husband except he got grilled chicken .. I'm so mad and all they said to do was go back n maybe ask if they can fill up the plate. Nothing like the pictures are advertised and I never write reviews .. they hardly even gave cabbage. Zero stars read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - a meal in a styrofoam container - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Food is sub par. They give you 1 sauce for a large plate and charge $1.07 for extra sauce.

The portion is way small compare to the other location by the Costa Mesa mall. The only reason I came to this one because the other location closes at 8pm. Also chicken katsu I order is a bit salty and came with no cabbage. I would avoid this location since the one by the Costa Mesa mall have way bigger portion. You would think they standardized their food but not the case here. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Small portion compare to the other location. - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Portions are not good No flavor on the chicken,cabbage taste old rice dry as f. Not good read more

Food is horrible...lava chicken is not spicy at all...chicken is entirely too big..chewy..and in my opinion unedible...I threw it away...the fish remind me of 6th grade lunchroom food...I'm not happy and would never spend another 50 dollars there read more

This place is terrible don't use them for door dash they pick up my food an took a whole hour to get to my home this was pointless nasty ass food an hour wait in the car that's disgusting terrible door dash service read more

The food here can be a hit or miss depending on when you go and what day I guess. I've noticed that my orders during the lunch rush tend to come out fresher, while when I order after the dinner time, taste for some items can be different (not in a good way). I typically get the BBQ Chicken plate lunch - with steamed white rice and mac salad. A plus about this place over others, is they give you the option to get more white rice in place of cabbage - while other places will try to pad your plate with cabbage to take up space. BBQ Chicken ordered during lunch time is flavorful, juicy and cooked just right - BBQ chicken ordered after dinner time tends to be dry and burnt (at least my last few times I ordered after dinner). Mac Salad @ lunchtime has just the right amount of mayo/creamyness to it and isn't overwhelming in anyway. Mac Salad after dinner is literally swimming in mayo, and I've had to allow the rice (thankfully they give you lots of it) to soak up some of the excess sauce to make it somewhat more palatable. Portions are good for the price - you can probably have enough for two meals if necessary. I'm not sure if this location is linked to the other Aloha Hawaiian BBQ restaurants in the area, since this location isn't listed on their website. Parking can be a pain depending on when you go, since you share the lot with another Japanese restaurant, a Subway, check cashing place, and 7-Eleven. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - BBQ chicken plate with steamed rice and Mac salad (to-go) - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Ordered from Door Dash and I guess it wasn't what I expected. The fish was hard and barely any meat inside. (Crispy White Fish) the fries were cold n hard. Bbq short ribs was just bones. Seafood bbq mix - just very disappointing Don't think I would ever order from here again read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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When you walk in it smells terrible. The lady didn't let us fully look at the menu and just wanted us to make up our minds without fully looking at the menu. It was a 5-10 minute wait which is pretty good but the food itself is bad. The macaroni was soggy, the chicken katsu barely had any chicken and was slimy, and the rice tasted terrible. I would definitely take my business elsewhere, there are other businesses that do Hawaiian BBQ justice. read more

Had to pay extra to get more sauces. They only give one scoop of rice in your order so you can't do the more macaroni and less rice option here. Extra macaroni is $1.25. So basically super stingy here. read more

The food here is amazing. Everyone is always so nice. The restaurant is small, but feels like such a good environment. I have gone many times and would recommend it to anyone who likes Hawaiian barbecue. read more

This place is the best! Always quick to bring out the food and the service here is amazing. The place is super clean. I recommend this place to everyone :) read more

The food is always hot when ordered. The cook is very nice and kind. The cashier is so sweet. ambiance overall is mom's home for sure. Tried the #1 taste amazing , coming more often to try all the choices. read more

Friendly service Great price and food is good love the mini plates for lunch. Verity of food to pick from

I've been going to the location at the district for years and years and accidentally got delivery from this one via doordash. As many have already mentioned, the portions are tiny... which I wouldn't have a problem with if the food was better, but it isn't. This is the first time that I've ever needed to add anything to the BBQ beef to add flavor. The meat was literally dry and salty. The katsu was good, but there was like 4 bites of it. We ordered for three people and all of us walked away disappointed. read more

I was excited to try an actual Hawaiian location but was immediately turned off when I walked in the door. The place just smelled like a public bathroom and garbage was piled up along the walls. As for the food, ridiculous portions that I could never finish if I tried. The breaded chicken was better than the BBQ chicken. Honestly, the only part I truly enjoyed was the macaroni salad, rice, and my Dr. Pepper. I'm excited to actually go to Hawaii in a few months and have authentic Hawaiian barbecue. I'll pass on this place. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Chicken platter - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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This is decent Hawaiian-style plate lunch food. Although I have tried many of the meats they offer, the only one that I can recommend is the BBQ Chicken. It is a sizable portion and my kids can even split one. I also really like the fried shrimp appetizer - which has a lot breading but it tastes really good. If you want to be more health conscious, then you can do double steamed veggies (broccoli and carrots) with your meal. They are steamed perfectly and still have crunch to them. This is a good place to pick up some Hawaiian BBQ Chicken meals for the family. read more

Doordash defaults to this Aloha location despite me living near the District locations. Portions are HALF the size of the other locations. If this place is a franchise, then it needs help from HQ. Beef was dry and chewy as he'll. Might as well have been dehydrated first. Mac Salad recipe is different from the other locations. read more

I called in a Chicken Katsu and turned out to be really good and nice size portion! The lady there was very friendly and even came out to say hi to my Husky that was waiting in my truck. Very nice place! read more

So good!!! Best hawaiian food in SoCal. The service is very friendly and fast. The enviroment is beautiful, only 15mins from the beach

I went to Aloha Hawaiian BBQ during lunch and ordered it to go. I'm going to start this review with: This place is a typical hole in the wall. They have pictures of the food as their menu in bright lights above the register and 4 little tables inside. It isn't fancy I ordered the chicken bowl - it comes with solid delicious chicken, white rice and veggies. The rice could've been better but the chicken and veggies were great. I got a side of the mac salad - delicious and it's a huge side order! Will I come back? Maybe not my first choice - I could get the same thing at Flame Broiler with more sauce options and the option for brown rice. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Chicken bowl + mac salad. Good portions! - Hawaiian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California