Carla and Tina provided dance lessons and a bit of Polynesian culture education. They were great…read more Our guests loved them. Suggest you bring brochures with for folks who want more info.

I first fell in love with Hawaiian culture the first time I saw the Barefoot Hawaiian dancers…read moreperform at the Tiki Terrace restaurant. I was so impressed with the dancing and the colorful costumes that I looked at their website and found they offered dancing classes, plus the classes were very affordable. The school is located in Des Plaines and have two Dance Studios. They also have a Hawaiian store that sell an extensive collection of Hawaiian shirts and dresses; as well as all things Polynesian. The classes are separated by Women's, Men's, and Children's dance classes, and they also offer Ukalele and Polynesian drum classes; as well as Fire knife Dancing for men. Shortly after seeing the Barefoot Hawaiian dancers perform at Tiki Terrace, I enrolled in their Kane (men's class) Dance class every Monday night. The owner and instructor Gwen Keneddy was very nice and patient and really knew her Polynesian culture. The classes were taught in a fun and safe environment, and I learned allot of the dances in a short amount of time. After a few weeks of taking classes, I was invited to perform with the Barefoot Hawaiian dancers at local outdoor events and parades, while pretending to be a Hawaiian native. Lol. The school provided the materials to make the Polynesian costumes, and we paid and assembled the costumes ourselves with help from the more experienced older girls (or the Hula Nazis, as they were nicknamed). I have been with this Dance troop a little under two years before I decided to retire from dancing, but overall, I enjoyed this part of my life. I will never forget the people I met and befriended during my time with Barefoot Hawaiian; it was like joining a member of a large Hawaiian family and Gwen was our mother. If you have an appreciation of Polynesian culture; I suggest you enroll in their dance, Ukalele or drum classes. You will come out with a more appreciation of Polynesian culture, and walk away with a new family. The classes are held one day a week, during the evening, and a normal semester is 8 weeks and only $10 per class.

A little piece of Polynesia in DesPlaines Hawaiian decor…read moreand music. Food portions are ample but my Kailua pork was dry and a little bland I enjoyed the hibiscus mocktail and service was friendly.

It was a Friday Night, so it was busy but we were able to walk right in for the bar…read more We tried a couple of the drinks on the menu and they were all amazing! Glad I was finally able to knock this off my bucket list of places to try!

I am highly disappointed in Aloha Chicago! Total bait and switch on what I was sold and the service…read moreI was provided. I signed a contract for a 30 minute performance with 2 dancers and a fire dance portion. After my contract was signed and my payment made in full the contact Chris tried to change the time then tried to change the service. Fast forward to a week prior and the fire dance was cancelled by Aloha Chicago. I was told to compensate we would have dancers available after the 30 mintues for photos. No option for a refund or longer show when the fire portion was $100 value. The day of the event the dancers only performed 2 songs then took 10 mins on audience participation before making themselves available another 10 minute for photos. In total the 2 song performance was 10 minutes, not 30. The entire experience was infuriating! The result for the price was outrageous. For $500 paid in full more than a month in advance I expected more than 2 songs by the dancers!! I reached out to my contact Chris with zero response still more than a week later.

ALOHA!! Had the pleasure of seeing Aloha Chicago performance at the Levy Senior Center in Evanston…read moreIl. on 09 AUG 19! What a pleasurable experience. The performances were great!! The Dancers Beautiful. The audiences participants were having a great time. the Drummer/ MC explained the Drums and the dances and had a Schtick that kept us all laughing !! A wonderful performance that enhanced the Levy Center Luau Party! Hope you all come back next year!! ALOHA and Mahalo!!

I was super excited to come to AO Hawaiian hideout after eating some other reviews on here. I…read moreinitially walked from my hotel which took me about 25 minutes thanks to Google maps spinning around like a carousel which helped me work up a healthy appetite for dinner. When I came in, the entrance is decorated pretty nicely and then there are some display cases with different types of tiki mugs. Many of which are for sale so you're able to take home a little bit of this paradise if you really want to. I had initially sat at the tables but it was a large table and I was by myself and didn't want to take up that much space. So I asked to be seated by the bar. Which is why some of the pictures I took had this blue glow to them that probably don't highlight the food as much as could have. The food wise was really good and the portions. My opinion were rather watch. I had ate dinner that night and took the leftovers home which was lunch. The next day. I had the Hawaiian BBQ chicken that I thought was very good and was recommended by the staff. For drinks, I had a Mai Tai which packed a pretty big punch. My first sip was a little strong, but after eating a little bit and coming back to it, the ice had melted. Just enough for the drink. Actually mellowed greatly and was very enjoyable. Tiki drinks tend to be very strong so I didn't really find this as an issue. All in all, when I travel I like to go to places that are new and I would say if I came back to Chicago I would definitely come here again, especially if I have my wife kid. I think they would love the atmosphere and it's definitely a little tropical getaway in a busy City.

Very nice Hawaiian style decorations, friendly services, foods were tasty but too salty/heavy to…read moreus. Island nachos $17.88 Fresh raw tuna | spicy tuna | avocado | cilantro | red onions | jalapeno | mix greens | on a bed of crispy wonton skins | drizzled with Asian sesame dressing | wasabi aioli | spicy Sriracha aioli | unagi sauce. Huli Huli Chicken 2pcs $19.88 Grilled boneless chicken leg/thigh meat, then smothered in our garlic ginger brown butter pineapple shoyu sauce, slightly sweet savory tangy flavor. Served with mac salad, cucumber kimchi & jasmine rice To Go Kalua pig $18.88 Slow cooked hand pulled pork, simmered in its natural flavors & juices. Drizzled with our hoisin bbq sauce, togarashi & green onions. Served with jasmine rice, cucumber kimchi & scoop of mac salad.

Quick easy delicious meal! Greeted and treated well!…read more Small location but very cool decor! Would return !

Very chill place with seating for about 13 people. Really quick to-go prep. I'd highly recommend…read morechecking it out if you're in the area.

Hala Kahiki is a tiki bar staple in the Chicago Suburbs! The inside is much larger than I expected…read morewith a huge bar area, covered outdoor patio, and at least two other indoor seating areas. I love that as soon as you enter, you are transported to a tropical oasis that is dark and moody. I visited with a larger group so we made a reservation before. One pays $5 per person in your group and the amount is later applied to your bill. The food menu is minimal and most items weren't available sadly. We got two orders of their pineapple salsa with taro chips. It was yummy but wasn't enough substance to match the drink levels. For drinks, our group got a wide variety. They have all sorts of flavor pairings to accommodate every guest. I got the Captain's Revenge after hearing the Pearl Diver was unavailable. It was good but not amazing. For my second drink, I got the Chocolate Banana Old Fashioned which I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't hear anyone in our group be disappointed with what they ordered. Our server, Jazmine, was very knowledgable about the menu and asking the right questions to make sure what we each ordered would be something we liked. Overall, this was a fun experience and I am happy I finally got to visit! My experience was slightly tainted with how much was not available the night we visited.

The best way I can some up this place: "Aloha, mf'ers!"…read more Drinks are strong strong and always garnished with something fun. Heed the warnings on the menu and ask for help if you get stuck. Decor is classic tiki and the wait staff is top notch.

Solid to go spot from the virtual food market in Avondale. Got the burrito a the meat was flavored…read morewell and good proportion. Not a dine in restaurant so no service and not ambiance. Would try again

Was really looking forward to this place and because there was a BOGO deal, I though it would be a…read morenice time to try. So, I ordered all 5 of the chicken variants, and they all tasted the same. I was hoping for a sweet-island-pineapple inspired taste, but it was not. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't what I expected. Secondly, they should state that rice is included under the chicken entree. I did get a side of rice along with the macaroni salad which was totally bland! I just don't get the correlation of what was written and how the food actually tasted. I may give them another try but again, not impressed. The concept is great, but I was underwhelmed with the reality!

Ordered the Shrimp Egg Foo Young (two patties) lunch special which included "basic" egg,…read morebeansprout and green onion fried rice and one egg roll. I wanted rich but simple straightforward flavors for lunch and I got it. The egg foo young was not greasy or over-fried, had plenty of medium sized shrimp beansprouts and green onions. The rice was very good, each grain of rice was separate and lightly glazed in soy, had a slight smokey flavor from what i assume was a high heat wok. Simple ingredients and dishes but very complex umami rich flavors in the egg foo young and rice and both dishes had been perfectly cooked. Egg roll was basic and lacking enough filling in my opinion but still crispy and tasty. For $14 including tax and credit card service charge it was a good price.

Growing up down the street from this restaurant, Chef Shanri-La has been talked about many times…read morearound me and I've always wanted to try. 25 years later and I'm here haha they did not disappoint. The portion sizes, the flavors, the drinks(!) = all top notch! It's so unfortunate that I moved away or else I would be here significantly more often now. I had the Coco Loco drink and it blew my socks off. It was so refreshing and felt like I needed it on a beach. It tasted like a stronger Pina Colada. The drinks are $15 but I think they could potentially be worth it because of the amount of quality/size you get. Actually, the price of all the dishes were a bit much but you will definitely have leftovers for the next day. Good vibes. Thank you Chef Shangri-La, I'll be seeing you soon! Personal Review: 8.9/10