We love this place. But just FYI, Tuesday's they're only doing a small (mostly taco) menu. So don't be like me and come here on a Tuesday night hoping for a regular menu read more

Wonderful experience dining here after surfing. Generous portions. I tried the wonton poke nachos which was a new item on the menu. My gf had tacos which were great. My friend also had the chicken katsu burger and loved it. Would definitely come back. read more

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Yummy! I would go back again. Casual and laid back feel. Enjoyed watching the sports on TV while eating delicious food. Easy to access from the 5 freeway, especially when heading north. It was a great place to stop at to get something to eat and rest. Our servers were attentive. My water glass was kept full. Score of 4 stars due to tax was added into the suggested tip. read more

We visited on a very rainy Taco Tuesday. Their menu is specialized on Tuesdays, and we truly enjoyed our tacos. The fried egg burrito wasn't quite as good as we hoped, but c'est la vie. The tacos were magic. Service was efficient and friendly and the place was clean. It smelled like cleaner, which was a teeny bit off-putting, but at least we know that they was the tables! Good food, good people, good location. read more

Hapa J's - Big Wave Dinner!! - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Definitely coming back here. Nice neighborhood with casual, beachy and surf type restaurant. They also put on sports games and it would be great to have some great food and drinks here when the sports games are on! Everyone is friendly and accommodating. Thank you for the great service read more

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Man oh man those MAN FRIES do not disappoint. Although it's certainly a meal within itself that you'll end up taking leftovers home from. *Also ask for extra barbecue sauce or ranch--whichever is your fave! I've never tried Hawaiian cuisine before so I thought the Luau Plate was a great option since it has a good variety. Unfortunately the only things I liked was the fried rice and Kalua pig, but those are just my tastebuds. Try it for yourself! I also had the mango lemonade and did not like it. It was very sour and left a bad taste in my mouth. I would definitely try again and order something different if I'm back in the area in the future. read more

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

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My brother recently moved to the area and ate at Hapa J's a week prior to my visit. He raved about the food and he wasn't wrong. Unfortunately I came to Hapa J's on Tuesday. Not being a regular, I didn't realize on Tuesdays they have an abbreviated menu. I was really looking forward to trying some of the Poke but unfortunately I had to settle for the smaller Taco Tuesday menu. The restaurant wasn't busy so we chose a table by an open window. The ocean breeze added a nice touch to the ambiance of the restaurant and made me feel like I was sitting on the beach in Hawaii. The service was quick and the employees were friendly and welcoming. One of the servers brought a nearby table the nachos. I couldn't believe how monstrous the platter was. It had to have been five pounds of chips, cheese, meat and salsa. I didn't think I could take down that massive amount so I ordered the chips with bean dip appetizer and my buddy ordered the wings. Both were delicious and the portion size was definitely shareable. I decided to try the kalua pork quesadilla since my brother had raved about it. I did not disappoint. The pork was amazing. Sometimes pork can get a little dry if it is overcooked or held at temperature too long but this pork had delicious flavor and was moist. The portion was huge! I was only able to eat three of the six slices and had to take the rest to go. I definitely will return to Hapa J's on a non Tuesday so I can sample the rest of the menu and get a better idea of what they have going on. read more

We have always loved Hapa J's Everything is always delicious like those massive Kalua pig nachos read more

The poke nachos were amazing! Some of the best I have had. There was plenty of ahi on top of the yummy wonton chips! read more

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

Can't say enough about the food, staff and vibes. My shoyu chicken plate was perfect. Surfing on the TV, sunlight coming through the skylights, chill music and Frankie taking excellent care of me. read more

Hapa J's - Shoyu chicken plate with Pineapple Portuguese Sausage Fried Rice, Mac Salad, and Mixed Greens with Yuzu Vinaigrette - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

If you're thinking about going to Hapa Js for dinner, you should rethink your dinner plans. Online they say they're open till 9 o'clock. I went twice this week once at 8:05 and once at 8:30 and both times they said they were closed, multiple people sitting at the bar talking to the bartender still getting drinks who is the one that told us they were closed. He was very unsure about what time he closed. He said 830 or 9 o'clock and it was 830 and he wouldn't let us sit down knowing what we want. Been a local in San Clemente for years. Been coming here for years. This place has gone completely downhill. Every time this place changes ownership. It drops in quality whether it's packed for happy hour and they have one or two servers on a shift, or they are just not into helping their customers. Will not be returning to Hapa's. They clearly can't even be consistent about what time they close. read more

We got a ton of food! there was salmon, hapa fries, asian chicken wings, chipotle mayo, a hangover burger. it was all so delicious! worth the babysitter and the food cost, which is far more reasonable than most places in san clemente. the service was good. if you're the kind that doesn't want to have to ask for water refills, you might have a complaint. it was busy in the little dining room but everyone was nice and happy. it has the feel of a dive bar at night, which felt intimate. the tables were huge and we felt far away from each other. we ended up changing to a booth so we could sit beside each other. the place is clean and the tv had the sports on, which was nice read more

The greatest chicken I've ever had in my life. I got the King's entree platter that came with sausage, pulled pork, and amazing chicken thigh that literally was the best I've ever hd in my life. Crispy skin and completely melt in your mouth chicken. I mean - listen - this chicken could be eaten by someone without teeth lol. It's as soft texture as mashed potato haha just kidding but almost!!! Oh and the new recipe mai tai was awesome - two of those cocktails had me feeling great :) Super friendly staff - thanks for showing me the good vibes of San Clemente!! read more

This is a super cool location in San Clemente. It is one of the places that a lot of locals will bring up when it comes to Hawaiian food. I was always told to try the mix plate where you get three items with rice. I got the bbq ribs, chicken and chicken Katsu. I loved the portion here as it's pretty big. All I could say was it was pretty decent, I would have traded the bbq chicken out for something else and maybe the beef ribs but the katsu was good. You can just tell the place has been around for a while looking at the tables and decor but that's kind of the charm it has. They have TV and a bar for all the sports fans out there too. read more

Hapa J's - The mixed plate with BBQ chicken, chicken katsu and ribs - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

A niece (and her hubby) of mine took me, her mom (my oldest sister-niece's mom), her brother Noah and his gf here for the first time to celebrate Noah's birthday for dinner. We ordered 7 different items on the menu. We've tried everything and the food was amazing! We all would definitely come here again! We highly recommend eating here for sure! And they give you big portions, too! We couldn't finish our food so we're looking forward to leftovers! Thank you! read more

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I've been coming here for years - IT'S NOT THE SAME!!! Bail, not worth it. The red headed waitress in particular was atrocious and it's not the first time. She genuinely made the meal unenjoyable. Watched as we signed the check then once it was signed asked for it back. Clearly doesn't want to me there and made us feel like we were inconveniencing her anytime we ordered. read more

This place has amazing poke for a good price !! The poke plate comes with rice, macaroni salad, ahi tuna poke, greens, and seaweed salad. The seaweed salad is phenomenal here and incredibly fresh. The poke is smothered in sauce and taste like poke from Hawaii it's so fresh and flavorful. Would come back for the poke again. We also got fried rice which wasnt anything out of the ordinary but yummy. Service was nice and fast. This was during COVID and we sat outdoor on the patio (indoor seating unavailable, servers wore masks, and no bathrooms available during this time). There is not specific parking lot for this place but lots of street parking by the restaurant. We parked very close although we came on a Thursday so unsure how but weekends can get. read more

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

This is the best island food in the 949 for sure! We do family style with Da Big Plate and apps and it's a ton of food! All the meats are delicious and the spam musubi is one of our toddlers fave items! read more

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Love this place every time we come in. Great music great vibe great food. Had the shoyu chicken and Hawaiian mule.. You won't be disappointed. read more

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

Appetizers are great but main dish BBQ sauce, Katsu sauce & chicken marinade were too sweet...needs more ginger, less sugar or molasses's.Needs crisp skin on Shoyu chicken. Rubbery chicken skin's gross! Other wise a pretty good overall service and ambiance. Good overall. I heard chicken katsu was great. Nice coleslaw. read more

A must we stop by whenever we're in the SD county! Our favorite is the fried spam musubi's!

Great food and drinks, great service and clean dining area.. I go here lots of times and it's always good!! Painkiller is a great cocktail. read more

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

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Came here for dinner on a Friday evening and I was surprised to find it so empty. We got seated immediately and were greeted by our sweet waitress Madison. We ordered the tempura spam musubi, loco moco, and da biggest mixed plate which came with chicken katsu, kalua pork, shoyu chicken, portuguese sausage, kalbi, teriyaki beef, rice, and mac salad. Da biggest mixed plate is a great option if you want to try all the meats and it comes with a lot! The tempura spam musubi and loco moco were both pretty tasty as well. read more

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Outstanding restaurant! The menu is so complete I have a tough time deciding what to get... doesn't matter... everything is so tasty! Da Kine eatery! read more

The food was very flavorful and tasty. I'd say it is auntentic as well, I am pretty open to feedback on that too. It has a bar atmosphere but definitely can also serve for a big family group. read more

Hapa J's - Loco Moco Plate with an extra scoop of Mac Salad and no Mixed Greens with Yuzu Vinaigrette - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

We stopped by this place on the drive back to LA after spending a weekend in San Diego. It's very conveniently located off the 5 freeway and even has a dedicated parking lot across the street from the restaurant. We arrived at around 2pm and were seated right away. The restaurant itself is quite large, although at this time they were only using one of the rooms. The menu is quite extensive with lots of Hawaiian plate lunches, sandwiches, salads, appetizers etc. I really wanted to try the man fries or the nachos from the yelp pics but there were only two of us (ended up being a great decision - other tables ordered them and it was HUGE). You get a small bow of edamame when you're seated. I ordered the chicken katsu bowl ($8) and my boyfriend got the luau plate ($13), which was kahlua pork, pickled mangoes, coconut haupia, Mac salad, green salad and rice. Bowls are about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of the plate lunches. Portion sizes overall are on the large side and I was pretty full with the bowl and my boyfriend almost couldn't finish his plate. Definitely recommend if passing through San Clemente and craving delicious and filling Hawaiian food for a great price. read more

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

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Absolutely delicious! Friendly service and very kid friendly. We ordered the bbq beef sliders and street tacos with the poke and both were very favorable! Old mai tai was out of this world. Their pineapple mule is refreshing and the pineapple martini was very good. Child's meal comes with a complimentary pudding. We also tried the cheesecake which out of this world amazing. The cheesecake does not taste like your regular cheesecake but very good. Definitely recommend!! read more

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These guys are the best!! Not only is the food great quality and flavor but they also have great service! The restaurant is nice and spacious, and their deliveries through DoorDash are always fresh and put together! They even left a note trying to accommodate a request we had put in our DoorDash order, they were so sweet to do their best to fulfill it!! The effort and care is A+!! The only downside is the prices are a bit more than I'd like for our family of 5 but most plates are large enough to share, especially the man fries! Any time we have company over, Hapa J's is a top pick! read more

Hapa J's - A sweet note to let us know they tried their best!! Meant a lot!! - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Amazing Taco Tuesdays. Was introduced to this spot by a friend... and I'm more than happy to drive from the South Bay just for Tacos. Amazing food, great vibe. Just a great place to hang out!! I'll be back..! read more

In from out of town visiting family for the weekend. My son is a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton and recommenced this place. So the bar was set high when we stopped in in a Friday night. The place looks nice and the staff was very friendly. Surprised that there wasn't a wait but sat right down. Our waitress was equally friendly and explained the menu. Obviously they're a Hawaiian theme with the food and surf shows in TV's. I went with the Luau plate and a glass of wine. My brother had Blue Cheese salad. Our food came out within 15 mins and it looked amazing. The Blue Cheese salad was huge and I was even a little jealous I didn't order it. Until I saw my plate. The Luau plate was out fo this world. A huge pile of pulled pork, two mounds of fried rice, mango and macaroni. I ended up leaving with half of it in a to go box there was so much. The pork was incredible. So tender and mouth watering. The fried rice was some of the best I've ever had and the macaroni salad was really good as well. All this was at a very reasonable price too. Next time we come out to visit - we will definitely put this on our list of places to eat at. read more

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

We met some friends here the other day. Based on the reviews, we were expecting great Hawaiian food. One of my friends is Japanese with family from Hawaii. We have all have visited Hawaii more times than we can count. The restaurant itself is in a good location with a private lot across the street. The windows and doors are open. Unfortunately, this comes with the price of lots of flies dive bombing our heads and landing on the table. That was kind of a nuisance. My friends ordered the big mixed plates, onion soup, Thai beef salad. My husband ordered the garlic shrimp at market price. We discussed at the table, does the price of shrimp fluctuate like lobster or certain types of fishes? Well, market price happened to be $17.99 that day. Not bad but he said it wasn't good, just salty. My friends said their mixed plates were mediocre. The beef in the Thai beef salad was over cooked and swimming in salad dressing. They also said the onion soup was not good. At least my Kalua Pork was good. It wasn't salty as expected but a little on the sweet side. Service was spotty. The food took a long time to come out but they were busy. Overall kind of a disappointing experience especially since I suggested this restaurant. read more

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Its pretty cool to have a Hawaiian restaurant close by that isn't a fast food type chain. They have a good variety of typical Hawaiian dishes here but as I was craving something light, I went for the poke. They have the poke plate/bowl option (which apparently was only available during lunch) and the poke trio appetizer. Since I was there for dinner I opted for the poke trio. The poke trio was a perfect portion: it still came with the same amount of fish (1/2lb) but instead of rice, it come with some wonton chips and some nori topping. It was delicious, but the only disappointing thing I would have to say about the trio though is that one of the options isn't poke: one was a seared rare tuna. So instead of a poke trio, its more like a poke duo. Again, I'm not complaining about the quality, but I do not think its too much to expect what you ordered, right? They may want to clarify that in the menu or you may want to see if they will sub one the seared tuna for poke because if you are craving poke, seared tuna just doesn't cut it because...well it's not poke. Other than that though, this fish was really good, but I definitely wish they had the poke bowl during dinner because I didn't care for the ahi slices as much. I will have to return one day to try it! read more

Food was mediocre. Flavor not so much 3 of us ate there after a round of golf. I seen my food ready and just sat there and it took a few before my server brought it to me and it was always cold and not fulfilling. But overall place was good. Clean and maybe I'll go back and try a different dish and finally give it a better review. Oh my server is not so pleasant fyi read more

My boyfriend and I were looking forward to try this place but the service wasn't the greatest. As soon as we walked in, there was no host to welcome us. We stood by the door for a bit until the bartender noticed us and said we could sit anywhere. Sat down at a table and we didn't receive menus and water until 10 minutes later. There was a table next to us who arrived after us and the waitress took their order but she didn't even acknowledge our table. After 10 more minutes of waiting and seeing multiples tables that arrived after us get tended to, we decided to leave. I understand they were understaffed but customer service could've been better. read more

Discovers this gem on a Friday night, located on the east edge of San Clemente. Great vibe, decor is unique and fun. We tried a bit of everything great service great flavors, we did share plates nothing left everyone satisfied. Cocktails perfect and priced right. The place was busy and service was on game. We even bought merch for the guys, created by local featuring Hapa J's logo the the Hawaiian island mapped... So if your looking for something different we recommend this Hawaiian food plate for any dining experience...it's great for families, groups, friends of all ages we're here enjoying ( young men with big appetites) Mahalo's Hapa J's read more

Amazing food and great service! Hapa J's is truly a hidden gem among the San Clemente restaurant scene. The food is so delicious and comes with huge portions as well. 10/10 will recommend and be back again! read more

Hapa J's - Teriyaki Beef Plate with Mac Salad, French fries and the pineapple Pineapple Portuguese Sausage Fried Rice - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Pretty good Hawaiian fusion food here in Orange County. The servings are big and the prices are okay. My husband and I enjoyed our food and we'd definitely come back again! I had the shrimp and that was good! I didn't really like the salad because it was placed below the hot foods so the salad wilted and was warm and didn't taste good. Parking in the back just for Hapa J's. I recommend you stop by if you're in the mood for some Hawaiian fusion! read more

Do you have fond memories of Hawaiian food? I am not sure what Hapa stands for but it could have easily meant "Happy". The portions are huge so you need to bring your appetite or take your food home for later. A group of us just finished running a relay for the last 24 hours so you betcha that we were hungry. So what do you think I ordered? Well it's nothing small or medium I had to go for something heartier than the normal plate. I ordered the "Mixed Plate" and upgraded to the "Da Big Mixed Plate". This meal came with shoyu chicken, chicken katsu, and kalbi beef short ribs. Let me break it down, shoyu - good, katsu - good, and short ribs - good. This all equals to a very satisfied customer and let us not forget a very stuffed customer. I don't think that anyone can be disappointed with their order. I was so full that I don't remember the rest of the meal, just take my word for it order and you won't be disappointed. Hapa hunting! read more

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Solid menus choices...love Chez's twists on classic, such as Musubi Tempura and Portuguese Sausage and pineapple fried rice...strong beer options on tap and super friendly staff! read more

Really cool place to grab some food after a round of golf! Food was really good. I got a Loco moco and my friend got the combo. Really good portions and tasted great as well! Service was super friendly and loved the general vibe. Big bonus was that they were showing MNF! Will definitely be back. read more

Hapa J's - Great indoor patio area. They were showing the Monday Night Football game! - Hawaiian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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