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Aloha, come on in and try some ono Coconut Prawns jus' $5.95, Cold Primo pitchers $12, Fresh Ahi Poke $4.75, Aloha Spirit: F R E E
Mon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
"This place has great atmosphere, delicious drinks, and great food. We had the plantains, fish tacos and the asian-sweet and sour-like…" read more »
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ok, so wrote an earlier review giving 2 stars and stating i felt the chicken katsu was dry and over cooked and the kalua pig was too salty and soggy (even for hawaiian standards).
i went back again cause i really am a fan of the plate lunch and i really want to like this place. well this time the kalua pig was still salty but cooked just right and the chicken katsu was as good as you would expect from a high end japanese restaurant. i also tried the loco moco (yes i gorged myself) and it was not as good as mom's but very nice to eat. i will try again and if the food is as good i will give another star.
so i've been back again and the food was excellent. i still think the kalua pig could be a lil less soggy but tastes wonderful. chicken katsu was cooked perfect. i am now a believer that you can have a great plate lunch outside the islands
So my brother goes to UC Santa Cruz and invited the family to have lunch with him at Aloha Island Grille. He claimed it was awesome Hawaiian food.
However, what he found to be amazing, I found to be a knock-off of either the L&L or Hawaiian bbq chain restaurants.
First of all, the private parking lot is horrible. It was not designed for easy access because it takes much maneuvering to get in or out of the lot. (Especially if you have a van, like we did)
You can choose to dine either outside or inside. I would recommend eating outside so you can enjoy the sunny Santa Cruz weather. However, my family chose to dine in that afternoon. The table was far too small for a family of five and the place was infested with flies, probably finding solace from the heat.
The Food: Everything was just "eh" in my book. I ordered the grilled mahi mahi which unfortunately was served on the colder side. My mom ordered Kalua pork, and that was my biggest disappointment. Kalua pork is the reason why I travel to Hawaii and the reason why I probably will not be going to Aloha Island Grille again. It is not cooked underground, but instead flavored with liquid smoke. GROSS! Each table is donned with Sriracha hot sauce and everyone in the place smothers their food with the stuff. (Probably bc there is no flavor otherwise) The only saving grace of the entire place (what gave it a 2 instead of a 1) was the spam musubi. It was made fresh and the spam was still warm. The rice was the right consistency of sticky. Now that was the only delectable part of the entire meal.
Bottom Line: If you don't like kalua pig, but love macaroni salad come here. With those expectations, you won't be disappointed.
Im so glad this place is within walking distance of my house..
All I had was the Spam Masubi, but to be honest, i tend to judge pretty hard on the simplest things and, christ, they were good.
The restaurant was clean and the girl who waited on us was really nice, so I really have nothing bad to say. Im looking forward to heading back and trying the chicken katsu..
totally pumped on this place! Food is great, price is right, beer is available.
Mac salad is especially fantastic.
Favorite order: Combo plate with teriyaki chicken and coconut prawns and a pint of longboard lager.
Awwwww, where's the love people? After reading a scathing review of Aloha Island Grille I just had to chime in. I love this place! I've had consistently great food here over the past four years. The employees are freindly, service is great, and I love the beer selection. For casual, good, cheap Hawaiian eats you can not go wrong. My fav things on the menu are: Coconut Prawns, Sweet Potato Fries, Kalua Pig and Cabbage, Lomi Salmon Appetizer (don't forget the Poi), and the Chicken Saimin is soooo good too.
Very traditional style Hawaii BBQ but inconsistent food quality. Sometimes good, sometimes bland. If you want to carboy load aloha is your place (even the salads are just iceberg lettuce)
One of the best hawaiian places in town, and for cheap too!
Gotta stay with the classic teriyaki chicken. The owner Timmy is often around the place and he is a great guy and very friendly.
The whole menu is delicious. Atmosphere is fantastic. Eat out in the sun, inside, or take it to the beach just a block away!
Aloha Island Grille is a great little place with tasty Hawaiian style cuisine. It is exactly what you'd expect. I love coming her for lunch. I usually get the Wiki Wiki Burger and have never had a complaint about it.
this is my kind of place. if you are looking for friendly service, a laid back atmosphere and outdoor seating with affordable island style food and beer you will enjoy aloha. its sinful that i lived in hawaii and am not a big mac salad person but i actually ate most of mine here, it was pretty good.
Wow, I can't even BELIEVE some of these 1-2 star reviews. UNREAL!! I can see the parking and seating being a problem, but that's cuz everyones packing it in for the ONO grindz!! I bet most of you guys never even been to a real plate lunch place in Hawaii. Right out the window is how it used to be served.
But here we have a full on atmosphere. This is the closest you get plus more. You don't have to go to some Asian marketplace to get haupia or manapua. It's right there! Not many places up and down the coast for that matter that serve the variety. I B-line it straight here when I get to SC. Do it how you like, but I like the Lau lau with lomi lomi salmon on top!! ONO!! or on top da poi. sprinkle some salt on top. You got the haupia, manapua's, musubi's all in one spot!! Of course you got the katsu's and kahlua. Most places like to do a fusion so that it caters more towards a californian cuisine, but this is the real deal.
All the people that I see that frequent there are full of ALOHA. Come to one of their live music nights and everyone is here for one purpose. To engulf yourself with the Aloha spirit. Just talk story and fill your stomachs to your hearts content, cuz to me its a home away from home.
Pro's
- Interesting menu when compared to the rest of SC... I say go once. Some friends of mine are hooked but it's not my thing
Con's
- Though they have outdoor seating, they don't pay much attention to the condition of the condiments jars etc. and they can get pretty gross.
- Terrible service.
Been here 3 times and 2 out of 3 times the service was fine. But one times I bought my food with 2 of my friends at the same time, and theirs was served within 5-10 min (place is also TOTALLY empty this time!!!) and mine doesn't come at 15 min so we go in and ask and she's like 'yeah it will come soon' and i wait 10 more minutes and go back inside and ask again and she's says 'OH let me ask the cook'.... Wait, you are NOW asking the cook? WTF? I finally get my meal after my friends are COMPLETELY done. They admitted to not sending it in at all until the second time I came in, the third total time I'd talked to her regarding my order. About 40 min until order served.
What's weird about this experience is that the restaurant had few patrons at the time, and how could the server/cashier girl not realize that one person's meal was never served? I'm sure if I didn't go inside, they'd never have even realized. I bet if I didn't go in the second time, she'd never have come outside.
EDIT: Gonna go back a fourth time and see how they are doing now, as my friend loves going there
I love the grille! The food is great, the workers are friendly and the atmosphere is nice. The Loco Moco is the BOMB! Anyone who hasn't been there, check it out!
I can't believe some of the bad reviews of this place.
When I remember eating in Hawaii, I think of macaroni salad, moco loco, Spam, and POG.
If you want traditional Hawaiian food, this is the place. If you eat here and don't like the food, then you don't like Hawaiian food.
If you are looking for mango salsa and sweet potato fries and drinks with umbrellas, go wait outside with the rest of the douchebags at Hulas.
I can never decide which to get when I come here so I just order 2 meals, the kalua pork and the moco loco, with mac. salad, and it is great every time, I have not had the veggie burger, only a tool would go to a Hawaiian joint and order a veggie burger.
How do people complain of bad service here? Read the menu, place your order at the counter pick it up when they call you, eat, and when your done clean up your own table. Do you bitch about the service at McDonalds and Taco Bell too?
The parking lot is a bit tight, but who cares, if you are gonna bitch about parking, I guess you have never been to SF or LA.
Aloha
I don't understand all the four and five star reviews of this place.
Pro-ishes
- Parking situation. Eh, no problem, go park above Portola if it's that crowded, this ain't New York, there's plenty of room for your car in Santa Cruz
- Outdoor deck. Really pleasant.
- Live music. Adds to the nice environment
Con
- Food is terrible.
- Service. I'm not sure if it's just me, but the person who delivered my order the three times I went there (went to see a band) was downright MEAN. No-loha!
Granted, there isn't a lot like it in Santa Cruz - Hula's really offers up more of an asian fusion and is expensive compared to Aloha...there is no L&L (thank goodness, I think that place is gross) and no Hukilau out here. So, if you've got a hankerin for hawaiian and only have $10 in your pocket, this is the place for you.
Lives up to the adage: you get what you pay for.
Everyone that fucking uses Yelp should know this. Any fucking owner that owns a restaurant can register 500 accounts and leave 500 five-star reviews on their own restaurants page. It is for that reason that I ignore all 5 star reviews and only focus on 1-3 star reviews to see why places can suck.
This place really is the perfect example of a shitty small business. I've eaten here twice, and at first i thought, this place is fucking average. The second time I went in there, I realized, this place isn't average... it just fucking sucks. I got chicken kabobs (or something like them) and steamed rice. The chicken kabobs (which weren't even kabobs) were fucking tiny and overcooked. The rice was overcooked on one side, and undercooked on the other. A completely shitty meal for $13.00. I'd rather have 2 Chipotle burritos. Fuck this place, they serve low quality food. If you want to pay ~$10 for a shitty ass meal, then go here... otherwise steer clear.
Decent food. Service could use some major improvement. Girl who rang me up was very unfriendly and messed up our order without apologizing. Also took my order without a simple greeting which is one thing I cant stand as it takes little to no effort to be nice to your customers. Parking is horrible. There are about 5 spaces total which mean that you will have to park in someone elses driveway.
I went with some friends today. We ordered the kalua pig, beef teriyaki or something, the mahi mahi, and the spam musubi. We were all really satisfied. Food came decently fast, people were nice & on a saturday! We went around 3pm though.. so it wasn't too busy.
Haoles praise the surfing gods, there is some good HI-BBQ in the Cruz, yeah? Unlike most of the establishments in the East Side/Capitola side of town, this place does not fall under the category of "the dirty dirty." Somehow this place manages to execute three things that are VERY RARE to find in a hole in the wall Hawaiian BBQ place:
*1.* It isn't overly greasy. You actually feel happy you ate your meal even when having the fried things and you aren't asking yourself "why did I do that to my heart?"
*2.* The place is clean. Hole-in-the-walls often neglect this aesthetic factor because they are keeping true to their "diamond in the rough" reputation. This place however looks/smells clean, and has a cute island decor.
*3.* You can see the kitchen. You know your food is fresh, and you know that it wasn't cooked by some dirty chef that slaves over an infested kitchen. This place is legit.
I tried both the Mahi Mahi Katsu and the Loco Moco...Both were tasty, but WHEN I go back, I'm definitely going to get the Loco again! Mahalo~
Awesome food! Cute place too. We've eaten there many times and the food has always been great. Not terribly pricey at all, and the staff is very friendly. Food is great... just like I remember eating on Oahu.
We had AIG cater our wedding two years ago and the servings were HUGE. Prices were great and the food was fresh and hot.
Highly recommend for lunch or catering.
A nice place to go in Santa Cruz if you're yearning for some tasty and delicious Hawaiian food. The ambiance is very nice and the service is very good. However, don't go as hungry nowadays, as the portions have been cut back and the prices have raised a little. My favorite dish at Aloha island grille is the pork katsu, and if you're of age wash it down with a little beer. Overall, a very unique and great place to go if you want a change in tastes from the usual burrito or wharf food.
Wow what's with all the cus words guy. how rediculous are some of these reviews. This place is a super chill, feel good, good food place. It feels good to go somewhere and support local people trying to make a small business successful. There's a great outdoor dining room and i've always had good service here. Some people need to relax, it's not mcdonalds so you're gonna have to wait a lil' bit for your food, be patient its worth it!
Yum yum yum!! The food was very tasty and fairly priced. Liked the atmosphere - light, airy, island-y. The plates come with one or two scoops of rice (depending on the size you order) and a scoop of macaroni salad. The mac salad is D-lish! However, the portion of fish on the grilled mahi mahi "big kine" plate is too small and my boyfriend was left hungry. Good thing I ordered the Saimin (Ramen-like noddle soup) and the portion is generous, so I shared with him. My vote: check this place out and order an appetizer in addition to your meal.
The worst restaurant experience I've ever had in Santa Cruz. I paid $8 for a veggie burger which has almost nothing on it: lettuce, tomato, onion and patty. The buns were the cheapest I've ever had, and the other ingredients were mediocre - but worse than I could have made at home and i'm not much of a cook.
But the worst part is that they forgot to make one of our orders (out of 3 people on a slow day). The server assured us it would be out soon and then 10 minutes later we asked WTF - they said oops we'll make it now. The cutlery was cheaper than you find at Goodwill. We had to ask for condiments. I have no idea why people like this place.
I even left hungry after I finished the $8 burger. Avoid this place at all costs.
UPDATE:
I went back around 9/1/09 and had a much better experience. The Teriyaki shrimp was amazing. The seaweed salad was tasty and fun to eat. The other ingredients were still mediocre but the shrimp was good enough to make up for it. The service was also better this time, though it still took longer than expected to get our food. It's one of the few affordable restaurants in the area within a block of the beach and worth experiencing once for yourself.
Yummmm. We LOVE Aloha Island grill. Everything we get is always delicious!! I usually get the combo plate with cocnut prawns and something different. Their mac salad is soooo good. I cant even explain it. They have a good choice of beer.
They bring your food to your table. You have to bus your own table when you are done.
Go! You wont be disapointed.
Went here with a bunch of friends after running (yes, ok mostly) Wharf 2 Wharf. Let me tell you, getting up at 6am, driving 30 miles then running 6 miles makes you freaking HUNGRAY.
The place has room for about 30 inside and 20 outside. It's a very laid-back place (as you'd expect from a Hawaiian inspired establishment) and was somewhat understaffed for the influx of famished runners, but we were all in good moods from residual endorphins.
Most people had the pork plate or chicken plate which seemed pretty good but I had the Wiki Wiki Burger because you just can't pass up a meal with a name like that. The burger was thick and juicy and the bun was very good but the fries were amazing. I think they were the double-fried extra crispy ones and everyone wanted a taste, but fortunately most people had it with their meals.
Overall the food was pretty good, the fries really stood out. The service was a bit slow but it was all good. Laid back and fun, I'd definitely come here again
The serving sizes are good. The food is good. Best I've eaten on the mainland.
oy, salt attack. had the saimin-- all the flavors were there, but the sodium content killed it. if you're going to get it, i suggest putting about a cup of water in it, i bet that would make it super delicious.
two stars for the taste bud assault, three stars for the service, the lady working the register was really sweet and funny.
Good solid plate lunch. Rice and mac salad are a bit too al dente for my taste (island style is much softer).
Get the loco moco - small kine or large kine it's all good. Perfect juicy hamburger topped with just cooked egg, home gravy poured on top and served over rice. I don't like that their negi is so huge and seems to be the garnish on everything, I'm just not a fan of it in general so the smaller the slices the better.
A full selection of Hawaiian Sun (lilikoi tea!) and outdoor seating in the back makes for a perfect lunch break.
The more I read reviews on here the more I come to believe that yelp is a place for whiners.
Yes, parking here is tight so if you drive an SUV (like Mr. FJ Cruiser) you can either buy a smaller car (totally insane idea, I know) OR you can park on the street and walk, say, fifty or so yards to the establishment. Oh who am I kidding? No American will choose either of those two options. Expensive? Perhaps, especially if you're used to buying off the dollar menu at McDonalds. So, if you're afraid you'll have to walk more than five steps to eat, get your SUV stuck in a small parking lot, or go broke from spending $8 for lunch, this is DEFINITELY not the place for you. Other than that, I love the place! Great food, great beer, great music.
I like eating at Hawaiian restaurants from time to time and this place didn't disappoint. The small plate size was the perfect amount for me (had the kalua pork) especially when I also had a spam musubi waiting for me afterwards. The pork was really good, nice and fatty and salty and the musubi was yummy too (though I can make them better, hahaha). Too bad I was wearing a wool peacoat because it was rainy and cold when I came here...doesn't exactly go with the whole tropical islands feel inside the restaurant!
I went here last week for not quite lunch, yet not quite dinner. The menu wasn't what I was expecting, and seemed pretty extensive. Being the boring person I am, I opted for the chicken teriyaki, but the food was good. It was served with some white rice and macaroni salad. Next time, I will get a little more adventurous, but was happy with the food and service. The best part is the outdoor patio, it's one minute down the street from my house, and all the hotties that are always walking by ;-)
The atmosphere is chill. The service is complacent. The chow is adequate. If you're looking to get fed while wearing sunglasses and the same clothes as yesterday, Aloha is your place. It's so easy going that if you have any expectations of real service or flavorful cooking then you'll probably leave a little disappointed. The tofu stir-fry is average...well, edible. But for those days where I'm just looking to keep something down to mop up last night's stomach acid, Aloha is my intestinal janitor.
Aloha Island Grille is the best place in the Bay Area to get some kine grinds. Since I know for a fact people from as far away as Pinole make the drive down to get some Spam this place adds a lot more than food to the local economy. I would suggest trying everything on the menu...... over time of course. The two owners are totally cool and down to talkstory. Sometimes in the Summer I feel like I'm back in Kihei, sipping on a beer at Kam III, but it's actually just Sunny Cove. A visit here is much cheaper than a ticket to the Sandwich Islands.
I love coming here when I'm nearby, especially after the Oneill memorial day sale :)
The food here is always consistently good. You get a decent amount of food for the price you pay and it's a good atmosphere, very laid back.
The best thing I've had here so far was the Teriyaki burger, that was the special of the day. It was a really flavorful patty with a nice hunk of grilled pineapple on top. I love the different kinds of "Hawaiian" drinks they have. The guava one is good.
Only down side: parking sucks.
This is a good place to get some cheap eats before or after the beach.
Yes, the parking is a pain but this place is totally worth the effort.
Their chicken katsu ROCKS!
So far it's the best place i've find found to grub after surfing Pleasure Point. Great micro brews on tap and my pig and cabbage conjured memories of a Maui luau from years ago
Why is it that every time I visit Santa Cruz I end up here?
I know why! Because it ROCKS.
I could eat here all day and all night. Teriyaki chicken, coconut shrimp and all this other yummy stuff I have never tried. The girls behind the counter are always super friendly and will suggest their favorites. My goal is to try everything on the menu. The dishes are typically under ten bucks and amazingly yummy!
The ONLY downside about the place is that is only has about 5 parking spots. I just parked in the huge parking lot across the street even though you aren't supposed to....SHHHHHH!
Everytime my friends and I go surfing at Cowell's, we hit up Aloha Island Grill for some quality grub. We love their fish (mahi mahi, ahi, and poke), their short ribs, and their combo platters. They hook us up with sizeable portions that help us refuel after a long day hitting the waves. Also, it's great to sit outside and get some sun after taking off the wetsuits.
This is the closest I've ever been to Hawaii and if the food is as good in our 50th state as it is at Aloha Grille, I don't think I'd ever come back!.
4.25
$10 bucks=
ahi poke
lomi salmon
poi
rice
mac salad
mmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Picked up lunch on the way to the beach.
Was hoping for the best.
Unfortunately it was just ok.
Had the Kalua Pig, poi and haupia.
Staff
A little snotty. I asked the girl at the counter how the pig was cooked and got a snide remark. Big no, no. Haole chicks with attitude don't work for me.
Food
The pig was good. Nice flavor and generous portion (Big Kine)
The poi was dried out. Looked like it had been sitting in the fridge way too long. Could be that lots of folks don't order it. Takahashi market in San Mateo gets fresh poi once we week, I will stick to that,
The haupia was dried out was well. Big disappointment . Again probably sat in the plastic container too long.
Location
Great. You can just walk to the beach.
Sum it all up.
Food was just ok. I would like to try other items on the menu before I cast my final vote. Next time I will try the lomi, cone sushi and the manapua. I hope they are fresh. Good place for a quick lunch.
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Asian Fusion
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Barbeque
Santa Cruz, CA
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Santa Cruz, CA
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