I love this place. I always get the rib plate and extra sides of mac salad. Totally my style. I would go more often but these plate prices keep going up! Welp.... It's a nice treat once in awhile read more

The food at Matiki Island BBQ in Fullerton is honestly excellent. The ribs and kalbi are delicious, the portions are big, and the food itself is the reason people come back. Unfortunately, the older cashier's attitude was bad enough to ruin the experience. The younger cashier was very pleasant, nice, and accommodating, so clearly good customer service is possible here. But the older woman at the register acted like customers were an inconvenience instead of the reason the business exists. Customer service goes a long way, and I usually show my appreciation with a tip. Not today. The food earned it, but the attitude lost it. Great ribs, great kalbi, huge portions -- but the rude cashier needs to realize she's not seasoning the food with attitude. *The BBQ is island-style, but the cashier's attitude was DMV-style. read more

Me and my husband had such a wonderful experience at Matiki BBQ, and we truly have to highlight the exceptional service provided by Casie. From the moment we walked in, she stood out for all the right reasons. Her customer service skills are genuinely top-tier--she greeted us with a warm, sincere smile that instantly made us feel welcome and comfortable. Casie has such a pleasant and approachable demeanor. She took the time to really engage with us, making sure we felt taken care of without ever seeming rushed or distracted. What impressed us most is how attentive she is--she listened carefully and offered thoughtful recommendations based on what we might enjoy. If you're unsure what to order, she's the perfect person to guide you. Her suggestions were spot-on and made the whole dining experience even better. Beyond her professionalism, Casie has a wonderful personality that shines through in every interaction. She brings such positive energy to the environment--it's clear she enjoys what she does, and it reflects in how she treats people. On top of that, her beautiful complexion and confident presence add to her overall charm, making her truly memorable. It's rare to come across someone who combines efficiency, friendliness, and genuine care so effortlessly. Casie goes above and beyond to make sure every guest leaves satisfied, and that level of service deserves recognition. Because of her, we'll definitely be returning to Matiki BBQ and recommending it to others. read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Delicious beef ribs!!! - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

Came here w my home boys yesterday! My friends ordered pure ribs. I had the combo Sam's plate or something? Which is ribs in addition to Mac and cheese and rice. I see why the some of the reviews are not as pleasant due to one of the cashiers attitude which I have noticed too, but I STILL had to rate this place a 5/5 purely due to the ribs after eating the ribs my resentment and feelings towards the employees diminished. The food is so surreal and the ribs melted on my tongue one by one and every bite came w a crunch and sweet marinated aftertaste. I could feel every feeling a human can taste w bite after bite, easily has to be top 10 experiences in life and one of the best ribs as well as in terms of price ratio too. My go to place from now on will come here more often food is great and S/O to my friends for putting me on! read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

The food here is very good and fresh and also has a pretty decent price point. The service here is very friendly and very quick to take care of My Order. The cooks are working hard to make your meal an awesome and fresh meal right in front of you. The vibe here seemed very chill. Had a nice little crowd of Family when I walked in. My only complaint was the ribs could've had a little more meat, but the food was actually really good. I would come back because the price and the food was good. read more

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This place inside is really spacious and fits a large group for sitting, the service was not really the best though I was next in line and was not really greeted and the place wasn't busy to justify it, once the lady did help us though she was kind and took our order. The food was very juicy and fresh! read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Menus - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

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Matiki Island BBQ is a total gem. The ribs are the star, smoky and tender. Paired with their signature sauce. Mac salad and rice were just ok. Coming back for the ribs. Good price too read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Beef rib plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

Maybe we came on a bad day, but the food was not good. We had one good thing, and that was the short ribs. We walked in, and the location looked really clean. It was slow because all the staff was watching the football game and did not realize their menu screens were not on. It took literally 5 minutes to get them back on. We looked at the menu online, and even though we had been waiting over 5-10 minutes and knew what we wanted, the cashier was too busy on the phone to take our order. She would not let the call ring or put it on hold to take care of the line of 8 people. Seems like customer service to the customer in front of them is not prioritized. We were a group of 5 people, so we tried many things. Short rib plate was good, could have used a little more seasoning, but good overall. I had the chicken and steak plate. The beef was the driest beef I have ever had--literally had to drown it in their teriyaki sauce, and even that did not help. The chicken was ok but still needed sauce. My kids had the chicken rice kids bowl, and the portion was a joke. We ended up giving them food from our plates. Someone in our party did try their famous rib plate. It looked great, but he said there was more fat than meat. We had to eat again shortly after. Someone recommended this place to me, so I had high expectations, but they were not met. As always, another place that looks good only on Instagram. read more

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I wish I would have taken a photo! The Mac salad was probably the best I've ever had! The steak plate was perfectly cooked and seasoned well! The spam musubi had furikake in the rice and it was an amazing addition! The vibe seemed like we were on an island! I will definitely be back! read more

Food is always on point! Friendly service and make you feel at home. The ribs are a must! read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

Chill spot to enjoy great, authentic Hawaiian food. Most people get take out, but a handful of folks were dining in. The food is fresh, hot & delicious. They even have warm, easy to pick up goodies like spam musubi, manapua & pani popo. We got the #7 plate - steak & short ribs, which comes w/ 2 scoops of rice & either green or mac salad. These are our fave meats, & we always go w/ their mac salad! Another terrific meat choice here is their ribs! read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - #7 - Steak & Short Ribs Plate: comes w/ 2 scoops of rice & mac or green salad. Be sure to add their teriyaki sauce! - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

Matikis is the best island food in OC. Hands down. The ribs all the way down to the Kalua. With their generous portions and outstanding service. It's always a must have when I'm in town. Of course the OG location off Lincoln in Anaheim, has my heart. Both stores give me the family feels. The dining room always fills up. Whether you're in Fullerton or west Anaheim, Yelp the closest Matikis and eat for yaself. read more

Plenty of parking in the plaza. There is a good amount of seating inside but a lot of people were ordering to go. It was very cold inside and the lady taking our order was rude and stand offish. Customer service was severely lacking but the food itself was a 7.5 for me. The ribs had a good amount of fat on it. Short ribs were better in my opinion. read more

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I had the short ribs and chicken plate. I thought the short ribs were too tough. They probably should have been cooked longer (or maybe braised awhile to get tender). Thought the chicken was dried out. Thought that I paid far too much for what I got. Won't be coming back. Despite what the woman taking my order and working the cashier, proudly claimed, their restaurant isn't better than Ono or L&L. read more

Similar experience as others who have left a 1-star review: the woman in front is extremely rude. As you can see, the salad had no dressing on it. When I asked for a little extra, the lady barked back, saying that they need to charge me 50 cents for it. We come here often, but have a similar experience every time. It's surprising how they do so well when the staff is so rude. Go, but don't expect Hawaiian vibes when you go. read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Chicken salad - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

I've been coming here for the past two years and normally order their beef ribs plate because they normally don't skimp on the amount of meat or ribs you get. This time I received four ribs with two of them having a scant amount of meat on them. Also, the quality of the meat was tough with gristle making it chewy and hard to digest. I hope their quality control gets better because I've enjoyed their food from prior visits and drive a long ways to get there read more

We came here because we are hosting a 40 person party and wanted Hawaiian food. This was a taste test. I order their three meat platter and asked if I could taste their Kalua pig. I was told no. When I said I wanted to try it before I ordered for my party. The woman said "no, they only cook it by the plate". I changed the order to two plates and missed out on the steak. Here is the run down. Spam musubi was delicious- warm, with furikake and a healthy portion is spam. Kalua pig had way more cabbage than pork and on bland side. Teriyaki chicken was good. The rice was sticky. The short rib kalbi was really tasty until the last rib which was charred on the outside and raw on the inside. The Mac salad was average. After my encounter with the women taking my order I got picky. I ordered two cans of diet soda. When I got cups for a fountain drink I went with it. While I was sitting I noticed the price. $1.75 for a can. $2.00 for a fountain drink. They make so much more money off the fountain drink. I went back for a refill just to try and recoup my money. It wasn't busy when wee were there, yet the trash can was overflowing. read more

I placed an order online and went to pick it up around 7:30 PM. Right before it was my turn, the staff member at the front desk--a middle-aged, plus-size Hispanic woman--was smiling and chatting happily with two white customers. However, the moment she turned to serve me (an Asian), her smile instantly vanished. Throughout the entire interaction, she completely ignored what I said and didn't utter a single word to me. Even when I politely said "Thank you" at the end, I received zero response. The contrast in treatment was so stark and uncomfortable. While the food is good, I will definitely not be returning due to this awful and degrading customer service. read more

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10 STARS we placed a pickup order online. Hands DOWN, BEST Beef Ribs I've EVER HAD! Perfectly cooked with amazing flavor! Meaty with the right amount of fat ratio. Pasta Salad was excellent too. Along with perfectly cooked rice with the sauce poured on top (don't know name of it) make sure you get it for your rice Salad was a very fresh mix of greens with a lite vinaigrette, glad I asked for extra as they only toss it lightly. I can't wait to go back! read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - 1. Beef Rib Plate (Sam's Plate) - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

Came back and n 1/3/26 since my son had a volleyball tournament in Irvine. Sadly, they still don't have the warm welcoming. I even tried to make a friendly "local kine" talk story but maybe the lady at the front doesn't get it. No emotion, no smile, nothing! Anyway, we ordered the Kahuna plate, kalbi plates, chicken and beef plate and side of ribs. The beef was not as tender as we would like, kalbi had a lot of fat and chicken was a bit dry. The star of the show are the beef ribs. They were tender and flavorful. The mac salad was good. The place is clean and roomy. I think the place lacks the friendly staff. I am away from the islands so when I come to a place that sells local food, I also expect the people to have that friendly, warm that you experience when you're on the island. read more

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Just stopped in for an iced tea and got snapped at by the cashier .. Bummer.. don't think I want to return for the food now. read more

Very good meal, and imo a good value. We will be back for sure tk eat again. Wish they had a place in San Diego read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Beef ribs plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

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Love this place. The service is great and so is the food! The beef ribs are my favorite and for $17.xx it's a good value. They haven't raised prices that much considering the inflation. The steak plate is a good value too. They give you tons of meat. Drench it in their sauce and it's almost as good as the ribs. If you're itching for Hawaiian bbq you can't go wrong with Matiki's! read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Look at the size of the bone! It's like from the Flintstones! - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

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The food was amazing! Ordered the beef rib plate; I love that there were pieces of meat that were crispy and big chunks that melt in your mouth. A large plate that can be shared between two people. The macaroni salad was more of a potato salad, had pieces of potatoes; it was not the sweet creamy mac salad that usually comes with hawaiian food. Large seating area, some tables were dirty but nothing excessive. The only downside was the customer service. The woman at the register presented as rude and short. Come for the food not so much the customer service read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - 1. Beef Rib Plate (Sam's Plate) - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

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Not all meats are equally good. It's quick and easy to get food especially with online ordering. I should have trusted the consensus and got more ribs. The beef ribs have such tender succulent meat and crispy edges. The kalbi is okay albeit fatty. The minus 2 stars is for the steak--tremendously overcooked and tough. Additionally, the macaroni salad recipe is a disaster. They add potatoes which makes the side starchy and unappealing. Please remove the potatoes from the macaroni salad. The salad is a contrast the meat and should be slick from the pasta and creamy/fatty with the mayo. Surprisingly, the steak was a bit more palatable as leftovers when I added water. read more

Matiki Island BBQ is located at the south end of the Ralphs shopping center on Harbor and Berkeley in Fullerton right behind Black Bear Diner. There is extra parking at the end of the center where Matiki is and finding a spot is rarely a problem. If you are anywhere within a hundred feet of the restaurant, you will not be able to miss the wonderful aroma of Hawaiian BBQ in the air. There are probably about ten tables inside with a mix of two seat and four seat tables. They have a patio at the end of the building but I have never seen tables out there. If you want to eat outside, there are some shared tables for the various food places if you walk towards Ralphs a short way. You go up to the register to order and they will call your name when your food is ready. Right next to the register is the grill where all the magic happens. There is usually a good amount of meat on the grill with a lot of flames and huge plumes of smoke going up and out the chimney. I ordered the #2 short ribs (Kalbi) plate. It comes with two scoops of white rice and I selected the green salad instead of the macaroni salad to make the meal a little more healthy. About ten minutes later my food was ready. I opened the container and was happy to see a pretty good stack of short ribs. Forget about a fork and knife, with short ribs it's easier to just grab the bones and dig in. There were probably a good ten to twelve pieces of short rib. The short ribs were cooked perfectly and were absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, there were two pieces that were 100% fat, and there were also two or three pieces that were all bone with just a tiny quarter inch or so of meat around the bone. The rice was good and I drizzled some sriracha on top to spice it up. The salad was good and was tossed in a great vinaigrette which had a little sweetness as well as a little tang. Overall, it was a very satisfying plate. However, it is not cheap at $19. All of the plate meals except for the chicken plate are going to set you back over $20 after tax. I took off half of a star for the price and a few bum pieces of short rib, but rounded up to five stars for the great flavor. I will continue to return periodically. read more

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The food sucked!! It was good the first time, but hellll naw, the 2nd time was terrible!!!! I got mostly fat served with rice when I asked for steak and veggie bowl. I will never be back!! read more

So delicious I was recommended by 2 of my sisters, both love it Way better than the chain Hawaiian BBQ places I have previously tried The first time I go their steak and ribs, but I think I like the ribs the best. So flavorful and food came out pretty quickly read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Kalbi short Ribs - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

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One of the worst Hawaiian BBQ places I've been. I had high hopes. I ordered a mix kalbi/chicken bbq plate. Neither was freshly made. It was pre-cooked which they threw back on the grill. It was not warmed up enough. The chicken was very dry. The meat was tough to chew. When you're charging $30+ for a lunch plate at least make the food to order, fresh and juicy. Will never come back here. read more

HANDS DOWN BEST HAWAIIAN BBQ IVE HAD OUTSIDE OF HAWAII!!! Im yelling it to anyone who wants to hear it! Service... phenomenal! Really friendly and helpful! The food was amazingly tender and flavorful and they aren't stingy on their portions! Amen to that! Haha Would easily go back! I want it now as I type this. read more

One of my local to go spots. A must try is their beef kalbi and spam masubi they sell out quick.

So delicious. I get no salad double macaroni salad with short rib and chicken combo and add protein (beef ribs) in the side. Friendly staff large clean dining area. Delicious read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Side of Beef Rib - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

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So off-putting in ALL ways that we didn't even eat the food. We walked out and felt good about that. Woman at the front lives up to her reputation. read more

The lovely folks at Matiki Island BBQ did not disappoint. The wonderful service and delicious island food was just what the doctor ordered. I got the beef and short ribs combo with a side of some beef ribs! The combo comes with rice and mac . The servings were plentiful leaving me with leftovers for lunch the next day. The restaurant interior gives off a real Hawaiian vibe. Aloha and mahalo! read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Beef and short ribs plate and a Side of Beef Rib - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

Best Hawaiian food I've had. Portions are big enough to share. Good quality food, the ambiance is nice and the service is quick. I will be back for sure. In photo #1 beef ribs and the chicken bowl with a side of macaroni. read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

Once my husband introduced me to Matiki, I instantly understood why he kept talking about it--there was no going back. The beef ribs are everything you'd want: meaty, smoky, fatty, sweet, and so flavorful. He had passed by this place for over 10 years before finally trying it, and now we both wish we had discovered it sooner. I've only tried their #1 Sam's plate so far, but I'm confident the other dishes are just as good. The ribs are grilled over charcoal to perfection, and that sweet sauce they serve on the side makes every bite even better. Eating here feels like stepping into a true Hawaiian spot. The ordering process is simple--place your order with the cashier, wait for your name to be called, and then enjoy your food. The restaurant itself is very clean and surprisingly well-ventilated, so you don't walk out smelling like smoke. I can't wait to come back with him again! read more

Craving a familiar taste, a flavor , an aroma of the islands draws draws me back to Matiki for an order of ribs - Sam's plate. The mahogany colored soy-garlic marinated beef with smoky perfume makes my mouth water. So much goodness for satisfying my craving in a pile of bbq bones. Mahalo. I'm happy again. read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Sam's plate - 5/21/25 - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

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Matiki Island Barbecue is located off of Berkeley Ave and Harbor Blvd. If it's your first time here, be sure to follow your GPS directions or you'll drive right past it. Once you find it, it's easy to access and parking is plentiful. Be aware that if you come during peak lunch or dinner hours the parking lot fills up because this place is hoppin'!! Orders are placed at the counter and your name is called for you to claim it once it's ready. The dining room is a nice size with lots of table & chair seating, but remember, during peak hours, Matiki's gets packed. Simple, tasteful Hawaiian decor graces the walls and a front corner. Service is usually friendly but always efficient. (They sometimes get frazzled during the rush). Spam musubi and Manapua are in a "self-serve" case on the counter. Drinks have the option of self-serve fountain or individual single cans. Coke lovers rejoice, because it is served here!! We originally discovered Matiki's at the original location in Anaheim. It's no exaggeration when I tell you that EVERYTHING on the menu is amazing ~ we've tried it all!! Combo plate portions are huge and can easily be shared by two people (unless you're extra hungry, then you can definitely chow down!). The Mac salad is so good, we usually order extra scoops on the side. And definitely try the Matiki's sauce. Another crave-worthy offering! Have I made you hungry yet?? Go give them a try. Your taste buds will thank you! read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Current menu and pricing as of January 2025 - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California

Delicious! Not the most happy or helpful people working there but the food is great! Big portions. Esp the beef rib plate. Depending on how much meat is in the bone and how big they are is the amount of ribs you get. Two people that eat normal portions can prob share. They don't have katsu. Only chicken that's brushed with the same sauce as the ribs. Highly suggest getting the rib plate! If you try to order over the phone.... The DO NOT answer. read more

Ordered some food for company lunch, and was very disappointed with the quality of the food. Kalbi was burnt and can not even eat it. Knowing that the kalbi was crisp burnt they decided to give it to us. Will not come back. read more

Matiki Island Barbecue - Burnt - Hawaiian Near Me - Fullerton, California