I wish I would have discovered this place sooner! It meets the mark for Hawaiian foods for me. I used to visit a Hawaiian restaurant religiously when I lived outside California. And glad I visited this. I had the #1 Hawaiian bbq combo My fiancé had the #9 chicken volcano #1 was the better of the two the bbq short ribs were delicious and just made everything taste better when you combined the rice and macaroni salad. I can see this is why their favorite dish. The chicken volcano was good I'm a big fan of fried food so it didn't disappoint, but if you're trying this spot out for the first time go for the bbq it's delicious and it won't let you down. I'll definitely be back. read more

The people are really nice but unfortunately the food is horrible. The macaroni salad was so peppery and dry we couldn't eat it. The chicken katsu was overcooked and dry with hardly any chicken, the bbq chicken was dry and the short ribs overcooked and salty. We had been here a couple years ago and it was great but it is much different food now. It is nothing comparable to Ono or L&L. read more

Went in for a combo chicken/bbq ribs the amount of chicken and ribs was a joke. One pice of ribs and two very small of chicken read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

my only complain is wish I got a whole plate full of the macaroni salad, because it's SO GOOD! this place was quiet on a Monday afternoon, but has cute decor, great vibes and is kept meticulously clean. the owner is so friendly, made some great recommendations on what to order and brought our food as soon as it was ready. DEFINITLEY recommend the #1 which is the mix Hawaiian plate with chicken, short ribs, and beef. we also ordered the volcano chicken, and it was delicious. The chicken was slightly thin, but the coating is delicious and crunchy. TIP- You must accompany your meal with some cold and refreshing POG. seriously .. you won't regret it. Can't wait to come back and try more dishes. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

Used to come here before a new spot opened up, I always felt the meat was burnt and it was more fat on the short ribs than anything.. but service was good. read more

Don't waste your $$ on this place. You are better off driving to the L&L in Gilroy. My chicken katsu was very disappointing, it was over fried and barely any chicken in it. Pricey place for disappointing food. read more

I live in an area where they don't have any Hawaiian BBQ spots, so when I came into town and saw this, I had to make it a point to stop. And wow, I am so glad I did!! This place is the real deal! It had fun tiki decorations on the inside and plenty of tables. When I went, they had just opened and more than half the tables filled up in less than half an hour after opening. The food.. wow, the food. The portions were great, and it was fantastic! I got the plate with the bbq chicken and Katsu chicken and rice, with a side of the pineapple sauce. The katsu chicken was so crispy and fresh! It had such a great taste, and the bbq chicken was even better!! It was soft and a big portion, and when you add the pineapple sauce it was absolutely tasty!! The macaroni that comes with the combo plate was also really tasty. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone and everyone! And wish they would bring one of these to the central coast, so I could have it all the time! read more

Been coming here for a while, the food is good and the staff is always so nice. My go to is the bbq mix plate and a spam musubi

Bad first impression closed on sundays? Well I'll just go to the one on Davis the parking there is hell and I waisted my gas for no reason

This place is fire I like the chicken Katsu with extra Katsu sauce damn if fire the bbq combo fire chicken combo fire chicken musubi's fire the owner she's real friendly and nice I love this place read more

The food here is crazy good. They always make it fresh to order! The people who work here as well and extremely friendly! Always add extra sauce on the side. I will continue to come here! A few weeks ago I called about 20mins before they closed and asked if it was too late to order. They lady told me no and that it was still plenty of time. I hate to be that person that calls late. When I picked up the food it was great and freshly made. Love this place. The short ribs and bbq chicken are by far my favorite! read more

Prior to 3 years ago, I had never had anything "Hawaiian BBQ." My co worker introduced me to this place and I have never stopped going back since. My absolute go to is the Spam Musubi. Growing up, I hated anything Spam at all but trying it with seaweed, white rice, soy sauce and Sriracha really was a game changer for me. And to note: I tried a Musubi at another Hawaiian BBQ joint out in San Jose and found out that not all musubi's are made the same. I have no idea what kind of knock off spam or brand of seaweed the other place used but their musubi was disgusting. After having the other place's horrible version of a musubi, I had to get that awful taste out of my mind so I went to our Hawaiian BBQ here in Salinas, ordered 3 spam musubi's, devoured them and all was well again :) My 2nd go to are the Mini Plates: chicken or beef. Both meats are always tender and juicy. I would like to see the side of veggies cooked longer. And I think the macaroni salad taste much better when it's not cold. Very generous portions which keeps customers very happy. Prices are average. read more

This place is only A-OK because its the only plate lunch place in Monterey until Santa Cruz! We get what we can. No fun! Anyway, I was already living in Monterey by the time they opened this restaurant. When they first opened I heard they were owned by Koreans, and that gave me hope to having the food taste somewhat authentic or island inspired, ya know? Like I said, when they first opened things were ok, the menu was still limited but they've been offering my favorite Hawaiian Sun juices since day one, so one star for canned Hawaiian Iced Tea and Lilikoi! But as time went on, the food of this place went to crap, and so I threw my hands up and was like, no. No more. I went about a year and a half without coming back here but when I finally did, bf had short ribs and I had a loco moco, and you know what, the hamburger patty looked and felt like it was hand made! If it was that's awesome because they were being made out of frozen disks which had no taste, at all. So I hope this is an indication of them actually caring about their food. I still am afraid to order seafood, though, I don't want to know how long those items had been frozen, much like the hamburger patties. They do offer mini plates, like L&L it just means smaller portions. If you know how to plate lunch, you know regular plates get 2 scoops of rice and mini's get 1. Lol. So keep serving up those Hawaiian Suns and I'll keep coming. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

It's okay...not really authentic Hawaiian style food. Teriyaki beef could be leaner and grilled better. The rice is good though.

I always order chicken katsu with double macaroni salad. Eat half there, take half home, plenty of food and delicious! Staff friendly, restaurant clean. Check it out! read more

Food was pretty good but took a fair amount of time. Good portion size and was filling.

Delicioso food great family owned business Thank you for always providing fast service read more

Great service and excellent food! The only downside about the food was that the bbq ribs has a little too much "fat". But other than that the rice, meats and macaroni were freshly made. read more

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Tried the shrimp plate and the meat plate pretty good as far as taste goes but the salad was NOT it. If you've ever been up in the Bay Area you would know that the macaroni salad needs some improvement. But the meat taste is really good! The fried shrimp plate is pretty good wish they had fish too though! read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Salinas! The staff are so friendly, food is delicious, the decorations are so in theme with the whole Hawaiian aspect. read more

This plc is def a must when we go into town! This plc is currently on my top 5 fav list. read more

Excellent food, great portions- will definitely be back. We had the kahlua pork (yum) and Katsu chicken. read more

wow......what a pleasant surprise!!!! I am a haole of hawaiian ancestry living on the mainland and when I tried the "loco moco" here I was taken back home.....sooooo ono!!! It feels like ohana with Mom (Maria) and Daughter (Maritza) providing excellent service in clean and cozy surroundings always professional and courteous.......Mahalo big time!!! I will going back!! That's for sure....Kahu G. read more

This is the third time here and I want to like it but I can't. I ordered the Chicken Katsu and when I got home I noticed most of the chicken was raw. The outer part was tough but when you broke it open it was pink. I could not eat it and it all went to waste. Plus my bf BBQ beef was burnt. Last time we come here sadly. read more

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Never will i go to this place the chicken katsu was horrible I would give it a 2 out of 10. There was hardly any chicken just a thousand slices of fried chicken skin. There macaroni salad tasted like macaroni and cheese over seasoned. The rice was ok but overall I would highly recommend that you pass on this place unless you want to be upset and frustrated about throwing away your money. Along with this you will see the photos I attached this is what there calling chicken katsu. The best way to eat this is by throwing the whole meal away . read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

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Katsu Chicken had no chicken, it was all super crispy bread. The sauce for it was watered down so much. Rice tasted like it wasn't washed. Mac salad looked like it would taste good but it was so bad, it had way too much black pepper and it was just bland, no flavor. read more

They gave us raw meat and claimed it was well cooked. We went back and complaint. They kept saying we were wrong and it was just the sauce. They gave us a new rib. Never again tho. read more

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

I have been to this location on several occasions. They usually consist of me needing a quick bite to eat on the go of something that isn't the fast food chain type. Since my usual visits were the drive-by kind I never really noticed they have some twisted obsession with Styrofoam. I went to eat there a few days ago and dined-in. I was served in a Styrofoam container. "No problem," I thought, "maybe they just thought I was taking this food to-go." NEGATIVE. When all was said and done I went to chuck my Styrofoam container in the trash and noticed that it was a Styrofoam graveyard! I understand that times are tough but can we steer away from the SUPER-ultra-toxic material that never-ever decomposes or breaks down? I know many restaurants use Styrofoam for carry-out type of situations but for dining-in? REALLY... really? How about some dishes and a sink or a dishwasher, the kind you load, press a button, and walk away? I'm not expecting biodegradable containers but how about some cardboard or something? My .02 read more

We have been coming here FOREVER. This is authentic Hawaiian BBQ plate lunch like you find in Hawaii. Simple counter ordering with a decent sized amount of booths and tables. Clean dining room and restrooms. My favorite lunch is the Seafood Combo with deep fried shrimp, scallops, and mahi mahi. Other favs are the Loco Moco, Short Ribs and Spam Musubi. All the plate lunches come with white rice and macaroni salad. And if there is any way you still have room for dessert... they have ice cream!! read more

Decent Hawaiian plate lunch, but a bit below what I remember having in hawaii (Maui, Oahu, Big Island), comparable to the typical places here on the 'mainland.' Although the rice was a bit dry/hard, close to Chinese style, not Japanese/typical Hawaiian plate lunch. Short ribs were disappointingly fatty for both of us, but typical of lower-priced/fast food style places. I liked the flavor in the beef and chicken, not overly sweet like some places. Didn't care for the fish in the mac salad, can see why people say to avoid it. Portions were generous, so the people complaining about price may not be factoring this in. Falls a bit short to actually eating in Hawaii, but typical here in Cali so I may stop by if I'm in the area and have the craving. read more

On January 27, 2022 I bought 6 plates and 4 spam musubi's, total bill of exactly $105. The wait was the average time. This was my second time here as to why I went back on this day because my first visit was amazing. I live 20 minutes away and when I got home all the plates sunk in, the plates were all wet from the food being so hot and covered up and all the plates had rice stuck to the top as we opened it. The chicken and meat was disgusting! The chicken and meat tasted as if it was boiled in water. The mac was horrible! I don't know what was in it but it tasted as if they did not have enough mayo and they added water to it, I literally barfed it out my mouth! The spam musubi had not flavor at all. I had to recook all the meat and throw the rice, spam musubis and mac to the trash. I wasted my money, drive and time. VERY DISAPPOINTING!!!!!! read more

This is my new favorite restaurant! Just wish is wasn't in salinas. Food is great and they give you large portions so the price isn't bad. Last time I went for lunch on a Sunday, I think there was only one person in the kitchen so it took her awhile to get out meals but totally worth the wait read more

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Love this place, #8 it's a healthy option and can switch up the Mac salad for steam veggies. If with little ones, they'll like the grill chicken. Our little ones like it and we don't often give them take out food nor even if we offer do they like it, so them liking the chicken is a win for us when we do eat at this place. Be aware if using a credit card they will ask to see your ID if not they won't proceed with the purchase. You're fine if using a debit card. It's probably for the business' own protection and although I was caught off guard when they asked me for it, I'm glad they look out for what's in their best interest if they've had issues in the past. read more

First impression: clean, friendly staff. I ordered the chicken katsu with steamed rice and vegetables. It was brought our hot, the portions are big (enough for 2 people) and the flavors were great. So far, this is a place I will be returning to. read more

Aloha BBQ is really good! I'm here almost once a week! The chicken plate is my favorite. It comes with a good side of macaroni salad and rice. I love that they have mini plates incase you don't want the bigger portions. Staff is friendly and the place is always clean. read more

This place is sooo good, and the staff is really nice. I normally dont like the chicken katsu sauce anywhere...but its REALLY good here. Dont forget the spam masubi! read more

Very good marinated meat! It's the closest you will find to Hawaiian barbecue that I've found. The restaurant is small and in a old shopping center but don't let that fool you. The cashier was nice and the restaurant is clean. This is a good place to pick up some good food with a short wait time at a reasonable price. The only thing I didn't care for is that they over cooked the macaroni salad noodles. But I will return again for another lunch meal. read more

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I ordered the barbecue mix plate and was immediately disappointed when I opened the box. I mostly base my reviews off of food quality and not so much the service. The meat inside was over cooked and scarce for a Hawaiian bbq restaurant. The macaroni was deceiving because it looked like it would have a lot of flavor, but managed to be more bland than the steamed rice. I have a very big appetite, but ended up throwing away half the plate and will not likely return. I hope this place either improves or a new Hawaiian bbq restaurant opens. read more

We found this local dive from Yelp, and let me tell you this place is GOOD! Its located in a strip mall, and if your not searching for it you'll pass it up. Our family ordered the manupuas, spam musubi, garlic chicken plate, short ribs plate and BBQ mix plate...and I must say ALL ARE SO GOOD! I surprised by the garlic chicken. It looks like chicken katsu, just not as heavily breaded but it tastes really good! I would recommend any item we ordered. I was surprised to find this local spot, it definitely did not disappoint! They have quick courteous service. We ordered to go, and the wait was decent. We would return here again! read more

This is my favorite Hawaiian BBQ place in the central coast! The #1 on the menu is the best bang for your buck! The macaroni is the best. The seasoning on the chicken and beef are so good. They also have Hawaiian sherbet and ice creams. You got to try the sodas they have there also! You will not be disappointed! read more