I was so excited to try this place given the reviews and I love all fish! Nice setting but if you sit outside the sun is a little brutal after five pm till sunset, it's beating right on you so inside probably best, even with the screen they have up. S had fried calamari, he said it was good but I couldn't share because it was loaded with sugary sauce, would have been nice on the side. He also ordered the asian chicken meal and said it was OK, but not worth the high price tag. The two stars is for the yummy wedge salad with blue cheese, which turned out to be my meal. I ordered fish, but can't eat the sugary sauce it comes with, so I asked for anything the chef could make without sugar I actually said to the waitress 'maybe a little lemon, wine or garlic lemon butter anything else, I'm pretty easy to please as long as its sugar free.' Waitress brings the dish, it looks pretty but it has no sauce which would have been ok if the fish wasn't so dried out, I wait for the waitress to come by and say I'm sorry but this is so dry can you bring some sauce as I requested, remember I said lemon, wine, butter whatever, (because I honestly thought maybe she forgot to ask the kitchen)..she yes, I told the chef what you wanted but he didn't want to make another sauce for this dish so he just put a little of the regular sauce around the edges of the plate (see photo). WOW! A customer has a dietary restriction and you don't want to accommodate it, so you give them what they tell you they can't eat anyway?!?! Why not just say we don't do special requests and let me order something different? On top of that, my asparagus was burnt, so much so it was uneatable. So I left starving and spending over $100 for two meals that were probably the worst meals we ever had in Lavallette. There are plenty of places who do want business and will accommodate such an easy request for a dietary restriction, so we'll go there and skip dried out fish. read more

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Food Outstanding !!!!! Waiter Mike Awesome !!!!!! Don't miss this place folks home run !!!! read more

Wow! This place is not to be overlooked. My family and I have driven past this place so many times during our summer vacations and I wish we would have stopped sooner! First, definitely plan ahead and make reservations. I knew it was a small place and something told me to call and make reservations a few hours before we were planning to go. When we arrived at 8, the place was packed, but we were seated right away. We were seated next to the kitchen, which is an open concept. The chef waved hello to us as soon as we were seated. Personally, I thought that was unique and fun to watch everything going on behind the scenes. The kitchen was well organized and clean! It is also worth noting that it seemed like a pretty well oiled machine in the back. Everyone seemed pleasant, calm, and happy to be there even with the busy atmosphere. I knew it was going to be a great place because before we even ordered, two other customers came to the back to greet and compliment the head chef, who I believe is also the owner. By the end of the evening, we witnessed at least two more patrons making the effort to walk back and compliment him. And boy we sure did find out why! We started with soup for our appetizer. My husband ordered the New England Clam Chowder and I ordered the Chicken Barley and Vegetable. Both soups were very tasty and were not run down by too much broth or cream. Both soups were deliciously chunky! My husband said it was the best Clam Chowder he had ever had! For our entrees, we ordered the Ribeye special and the Blackened Mahi Mahi. We could rave all night about these dishes! I am not really a seafood person, but this dish made me appreciate it so much more! The deliciously prepared sides (seasoned veggies, garlic smashed potatoes, coconut rice, mango chutney) were the cherry on top to a wonderfully prepared dinner. The presentation made it look like it came out of a NYC restaurant right here in little Lavallette! For dessert, we ordered a piece of Poppy's cheesecake. This was seriously the best cheesecake I've EVER had! I wish I could tell Poppy myself! I hope someone reading this review tells him how much we enjoyed that cheesecake! Upon paying our bill and getting up to leave, the chef personally thanked us for coming. We were the 5th group of customers to compliment him that night within the hour we were there. The complements are certainly well deserved! I really can't say enough about this place. The food was without a doubt 100% fresh, made with high quality ingredients. This made the slightly higher price points WELL worth it. It's amazing how things taste when they are properly prepared with fresh wholesome ingredients. We saw many dishes coming out of the kitchen that we can't wait to come back and try! Kudos to the staff of Ohana Grill! We can't wait to visit again next summer. See ya in 2017! read more

Ohana Grill - Ribeye with Bleu cheese crumble, garlic smashed potatoes, and seasoned veggies - Seafood Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

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Good food have eaten here regularly but our last visit was our last. The hostess was very rude.

Decided as we drove by to give this place a try. Its not the standard beach fare of burgers and pizza, but real good medium priced food. We decided to just try a few appys and picked the wasabi shrimp, chicken satay, crabcake sliders and calamari and the mango fried rice. All the choices came out at the same time and were cooked correctly except for the sliders that tastes undercooked a little. The winning dish was the wasabi shrimp with the panko breadcrumbs. Service was excellent as was the setting. Not beachy at all. The open kitchen added to the overall flair and flavor of the place. Go, its good and moderately priced. read more

Ohana Grill - Wanted to try some starters and picked the wasabi shrimp, calamari, chicken satay, crab cake.sliders. Winner is wasabi shrimp! - Seafood Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

Any review less than 5 stars is not accurate. I would give it 6 stars if I could! The restaurant is family owned and the chefs food is better than most in the country. I am not a seafood person, but only order seafood here! The homemade nightly ravioli is a must! The salmon and Halibut is also some of our favorites. Great food and service! Everything is homemade and unique. It is well worth it! The staff was friendly. Everything tastes fresh and homemade. It is also byob! They have specials nightly, and even have dessert specials. The crème brûlée is especially delicious, and the best I've ever had! They have indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor area is surprising comfortable considering its on rt 35. read more

Awesome local spot- we live close by but had never been until last week. The food is hands down one of the best at the jersey shore. It's a byob so be sure to bring a bottle of wine! I also can not say enough about the service. Our waitress was knowledgeable and gave wonderful recommendations for substitutes to the menu. We had the wasabi calamari, shrimp and scallops (substitute the mashed for the mango fried rice!), and the stuffed mahi-mahi. If you like chocolate DO NOT skip the molten cake....Amazing! read more

Ohana Grill - Shrimp and scallops - Seafood Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

so sorry I have to give only 1 star. this is the 5th time there. good food and service great. the hostess situation has always been rude and non accommodating. once again seated under the AC which is the beyond cold. we will not be going back. read more

I really hate to write a bad review when the staff was beyond friendly and accommodating. The food was just really not good at all. Servers and hostess are incredible. The menu sounded so incredible but everything we got was below average. read more

Awesome food, been there about 5 times in the last month. Tonight I had the ahi poke and the pistachio chocolate ganache tart, DELICIOUS

Love the food, the staff is very helpful and friendly. I come here a few times a year and never disappoints. Only thing I wish they had was a better ventilation system. At times the restaurant gets filled with smoke and then goes away. Happened a few times throughout our dinner. read more

I must have driven past this place a million times before finally getting the chance to eat here this past weekend. I have been missing out. Everything was so fresh and the portions were perfect. Some of the best oyster I've had and the wasabi calamari wasn't spicey in the least bit but just had a hint of wasabi flavor that was perfectly overruled by the high quality calamari. The Blackened Mahi Mahi was of course delicious and I was lucky enough to have a bite of the house special that night, porter house steak with an espresso glaze... absolutely amazing. The service was some of the best I've ever had and completed such a perfect meal. Great date night spot with the option for a short walk up to the beach afterward. Definitely will go out of my way to come back. read more

While the food was ok (not great, but ok), and my ceviche was so loaded with fruit that there was no fish or lemon flavor, the real issue inside is the noise level. It was so loud we could not have a conversation. It was intolerable, and I will NOT be going back. read more

Great service, incredible food! The soups are probably the best I've had anywhere. The moco loco was fantastic. I'll be back!

A bit pricey but very creative dishes and great atmosphere. Good place to check out.

High quality offerings from land and sea. Menu is creative and by no means your basic Jersey Shore fare. Crevice was refreshing and unique with watermelon and kiwi. Black Bass with Tara root purée special was very good while my wife's Risotto with scallops was outstanding. 5 large perfectly cooked scallops with enough for a take home potion of Risotto. Nice atmosphere with a quiet dining room that allows you to watch the chefs working. Also outside seating. Place is open all year (weekends only in Fall thru Spring). Worth the trip. BYOB. read more

Such a great dinner experience. Kandy our server was great!! Mimi pork tacos and spring rolls excellent can't go wrong. Went with a friend I ordered the 8oz Brazilian Lobster tail, my friend got the 14oz NY Strip we did a little surf n turf five stars. Couldn't believe we forced dessert with the Toll House skillet cookie and a side of vanilla ic. Must try make reservations early it was crowded but worth it!!!!!! read more

Their takeout is meh, but their food has always been incredible when I've eaten there in person. Will give their takeout one more try. Wouldn't recommend the ceviche or tuna at least for takeout read more

Visited this restaurant shortly after they opened on a Tuesday evening. Was told there was no availability for 2 diners with a two hour wait. There were few diners in the place with numerous empty tables in and outside as well. Was told they had reservations. No effort was made to offer a table regardless of the emptiness of the place. We could have been in and out in less than an hour. Smug hostess as well. They get one star for failing to accommodate walk ins, as most better restaurants offer. read more

This is my favorite place to eat when we are staying at the beach. Food is always fresh and delicious. Service is always great and staff is always on top of it. Every time we have been here everything we have ordered has been delicious. Never disappoints! Make reservations way in advance since it's not easy to get in last minute. read more

I'll start my review with the fact that we came here last year for my birthday. The food was phenomenal then. Fast forward, a year later, we'd forgotten the name, so here we came again, for my birthday again. The food was no where as good as the preceding year. For starters the tuna carpacio had no flavor. I ate it because i didn't want it to go to waste and no one else liked it at the table. Should have sent it back. I ordered lobster ravioli with a sauce that tastes like a very bad rendition of fra diavolo sauce. Not good at all. I ate my partner's dish instead, which was a seafood dish with coconut rice, which turns out was too spicy for him, contrary to the waitresses claim that it was not. I ordered this last year. It was good. I was trying to expand my horizons by ordering a different dish. Should have sent that ravioli back too. But we weren't sure if we were just being picky, plus we were starving. We ordered a dumpling i think. Barely mediocre! My son's dish of clams in a broth and was good. He enjoyed that and repeated his position at the table of falling asleep at the table, just as he did the year before. Ultimately, we complained about the dishes at the end, but the waitress said it was too late. Waste of money on half of what we ordered. I'm writing this review so I'll remember for next year. Needless to say i won't be going back. I gave it two stars for the BYOB factor, the courteous and accommodating welcome we received and i like the color of the paint on the walls. read more

Every time I go to Ohana Grill, I always get fine service and an exceptional meal! The fish is always fresh, the soups are delicious, the ceviche is always different and fresh! The service is great and it is a restaurant that I can always recommend friends to!! read more

The menu was great looking, however, some things could of been better. We tried to stretch out the experience since we don't get to go out as much. We were told we had to place our entire meal order at once (red flag), we asked several times to space our meal out and not rush. Unfortunately, we ordered a soup sampler and not halfway through the meal did the mussel and tuna appetizer come. All in all the food was good but rushed. Finally my wife ordered the scallop with risotto...awesome. I ordered the filet (many rave reviews) but not so good, the first was well done I ordered it med rare and the second was rare cold in the middle. The servicers were very nice and apologized numerous time. So in short menu was good, certain items were great, need help spacing the meal and cooking steak. I will give it another shot. read more

Ohana Grill - Seafood Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

Busy BYOB conveniently located across from a liquor store (in case you didn't know or forgot). Ceviche is delicious, ahi tuna entree is wonderful, pan seared halibut with saffron beurre blanc and coconut rice was delicious. The grilled mahi was a little dry but tasted much better when I stole some of the sauce from the halibut. Anything would taste better with that sauce. read more

The food and service are absolutely fantastic. Good atmosphere, innovative menu. To me the standouts are the spare rib appetizer; so good I've thought about doubling the order for a main course! The scallops, short ribs and fish are all excellent. Been twice the last two weeks, it will be a regular go to restaurant. read more

It was OK. Food was good, but the service was v average and not consistent, hence the 3 stars. Mom's filet mignon was perfectly cooked. Dad's lobster tail was too. Accompanying dishes were an unimpressive portion and not especially tasty. I got ceviche of the day which was a good sized portion and delicious; and had the soup sampler. My onion soup and clam chowder were both overly salty with the corn chowder special being bland. Prices here are v expensive for the food you get. However, I think some things on the menu are prob better than others so maybe I didn't order the best food. read more

This place is amazing. We had the Ahi ceviche appetizer, Ahi dinner and scallops and risotto. The Ahi was some of the best that I have had, and the mango rice was a fantastic compliment. Service was a nice pace and very attentive. We don't live in the area, but this is definitely a place we will come back to next time we are in the area. read more

The food at ohana grill was great. However, I originally made a reservation at 8:30 for outside and was asked at 8:40 to sit inside after I had arrived early. I agreed to sit inside and didn't have a waiter come over to the table until after 8:50. While the food at ohana grill was good, I think it is over priced and the service was lacking. read more

Enjoyed an excellent dinner here on the outside porch area. I had the special, pretzel encrusted soft shell crab with coconut rice and veggies (excellent!!) and my husband had the lobster tail. Our oysters and tuna taco appetizers were on point. The blue point oysters were huge! Overall, very lovely experience and excellent food/service. Definitely need reservations. I've been trying to go for years - need to call way in advance or go pre/post summer season. Enjoy!!! read more

Ohana Grill - Menu/ambiance - Seafood Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

This place is a hidden gem at the Jersey shore. From the outside you are not sure what to expect. There is outdoor seating. The inside is small but nicely decorated. There is very cool yet upscale vibe. The food is the best part. The prices aren't cheap, but the food is worth every dime. While they are known for their seafood they also have chicken, beef, pork and pasta dishes. Every dish is unique with really different sides. The staff is friendly and attentive. And if a good meal and great service aren't enough, we even got to witness a proposal at the next table. It's nice to see that guys still get down on one knee to propose. :) read more

Wonderful meal and ambience! From the moment we walked in, with a recommendation of reservation, we knew the meal would be great. So many locals of all ages sat and ordered their "usual" or the specials. Everything was fresh, lovely and the Sweet Onion Vermont Cheddar soup was worthy of a bowl but we had the cup! Our entrees were superb and prepared with great care. I would absolutely recommend a stop here! read more

Ohana Grill - NY Strip Special with Garlic Mashed with fresh carrots and green beans. - Seafood Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

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Best meal so far on our COVID vacation in Normandy Beach. The snapper with sautéed greens and coconut rice was perfect. My wife had the strip and cleaned her plate (with a little help from her friend ) who couldn't get enough of the garlic mashed potatoes. I'm sure we will return when the kids come down next week. read more

This place was a mixed bag, not sure why it is so well regarded so while I didn't think it deserved 4-5 stars, it wasn't bad. BYOB which is good. Server knocked water all over me and the table, which is bad. Ceviche was god awful but entrees were solid, mahi and salmon. Not a bad choice but not sure why it is so well regarded. read more

Went there last night with friends - first time visiting. We got the Calamari, Shrimp, Ceviche - all were fresh, really great taste, perfect. BYOB so we got to drink whatever we wanted. Service was over the top good - our waitress was awesome. Personal and Professional. Entrees - I had the Skin on Snapper over Coconut rice with Asparagus. I've eaten Red Snapper over 1000 times in my life - I know the fish inside and out. This was in the top 10 Red Snapper dishes I ever had. My friends got the Scallops, Portabello Mushroom Ravioloi - all were really happy and cleaned the plates. We had the cookie for dessert - all left happy. I might go back tonight just because its the best place in Lavalette that doesn't serve you shitty fried frozen fish. I love Ohana - you will too. Take the ladies, bring the bros - everyone will smile. read more

Called in late afternoon and was able to get a table for 6:15. Upon entering we knew right away the place was family run. It just had that 'hello and welcome' type of feel. Bright teal walls and clean crisp linens greet d us after the hostess and owner did. We came with our two boys and we were given high chairs right away. The waiter also understood the importance of getting our 2.5 year olds order in and out to him first. The menu was a nice selection of apps,salads and entrees. Both the hubs and I got the beet salad. Pricey but promising...we both felt it needed more dressing. The candies nuts were perfectly sweet but the salad did need a bit more tart to offset the sweet and the savory of the goat cheese. I ordered the sea scallops and shrimp. The shrimp was grilled and the scallops seared. Both were cooked perfectly and super fresh but lacked a bit of flavor. A dash of salt fixed that problem quick. Served with a mango salsa and over wasabi mashed potatoes it was filling. (3 scallops and two shrimp). The hubs ordered filet (land lubber that he is). He ordered medium and it was way over cooked. He was offered a new plate when the waiter checked in but he chose to eat his dish because it was still flavorful (and he never sends dishes back). Our son had.....shocker....chicken and fries. (What happened to my adventurous eater!) the staff checked on us frequently, engaged both of my kids and made us feel welcome. They even brought out s dish of ice cream When we passed on dessert but mentioned it was a birthday dinner. Overall a good, not great, dining experience and for sure we will return. It's a BYOB which we will plan for the next trip...without the kids. read more

Just okay food and atmosphere. For the price, the food should be better. Service was good. Atmosphere is fine. Local spot which is easy

I know things are difficult right now with covid, but we will never go back. The curbside service and the receptionist were lovely, but the food was extremely overpriced and not worth it. Calamari was over fried and probably from restaurant Depo, other food was cold and the greens were limp. This ceviche had only one type of fish not the usual mix, and a lobster ravioli had 5 ravioli for $32. read more

Ran across their page looking for something different to eat, and I sure am glad that I found them. We started our dinner off with the wasabi calamari, which was delicious. the sauce was so good I asked for an extra side. As a main coarse I ordered the onion encrusted seabass which was absolutely amazing. our server was always very helpful and attentive through our meal. I must say I am looking forward to coming back very soon to try more of their dishes ! read more

Ohana Grill - onion encrusted seabass with sweet potato mash - Seafood Near Me - Lavallette, New Jersey

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Nice dinner with good choices and specials. Susan our waitress was wonderful. Hubby and I each had soup as starter. New England clam chowder was delicious. Not too creamy or milky , had nice flavor and had sliced potatoes and prosciutto. He'd had sweet onion cheddar soup we shared clams in lemon wine sauce and the macadamia grouper with coconut rIce. Desserts we passed on but looked yummy. Need to save calories for our upcoming Portland foodie trek next week, lol! Come for casual tasty dinner. Res recommended read more

Food was very good if you could see it on your plate though the kitchen smoke I would've ordered desert but I didn't have a gas mask I will not go back until exhaust issues are fixed read more