I went here recently for my friend's birthday party. I'm generally not a fan of Hawaiian food, but this place made me a fan. I loved the kalua pork, nachos, and mac and cheese. The flavors are well seasoned. Staff was kind and efficient. We made a bit of a mess in their party room and stayed a bit over our time. Staff did not mind and even helped to carry out the birthday presents to my friend's card. read more

Food was super good. Ordered the big plate and it was big and and it had a great flavor. 3 stars are from them closing early. Felt rushed due to kitchen closing one hour earlier than normal. Hours 5-9, no matter slow or not, stay open till 9. read more

One of, if not my favorite spot in town. Food is absolutely amazing . The Hapa Nachos are one of the best items on the menu. Service is always great. Definitely gets crowded on the weekends but never too long of a wait. I can't recommend this place enough! read more

We drove down from Irvine to try out this spot because we wanted to try the Portuguese sausage fried rice. I didn't realize it was an appetizer but honestly it's big enough as an entree and still shareable. It comes with smaller and larger pieces of the sausage which is so good. It also has this soy sauce glaze/drizzle thing on top that really elevated the flavors. We went on a weekend day during the later afternoon so they weren't packed but had a steady clientele of families. I could tell that it would be a really nice date/hang out spot too, because they had a really nice bar area that kept people coming in too. The drinks were really good too. I forget now the name of the drinks we had but mine was similar to a piña colada but with a smoothness like nobody's business! We also ordered the shrimp scampi dish which was big enough for our two young daughters to share. The flavors on both dishes were so on point. Our server was nice, but for being as slow as they were when we were there she wasn't overly attentive. Which is fine because if we needed something, she'd bring it right away but just something I noticed. We will definitely be back, if only for those same two dishes but honestly there were a couple items on the menu that caught our attention and will be worth a try on a return visit!! read more

First time here, our part of four sat down around 1:45 PM on Saturday, 09/25/21. We were really hungry and the menu has so many yummy sounding options, so we ordered the Man Fries and beverages. The man fries are exceptional -- dry seasoning must be house made, generous kalua pig and cheese topping, excellent BBQ sauce and light sour cream drizzle. The flavors came together perfectly and nothing was too heavy. There was exactly one server, and our big mistake was not ordering our meals at the same time as the appetizer. While we nibbled, we watched four parties' checks get paid and six parties, orders get taken AND served by runners. Even when we attempted to signal, we weren't seen. We understand the staffing challenges these days due to COVID impacts, but we think our server was new and doing his best. Still, we were in that uncomfortable spot of having too much appetizer and talking about leaving, but feeling dissatisfied because we didn't have our full dining experience. . The rest of the food wasn't as impressive as the Man Fries: Cup of Chili -- flavor profile is NOT local style at all and was extremely disappointing. As chili goes, it was just okay. The fist tip off was the lack of kidney beans, too many tomato chunks, and orange tint. Local style chili only uses kidney beans, tomato sauce, and the gravy should be e brown. Pocho Dogs -- pretty good, but lacking a little bit of something. Needs some sauce options. Mac Salad -- too bland. Needs a little more potato and the slurry of vinegar/salt/pepper doesn't seem to be applied properly in the preparation. Also, local style calls for peas! Chicken Katsu Sandwich -- whoever is frying, is leaving it too long. The Pablo is too dark and the neat is dry on the inside. Coconut Butterfly Shrimp -- overcooked and dry on the inside. The coleslaw on this plate was particularly bad. The seasonings are just wrong and should be scrapped for a new recipe. Overall, the ingredients were fresh and the effort and care in prep and plating were evident, all of which was appreciated by our party. The food us just a bit off the mark. We will try again and see if we can get v BBC sitter food here. read more

Hapa J's - Man Fries - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

I'm a sucker for all things Hawaiian....so when I saw this place on yelp I knew I had I try it out on my last day of vacation. I had previously read the reviews about how large the portion sizes are, and I believed them, but my husband did not. He ordered two appetizers to go with our "big" plate because I told him. "I hear the portions are huge, let's share a plate. Anyway, the yakisoba was a meal in itself and enough for two people to pig out and be totally full. So we had the edamame, the Asian wings, the Yakisoba, the big mix plate and a kids entree. The only one who ordered the correct amount of food was the kiddo. Outside of the large portions, Let's break down the pros and the cons. Edamame was a nice start but totally unnecessary. The food comes out so lightening quick, you don't need it. The yakisoba was forgettable but large. The Asian wings were fantastic. The big plate was a nice opportunity to try all the meats. The shoyu chicken was perfectly braised and the sauce was one of my top 2 for shoyu. The short ribs and the teriyaki beef were equally well done, but my favorite was the kalua pork. Smoky, savory and moist. It needed no sauce, but it was served with BBQ sauce. The Mac salad was acceptable, and the fried rice was rich and decadent. I'd spend my carbs on the fried rice and skip the mac next time. Maybe someday my husband will believe me when I say things "like the portions are huge". Until then, we wasted so much food tonight I almost cannot fathom it. But we fly out tomorrow and we can't take it with us. Next trip down here we will be back to Hapa. read more

Hapa J's - Mai tai. Happy hour. $2 off! - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

We went on taco Tuesday so the menu was limited. Food was pretty good, I was disappointed with the selection. The servers never stopped running but they needed more help, we waited for our check for so long that my husband went and asked for it and then he ended up having to take it to the register to cash out. I will give another try read more

This is legit Hawaiian food and drinks and service is on point! Will keep coming back to this place over and over again!

So the food here is really good but the service is pretty slow. I have been here a couple times before and it was usually pretty busy but the food was always good. But came back recently for a birthday on a Thursday when it wasn't busy. The food was on point. Ordered the Loco Moco and had some of the fried spam (If there is one thing you should try here its the def the fried spam!) but was also able to taste the shoyu chicken which was really good. No one at our table had any issues with the food. The service though was really slow though. We got our waters right away once we sat down but it took a decent amount of time to just get our orders in. Once we ordered it took longer than expected to get our food too, even just to get a refill on my water. Not sure if that day they were really on Island time but expected them to be quicker, especially since they weren't busy. Overall Ill be back for the food though. read more

I always love a trip down to Hapa J's! My friends and I went there and ordered a few of these for all of us to share, and it never disappoints! If you are new to the area (or have never been) these are a definite must try! Not only is the food excellent but the staff members are very friendly! Can't wait to go back! read more

Hapa J's - Man Fries - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Stopped by for dinner with the family and was pleasantly surprised! We shared the big meat platter and a few sides and the coconut shrimp appetizer! So good, can't wait to go back! Service was great too!! read more

Disappointing. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't Hawaiian. Hapa J's is more like a fusion restaurant. Their version of spam musubi wasn't bad, but again, it wasn't traditional Hawaiian. For our mains, my mom ordered some type of beef dish and I ordered the loco moco. Her dish looked like a fajita mix and the meat was too chewy and not cooked properly. My loco moco was okay, I guess, but the brown gravy wasn't brown gravy and it just didn't taste like the Hawaiian food I'm accustomed to. Also, their mac salad wasn't very good. It had pieces of red potato and wasn't prepared similarly to most Hawaiian restaurants. This place isn't bad, per se, but just know that they don't make the traditional Hawaiian food you're looking for. read more

Hapa J's - Loco moco and weird mac salad - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Great spot for Hawaiian style food. Chill spot for a drink and some good food. Tip to restaurant. Change out the plastic water cups it just gives me weird vibes Use the beer pint glasses you gave read more

I don't know if there's a new owner or a new chef, but the food is GREAT! Entrees are pick your protein plus 3 sides, which suits my taste. There are many healthy, vegetable based options. But be sure to include the Portuguese Fried Rice. So yummy. The servings are generous and reasonably priced. Especially for such high quality items. This local is glad to have you back! read more

Pretty good experience and when I went wasn't too packed when I came in. Service was good, wished we could've of gotten a little more attention from our waiter. We had the Hapa nachos and they were massive, I had it with the pork which was very tender. Definitely a dish you can share along 3 people. The macaroni salad was definitely once of my favorites. read more

Hapa J's - Hapa Nachos - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Extremely disappointed. I got a spam musubi for appetizer. I didn't know you could get spam musubi wrong, but they did. It didn't taste like spam, it didn't look pinkish like spam. It was more grayish pink. The end of the spam was so hard it was like a rock and so was that part of the rice. We ordered small and regular loco moco plates. That was tasteless, the mac salad was also very bland, we had to add so much salt and pepper for flavor to the whole plate. The plus side, the service from the lady was great. read more

The inside atmosphere is happily unexpected based on the exterior. The food was AMAZING! There were 4 of us and we ordered a variety of things because it all looked so good and we wanted to try as much as possible. We ordered the man fries, potstickers, fried rice, wings and tempura spam, along with a new school and old school mai tai. We will most definitely be back to try more. This place would be great for a large group who enjoy Hawaiian food and good drinks. read more

Feast here at leastconce a month. Nacos are a meal that must be shared and love the ahimsa sandwich. Staff very warm and welcoming

On a whim we checked Hapa J's on our way back from LA. Nothing like great Hawaiian style food, I mean it's comfort food for me! The menu options were great, perfect ambiance for what we wanted. The parking lot is off site which is 1/4 a block down and in the rear of the building. If I am ever in San Clemente and my craving for Hawaiian food strikes, Hapa J's will be my first option. It should also be yours too. Come check it out? read more

Hapa J's - BBQ pizza - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

This Asian fusion restaurant was outstanding. We ordered the nachos, potstickers, and chicken wing appetizer and all three were delectable. Calm environment and great service which made the experience one to remember. read more

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Great food! Great service and the drinks are reasonably priced. Food is expensive but big portions and worth the money!

Their tacos were fun! I tried the bulgogi tacos, fish tacos and carne asada. One note - would love the wait staff to pronounce bulgogi properly since it's based off Korean fusion :) (BOOL-Gogi, not bool-GO-gi). Otherwise the vibes were fun and the staff was friendly. Some of the dishes took awhile to come out. The portions are generous (especially the fries)! read more

A cozy Hawaiian Californian restaurant bar. Their food was sweet and strong with a hint of soy sauce. My husband and I enjoyed TuTu's Pork Plate. We also had Chicken Yakisoba. We are not local Hawaiians so we don't know, but we felt that the yakisoba noodle was over cooked. Coconut shrimps were nice and crispy. The cocktail was perfectly mild for me with juicy pineapple! read more

Hapa J's - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

DoorDash canceled our order which wasn't Hapa J's fault and they remade the food so we could pick it up, so that was fine. So my wife went to pick it up, but when I tried to actually eat the food it was completely inedible. I got the shaken beef, and EVERY PIECE was not even chewable. The quality of the meat was absolutely terrible. We are really disappointed because we have had some good meals here (not all, but never this bad). Wanted to call to get our money back but they're already closed. Couldn't eat my entire meal. read more

Hapa J's - Shaken beef - not even edible. Can't chew it. Really disgusting. - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Food not good. Service poor. Staff shortage and had to wait a long time for wait person to come.

The moco loco I did not care for. The sauce wasn't very good. However we did order the pork nachos and they were bomb.

No photos because we were absolutely starving! First of all, I love hawaiian food so its nice to have a restaurant nearby that features this cuisine :) We ordered the kalua pork nachos and the shrimp truck plate for takeout & were very impressed with the quality and time it was ready! We called at prime time 7:30 & our order was ready in 15 minutes. The service was polite & thorough with double checking our order was correct. Next time I'd like to dine in & explore more of their menu because a lot of other dishes looked/smelled great when I walked inside. I will definitely be back! read more

Hapa J's is always amazing and it was my choice for Mother's Day. It's always the mixed plate for me, everything is always perfect and delicious. Some of the best macaroni salad I've ever had, but really- every bite of everything was about the best ever! Sitting with the windows open, enjoying my lunch at Hapa J's was a perfect day. read more

Big portions, delicious food and fast service. Ahi Poke, Mixed Plates and da Bomb Hapa Kahlua Oig Sliders. Plenty of parking in the back of Steward's Surf Shop too. read more

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San Clemente is a good halfway spot to meet between San Diego and OC/LA and Hapa J's was that meet up spot for my cousin and I. To be honest I don't really know many spots to eat in San Clemente and so my cousin suggested that I try this place out. Located right off the freeway it was easy to find and I can't complain when parking is easy since there is a lot nearby. Hapa J's = Hawaiian food. Upon entry the restaurant my first impression that it seemed to be much of a casual spot with plenty of seating and a bar. We were greeted and seated immediately. I did look at photos online of their food because I just wanted to see what was the thing to get here and it seemed to me like it was the man fries...HOWEVER, my cousin wanted to share the Hapa Nacos with Kalua Pork. I, thinking that I would still be hungry also ordered the Local Boy Platter which was the spam musubi with portuguese sausace (Note: I even asked for the tempura fried musubi). It is an additional $7 for the Kalua Pork and I thought to myself (~$20) for nachos? Our server was very nice and gave us a reminder that the nachos was a hefty portion but what did I know? Also, a side of edamame is given to your table to start. Our food came out pretty fast and WOW the nachos were ridiculously HUGE and you get so much Kalua Pork its the heftiest of portions. If you're hungry then definitely come here. The pork was flavorful and the sauce was delicious! I wish though we should have asked for more sauce since at some point we ate everything on top of the nachos that it started getting dry. Our fault. The spam musubi was delicious as well. A wonderful experience. Would love to come here again to try other items on the menu! Definitely recommend to try if you're in the area. read more

Not much ambience, food is OK. Wouldn't be in a rush to return . Good beer selection, service was good read more

Super good food and gigantic portions ! It was good service and the ambiance was super chill

I had a good beer and the happy hour is a solid deal. However ... my friend's food had two flies in it. When we told the waitress, she was like "hm that's weird" took the plate and just walked away. She came back and offered my friend a fresh meal, but obviously my friend did not want that out of the same kitchen. She took the meal off our tab, but didn't offer any other concession. So only eat here if you like good happy hours and flies in your rice :) read more

Hapa J's - Bugs in the rice - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Awesome Hawaiian fusion plate lunch food. The best. Bar is great. Tue has great special taco night.

Every time we dine at this fantastic restaurant we are blown away and delighted with the the varied and authentic menu, the friendliness of the staff, exceptional quality of the ingredients and the love that is cooked into every dish. We drive 45 miles each way to dine at this wonderful, family owned/managed restaurant and it is absolutely worth it. A great place for family dining, there is also a fun bar and area to watch sports. We will be back soon! PS we started eating so quickly, I only took a photo of the DELICIOUS Hawaiian bread style pudding. read more

Hapa J's - Hawaiian Bread Pudding - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

The food was delicious and portions were great. The service was excellent and very attentive. The ambiance is fun and even great for the family. Drinks were good also. You will love it like we do. read more

Midway point grub stop on our drive back to LA from SD. Ordered their pork quesadilla for myself, loco moco with double mac salad and fried rice for the husband. Foods took a good half hour between ordering and being served. I'm pretty sure my quesadilla was sitting waiting on the loco moco. The cheese had hardened and the tortilla was cold. The pork was good but didn't enjoy the fact that they doused the entire dish in spicy mayo - almost masked all other ingredients and flavors. I spent majority of the time scrapping off the excess. Would had been a decent dish if served immediately and held the mayo. Oh and be aware there's a surcharge for their salsa. Loco moco - no complaints! Worth the additional surcharge for the fried rice since since it came with diced sausages. The hamburger patty, gravy, and fried egg combo was spot on. My husband polished his plate clean. Overall - some interesting menu items, didn't love HAPA J but wouldn't mind returning again on our next drive to and back from sd. read more

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Very delicious Hawaiian food with a great local vibe. I had the spicy poke with a side of potato salad and their twist on fried rice which had Portuguese sausage in it. The poke wasn't too over powered with spice and had a good mixture of sweet and spicy. The potato salad was creamy and not the mustard type which I liked. Coming out here for lunch, I left very satisfied and would definitely come back to try out more of what they had to offer. Parking is across the street, full stocked bar, a couple TV's, good vibes. read more

Still coming here ! Taco Tuesday was busting. Almost done eating the entire menu Haha

Food is 'ono! We enjoyed the fresh poke (not previously frozen), loco moco, and fried spam musubi. Sunday draft happy hour was great as well. Scored at big wave for $5.00. Only one issue.. where's the Kama'Aina discount? Gimme that sweeeeet 15% off. Orrrr what about the Hapa discount? If you open a Hawaii style business on the mainland you better give Hawaii residents a lil discount. Anyway, very happy to see delicious Hawaii eats out here, haven't had poke in a few months (I am terrified of mainland poke [why tf they put fruit in it]) read more