I have been to Bali Hai restaurant twice now and had a pleasant experience both times. From the food to the service, everything was excellent. The ambiance is just breathtaking with stunning views of the ocean. While at Bali Hai, you will feel like you are transported to an Island. I highly recommend this restaurant if you want a unique experience with good food and service. read more

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This place is a vibe just in terms of ambiance. It's a tiki restaurant and has really fun drinks. The food always leaves something to be desired tho. We really did not like the coconut shrimp - they tasted like they were frozen and just reheated and served. I come here for the drinks and the vibes and honestly the service has been really good, but I wouldn't come here if I was looking for a high quality meal. read more

The food used to be put of this world good. Unfortunately, maybe the economy has taken a toll on this business but the food was extremely salty, the serving sizes have also gotten smaller and prices higher. My friend ordered the calamari, only at half of it. I got the pan seared fish and that was too salty. Another friend got beef skewers and they were pretty salty too. The service was great except it was a birthday reservation and they had somehow forgotten to add that even though it was specified and they had to be reminded the day of again. The ambiance is always spectacular at this place though. Also the views are to die for. I would love to come back and hope they are able to improve on the food in accordance to how much they charge for it. read more

Bali Hai Restaurant - Pan Seared Market Fish Crispy Calamari Island Beef Skewers - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Diego, California

Wow wow wow. What a fun date night experience! I swear everything that we could've had go. Wright went right for us... We had a perfect view against the window for a two top looking out at downtown San Diego. Our food was incredible and our weight stuff was the best.! I hade the sweet and sour pork and my boyfriend had the wok sea bass. Everything was perfectly cooked and flavorful! I can't wait to come back read more

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One of my favorite restaurants in SD! Consistent service and quality experience every time I go. Not sure what the best part is: the food, the mai tais, or ambiance. You have one do the best views of downtown and the San Diego harbor with a classy Polynesian vibe. Best coconut shrimp and strongest mai tais. Bali Hai is the goat. read more

Bali Hai Restaurant - The famous Bali Hai Mai Tai - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Diego, California

Best views in San Diego County Amazing happy hour Stiff drinks that are tasty Fun people watching and super cool clientele ranging in age from 1 to 100 Great place to have a wedding I've been to two here Great place for a birthday party dinner done that a few times Amazing place to celebrate any occasion Food is super delicious and easy to find healthy options I imagine Bali hai will outlive every other restaurant in San Diego Cheers to many more years read more

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I Love Poke Festival - usually once a year out on the patio overlooking San Diego bay and under the restaurant! Tickets were $80 for early bird this year! A few pictures from some of the best bites of the event. read more

Bali Hai Restaurant - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Diego, California

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Bali Hai Brunch 9:45-1:45 review. Best to make a reservation, just in case, either way there is a 5% surcharge at the end of your bill. There is a very large parking area, so no need to worry about parking. Service was good. The view of the water outside is beautiful! There was a nice selection of seafood: Cold crab legs, cocktail sauce & shrimp, smoked salmon + many island style foods, but also Prime rib, Yakisoba, pho, and an omelette station. Overall though food was decent, not amazing. You are given a glass of champagne, and you can add orange, pineapple, or cranberry juice to it. Or they also offer Apple cider, tea, and coffee. You are not allowed to order anything from the regular menu during the brunch buffet. read more

Bali Hai Restaurant - Sunday Brunch! - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Diego, California

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We came for the Sunday Brunch for my husband's birthday. If you love crabs legs, oysters, and shrimp... this is for you! My husband loves crab legs and was very impressed with the brunch buffet spread. The short ribs were also delicious! It was a beautiful day and we had a table with a nice view of the bay. Our server was very friendly and made sure my husband had a bowl for his crab leg shells lol! We've only been here for the brunch buffet and not tried the regular menu but we'll definitely come back! read more

Bali Hai Restaurant - View of the bay from our table - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Diego, California

The mai tai here is famous or maybe even infamous, however you choose to think of it. (Incidentally, "infamous" does NOT mean "very famous.") It is also ridiculously strong. If you light a match near it, it could explode. This restaurant just may have the best view of any place in San Diego. I have been here probably a hundred times and it never fails to impress me. It's simply wonderful. I don't love the dinner menu but I enjoy their coconut shrimp, which they do well. If you don't want to commit to a full dinner, go for the pu pu small bites in the lounge. It's kid friendly and sometimes there is live music. You can get a small portion of coconut shrimp as an appetizer in the lounge. The only bummer about sitting in the lounge is there is no bay view. You could do a lot worse than some coconut shrimp, a truly deadly mai tai, and an amazing view. read more

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Bali Hai restaurant features South Pacific cuisine. Decorated in the South Pacific theme with awesome views of downtown San Diego and the harbor. The service is great and they are attentive to the customer. Giving you a good recommendation of their menu. Watch out for the strongest Mai Tai in town. It's so strong they limit you to only having 2 per person. The food was delicious and perfectly seasoned and cooked. A very beautiful experience. read more

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This review is specifically for the brunch. We went for Father's Day and it was overpriced for what they offered. Also, none of us were very hungry, but, since we had the reservation, we had to go or we'd be charged. One kid had a small plate of fruit and one piece of bacon. The other had a pancake and fruit. They had an omelette bar, but it would have been nice is they had premade scrambled eggs as an option. I want to say I had one crab leg and a brownie. Not even sure what my husband ate- maybe an omelet? Anyway, the bill was close to $300 with tip. Such a waste of money. We're not making a reservation next year. read more

Came for Father's Day brunch today. Staff was great and views are superb. Food is just okay for $90. The prime rib cut seemed like choice at best and lacked seasoning. The best things today were the bacon (super crisp), strawberry salad and the chicken wings. The rest, even the seafood was a bit disappointing. read more

an elevator took us upstairs where we sat outside, enjoyed the busy view and enjoyed a couple drinks. the famous mai tai and a coffee. they don't make an iced coffee so i made my own if we weren't so full from lunch we'd have stayed for happy hour. read more

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Valentine's Day 2026 surprise at Bali Hai Restaurant and it couldn't have been a better pick. We kicked things off with one of their huge cocktail drinks and no exaggeration, it was delicious and way more fun than we expected. Definitely a "share it and take photos first" kind of drink. The fish and chips were a standout too. Crispy, fresh, and honestly something I'd go back for on their own. But the real highlight was the vibe. Gorgeous waterfront views overlooking the ocean and downtown San Diego skyline made the whole experience feel extra special. Super romantic, super chill, and just a perfect SD evening. Already looking forward to going back. read more

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San Diego classic haven't been here in years. The view is fantastic. The Ahi was delicious as was the Branzino. Salad was large and delicious. Cocktails were wonderful. Issac was attentive did an excellent job. Highly recommend read more

This place was fun to visit. Honestly, I would have probablyhad more fun sitting at the bar, having a drink, and listening to the music. Of course I went for the mai tai but when I was warned about how it was made, I decided against it. Pure alcohol! Apparentlyl that is the way it is supposed to be made. ??? I ended up with some other drink. I guess, being tiki, I expected it to be amazing, but it was typical. The food was good but it's something I could have ordered at other restaurants. I'm not saying that it wasn't good, but it just wasn't outstanding. I will bring friends here when in town just because I do feel they should check it out. I enjoyed looking out the window and watching the boats coming in from whale watching or the kayers paddling. I kind of wished I had my kayak. I would have been in the water. Server was pleasant. Visit this place at least once so you can say you did it. Maybe even try the Mai Tai. ........ v .. ..... read more

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I always look forward to coming here. The view of the bay is spectacular, especially if you arrive near sunset. This visit I ordered the Ahi tuna dinner with their famous Mai Tai. I usually order a different drink, however it being the Christmas season, I thought 'what the heck'! It was fine as long as I sipped it really slow, each sip felt like a shot of alcohol. Overall it was a really nice dinner, great ambiance with a live singer across from the bar area and impeccable service as usual. The lobby had a very pretty Christmas tree and the outside area included many colored lights. A great way to celebrate Christmas! read more

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This is one of my favorite places to eat when on Shelter Island. I've been here many times and its always hits all the boxes. Located on the picturesque coast with a million dollar view of the San Diego city and skyline. The appetizers are good and take the place of a meal. Ribs, shrimp or calamari its all good. Recently we came here as a party of 12 on Thanksgiving with a reservation. Im so glad we had a reservation due to being crazy busy. They got us in on time. The food on the buffet was really good. They had everything plus some faves like Kailua pig and lobster ravioli. They never ran out of anything. It's a pretty big place, didn't realize how big til I dined on the second floor. Very nice patio seating and great views+ read more

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Our group of four lucked out and were able to sit near the window on a cool, sunny day for lunch. We were scouting the place for a women's group brunch later in the year, and were so happy to see the expansive view from the dining room. The tables were nicely set, and there was enough space for us to move all the extra menus and decorations off to the side so we all had space for our food and beverages. It did get a bit warm as it got later into the afternoon, but nothing intolerable. Food was pretty good, but not stellar. I ordered a teriyaki smash burger, which turned out pretty well, but they don't have gluten free buns, so I had it on a bed of lettuce. (I know, teri sauce isn't GF, but I do ok if I minimize.) My side salad was supposed to have li hing mui vinaigrette, but it truly did not taste like li hing mui at all. Maybe they needed to stir the dressing up before putting it into that little cup? My friends ordered Korean fried chicken, and we were all surprised that it wasn't spicy at all. I think we got regular teriyaki sauce, but I'm not sure. No green onion or sesame seed garnish, either, which I'm used to seeing on this dish. The beef skewers on the ali'i plate of appetizers were really good, probably the best thing on the table, along with the freshly brewed iced tea. Table service was absolutely on point, and we were really well taken care of. Keep in mind that there's an automatic 5% surcharge on the tab, not including whatever you might want to tip. read more

This was my first time here and I was pleasantly surprised. We were there on December 23rd for my Auntie's Surprise Birthday Party. We had the entire downstairs of the restaurant. Venue: Fantastic view from the downstairs I can only imagine the view upstairs. The tables had been placed along the windows. It was fairly cloudy but still beautiful. This allowed for casual mingling both inside and out. The staff were amazing and so so professional. We also met the owner who said that his family has owned the restaurant for 30+ years. Gave us a little history. Food: I apologize but I apparently didn't take any pictures of the food. However, some was good, some not so much. Of course being from Hawaii, I have different expectations of "Polynesian" food. There was Toss Salad, Hawaiian rolls, Island style macaroni salad, Rice, Kalua Pig & cabbage, Teriyaki chicken, and Mahi with a cream sauce. There might have been something else but I dont remember. For a buffet, it was pretty good. Best thing for me was the chicken. The fish was a little dry though. There was a cute area outside that we took a group photo. One of the wait staff took a picture from the 2nd floor in order to make us fit. Overall would highly recommend for a small event like ours. read more

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We hosted our wedding rehearsal dinner at Bali Hai on a Thursday night and had 41 guests. Leading up to the event, the Banquets Team (Lesley and Courtney) were easy to work with, sent reminders, and responded quickly! Day-of, we had 3 banquet staff members and they were amazing! They were very attentive, polite, and professional. They checked with me before serving things, and anytime we wanted to use the wireless mic, they were there to switch the audio for us. The food was good, but not the best we've had. The dessert and starter were great and the tray passed apps were incredible, but the main course was slightly lacking for the price. The view was great and they had soft background music playing. Our only remark is that Bali Hai requires you to make multiple payments (deposit, 2nd deposit, 3rd deposit, then the remaining of the total estimate), but we would have preferred to make a deposit then one larger final payment closer to the day-of. Overall, we'd recommend hosting an event there! They have a great team! read more

Excellent !!!!! From the beginning making our first call to reserve the tiki room for 30+ people the service via email was great. The room was cute . The menu options to choose from amazing drinks etc etc. Amazing. Our 2 servers did so great . We had a great graduation party . Thanks Bali Hai - read more

Bali Hai Restaurant - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here for date night for our anniversary. Not sure if that's why we got a table right by the window but HIGHLY recommend asking for that whenever you make your reservation. Please note they strictly don't start seating until 5. Before that it's open seating near the entrance. Okay let's get into the drinks first. Everyone raved about drinks here. They notoriously have the "strongest drink in San Diego." All I have to say is it was the strongest drink I've ever had in my life and just writing this is making my face do the sour-face "I remember my first shot" experience. It's their Mai Tai and it can be shared in a large punch bowl or can be split for two. Please note they limit it to two per person although I couldn't imagine drinking two solo. Other drinks we got were the Planter's Punch (highly recommend for people wanting fruity-sweet), the Big B's Bri-to (recommend for pineapple and sour lovers), and the Paralyzing Puffer Fish (recommend for sweet and sour). Now onto the food that actually kind of blew us away. We started off with the Ali'i Tasting For Two. You get two of everything: coconut shrimp, tuna poke, spinach lumpia, short ribs, and beef skewers. HIGHLY recommend. My personal favorite was the lumpia and the ribs but my husband enjoyed the shrimp. As for our main dishes I got the Korean Fried Chicken. It was slightly dry but the flavor was wonderful. Our waiter recommended putting the sauce normally used for the coconut shrimp on my side of rice and it really leveled it up. We also got the Crispy Ahi Tuna which was PHENOMENAL. All of their fish was terribly tasty. We also got a side of the Chinese garlic noodles which were 15/10. Special shout out to Nadeem who was our server. Just a really thoughtful person who kept checking in on us consistently to ensure we were having a great time but more importantly a wonderful experience. He was attentive, fast, and really kind. Will be asking for him exclusively when we return. I cannot comment on parking as we walked there (we parked down the street to do a stroll prior). This is the perfect place for a date, a place to have some drinks, or a must-go for a really lovely view of downtown. PS you can pay extra and take home signature tiki mugs/glasses with your drinks! read more

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Sooooo I was a guest here for a high school graduation dinner. I had been here before for events but never to dine. It gives 60's or 70's Hollywood Hawaii vibes, not too mad about it. The host was great with a party our size. We had a set menu, which I can understand so it was all good. But it ends there - the food is severely lacking, which sucks bcuz it looked good. I have never not taken food home. The saving grace was the drinks, which were strong. It made me think that their drinks are strong to compensate for the food flavors. Anyway, if you like this place more food for you as I won't be going back read more

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Always love ordering their salmon, it tastes like it's fresh out of the ocean! Definitely recommend their coconut shrimp too. The drinks are pretty weak unless you order their famous Mai tai read more

Bali Hai Restaurant - Salmon salad & a Hawaiian Tuna Poke - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Diego, California

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Always enjoy my time and meal here. Food tonight was excellent! My table had the short ribs, gone! Tuna, gone! And I had the salmon with strawberries, who knew? Gone! This might be the Mai Tai talking. read more

Bali Hai Restaurant - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Diego, California

Had a wonderful birthday celebration at Bali Hai Restaurant. Mario, our server, was great. Mario took really good care of us. The food was amazing, the restaurant with the beautiful water view really set the mood for a great evening. Great food, great location, great atmosphere. read more

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Good ambiance and fun atmosphere. Drinks are great and the appetizers are busting. The entrees are mid. Great spot for drinks and apps. read more

They weren't kidding about the drinks. There really is no juice in the mai tai. I had to mix a little POG into my mai tai to make it drinkable for me. Came here with colleagues on a weekday afternoon while visiting San Diego with a reservation. We were seated in ten minutes or so since we were a little early. We all ordered something off the lunch menu. Started with the coconut shrimp to share. Delicious. The kalua pork lunch plate was tasty with a unique take on mac salad. I'm just used to what I grew up with and homemade but appreciate that everyone has their own recipe. The salad was also tasty and filling. read more

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Came on a Monday night around 6pm. There was 5 of us in our party. I took a poll at the end of the night to see how everyone felt about the experience. I rated it a 2 star. Two people rated it 3 stars. One person a 3.5 and one person a 4. We all generally ranked the food the same... 2.5 stars, the view, 5 stars, parking 5 stars, service, 4 stars but where we differed was the drinks, the intangibles, and the energy of the place. Food for me was extremely disappointing, especially at the price point. We all shared and the side dish of the Brussels sprouts was our universal favorite. Side dishes should not be the best part of the meal in my opinion. What made it great was that it's enough for two people easily, it was charred perfectly and had cheese, bacon, and balsamic. It was priced at 9 bucks. Second best dish was the 14 oz. wok fried bass The dish was corvina seabass, ponzu, and szechuan style vegetables. From the plating to the presentation to the taste, it's hard to find anything to complain about. With the flavors and how filling it was, the price of 44 dollars was on point. Third best dish was the side dish of the black bean chinese broccoli that was 8 dollars. After that, there was such a big drop off that I wouldn't really recommend anything else from what we had. The roasted whole fish was a Mediterranean bass and had coconut melange, and stir fried curry vegetables. Everything on the plate was a bit dry and the seasoning just wasn't there. Everyone at the table wasn't impressed. Especially given it was market priced. The crispy pork belly was the dish I was most looking forward to and at $30 I was ready for it to be great. It was crispy. Not crunchy. It was dished up with spiced lemon basmati rice, pickled pepper & onion, black vinegar & balsamic jam. None of it really stood out. The pan seared scallops at $40 which had garlic polenta, kombu and charred scallion miso, and tomato-basil salad was a split between being underwhelming (as in the description sounded better than what it actually came out to be) and middle of the pack. It's a pretty dish to look at and if you want something heavier than a salad but lighter than some of the other meals, I would suggest this. The seared salmon was on the cheaper side. It was 30 bucks and it had a chili-pineapple glaze, lemon-basil risotto, and strawberry relish. We all liked the flavors. And thought it was a unique combination. The outer crust of the salmon could have been seared a touch longer. The glaze needed more heat. We started the day with appetizers. We got the ali'i tasting for $28 which was worth it. It came with coconut shrimp, bali hai tuna poke, spinach lumpia, beef skewers, firecracker ribs. Ribs were amazing. We also got the spinach cream cheese lumpia which came with passion orange guava sweet and sour. It was $12. We ended the day with two desserts - Lemon Mousse Cake which had blueberry lemon curd, lemon lavender truffle, and blueberry muffin ice cream and the White Chocolate Cheesecake (GF) which had Raspberry sauce and Amaretti cookie. Both were fine. Both were 12 dollars. The blueberry muffin ice cream was delightful. The lemon cake in general was superior because each bite, you tasted something different. We were served by Diego. And nothing but praise for him. He was quick. He was fun to be around. He was ready with all the answers to our questions. He was just an overall great person to be around. The view was immaculate. And the parking situation is super easy. Spaces for dayssss. Usually I would recommend you coming here to try for yourself or even consider coming back here again but I think with the amount I tasted here, I can safely say that while great for our occasion and for our of town visitors. I wouldn't recommend it if you're local. I think other places serve more impressive food. read more

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Bali Hai was one of the many restaurants I decided to scope out during restaurant week. I've heard such great things and was excited to try their set menu and try out the infamous Mai tai. The Mai tai lived up to its' reputation: strong, efficient, and boozy as hell. The food on the other hard .. I was underwhelmed. My personal favorite thing I tried were the beef skewers. These had great flavor. I was most excited for the coconut shrimp but they were nothing special in my opinion. The swordfish seemed flavorless and somewhat dull. I still genuinely enjoyed my time here since the view is so pretty and I had great company. I might return for a happy hour sometime and see if I can find something I prefer on that menu. read more

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The first thing I notice about this place is that there is ample parking. No stress needed to search to find parking !! The ambiance is nice here. Beautiful view at any angle. We tried their Sunday Brunch Buffet . We were seated by the window with such a beautiful view of the water! Kevin was our server and he was very kind. There was a lot of food to choose from like various meats, carving station and sea food. Not too many vegetable dishes. There was also an omlet station and a lot of desserts to choose from. The food was okay. The meat was a little dry possibly due to sitting out for a while. I recommend that if you come here for brunch, be sure to come hungry!!! read more

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Came on a Monday evening for a business dinner. Made reservations for 2 the day before with request to be seated outside. Afternoon of, I increased the party size to 3. We parked in the huge parking lot with plentiful parking. We were seated right away at an awesome table outside. Gorgeous sunset view which gave way to a full moon. Diego was our server and he was on top of it with recos, drinks, appetizers, etc. One guy got a steak with the gravy on the side. He said it was perfectly cooked to order and good. Two people jointly ate the relatively large Caesar salad. Two of us each got the sea bass. It was tasty and because it was sitting on top of veggies, I could just gently dip into the sauce versus having the fish steeped in the sauce. Overall, it was a great atmosphere for a business dinner, had super easy parking, great view, solid service, and decent food. read more

GREAT HAPPY HOUR! What can I say?? The view is awesome the music is spot on. The Mai Tais are the best. We like to add a little pineapple juice for the island effect, haha. Be sure to have the calamari and the ribs, our favorites. Friend liked the poke and the coconut shrimp. We love this place! read more

My best friend and I tried Bali Hai during San Diego Restaurant Week and had such a great experience. We did the two course menu for $25 per person, which felt like a solid deal. For appetizers, we shared the coconut shrimp and the beef skewers. The beef skewers were a miss for us. They were described as banh mi inspired, but we didn't really see the connection and wouldn't order them again. The coconut shrimp though was a winner. Super crispy, tasty, and the shrimp were pretty big. I wouldn't have been mad at a little more coconut, but still very enjoyable. For our mains, we both ordered the swordfish with creamy orzo, spinach, and mushrooms and wow. The swordfish was juicy, meaty, and cooked perfectly. The orzo was creamy, rich, and packed with umami. Honestly, I would have ordered another whole plate of the orzo by itself, it was that good! Service was fantastic, the bartender was great, and you really can't beat that beautiful San Diego Bay view. Such a fun and memorable meal. We're already talking about coming back even after Restaurant Week! read more

A very unique and historic restaurant with awesome views of San Diego Bay. I've used their catering services for a gathering downstairs and it was amazing! The food served was delicious. My favorite was shiitake mushrooms gravy with tender and delicious Tri-tip beef. I'll never forget that! And the service impeccable. And dinners upstairs is so special. Restaurant menu extensive and great drinks and cocktails. Unique museum quality artifacts. Lots of parking. read more

Bali Hai Restaurant - The Entrance - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Diego, California

Haven't been here since a Mothers Day brunch 10 years ago so decided to give it another try. Location and ambiance reminded me of Hawaii so I loved it. Service was okay. Not very attentive for it not being very busy but they were friendly and did get you what you asked for pretty quickly once you flagged them down. The con for me which knocks it down to a 3 Star is the food. Pricey for what you get. The Kailua pork needed seasoning. I had to add soy sauce and sriracha to give it flavor and the portions were small for the price. Fast Hawaiian places give you more and for less. Was hoping to love it but it was just meh. My friend added the chili dipping sauce and salt to her swordfish. The shrimp and salad were good but not worth returning just for those. read more

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Easter dinner always delicious. Plenty of variety. Service is quite good. Ambience is Oceanic view perfect San Diego perfect read more

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Will was our server and he was great!!! The food portions were SO small... especially for the price... it was ok tasting. read more

Bali Hai Restaurant - Hawaiian Tuna Poke - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Diego, California