Here on a Friday evening around 6. Ordered a bento box and a mixed plate with katsu and chicken…read morewings. Both were very good. Bento box is like a mini plate at other places. Don't come here if you don't have time to wait. They do tell you there is a wait before they take your order. He told us 45 minutes. It was 60. But we knew that from reading reviews. We planned to walk across the street to Grocery Outlet while we waited anyways. Next time maybe we will call to order. Noticed a lot of people did that. And they had catering orders that could be making wait times longer. It's a tiny place not really for eating there. 2 small tables with 2 chairs each. No restroom.

The family ordered 2 mix plates with 3 items (chicken katsu, chicken wings, roast pork-which is…read moreonly available on Mondays, and the second one with Kalua pork, roast pork, and chicken wings), a bento box with teriyaki beef and Kalua pork, a mini loco moco, kalbi fries, and a spam musubi. I tried most of the food and I had some mixed feelings: the katsu could not stand alone and needed the sauce, the Mac salad was lacking in flavor--maybe a tad too much on the sweet side. The loco moco was also a bit bland for me. The roasted pork was tender and tasty. My daughter liked the spicy kalbi fries-and my son loved the beef. This is a place mainly for take out. Only 2 small tables inside with a couple of larger tables outdoors. Plenty of parking in a shared lot with other businesses. Food-4/5 Service-4/5 due to the long wait time from the time in between ordering and the time I actually got the food I would come back again if I was in the area.

Came here with a big group but was no problem finding seats. We thoroughly enjoyed our food and…read moreeverything was great, and staff was friendly. Parking can be a real pain is my only complaint

We were in the mood for some poke and decided to give this spot a try! They have a parking lot in…read morethe back and also an outdoor patio, which was perfect for us since we had our dog with us. I ordered Da Kine Poke Bowl and it was a tasty poke bowl, just what I was craving! The portions were great and I liked that it included some of my favorite toppings like edamame, avocado, and seaweed salad. The spicy aioli drizzle also added a good spicy kick to the bowl. Overall, Pono was a good find and we were satisfied with our poke bowls!

**Overall: 4.2 stars**…read more Think local, surfer beach aloha vibe. You order at the counter or on the one kiosk. When I went, no one was in line, so the friendly staffer greeted us and told us she could take our order. When I was debating between 2 dishes, she described the salmon and that sealed my decision - haha. Order, ready! The portions were HUUUGE! The dishes were delicious! I can't get over how tender and flavorful my salmon was, yet the skin was crispy! (I don't usually eat the skin, but I did! That tells you how well they cooked it!) The chicken katsu had TWO layers of chicken! And each lunch plate had two scoops of rice and one scoop of Mac salad. They tasted like traditional Hawaiian cuisine. We sat outside on the main patio so we could be in the sun and watch the cars and passerby's from the beach. It was so nice to be a couple blocks from the ocean. The only negatives -- though small ones -- were parking is street parking because they only have two onsite spots, and they are super casual dining (like it's common to see customers in bathing suits and flip flops here), so it may not be a place to go if you're on a date or wanting to take out of towners or clients. It's a place to get great local Hawaiian food! Aloha Island Grille may just be my new favorite Hawaiian spot.

Service was Great. Young lady gave Great recommendations. Food came out Hot & Fast…read more Highly recommend n will Definitely go again. Luv the size of the Portions.

Everything nearby was closed so we opted for Hawaiian BBQ. We weren't sure how this place would be,…read morebut it was pretty good! I got the grilled teriyaki chicken plate and my friend ordered the short ribs. I got veggies in replace of my rice and the portions are HUGE! I could only eat 1/3 of my plate before saving the rest for another time. The chicken is tender and juicy. Veggies cooked just right. The cashier was sweet and gave recommendations. Food was hot and fresh. Delicious! Interior clean as well! :)

Absolutely worth the $15 I paid! Wow, there was a LOT of chicken! I kept digging in and it looked…read morelike the chicken portion didn't want to go down. Come hungry, be satisfied! Will eat here again.

Really solid spot for poke with a lot of options to choose from. The poke had a really generous…read moreportion of fresh tuna, and the fish-to-rice ratio was excellent. I got the seafood combo plate with mac and cheese, coconut shrimp, fried mahi mahi, and ribs. The coconut shrimp were super crispy and the coconut flavor was surprisingly light and not overwhelming. Overall, really good value for the amount of food you get. One downside was that we noticed one of the sauces at our table was expired, which was definitely a little concerning. Still, I'd come back when I'm craving poke.

I had to try the viral Poke Burger, so I hopped in my car and drove all the way to Santa Cruz and…read moreit was absolutely worth the trip! As soon as I walked in, I immediately felt the Hawaiian vibes. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the cashier was incredibly sweet and helpful. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't pre-order the burger for pickup, but I was told it's made fresh to order and available in limited quantities, which made sense. Along with the Poke Burger, I picked up a bottle of their Garlic Gurl hot sauce. Being from Gilroy, I had to give it a try! It had the perfect amount of garlic flavor with just the right level of heat--not overpowering at all. I also grabbed a Hawaiian drink from the refrigerator by the entrance. Having just returned from Hawaii, it instantly brought me back to the islands. The restaurant itself is spacious, clean, and inviting, with plenty of indoor seating as well as outdoor seating. Parking was easy to find, which is always a plus. When my food arrived, I was surprised by the portion size. The Poke Burger is huge and could easily be shared between two people. While I'm personally not the biggest fan of crispy rice, the poke filling inside was incredibly fresh, flavorful, and delicious. Every bite was packed with flavor. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and will definitely be back to try more items on their menu. If you've been seeing the viral Poke Burger all over social media and have been wondering if it's worth the hype, I'd say it's definitely worth checking out!

Great times, good vibes! I forgot to take a pic of my Mr.Makai drink but it was delicious, strong…read morebut flavorful. The servers were very nice, just a bit busy with all the tables so it did take a little while for service but nothing unreasonable. Loved the loco moco I would say it was a little hot for medium well perhaps the toppings made it cook a little more after plating but it was proper juicy and seasoned. The bbq plate was great, the flavors were pretty much the same but different textures depending on what meat you were trying. The kalbi was really thick! Would definitely stop by again to see what's going on with the food or drink menu.

For appetizers, we ordered the poke nacho and it was delicious, and also the coconut shrimp…read more Nothing great but just regular coconut shrimp. It was my first time coming here and I brought my teenage son with me. My son, who does not venture out of plain foods, ordered a plain cheeseburger, just meat and cheese, in medium rare. Even though the patty wasn't overcooked, the grilled marks were so burnt and tasted like carbon char meat. It was awful, and I felt like he was going to get poisoned. He didn't finish the burger. It was only after that I read reviews in here that this was a common theme with other peoples patties, whether it was from a burger or a loco moco dish. I ordered the barbecue Galbi dish. The waitress explained to me the difference between the $30 and $39 option. She said for $30, you only get one piece of galbi--ONE PIECE! I've never heard of a restaurant only serving one piece of galbi for an entrée dish. So I chose the $36 option to get three pieces. The meat was tendered but OMG!, they put too much sauce on top of the meat. Galbi doesn't need all that sauce when it's been marinated already. It was way too sweet. The mac salad was yummy but the rice was overcooked mush. Throughout the entire time we were there, there were gnats flying around our table and I had to swat at them many times and couldn't enjoy my meal. This was really the worst part and it tells you about the cleanliness of the restaurant. I'm glad I tried this place and of course you can't be being on the wharf with the ocean view but if you are going to come here, I will stick with the appetizers and drinks. I don't think I will be back.

My friend was raving about this place for happy hour because all the drinks and pupils are only $8…read moreeach! It's everyday from 4-6 PM so we had just made it at the tail end and sat at the bar. The Kona style wings were my favorite, but the spicy edamame and sweet potato fries really hit the spot. I also got a double martini cocktail ($16) and it tasted so fun and tropical. I would definitely recommend for happy hour if you're in the Santa Cruz area!

Dinner here on June 29th was great. We made it in time for Happy Hour and ordered some apps and…read moredrinks. Both flavors of wings were excellent and their Mai Tai was one of the best I've had in a while. I've been here a handful of times over the years and I almost always order the Spicy Thai Chicken Bowl. This time, it was a bit bland and seemed like it was missing an ingredient in the sauce. The plantains that came with it were amazing though. I'll have to try a different menu item next time. Service was good and everyone was friendly and helpful. Ambience was nice and islandy. We had no problem finding parking on a weekday. There is street parking and a couple of parking garages nearby.

The jawaiian jerk chicken and the crusted salmon were phenomenal!…read moreThe feel of the restaurant was great! The drink as well as the drink ware were fantastic. Alice has been a great presence! She made my entire trip, always on point with the suggestions.

A must have, the food is so good. So many options! The…read moreservice from the hostess to our waitress Marrissa is spectacular. The table next to us just happened to be the owner here and his brother thebowner of Hulas in Santa Cruz. We sat out in the patio which was so romantic! If you never have eaten here give it a try.

We were traveling down the coast and found this place on Yelp, all other nearby restaurants didn't…read morerate that well. After walking on the pier we were kinda worried about finding a decent spot to eat. So glad we gave it a try. Walking in there were like 3 other parties walking in so that was encouraging. It gave off Hawaiian/tiki vibes and was inviting. They have a 3 course special 4-5 pm for like $30. My husband and I picked that, I had the teriyaki chicken bowl and he had bbq ribs. The salad had a delicious dressing and had to eat every morsel. Both the main courses were really good. My grandson ordered the steak and ate every bite of the whole meal. Kai (the waiter) was very nice and gave us some advice on what to see along the route. I got an amazing picture that I blew up to hang in our room. Totally recommend giving this place a try!

On a recommendation we went for dinner. We were seated in a corner booth. Very Tiki atmosphere,…read morepleasant Service was prompt, polite and forthcoming with recommendations. Crab cakes were good with a chutney and a dipping sauce. Rum and coke, a nice Hawaiian light, was a good mix. New York strip steak , came as ordered, with vegetables and potatoes, a tad over done, was huge and delicious. Poke ahi bowl, too large to finish and wine, equally good. No desert tonight, next time. So, not bad considering. Appetizer, 2 main courses, 4 drinks and espresso 180. Should you go ? The menu is a fish and Hawaiian themed focused with a lot of other options. Has a Great Tiki bar separate from dining. Good food Good service Nice atmosphere and no screaming children. I felt welcomed and relaxed. I think you will as well.

This place was amazing! The customer service was outstanding, and everything was a great…read moreexperience. I would definitely recommend it and will absolutely be coming back!

I saw someone posting on Instagram about trying their Ilocos empanada. I Googled their business and…read morefound an option to text them since I'm not a call person. I find that very convenient as an introvert lol. I was able to order the Ilocos empanada via text. I was so excited to try it, but their empanadas could use some improvement. The empanadas they're selling are way too overpriced for what they taste like. I've had better ones. I hope they work on that. I also read someone else's comment, and she said the same thing. Their staff is nice, though. I ordered some food via an app, and they gave me generous portions. It was kinda salty for my taste, but it's good to eat with white rice to lessen the saltiness.