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This place was good! I heard about this place before but never been as it always seemed closed. It has very limited hours so we decided to go for early dinner. Omg I didn't realize how busy it would be! We were like the second or third party and before you know it, the whole restaurant was packed! Mind you, I know it's not a big restaurant but was surprised how fast it filled up! Servers were super friendly and food came out fast. Pictures don't do it justice the food was good portions, very filling. When we were leaving there was lots of people waiting to get in.
It's been a while since my last visit to Spicy Ahi & BBQ, and I was happy to see it still holding its own. There's plenty of parking in the area, which is always a plus, but definitely double check the updated business hours since they're more limited now. We arrived a little before 5pm and a few tables were already filled, so it seems word is still out. We were greeted right away, waters and menus in hand, and service throughout the evening stayed attentive and friendly. Not long after ordering, miso soup and a mixed greens salad were brought out. There were four different dressings on the table to try, though none were labeled (we had to ask). They turned out to be your standard lineup -- ranch, shoyu-based, spicy, and sesame. Nothing particularly unique, more like your reliable, familiar flavors. I ordered the three-choice combination: spicy ahi, miso salmon, and shrimp & vegetable tempura. The portion was generous -- honestly more than I could finish on my own. The spicy ahi had a nice kick without being overpowering. If I could redo it, I'd swap the plain rice for sushi rice for that extra flavor and texture. The miso salmon was the standout for me -- perfectly cooked, tender, and glazed with just the right amount of miso sweetness and depth. The shrimp and vegetable tempura came out light and crispy, not greasy, with a satisfying crunch in every bite. My boyfriend ordered the steak medium rare. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the same as we remembered from previous visits. It lacked seasoning and depth, even with the garlic butter, and needed a sprinkle of salt to bring it to life. Prices have gone up a bit over the years (as expected these days), but overall the portions are still generous and the food quality is solid. If you're in the area and craving spicy ahi or well-executed miso salmon, this small local spot is still worth dropping into. A cozy little gem that continues to deliver where it counts.
Nothing beats a spicy ahi and natto combo served over a bed of hot rice! And no one does it better than Spicy Ahi & BBQ. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself and give them a visit next time you're in the Pearl City/Waimalu area. Call ahead for takeout if you're in a rush or cruise on in and dine in with your family and friends. They're open for lunch and dinner and can get busy on weeknights and on the weekend so plan ahead!
Had planned to go to Kim Chee 2 in Westridge center but got home late and by the time we went it was a 45 minute to 1 hour wait. Wife and I decided to head to another spot for dinner. Ended up at Waimalu Plaza. We decided to check the wait at Spicy Ahi & BBQ and by chance we were able to get seated right away. The restaurant was full and I guess we got there at the right time to get seated. Upon seating the water and menu were already in place. It has been many years since we've been. Wife and I both decided on the two choice combo. She went with the tonkatsu and tempura and I went with the teriyaki chicken and the mini spicy ahi bowl. We both like the starter salad and dressing. My wife joked that she wanted to order another salad. Food came up quickly with miso soup. Food is good but when you've been to the mountain top (Japan) it is hard to say it's 5 star. They are still on my list of places to go but probably not in the top 5.
Always my husband and I's favorite place to go for a nice comfort meal. The service is always 10/10 and the food is great with generous portions. We always get a combo meal with 2 choice- spicy ahi (a must!) and either shrimp tempura or chicken katsu. The combo meals come with rice, salad, and miso soup. They don't take reservations so try to get there early. The restaurant is also small, but cozy.
I've heard of spicy ahi and BBQ before, but had never gone until it started flooding my TikTok fyp. It was a sign from the universe that I should start going I guess, but from that first visit, I was hooked. This place is kinda small, located in the same shopping center as times waimalu and black angus. There are several chairs outside and in the handful of times I've been there, there has been a line about half the time. People are usually quick about eating and I never had to wait very long, so the chairs are considerate, but not entirely necessary. They offer dinner 5-9pm, but stop seating people at 8:30. Plenty of people also do take out. They offer a wide range of teishoku items and poke. I like getting the spicy ahi with either oyster fry (6 pieces) or the shrimp and vegetable tempura. My friend likes their bbq chicken and I've had the katsu and those are good too. I think next time I'd like to get their spicy ahi salad because I love their salad dressings. I appreciate that they offer hot tea on the house and that it comes piping hot. The service is good for a family owned local place. I like stopping at tea time Taiwan or the shave ice place if I can remember to save room for dessert.
Came for my birthday with a group of friends and had the spicy ahi/ikura salad with rice (I asked for sushi rice) and miso soup. It was really good! The dressing that comes with the salad is extremely tasty and goes with everything. I added my wasabi to it and used it as a topping for the spicy ahi. It is similar to other spicy ahi places, but I think this is now my favorite place. I'll be back again and will probably get the same thing because it was so good!
I've wanted to come here for a while now and my fiancé finally suggested it for an early dinner. I don't take spicy ahi lightly but this really might be my new favorite spicy ahi. I like the minced texture, it's not too spicy or mayo forward. Just really balanced flavors, I do think my stomach wasn't ready for all the fried foods BUT I did enjoy the taste, just kinda regretted it later! The place is small, you can tell many regulars come by, be prepared to wait if it's busy but service goes as fast as they can with little staff they have. Be patient and the wait is worth it!
It's sort of hidden in the same parking lot as Cattle Company & Times Supermarket. I called to see if we needed reservations but Kelly said it's not that busy and to just come in since they don't take reservations, walk-ins only. We saw people waiting outside but then realized they were waiting for take-out. It's a small space but some tables can seat 6. We sat near the door and Kelly greeted us and went over the menu. I asked what her favorite items were and she said it's all good! She also mentioned the combination Teishoku. I ordered the Miso Salmon ($4 extra) and the Ahi + Tempura (limited) Combo - $27 Kelly said it was a popular choice. Reuben ordered the BBQ Chicken and Shrimp Tempura Combo - $23 It included miso soup, toss salad, and rice. (Forgot pics). Very simple tho. Jenny served us our meal and explained the different salad sauces; ranch, soy sauce mix, Gochujang and a really good house special peanut sauce. They miso was a nice flavor and very soothing. The Teishoku was excellent!! Salmon Miso was cooked to perfection. Not dry at all. And the Ahi Tempura was surprisingly very good too! Not dry, very moist. Good cut of fish. The vegetable tempura was also very good. Reuben's BBQ Chicken was grilled nicely and not dry. His vegetable tempura was also very tasty! Service is very nice. Mahalo and look forward to the next time!
Food: IMHO, their spicy ahi is hard for beat!Although some might say otherwise for whatever the reason may be, this isn't your typical poke bowl. Plus I like how it's served over sushi rice! The broiled miso salmon is another great choice! They serve a decent portion. The miso isn't overpowering, and you can still taste the salmon. It's a good option to butterfish as it's not as oily. But what about having butterfish as a menu option?? Service: Ambiance: good, family friendly atmosphere.
Lunch special salad for dinner. Yummy We always do take out over there. The girls over there know my order and yes. I order the lunch special for dinner. It's like a sashimi salad and my go to dressing is peanut and shoyu one with lots of wasabi. The place is small but worth the wait. It's clean and girls over there have great customer services.
We really enjoyed Spicy Ahi & BBQ. I found Spicy Ahi & BBQ's portions almost double the size of Gyotaku for about the same price. I was astounded by the miso salmon, both for taste and portion size. The service was excellent! When we sat down, I accidentally dropped my chopsticks on the floor and before my husband even sat down, the server had brought another pair of chopsticks. The dining room is small, but it is not loud even though every table was filled. We would definitely come again! It is worth it for the money!
3 months ago
4 months ago
5 months ago
Know that this place gets very busy, from the moment that they open their doors. There were already parties waiting outside when we got there about 20 min before open. And I can totally see why. The food is delicious, and the pricing is reasonable for the amount of food that they provide. And the servers are all very kind. We had a 2-year old with us, who just wasn't having it. One of the other servers kept stopping by to check on him, and sure enough, every time she stopped by, he stopped fussing. Their hours are limited, but it's so worth it. read more
This place was good! I heard about this place before but never been as it always seemed closed. It has very limited hours so we decided to go for early dinner. Omg I didn't realize how busy it would be! We were like the second or third party and before you know it, the whole restaurant was packed! Mind you, I know it's not a big restaurant but was surprised how fast it filled up! Servers were super friendly and food came out fast. Pictures don't do it justice the food was good portions, very filling. When we were leaving there was lots of people waiting to get in. read more
22 days ago
7 months ago
It's been a while since my last visit to Spicy Ahi & BBQ, and I was happy to see it still holding its own. There's plenty of parking in the area, which is always a plus, but definitely double check the updated business hours since they're more limited now. We arrived a little before 5pm and a few tables were already filled, so it seems word is still out. We were greeted right away, waters and menus in hand, and service throughout the evening stayed attentive and friendly. Not long after ordering, miso soup and a mixed greens salad were brought out. There were four different dressings on the table to try, though none were labeled (we had to ask). They turned out to be your standard lineup -- ranch, shoyu-based, spicy, and sesame. Nothing particularly unique, more like your reliable, familiar flavors. I ordered the three-choice combination: spicy ahi, miso salmon, and shrimp & vegetable tempura. The portion was generous -- honestly more than I could finish on my own. The spicy ahi had a nice kick without being overpowering. If I could redo it, I'd swap the plain rice for sushi rice for that extra flavor and texture. The miso salmon was the standout for me -- perfectly cooked, tender, and glazed with just the right amount of miso sweetness and depth. The shrimp and vegetable tempura came out light and crispy, not greasy, with a satisfying crunch in every bite. My boyfriend ordered the steak medium rare. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the same as we remembered from previous visits. It lacked seasoning and depth, even with the garlic butter, and needed a sprinkle of salt to bring it to life. Prices have gone up a bit over the years (as expected these days), but overall the portions are still generous and the food quality is solid. If you're in the area and craving spicy ahi or well-executed miso salmon, this small local spot is still worth dropping into. A cozy little gem that continues to deliver where it counts. read more
3 months ago
Nothing beats a spicy ahi and natto combo served over a bed of hot rice! And no one does it better than Spicy Ahi & BBQ. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself and give them a visit next time you're in the Pearl City/Waimalu area. Call ahead for takeout if you're in a rush or cruise on in and dine in with your family and friends. They're open for lunch and dinner and can get busy on weeknights and on the weekend so plan ahead! read more
Had planned to go to Kim Chee 2 in Westridge center but got home late and by the time we went it was a 45 minute to 1 hour wait. Wife and I decided to head to another spot for dinner. Ended up at Waimalu Plaza. We decided to check the wait at Spicy Ahi & BBQ and by chance we were able to get seated right away. The restaurant was full and I guess we got there at the right time to get seated. Upon seating the water and menu were already in place. It has been many years since we've been. Wife and I both decided on the two choice combo. She went with the tonkatsu and tempura and I went with the teriyaki chicken and the mini spicy ahi bowl. We both like the starter salad and dressing. My wife joked that she wanted to order another salad. Food came up quickly with miso soup. Food is good but when you've been to the mountain top (Japan) it is hard to say it's 5 star. They are still on my list of places to go but probably not in the top 5. read more
5 months ago
Always my husband and I's favorite place to go for a nice comfort meal. The service is always 10/10 and the food is great with generous portions. We always get a combo meal with 2 choice- spicy ahi (a must!) and either shrimp tempura or chicken katsu. The combo meals come with rice, salad, and miso soup. They don't take reservations so try to get there early. The restaurant is also small, but cozy. read more
1 month ago
26 days ago
1 year ago
I've heard of spicy ahi and BBQ before, but had never gone until it started flooding my TikTok fyp. It was a sign from the universe that I should start going I guess, but from that first visit, I was hooked. This place is kinda small, located in the same shopping center as times waimalu and black angus. There are several chairs outside and in the handful of times I've been there, there has been a line about half the time. People are usually quick about eating and I never had to wait very long, so the chairs are considerate, but not entirely necessary. They offer dinner 5-9pm, but stop seating people at 8:30. Plenty of people also do take out. They offer a wide range of teishoku items and poke. I like getting the spicy ahi with either oyster fry (6 pieces) or the shrimp and vegetable tempura. My friend likes their bbq chicken and I've had the katsu and those are good too. I think next time I'd like to get their spicy ahi salad because I love their salad dressings. I appreciate that they offer hot tea on the house and that it comes piping hot. The service is good for a family owned local place. I like stopping at tea time Taiwan or the shave ice place if I can remember to save room for dessert. read more
8 months ago
Came for my birthday with a group of friends and had the spicy ahi/ikura salad with rice (I asked for sushi rice) and miso soup. It was really good! The dressing that comes with the salad is extremely tasty and goes with everything. I added my wasabi to it and used it as a topping for the spicy ahi. It is similar to other spicy ahi places, but I think this is now my favorite place. I'll be back again and will probably get the same thing because it was so good! read more
1 year ago
I've wanted to come here for a while now and my fiancé finally suggested it for an early dinner. I don't take spicy ahi lightly but this really might be my new favorite spicy ahi. I like the minced texture, it's not too spicy or mayo forward. Just really balanced flavors, I do think my stomach wasn't ready for all the fried foods BUT I did enjoy the taste, just kinda regretted it later! The place is small, you can tell many regulars come by, be prepared to wait if it's busy but service goes as fast as they can with little staff they have. Be patient and the wait is worth it! read more
It's sort of hidden in the same parking lot as Cattle Company & Times Supermarket. I called to see if we needed reservations but Kelly said it's not that busy and to just come in since they don't take reservations, walk-ins only. We saw people waiting outside but then realized they were waiting for take-out. It's a small space but some tables can seat 6. We sat near the door and Kelly greeted us and went over the menu. I asked what her favorite items were and she said it's all good! She also mentioned the combination Teishoku. I ordered the Miso Salmon ($4 extra) and the Ahi + Tempura (limited) Combo - $27 Kelly said it was a popular choice. Reuben ordered the BBQ Chicken and Shrimp Tempura Combo - $23 It included miso soup, toss salad, and rice. (Forgot pics). Very simple tho. Jenny served us our meal and explained the different salad sauces; ranch, soy sauce mix, Gochujang and a really good house special peanut sauce. They miso was a nice flavor and very soothing. The Teishoku was excellent!! Salmon Miso was cooked to perfection. Not dry at all. And the Ahi Tempura was surprisingly very good too! Not dry, very moist. Good cut of fish. The vegetable tempura was also very good. Reuben's BBQ Chicken was grilled nicely and not dry. His vegetable tempura was also very tasty! Service is very nice. Mahalo and look forward to the next time! read more
4 months ago
4 months ago
10/10 best customer service, servers, fast service, server filled water through out my entire meal thats a plus for me brought me a to go paid bill and we were satisfied from the 1st minute we arrived! mahalo spicy ahi & bbq read more
7 months ago
Food: IMHO, their spicy ahi is hard for beat!Although some might say otherwise for whatever the reason may be, this isn't your typical poke bowl. Plus I like how it's served over sushi rice! The broiled miso salmon is another great choice! They serve a decent portion. The miso isn't overpowering, and you can still taste the salmon. It's a good option to butterfish as it's not as oily. But what about having butterfish as a menu option?? Service: Ambiance: good, family friendly atmosphere. read more
Lunch special salad for dinner. Yummy We always do take out over there. The girls over there know my order and yes. I order the lunch special for dinner. It's like a sashimi salad and my go to dressing is peanut and shoyu one with lots of wasabi. The place is small but worth the wait. It's clean and girls over there have great customer services. read more
1 year ago
6 months ago
We really enjoyed Spicy Ahi & BBQ. I found Spicy Ahi & BBQ's portions almost double the size of Gyotaku for about the same price. I was astounded by the miso salmon, both for taste and portion size. The service was excellent! When we sat down, I accidentally dropped my chopsticks on the floor and before my husband even sat down, the server had brought another pair of chopsticks. The dining room is small, but it is not loud even though every table was filled. We would definitely come again! It is worth it for the money! read more
2 years ago
When my daughter from UH Hilo School of Nursing mentioned last week that she never dined at Spicy Ahi & BBQ, it was the prefect reason to dine there for dinner. Last week, I ordered a three choice option with shrimp and vegetables tempura, fried oysters (6 pieces) and spicy ahi over sushi style rice. Service was always fast and friendly. I'm glad the dining hours were extended until 9pm. Although take out is available, I prefer dining in when the food is served fresh and hot. read more
great neighborhood spot! come here all the time and the service is always a 10/10 and the food is always delicious with generous portions. some of my favorites include: spicy ahi, miso salmon, tonkatsu, shrimp & vegetable tempura. takeout is packed so well (includes side salads and miso soups) even when ordering for a large group of people. if you are dining in, I recommend arriving when they open otherwise there's usually a wait outside. there is limited seating in the restaurant since some of the tables are used for a high volume of takeout orders. read more
10 months ago
5 months ago
2 years ago
Whoa, what excellent service and awesome Japanese dishes. I couldn't ask for anything better. Our party of 6 ordered several 2 entree combinations from shrimp/vegetable tempura, spicy ahi, teriyaki steak and chicken katsu. We also ordered the sashimi appetizer but hardly touched it since we had a lot to eat. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our entrees, onolicious! The staff worked with precision teamwork bringing our food out together, no waiting for anyone! We moved to Washington state and forgot about this wonderful spot. Can't wait to visit Spicy Ahi again. read more
I've tried this place several times and finally got a chance to write a review. I've always ordered the 2-choice(combination) Teishoku and tried different kinds of items. After every visit, I must say, everything was good! The quality and presentation is top notch. This time, I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki and Mini Chirashi combination. The chicken was excellent. It was soft, and the teriyaki sauce was very flavorful, not overwhelming. The mini Chirashi (which was an extra charge of $4) came with ahi, salmon, shrimp, tako, and ika. Everything was fresh and tasty, especially when slightly dipped in wasabi/shoyu sauce. Tan ordered the combination salmon and spicy ahi. I had a piece of salmon, and it was cooked to perfection. The Spicy Ahi(another extra charge of $3) was also flavorful. It was more on the creamy side than on a chunky side. Both combinations were served with miso soup and a bowl of greens. Hot tea was also included. The only downside of all my visits was that they always ran out of Ahi Tempura. We came in 15 minutes after opening at 5:15 pm, and it was sold out 5 minutes prior. Hot item!! I would have given them a 4 star, but the food quality and customer service were superior. It made up for that star. It was so good we made a salmon takeout order for tomorrows lunch. read more
1 year ago
7 months ago
7 months ago
2 years ago
I am a pescatarian and there aren't many places that I know going in that the meal will be amazing. Get ready, this might become one of your favorites too. This is my go place for miso salmon. I haven't had it like this anywhere else. They just cook it right and always consistent. Let's start from the beginning. The staff kindly welcomes you as soon as you walk in. Kind smiling genuine faces and a welcoming atmosphere. A fabulous beginning to an amazing meal. I have been a customer for years and one of the things that makes me Smile inside is that they know my order! What can I say, I am a creature of habit and deliciousness. This is also the place where I discovered that I do love salmon sashimi. And the only place where I know I will enjoy it. The salmon sashimi is soft, silky smooth and always amazing. Looking for a new spot or just an adventure, give Spicy Ahi a try, they do not disappoint. I am a pescatarian and there aren't many places that I know going in that the meal will be amazing. Get ready, this might become one of your favorites too. This is my go place for miso salmon. I haven't had it like this anywhere else. They just cook it right and always consistent. Let's start from the beginning. The staff kindly welcomes you as soon as you walk in. Kind smiling genuine faces and a welcoming atmosphere. A fabulous beginning to an amazing meal. I have been a customer for years and one of the things that makes me Smile inside is that they know my order! What can I say, I am a creature of habit and deliciousness. This is also the place where I discovered that I do love salmon sashimi. And the only place where I know I will enjoy it. The salmon sashimi is soft, silky smooth and always amazing. Looking for a new spot or just an adventure, give Spicy Ahi a try, they do not disappoint. If you can't decide, they offer two and three choice meals. You can't go wrong, taste the menu. read more
4 years ago
Spicy Ahi and BBQ is a very unassuming little restaurant in a strip mall. We wandered here on a Saturday night on our way back to Waikiki from Kapolei. Luckily, we found a hidden gem! We put our name down at around 5:30pm and there were two parties ahead of us waiting outside. We went to walk around the strip mall for a bit before coming back to get seated. There's a lot of combos and configurations you can order, but for us the Miso Broiled Salmon and the Spicy Ahi were the standouts! The beef teriyaki and sashimi also look good among others, but alas, we could not try them all. Food: - Spicy Ahi Bowl - 5/5 Deceivingly large portion of spicy ahi! It seems small, but then it never ends. Great flavor, good kick of spice and very fresh. - Miso Broiled Salmon - 5/5 Really good piece of miso salmon. Very flavorful and large portion. I don't even know how it was so good. We even took the leftovers back to our hotel and they were good when we reheated them. Tempura - 4/5 Great portion of tempura and comes out hot and crispy. I ordered the combination dinner with the tempura and miso broiled salmon, but definitely kept weighing the other options. Everything just looks so good! We saw some other people with pretty big combos and they ended up taking a lot home. Overall, delicious food with great portions! I love the variety of the menu and how you can mix and match your entrees. Definitely would recommend trying this spot out. read more
An Aiea/Pearl City fave!! I had to go to Spicy Ahi & BBQ because I love their tempura. I usually get mini chirashi with it as a combo, but I was really in the mood for their spicy ahi this time. It's one of the only places I go to that does their spicy ahi negitoro style & it's so good!! It's takeout only right now because of the pandemic, but they still give you all the goods like miso soup & salad. My only complaint is that this place has gotten so frickin expensive over the years, but my good friend Post taught me it's better to be poor & happy than rich & sad :/ highly recommend!! read more
10 months ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
2020 Pandemic Review (aka Take Out) We've been occasional diners at Spicy Ahi & BBQ over the years, the food was always good but it was usually pretty crowded. With 2020 we've gotten comfortable and accustomed to take out so we've been to Spicy Ahi more in this year versus all other years combined. It's located in the back corner of the parking by Stuart Anderson's, next to the vet clinic. They are closed on Sun/Mon/Tue so the rest of the week they are pretty busy. Call in orders are the way to go, they open for dinner at 5 pm but you can call in your order starting at 4:30 pm. Food: Great variety of dishes from combo meals, to rice and salad bowls, noodles and nabemono. We've many of the dishes and were never disappointed. Fish is always super fresh with generous portions. The combo meals are a good choice if you want a little variety, this time around a broiled salmon/mini chirashi and a tenpura/ahi & salmon sashimi. Each dish comes with miso soup and a side salad. Our favorites are the Chirashi, Spicy Ahi/Natto bowl, Unagi, and Ahi Tenpura but really every dish here is solid. Service: We've only ordered via phone and that's the way to go, I've seen folks walk in and order and the wait times can be a bit long if they have many orders ahead of you. They get to know their customers, are very friendly, and love the service you get here. Social Distancing: Clean pens to sign you credit card receipt, cashier behind plexiglass, orders all pre placed on numbered tables, markers on the floor to keep everyone appropriately spaced makes this a very efficient and easy place to grab and go food. Double thumbs up in this category. Value: Great Value, probably the best in cost versus quality/quantity in the area. The Chirashi bowl priced at $24 would easily go for mid $30s and up at other places. Their superb value is what gave it the final star for me. Overall: Awesome location, great food, not fancy but solid, quality, and generous portions make Spicy Ahi one of our 2020 favorites! read more
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More info about Spicy Ahi & BBQ
Ask the Community - Spicy Ahi & BBQ
Is this business open? I haven't been able to satisfy my spicy ahi craving in a few weeks and wondered if the hard working ladies are on a summer break.
They're open with modified hours
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