Amazing Hawaiian breakfast food! I came here with some friends on a Monday morning lured in by the loco moco and Hawaiian rolls French toast. Weather was nice so we grabbed a table outside and ordered from a QR code on the table. Sadly, learned they were out of an ingredient for the Hawaiian roll French toast so I got the normal one instead. The waitress was really nice and managed to balance bringing out four water glasses for us. I haven't had French toast in a while but it fulfilled all my childhood memories. The Kalua Pork Hash was soooo tasty too, loved the gravy. Would recommend! read more

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Definitely make reservations! We ordered the ube latte, iced Mac nut latte for drinks. It was nice, flavor comes out more with the hot latte. We ordered the burger loco moco with fried rice. It was fine, not amazing not bad. The Hawaiian roll French toast was good flavor, but mostly became mushy. The Mac salad was different. We had a mix up with the loco moco which they resolved. The service was nice enough. Although I noticed other tables items were forgotten and/or waited a lonnnnng time. The wait time was far too long in my opinion. Another party's items were served before ours, we ordered the same items and they came after us. We ordered the masala's sampler to go at the end of our meal, it took 30+ minutes. The masaladas (not pictured) were really good! All in all, definitely try once, but you must make a reservation. Expect to wait. Know what you want before going. You must order at the counter or be seated and order through the QR code. We couldn't find the QR code anywhere posted. read more

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The food here was delicious! Forgive me for not remembering the exact item but I had a breakfast burrito wrapped ina green tortilla. The salsa was tasty, not too spicy, it was sweet and tangy. My girlfriend had the pork loco-moco and she says it was tasty but would've liked more of the gravy like sauce and for the pork to be cooked just a bit more. Other than that she enjoyed her meal. The service was excellent as they tried to accommodate my girlfriend and I since we were sitting directly under the sun that morning. It's a great place swing as it's near the ocean and it's reminiscing of a Hawaiian lunch hut. Overall I'm for sure coming back and would like to try more of the menu. read more

Whenever you are in the Oakland or surrounding area and want some aloha spirit in your life, you must check out Shaka Shack! This food is delicious. We ordered the poke bowl and the loco moco. We also got a malasada. The burger patty was seasoned well. The bowl was packed with delicious ingredients. I needed help eating it, there was so much food! The customer service was filled with Aloha Spirit. Ordering was easy at the counter. This hidden gem is worth checking out. We went around opening time when there was only 1 other customer. As lunch time came around, this place got busy. It seemed like a local favorite. A big crowd (party of 6) called ahead of time and reserved a table. I liked that they did that. There's indoor and outdoor seating and a parking lot to park in. Overall, check out Shaka Shack for the Hawaiian style food, ambiance and spirit! read more

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If you're missing food from Hawaii this is the spot to go to!! This is way better flavor. I had a place that has short ribs rice and eggs. Ribs has a sweet flavor with a bit of pepper flakes. Then daughter had a plate with spam Portuguese sausage fried rice with potatoes and eggs. These two dishes no complaint. . I also order Hawaiian French toast it has great flavor you don't need to add syrup at all. But I feel need improvement they were like soggy. I took my left overs home but in oven but still felt soggy. "Like bread pudding". To drink I ordered a lemonade mimosa. If you like sweet this is the drink was mostly sweet can't taste the champagne in it. Also ube matcha latte daughter has she loved it drank it all. Service was quick and great. I like the layout of the place felt that I was in Hawaii again. I will come here again the Vietnamese coffee caught my eyes. read more

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My cousin and I came to Shaka Shack for breakfast after he picked me up from the airport. This place has been on our "must try" list, plus I wanted to treat him for picking me up. When arriving the inside was packed. We ended up sitting outside next to the outdoor heaters. The staff was nice enough to turn them on for us, even though we were to only ones there. We scanned the QR code for the menu and placed our orders. We went with the following items: - Kid sized loco moco - Lilikoi malasada - Kimchi cucumbers - Big kahuna loco moco - Mac nut latte My cousin's order of rhe kid sized loco moco and kimchi satisfied his cravings. He doesn't eat much. We did split the lilikoi malasada and it tasted amazing! The mac nut latte had the hints of coconut and macadamia flavoring that wasn't overpowering, which made the latte enjoyable. The big kahuna loco moco was a very generous portioned dish! Besides the loco moco it also came with spam and portuguese sausage. I opted to have fried rice served with this dish. I'm glad that I was able to finish that in one sitting. It was that good! read more

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This place is located on a quaint little corner in Alameda. We went right when they opened so that we didn't get caught in the morning rush. You order inside and then they will bring the food to wherever you are sitting. It's really small inside, with not much seating. There is plenty of seating outdoors though. Most of the people in our group got the galbi loco Moco. I would recommend this dish. Everything came out in a timely manner. Everything was nice and saucy and the meat was so tender. Eggs were nice and cooked to jammy perfection. If you are ever in the Alameda area come check this place out and support! read more

Shaka Shack - Hawaiian Near Me - Alameda, California

If you haven't tried Shaka Shack yet, you need to go. The shack is so cute, and colorful and definitely gives you the Hawaiian vibe and feel, without leaving the bay. The staff is so kind, friendly, and extremely helpful. You do place your order first and find seating yourself, or you can sit down at a table that has a QR code and order from that. I tried the big kahuna, hawaiian french toast, side of spam (came with rice), and a spam musubi. The big kahuna was a lot of food! It was delicious and everything was cooked to perfection, however the gravy was a bit overpowering and dominated the dish. The hawaiian french toast was perfect. The right amount of sweetness. I do wish there was a combo that came with eggs and maybe a side of protein, but there's options to order extra. The side of spam reminded me of being a kid and having that for breakfast. The spam was cooked perfectly and had a some crispy edges to it. You can't go wrong with trying a spam musubi here either. It held so well together after biting into it and I completely devoured it.. I should've got 3 more! Anyway, can't wait to be back! It's delicious and makes me feel like I am on the islands. read more

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The food was amazing!! feels like im back in hawaii...food is very good. The service was great. The staff was very attentive to us and always making sure we were good. The atmosphere was great. Definitely would come back again!! read more

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My cousin and I came by this weekend bc we heard about this spot from Instagram a few weeks ago. We got there around 12:30 on a Sunday and it was popping!! It felt like perhaps they were understaffed as some tables were unoccupied but not yet bussed and when we ordered our food we were told they were out of the kalua hash, fried rice, and malasadas (turns out they weren't actually out of the latter bc we saw later tables able to order, so that was disappointing). They gave us the heads up that the kitchen was backed up and we may have to wait 30 min for our food but it didn't actually take that long. Our food was really good and the portions were pretty generous. Loved the loco moco! I think they're still adjusting to the recent boost in guests but I look forward to coming back for another visit! Shoooooots read more

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This place felt like stepping into a cute brunch spot in Hawaii, but unfortunately it didn't quite hit the mark for me. Drinks: Iced coconut latte - Good, but not anything out of the ordinary. Iced mac nut latte - Interesting flavor that leaned more banana-nut than macadamia, which caught me off guard. Food: Ube French toast - The highlight of the meal. Delicious, fluffy, and nicely balanced with ube flavor. Extra syrup wasn't necessary. Kai's plate lunch (short ribs & kimchi cucumbers) - The short ribs had a lot of fat and could've used more seasoning. I was especially disappointed in the kimchi cucumbers, which lacked crispness and flavor. Loco moco - Needed more seasoning overall and more rice to balance out all the gravy. Spam musubi - Too much rice and not enough moisture. I really wanted to love this place, but it ultimately fell short. The staff was very kind and welcoming, though the service was quite slow. I understand it was a busy Sunday brunch and the kitchen space is small, but overall the experience didn't blow me away. read more

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This place was so ono. From the first bite, I could tell the food was made with a lot of care. Everything was flavorful and super hearty. It's the kind of meal that keeps you full for hours or skip lunch if you're having this for breakfast. The customer service was really friendly, and the whole spot had a relaxed, welcoming feel. It honestly felt like you were getting a little taste of the islands just walking in or dining at Aunty's house. The portions are huge, definitely big enough to share, but also perfect if you just want to treat yourself and skip lunch because it's that filling. They were really generous with the kalbi with about four solid pieces on the plate that were all tender and well-seasoned. The brown gravy was rich and had great depth of flavor, and it paired perfectly with the two eggs and big scoops of rice. It's located on the quieter, more industrial side of town, so it's not super busy, which actually made the experience even better. You don't have to worry about parking unlike dining along Park Street as they have their own lot. If there is no room inside, you can post up outside in the patio area and enjoy the sun/scenery. You can just sit back, enjoy the island music playing, and really take in the vibe while you eat. read more

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Solid Hawaiian food on the main island of ....Alameda. This is the furthest east of the Hawaiian islands... about a 5.5 hour flight from its closest Hawaiian neighbor. Ha... fooled yah! Shaka Shack is on the main island near the Park Street Bridge and this little shack, maybe seats 14 peeps at the most, has been serving island style food for a few years. The place has a parking lot and is an order at the counter and they'll bring food to you joint, where you can get Loco Moco, Kalua Pork, Malasadas, Shave Ice, and Ube Lattes. We went on a quiet Tuesday for lunch and had the Big Kahuna Loco Moco and the two meat Kai's Special. The former has hamburger, egg, gravy, rice, Portuguese sausage, and Kalaua Pork. The latter had Spicy chicken and Kalua Pork. We both liked the Kalua Pork the best as it was moist and not overly salty. The hamburger was over salted while the brown gravy on the loco moco was perfect. Also had two good lattes, one hot and one cold. Quaint place with a real island ambiance. Mellow interior colors of yellow and green like if you were in a Hawaiian shack. read more

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Loco Moco definitely had me feeling loco . The food was super savory and we devoured our meals--but I could've gone without the fried rice to cut a little back on the sodium lol. Everything is made to order, so it does take some time, but the food comes out hot and fresh, which made the wait worth it. You order and pay first, then they give you a letter to place on your table so they can deliver your food. Reservations are available online, or you can just walk in and grab any open table. I liked the drink selection--mimosas plus a variety of latte flavors. I ordered the mac nut iced latte, which was smooth and not overly sweet. We also ordered musubis to go--very filling and packed with rice, maybe a little rice-heavy for my taste. The staff was friendly and energetic, and the atmosphere was fun and lively. Overall, a great experience with bold flavors, and I'd definitely come back to try other menu items. read more

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Always love to try Hawaiian food so when I heard about this place, I was excited. The atmosphere is casual and sort of feels like you're on the islands. The loco moco was good but the gravy is not what you'd expect - very light and thin. The hamburger was cooked medium rare so that was nice. The fried rice cup was a nice size for a side and had edamame and two types of meat in it. The Kalua pork hash was good but a little soggy. We bought one malasada to try and it was a pretty good malasada. Crispy on the outside and soft inside with a good amount of filling (we chose coconut but they had a lot of options). read more

Shaka Shack - Malasada, loco moco, Fried Rice Cup, Kalua Pork Hash - Hawaiian Near Me - Alameda, California

Love this cute lil hawaiian restaurant. They had a parking lot and patio seating and indoor seating. The inside is quite small but i would prefer sitting out in the patio instead. You can either order at the cashier, or you can sit down wherever you'd like and you order from the QR code where you also pay which makes it so much faster and easier and they will bring the food out to you. I ordered the Kalbi Rib loco moco and OMG this one was a hit, i never finish my meals and usually take it to go but nope not this one, the ribs were seasoned to perfection it was tender and the gravy was delicious. My boyfriend ordered the poke bowl, it unfortunately had a lot more rice and could've used more sauce in my opinion but the ingredients were very fresh. We also ordered a ube matcha latte and it was sweet and perfect for a hot day. I would definitely be back again to try other menu items! read more

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Fantastic Hawaiian food spot in Alameda! A must try if you are in the bay. This is a good spot to grab outdoor seating and have a hearty meal. They do offer some indoor seating but sitting outside in the sun and in that quiet area is the best. Service is pretty quick even on busy days. Trust me you will have a big portion and might need to share or pack some food for a second meal. read more

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Stopped by for brunch and love the HAWAIIAN vibe, friendly staff, and food. Tried the following: - big kahuna loco moco: **** wanted to tried this cuz it has a little bit of the different meats (kalua pork, burger patty, sausage) over fried rice served w/2 eggs - ube mochi ***it was good mochi texture w/ube flavor Overall, it was nice to be transported to Hawaii for a quick service meal. The food is nowhere as good as places in Hawaii, but it's authentic. It was an enjoyable experience. read more

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Mahalo to the crew at Shaka shack! Very cool quiet spot tucked away in alameda pumping some awesome food out! Wife and I had some time to go get some grub and came across this spot on Yelp and was like man I miss the islands and the cooking let's try it! Glad we did the loco moco is a banger! So good with flavor and packs a punch with the portions! The spam masubi another smackin choice but man that Hawaiian roll French toast! That is a must try if you got a sweet tooth amazing plate I could eat that all day! Thank you guys and we will be back with more people read more

Shaka Shack - Big Kahuna Loco Moco - Hawaiian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Stopped in to try a sampling of their menu. Ordered a strawberry lilikoi malasada donut ($5), side of fried rice ($5), hot lava chicken musubi ($5), and side of kalbi beef ribs ($11). Malasada was delicious and they didn't skimp on the filling (Recommended). Fried rice was not bad, it was a very small portion with some edamame, spam, portugese sausage, and scallions sparsely mixed in. The side of kalbi beef ribs (1 slice) also had a few bites of white rice included underneath. While it tasted OK, the portion was smaller than expected. I did enjoy the hot lava chicken musubi - it had a vinegary spicy (like tabasco) kick to it. Other musubi choices include spam, portuguese sausage, and teriyaki chicken. What is interesting is that you can substitute the musubi rice with fried rice for $1 extra. If I were to return, I'd definitely get another malasada donut, musubi and maybe try their other dishes (like the kahlua pork, ube waffles, and/or loco moco breakfast). The venue is very cozy with about 4 tables inside and an outdoor/roofed side patio with seating for about 10-15 more. You order at the counter and they bring the order to your table if you're eating there. Note: Outside entrance has a couple steps, so the main seating and order counter is not really accesible for people in wheelchairs. There is a side/outdoor patio on level ground with seating that is more accessible. They're open until early afternoon for breakfast and lunch only. Cute spot on the edge of Alameda, across the street from a small shopping plaza with the Dollar Store, next to the Park Street bridge intersection. read more

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Came here after great hike in the Oakland hills. Service was great. People was friendl and place was busy but not too busy. It's in a small looking house in the corner of a street. Turned it to restuarant. Portion of the food was alot. Food tasted amazing. Gravy was Ono!. Will definitely be back if we are around in Alameda! read more

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First time here Made reservations on Yelp but reservations were not needed, there was a table available upon arrival Inside is small but there is outdoor seating available You go to the cashier and order your food at the register Food is taken to your table Inside is nicely decorated Employees are courteous Menu is easy to read and there are a lot of options Alcohol situation is mimosas and beer only There is a small private parking lot One Tv inside playing sports no volume Food is good Prices for food are reasonable but not for coffee cus why is a cup of black coffee $5.50 that is kinda wild Would I come back again YES read more

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Hubby wanted to come here for birthday lunch on his special day so I met him here and there is parking in the back of the restaurant. You order at the counter, they give you a number and bring the food to you. It's a cozy place with 4 tables inside and also outdoor dining. I ordered a coffee, hot water, the Kai's Plate Lunch which hubby ordered with kalbi shortribs, macaroni salad which had noodles instead of elbow macaroni, fried rice and teriyaki chicken. I had the Da Kine breakfast with eggs over-hard, Portuguese sausage, Hawaiian roll, rice and potatoes! Then they gave hubby a pineapple upside down cake and candle for his birthday so he was beaming ear to ear! I love his tasty kalbi just less pepper would make it better! Everything was delish and great comfort food on a rainy day. Mahalo to Shaka Shack for making hubby's day special! read more

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Came here after our hike and we were hungry!! Shaka Shack did not disappoint. We enjoyed everything we ordered. It was plentiful and flavorful. We ordered POG and the kids liked it. IPOG mimosa is okay..can't really taste the champagne. Lastly, we ordered the Malasadas at the end of our meal. Our favorite flavor is the Lilikoi. The staff are very friendly. They indoor and outdoor seating which was nice. Saw some dogs outside, so i assume this restaurant is dog friendly. There is also good amount of parking space for customers. read more

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1 Breakfast burrito w/bacon + Iced latte w/ube + $5 tip = $37. Food was cool. $37 for a one person breakfast is outrageous. But, I'm always rooting for small businesses. I wish them luck. read more

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Quick and friendly service. Food was delicious and place was clean. They were very busy on a Saturday morning, but we didn't mind the wait. We were able to get a table inside after hang out at an outside table for a while. Would recommend the short rib loco moco with fried rice! Would not get the malasadas again. read more

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Order at the counter, which felt like it took a while. We were lucky to get a table around Saturday at noon. The ube waffle and malasadas was pretty good. It's a small cute spot with a few tables indoors and outdoors. It's great that they have a small parking lot, though the parking spots are a little small. read more

Been wanting to try this spot and so glad I did. Although a small looking shack, they have lots of seating outdoors as well where you can soak in some weekend sunlight. Food was delicious and fresh--it had elements that made it feel like a home cooked Hawaiian meal rather than a commercialized Hawaiian "fast" food. The main downside is that the service is SLOW. We waited for 50 minutes (literally!!) for our food. I looked around and other patrons were also getting antsy waiting for their food. I read other reviews praising their fast service but sadly we didn't experience this on our Saturday lunch run. Food: - Kai's Plate Lunch w/ Kalua Pork: 3.5/5 I opted for fried rice and was very glad I did. The pork blended very nicely with the rice. Also got a side of the spaghetti salad and it was SO GOOD. Sadly portion size was small or incomplete...there was barely much rice and the plate was partially empty...see photo. Otherwise a 4 star for me. - Loco Moco Hash: 3/5 The meat was dry for this dish, but the gravy was delicious. It wasn't too salty and overpowering. I will say though, the whole dish is dependent on the gravy but if I had elements of it on its own, it'd be too dry. - Ube Waffles: 4/5 SO YUMMY and I love the QQ texture. Perfect sweetness too! I just wish it was slightly crisp on the outside but it was kinda soggy already. I definitely wanna come next time again and see if service is faster bc I did thoroughly enjoy the meal! This would've been a 4 for me if that was the case! read more

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It was a bit of a surprise when I found out about this place, especially in Alameda! Shaka Shack's location is a bit outside of the main centers of Alameda, but that's what gives this hidden, hole in the wall spot its deserving recognition! I love an authentic, very heavy, food-coma inducing Hawaiian meal and this is exactly the place for it! Everything that we ordered here, we loved and enjoyed so much. The lilikoi juice was so refreshing. The malasadas took me back to my Hawaii trips where I get so excited to finally get my malasada fixes. The plate lunch...was the meal that put me to sleep. It was Kalbi short ribs, the mac salad, the kalua pork... so perfect, so delicious. If you ever find yourself somehow wandering around Alameda, I recommend visiting this place! Great food, and amazing service! read more

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Pretty good food. Downside for me- So you know, you have to order at the front or on a QR code at the table. If you order on the QR code and they run out of an item, then they don't know how to refund you.( At least at that moment) Good thing I had a substitution. What if I didn't? Be ready Anyway, the food was good, nice folks, live music playing Sunday (don't know the schedule) read more

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Visited with 5 friends. We made reservations, but unfortunately we visited when there was a lot of traffic from the city. My entire group was late, but they still accommodated us. They had a nice dog-friendly covered patio. Ordered via the QR code at the table. Food was served very quickly. Ube Waffle - The waffle was a bit dense and dry. The side fruit was sweet. Loco Moco - Hamburger patty was cooked well. The egg was cooked over easy and still runny. The gravy was smooth, thick and coated the rice and each bite well. The loco moco is served with their own version of mac salad using spaghetti with chunks of potato. I found the texture odd and did not finish it. Lilikoi Malasada - The dough was light and well fried but the cream lacked the passionfruit tart flavor. Overall, the food was just ok. The location had a nice vibe and the covered patio with a parking lot is a plus. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit but would visit if I was in the area. There are a few other dishes, I would like to try. We made reservations but didn't necessarily need it. read more

Shaka Shack - Hawaiian Near Me - Alameda, California

There's a parking lot so it was easy to access the restaurant. You order first and then you get a letter/number to put on your table. The staff are nice. I like the outdoor seating because I can bring my dog ;) and the umbrella gave him shade. I did get sunburn but at least my pup didn't LOL there's shadier spots but they were taken or the tables weren't cleared at the time. I ordered a squirt's kalua pork loco moco and asked for the gravy to be on the side in case we don't like the sauce. I'm glad we asked for the gravy on the side because we got to give some pork to my dog. The pork is nice and tender and not salty at all. You can dip the gravy since it's on the side. The spicy pokeball was good but I wish it had more sauce! I ate it up! It had a mixture of some spring mix and cabbage mix. The spam musubi was good too. My mom ate that UP! I couldn't decide between a banana latte and a ube latte so one of the staff said I can mix it and it was DELICIOUS! I like how they don't put an absurd amount of ice in the latte. Will definitely come back! read more

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Broke da Mouth good y'all! Yo, Alameda, you need to eat here, seriously! The Shaka Shack is so cute! The owners & staff are all welcoming. They are making delicious food! Delicious malasadas, some Ube, some Lilikoi. They were warm, perfectly cooked, honestly better than any I've had at Leonards or anywhere else. We had scrumptious ube waffles, super scrumptious. Loco mocos were off the chain too! Masubi had a sweetness, which made them delicious! Poke is fresh, perfectly seasoned. We tried so much! Coming back soon for shaved ice with coconut ice cream. We are loving this new Aloha spirit establishment, serving seriously fantastic food! read more

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I've been wanting to try this place since it opened, so since my sister also wanted to try it out for her birthday, we decided to join in. It was great that we were able to make reservations because I wasn't sure if it was going to be packed. Since we came during the Art & Wine festival, there weren't too many people there. We got good seats outside by the music, which was a plus. Once we sat down, we didn't know the procedure, but saw a QR code so we ordered. We had two phones, so once we placed our order, the other party couldn't order anymore. They went inside to order instead. Each time we wanted more items, we had to place in a new order, which is a little inconvenient. Most restaurants have a QR system where you can order as you go and pay at the end. The staff seemed nice enough when we asked questions, but don't expect them to check in. You order, get your food, and that's it. Food We ordered -Syd's loco moco with kalua pork 4/5 pork was salty, but if you eat enough rice, it'll be ok The Mac salad is made with spaghetti noodles and was not the best -poke bowl 3/5 very large portion, but also the rice to fish ratio was a 70/30. I think since hubby left out most of the veggies, it was imbalanced. It was just ok. -mimosas 3/5 too much juice to bubbly ratio, but they had great flavors. The keikis seemed to like their sliders with fruit and ube waffles, so that was great. I really wanted to love this place, but there are still some kinks that they can work out, however, they are still new. Usually Hawaiian places offer more aloha vibes and I didn't get much of it here. I'm glad I was able to try it and hope after a couple of years, things will improve. read more

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A little island vibe corner shack! It's unnoticeable when you drive past. A small place with big flavors! The food was delicious! A fast casual eatery where you place your order at the cashier counter then find yourself a seat either indoors or outdoors. The friendly staff brings your food to your table We all enjoyed the PK's Steak & Eggs, Syd's Loco Moco entrees, the Ube Masada and the refreshing OG POG juice. Side note... you get less POG juice if it's in a to-go cup. read more

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I was visiting my family and decided to check this spot out for brunch with my sister. It was a really cute Hawaiian brunch spot. Small space but decent size outside for outdoor seating. I ordered the da kine plate with Portuguese sausage, scrambled eggs, potatoes, Hawaiian bread and rice. Huge portion and sausages were cooked to perfection. My sister ordered Kai's plate lunch - lava chicken. It came with pickled cucumbers and rice. The chicken was really smoky, I expected it to be on the saucy side but it was not. This was ok, not mind blowing. My hubby ordered the big kahuna loco moco and it came with three meats (beef patty, Portuguese sausage, and shredded pork), egg, fried rice, and macaroni salad. This was a huge plate and I would say is the best one! Super flavorful and saucy from the gravy! Highly recommend! I also ordered half a dozen of malasadas with filling and I was really disappointed. It was so doughy and dry. Very little filling compared to the amount of dough for each donut. I got Ube, mango, lilikoi, and pineapple flavor. The fillings taste good but wish there was more filling than dough. read more

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Great breakfast place!! I had the short ribs with rice and it was delicious. The side sausage also came with rice which was a nice surprise, it honestly was a big enough portion for a small meal. The ube sweets were kind of lacking but still decent. True to its name, it's a shack so seating was kind of limited. The service was nice! Would definitely come back if I'm ever in the area. read more

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My husband made reservations for 12:00 pm on a Sunday, but when we went to the counter to check in, the (very nice) guy behind the counter said there were no available tables since it's first-come, first-served, unless we had a reservation. We explained that we did have one; he seemed a little hesitant and sheepish, but told us to basically just wait around until one opened up. We decided to make the best of it by checking out the menus ahead of time so we'd be ready to order once we were seated, but they actually prioritized finding us a table, which I appreciated. We were seated just a minute or so after we spoke with the guy at the counter. So I'm not sure if the reservation system is intended to work in the traditional sense, or if it's used more to prioritize guests for seating once tables open up. We ordered four malasadas (lilikoi, coconut, ube, and pineapple) and four entrees: Squirt's kalua pork loco moco (one plate, one burrito), Kai's plate lunch (one with kalbi short ribs, the other with kalua pork). We also got two drip coffees, a bottle of water, and a POG juice (passion fruit, orange, and guava). The drinks and malasadas came out fast, but there was enough of a wait for the food that my POG juice was watered down by the mostly-melted ice by the time the entrees came out. The malasadas were all great. They were significantly bigger than I was expecting and each filling was delicious, even the ube, which I typically don't care for. Mine was the lilikoi and was the best, in my opinion, with the coconut a close second. However, it feels a little lame to charge $1 extra for each filling, especially with so many different flavors on the menu (which is clearly meant to encourage diners to try filled over plain). I also thought it was odd that the waitress brought out a plate of four sizable malasadas and no plates to eat them on, and acted a little surprised when I asked if we could please have four plates. These are messy, with the cinnamon sugar coating and the fillings, but this is also waitressing 101: you serve someone food, even if it's just bread, you give them a little plate to eat over. When a different waitress eventually came out with the first entree, she said something unintelligible and just stood there staring at us in silence. We politely asked her to repeat what she said and she rapidly mumbled it again. I saw the plate had what appeared to be short ribs on it, so I asked my in-laws which of them ordered the plate with the short ribs and we figured out who it belonged to. It wasn't much better when she brought out the rest of the dishes. Also, no one comes by to check on guests after they bring out the food. If you have questions, you need to go inside and get help at the counter. Everyone really enjoyed their entrees. The macaroni salad here is unique, with the broken spaghetti instead of macaroni, and the kalua pork was very tender. The gravy was bordering on too salty but was still good, and the fried rice was excellent. But, like the malasada fillings, the fried rice was an extra $2 per plate. The live music on the patio where we were seated was very nice and the performer was a great guy. This is a mostly solid spot overall with mostly friendly service and fantastic food. But there are some service issues they need to work out here, and the additional charges for various things just feels like nickel-and-diming. The QR code ordering might be easier for the staff, but remains as impersonal as it is everywhere and is generally a red flag for "the staff is only going to drop off your food and never interact with you again unless you desperately try to flag them down as they avoid eye contact." There's much more I'd like to try here, but will return with slightly tempered expectations. read more

Shaka Shack - Malasadas: lilikoi, coconut, ube, pineapple - Hawaiian Near Me - Alameda, California

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I really wanted to like this place and will probably come back to try it again in the future. I got the short rib loco moco and unfortunately the rice was too mushy (too much water). The flavors were still good. Skip the strawberry malasada. I do want to try one of their other flavors to see if it's better. It seems the rice texture isn't consistent because my friend's was fine. The POG is made in house and pretty good, but nothing crazy. The staff was nice, and although it wasn't that busy it seems they may have some trouble keeping up with bussing tables. I definitely want to give it another chance in the future. read more

Shaka Shack - Hawaiian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Shaka Shack occupies the location that used to be Little House Cafe. For anyone wondering what happened to Donna, the owner of Little House, she opened Moxie's Steak House over on Park Street. But back to Shaka Shack. We came in for Sunday brunch. The interior is cute, Hawaiian-themed, with cheerful bright colors, and island reggae music. There is a TV on the wall split into four screens which is cool, but every single screen was playing sports. Sigh. The young lady who took our order at the counter was nice, and I appreciated her pointing out that they have a water station before I purchased bottled water. My partner ordered the Da Kine breakfast, and I went with the breakfast burrito. The burrito was kind of dry, and had rice in it, which I wasn't expecting, and would have definitely preferred it without, especially since there were also potatoes in it. Carbo overload. The burrito comes with a side of salsa, but I would prefer it with sour cream, or just put sour cream in the burrito, which would help with the dryness. Portion sizes were good though, you definitely won't leave hungry. Ambiance and service were good, food was decent. 3.5 stars overall. We may return. read more